Author Topic: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.  (Read 9802 times)

fb132

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Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« on: October 23, 2014, 09:53:03 AM »
I don't know why, but I was watching today's show of Kathie Lee and Hoda (god knows why I did that) and they were showing a segment called "Pay it forward" where this guy goes out and gives money to people he feels that deserve it. So on today's show, he goes to a grocery (or a wall mart type store, I don't remember) and decides to give 500$ to a cashier he says works hard and smiles everyday. And then on the show they said, she spent the 500$ in order to buy a car since she goes to work using the bus. Is it me or that money would of been better spent off on an investment or something else better than just a car, like paying debts. Why is taking the bus such a bad thing in the media??? Maybe I am too harsh and mean,lol. The way she was portrayed was like if she was living paycheck to paycheck, so using the 500$ for a car is like sucha bad decision in my mind, but once again, am I just mean or too strict?
« Last Edit: October 23, 2014, 09:55:01 AM by fb132 »

iris lily

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #1 on: October 23, 2014, 09:56:42 AM »
I don't know why, but I was watching today's show of Kathie Lee and Hoda (god knows why I did that) and they were showing a segment called "Pay it forward" where this guy goes out and gives money to people he feels that deserve it. So on today's show, he goes to a grocery (or a wall mart type store, I don't remember) and decides to give 500$ to a cashier he says works hard and smiles everyday. And then on the show they said, she spent the 500$ in order to buy a car since she goes to work using the bus. Is it me or that money would of been better spent off on an investment or something else better than just a car. Why is taking the bus such a bad thing in the media??? Maybe I am too harsh and mean,lol.

In my experience, Walmarts exist in outter Yahoo, Nowheresville, where bus service is horrible. Maybe this car saves her 2 hours of commuting each day and she can use that time to shop for and prepare healthy meals for her family and just be with her kids. While a $500 car is to my mind more trouble than it is worth, it MAY run long enough to give her a break.

fb132

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #2 on: October 23, 2014, 09:57:33 AM »
She can't move near Wal Mart? Not sure if it was MMM who said it, but I remember hearing him say (or someone else if it wasn't him) that you can always move near your job, you don't have to live far away from your work to support yourself and have a car which makes sense to me. But then again, I can be too harsh maybe.
« Last Edit: October 23, 2014, 10:00:20 AM by fb132 »

iris lily

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #3 on: October 23, 2014, 10:05:44 AM »
She can't move near Wal Mart? Not sure if it was MMM who said it, but I remember hearing him say (or someone else if it wasn't him) that you can always move near your job, you don't have to live far away from your work to support yourself and have a car which makes sense to me. But then again, I can be too harsh maybe.

If she has children, moving isn't that easy. It might mean taking them out of their school. It would mean removing them from their neighborhood and friends.

Look, you and I would move for a job because we likely have professional level jobs that are somewhat stable and that are, well, "professional."( Actually, I DID move very close to my job decades ago. Close enoguh to walk. and sometimes I DO walk but sadly, I am clownishly driving an automobile sometimes, too. Me very very bad!)

Not sure that Walmart cashiers' job are all that stable. Aren't they mostly part-time, anyway? Does one pull up roots and entire families for part time, temporary work? Not sure I'd do that and realistically people like that need, what, $1,000 to $1,5000 for first and last month's rent in order to make a move.

fb132

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #4 on: October 23, 2014, 10:08:15 AM »
This is where I would reply to the cashier "Why did you have kids if you poor and broke"....oh I am going to hell :P

Josiecat

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #5 on: October 23, 2014, 10:18:41 AM »
'you're'

slugline

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #6 on: October 23, 2014, 10:32:31 AM »
I think it's very possible having a car might be not so bad of a spend. I live 10 miles from work, but thanks to the way routes and schedules are aligned in this city, taking the bus is a two-hour commitment each way. I have other things I'd like to do with that time.

surfhb

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #7 on: October 23, 2014, 11:12:29 AM »
Depending on where you live, a car is a necessity for many.   Living in the Los Angeles area and the 'just move closer to work' philosophy just doesn't fly.

southern granny

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #8 on: October 23, 2014, 01:30:13 PM »
depends on the public transportation in her area.  Where I live (and there are 2 walmarts) the public transportation is not good.  Last run during the week is 7 pm,  saturday is 4:00, and doesn't run at all on Sunday.  Pick ups are only every 30 or 45 minutes.  With transfers it can easily take 1 1/2 hours to get from point a to point b.  Consequently, anybody than can get a car does.  Even a 500 dollar car.

SpicyMcHaggus

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #9 on: October 23, 2014, 02:36:52 PM »
depends on the public transportation in her area.  Where I live (and there are 2 walmarts) the public transportation is not good.  Last run during the week is 7 pm,  saturday is 4:00, and doesn't run at all on Sunday.  Pick ups are only every 30 or 45 minutes.  With transfers it can easily take 1 1/2 hours to get from point a to point b.  Consequently, anybody than can get a car does.  Even a 500 dollar car.

My mom used to take the bus 4 miles to downtown Green Bay to work. It was nearly a straight shot north on one street, and then one block west.  The bus system there took 45 minutes to get her to work. In summer she rode her bicycle in 15 minutes. I finially convinced her that at $1 each way, the bus was not only more expensive, but took 3x as long. She drove in winter from then on out.

Public transport is great when it works right. And awful when it is only built to shuttle the DUI revoked lisc people and the homeless.

marty998

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #10 on: October 23, 2014, 03:01:32 PM »
This is where I would reply to the cashier "Why did you have kids if you poor and broke"....oh I am going to hell :P

Someone once remarked to me that it's funny how you need a licence/certificate to do almost everything in life but there's no test to pass for breeding.

Makes me wonder what the test would be.....

Examiner: It's 7pm, here's 3 screaming kids who need a bath and haven't done their homework. There's a pile of dirty dishes in the sink, laundry that hasn't been put away, beds without sheets. Older kid is acting up, baby needs to be breastfed. Middle one has come down with a fever and is coughing everywhere. Hubby rings to say he'll be working late. What do you do?

Prospective parent: Uh huh...

dragoncar

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MoneyCat

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #12 on: October 23, 2014, 04:02:38 PM »
In rural areas with poor public transportation, a car is necessary for work.  We don't know how long and difficult a commute it was for this cashier without a car.  Who knows?  Maybe she could start a car pool with other workers to reduce her fuel and maintenance costs.

iris lily

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #13 on: October 23, 2014, 08:06:07 PM »
This is where I would reply to the cashier "Why did you have kids if you poor and broke"....oh I am going to hell :P

That is funny because I usually am the person thinking what you said out loud. So thank you for allowing me to be "the compassionate one" for once.  :)

resy

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #14 on: October 23, 2014, 09:02:42 PM »
She can't move near Wal Mart? Not sure if it was MMM who said it, but I remember hearing him say (or someone else if it wasn't him) that you can always move near your job, you don't have to live far away from your work to support yourself and have a car which makes sense to me. But then again, I can be too harsh maybe.

If she has children, moving isn't that easy. It might mean taking them out of their school. It would mean removing them from their neighborhood and friends.

Look, you and I would move for a job because we likely have professional level jobs that are somewhat stable and that are, well, "professional."( Actually, I DID move very close to my job decades ago. Close enoguh to walk. and sometimes I DO walk but sadly, I am clownishly driving an automobile sometimes, too. Me very very bad!)

Not sure that Walmart cashiers' job are all that stable. Aren't they mostly part-time, anyway? Does one pull up roots and entire families for part time, temporary work? Not sure I'd do that and realistically people like that need, what, $1,000 to $1,5000 for first and last month's rent in order to make a move.
I was a young, uneducated single mom for many years and I'd like to add that worrying about "uprooting" the kid(s) from their friends and school is a very valid concern but in these situations more of a luxury. What  plays a bigger role in moving for low income parents are the resources that would potentially change such as after school programs being available at the old school but not the new one, availability of bus service to/from school for kid, etc. Personally, my car and child care were my top two priorities, without these I wouldnt have been able to work and without work no shelter, etc.
Just saying...hard to judge these type of situations, they are often much more complex than expected.
« Last Edit: October 23, 2014, 09:08:37 PM by resy »

resy

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #15 on: October 23, 2014, 09:14:21 PM »
This is where I would reply to the cashier "Why did you have kids if you poor and broke"....oh I am going to hell :P
meh. One strike is fair, we all make mistakes. In my case, I wasnt ready to be a mom when I got pregnant (bc failed) and I was guilted (read:emotionally forced) by my very catholic family into keeping the baby. Learned the lesson though. THATS where I have the problem, people not learning. One kid is understandable, two, three, more? Lost my sympathy.

iris lily

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #16 on: October 23, 2014, 10:04:15 PM »
This is where I would reply to the cashier "Why did you have kids if you poor and broke"....oh I am going to hell :P
meh. One strike is fair, we all make mistakes. In my case, I wasnt ready to be a mom when I got pregnant (bc failed) and I was guilted (read:emotionally forced) by my very catholic family into keeping the baby. Learned the lesson though. THATS where I have the problem, people not learning. One kid is understandable, two, three, more? Lost my sympathy.

Wow, there are some severe people here!

I like that.  :)

fb132

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #17 on: October 24, 2014, 05:10:33 AM »
This is where I would reply to the cashier "Why did you have kids if you poor and broke"....oh I am going to hell :P
meh. One strike is fair, we all make mistakes. In my case, I wasnt ready to be a mom when I got pregnant (bc failed) and I was guilted (read:emotionally forced) by my very catholic family into keeping the baby. Learned the lesson though. THATS where I have the problem, people not learning. One kid is understandable, two, three, more? Lost my sympathy.

Wow, there are some severe people here!

I like that.  :)
Well, I see situations where people complain about their life and how they struggle to feed their family and I never understood why people start to have kids when financially they were never ready to have them. I understand people want to have kids because of emotional issues and all that, but it sucks for the kid when the parents can't even give them a decent meal or propre clothing and then go on hearing about them how "the goverment is out to get them".

Rural

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #18 on: October 24, 2014, 06:35:30 AM »
Do we have any evidence that the cashier has kids?


Anyway, maybe the car will allow her to interview for better-paying jobs. I find it hard to condemn someone who's driving a $500 car.

agent_clone

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #19 on: October 24, 2014, 07:31:12 AM »
This is where I would reply to the cashier "Why did you have kids if you poor and broke"....oh I am going to hell :P
meh. One strike is fair, we all make mistakes. In my case, I wasnt ready to be a mom when I got pregnant (bc failed) and I was guilted (read:emotionally forced) by my very catholic family into keeping the baby. Learned the lesson though. THATS where I have the problem, people not learning. One kid is understandable, two, three, more? Lost my sympathy.

Wow, there are some severe people here!

I like that.  :)
Well, I see situations where people complain about their life and how they struggle to feed their family and I never understood why people start to have kids when financially they were never ready to have them. I understand people want to have kids because of emotional issues and all that, but it sucks for the kid when the parents can't even give them a decent meal or propre clothing and then go on hearing about them how "the goverment is out to get them".
One issue with this complaint is that peoples circumstances change.  My understanding is that in the US a lot of people are a few medical bills away from disaster.

infogoon

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #20 on: October 24, 2014, 07:46:06 AM »
This is where I would reply to the cashier "Why did you have kids if you poor and broke"....oh I am going to hell :P

You don't know anyone who unexpectedly lost their job after having kids? Particularly in a rural area, like the ones where most Walmarts are located, if the main employer in town goes under a lot of people end up in service-sector jobs like this.

MoneyCat

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #21 on: October 24, 2014, 10:36:51 AM »
This is where I would reply to the cashier "Why did you have kids if you poor and broke"....oh I am going to hell :P

You don't know anyone who unexpectedly lost their job after having kids? Particularly in a rural area, like the ones where most Walmarts are located, if the main employer in town goes under a lot of people end up in service-sector jobs like this.

Don't you know that it's scandalous for poor people to fall in love and start families?  It's like they think they are human beings or something.

zhelud

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #22 on: October 24, 2014, 10:52:24 AM »
This is where I would reply to the cashier "Why did you have kids if you poor and broke"....oh I am going to hell :P

You don't know anyone who unexpectedly lost their job after having kids? Particularly in a rural area, like the ones where most Walmarts are located, if the main employer in town goes under a lot of people end up in service-sector jobs like this.



Don't you know that it's scandalous for poor people to fall in love and start families?  It's like they think they are human beings or something.

Well we all know that sex is only for rich people!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/catherine-rampell-family-planning-shouldnt-be-limited-to-the-well-to-do/2014/10/16/862f0e0e-5570-11e4-892e-602188e70e9c_story.html

"Our country apparently doesn’t want low-income Americans to have free access to birth control, either by compelling all insurance plans to offer it or by adequately funding public reproductive health programs.

Then we don’t help them very much after they birth those unplanned kids, instead publicly chastising irresponsible single mothers for having babies they can’t afford and offering little assistance in the form of child care, education or cash. Dumping unwanted children onto the child welfare system isn’t exactly celebrated, either."



Elderwood17

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #23 on: October 25, 2014, 06:36:50 AM »
Quote from: fb132 link=topic=25446.msg432424#msg432424 date

Well we all know that sex is only for rich people
[/quote

One more compelling argument for growing that stache early!!

mm1970

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #24 on: October 25, 2014, 09:45:42 AM »
This is where I would reply to the cashier "Why did you have kids if you poor and broke"....oh I am going to hell :P

You don't know anyone who unexpectedly lost their job after having kids? Particularly in a rural area, like the ones where most Walmarts are located, if the main employer in town goes under a lot of people end up in service-sector jobs like this.
word

EastCoastMike

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #25 on: October 25, 2014, 10:29:49 AM »
I'm lucky to live in an area with awesome public transportation, at least in the city.  Out in the 'burbs, it's a different story, but I live close to the city, close to my job.  I've lived in some unfortunate places where public transportation has been "reformed" so often to remove "waste" that it's absolutely worthless.  Kansas City, MO and Jacksonville, FL come to mind. 

We only know the snippet posted by the OP, but if the cashier is living in a rural area or perhaps in one of the crappy cities I listed above, then a car makes sense, even a $500 one.  Somehow, I doubt she considered all the additional costs she was taking on when she bought the car, but maybe she did.  Whenever I consider owning another car, I hear this imaginary vacuum starting up and laying waste to my bank account. 



Spondulix

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #26 on: November 02, 2014, 02:07:04 AM »
How bout this... Maybe that $500 car allows this person to get another job. Or a second job. Or to a college. Public transit doesn't run 24 hours or to every location conveniently. But I tend to be an optimist... Better a car than clothes and beer!

Deano

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #27 on: November 02, 2014, 04:46:29 AM »
How bout this... Maybe that $500 car allows this person to get another job. Or a second job. Or to a college. Public transit doesn't run 24 hours or to every location conveniently. But I tend to be an optimist... Better a car than clothes and beer!

Just to add to this, a car in North America can be one of the tickets to increased prosperity, for lower income groups in particular. You can go to a job interview and still make your shift at Wal Mart for instance. You can start picking up classes at your local college and still make your shift at Wal Mart. You can go to your second job and still make your shift at Wal Mart....I think we're getting the picture? Even if this car only gets through a few years, it may be enough to play it's part in lifting this woman out of working poverty.

Honestly, the OP and many posters who followed come across as arrogant pricks. I'm not saying you are, but this thread isn't doing you any favours.

vivophoenix

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #28 on: November 06, 2014, 12:27:29 PM »
How bout this... Maybe that $500 car allows this person to get another job. Or a second job. Or to a college. Public transit doesn't run 24 hours or to every location conveniently. But I tend to be an optimist... Better a car than clothes and beer!

Just to add to this, a car in North America can be one of the tickets to increased prosperity, for lower income groups in particular. You can go to a job interview and still make your shift at Wal Mart for instance. You can start picking up classes at your local college and still make your shift at Wal Mart. You can go to your second job and still make your shift at Wal Mart....I think we're getting the picture? Even if this car only gets through a few years, it may be enough to play it's part in lifting this woman out of working poverty.

Honestly, the OP and many posters who followed come across as arrogant pricks. I'm not saying you are, but this thread isn't doing you any favours.


this

i hate how much this forum judges those who are less financially stable. you know zeros other details about her life. so im sorry i dont think this woman deserves to mocked or shamed.

you on the other hand....

Bob W

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #29 on: November 06, 2014, 12:37:47 PM »
This is where I would reply to the cashier "Why did you have kids if you poor and broke"....oh I am going to hell :P

That is funny because I usually am the person thinking what you said out loud. So thank you for allowing me to be "the compassionate one" for once.  :)

So I worked at a birth control clinic for several years and chaired a TPPP (Teen Pregnancy Prevention Partnership)

I can tell you two things --- The pill does not work.  30-40% of teen pregnancies are due to incest. Those are the two biggest reasons teens get pregnant.   

gimp

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #30 on: November 06, 2014, 12:55:00 PM »
It works fine, if you take it every day at the same time (occasional minor slips don't really matter). 99% effective over the course of the year is good enough.

MrBuckBeard

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #31 on: November 06, 2014, 01:53:24 PM »
I don't know why, but I was watching today's show of Kathie Lee and Hoda (god knows why I did that) and they were showing a segment called "Pay it forward" where this guy goes out and gives money to people he feels that deserve it. So on today's show, he goes to a grocery (or a wall mart type store, I don't remember) and decides to give 500$ to a cashier he says works hard and smiles everyday. And then on the show they said, she spent the 500$ in order to buy a car since she goes to work using the bus. Is it me or that money would of been better spent off on an investment or something else better than just a car, like paying debts. Why is taking the bus such a bad thing in the media??? Maybe I am too harsh and mean,lol. The way she was portrayed was like if she was living paycheck to paycheck, so using the 500$ for a car is like sucha bad decision in my mind, but once again, am I just mean or too strict?

Without actually seeing this show, I'm sort of split here.  I mean, if you're going to get a car, better to spent $500 on one and not $10,000.  And while I get by on bus and train based transit, my girlfriend owns a car.  Without this, I'd be hard-pressed to make 100% public transit work.  I'm also willing to venture that you or someone in your household owns a car.  I take the bus to work, but there are scenarios when taking the car is the better option, like to the grocery store or to a friend's house for an evening of hanging out.

Others in this thread have mentioned that you can just move closer to where you work to make the commute cheaper and easier (shorter/faster).  This is true, but it's an example of the poorer you are, the more things cost.  If you have a limited budget, you may not be able to afford to move.  You may not have the job stability to warrant moving near the job you probably won't have in two years. 

If any of us were living paycheck to paycheck on a cashier's wage, well, I'm sure most of us would work to get into a better situation.  But $500 isn't enough liquid cash to fix that.  A car, however, if used correctly, provides opportunity.  Suddenly, job interviews can be scheduled on the same day as you work, because you can make it there and still get to your shift on time.  You can exercise your buying power by getting to businesses that aren't along the bus route you take.

Not to say she's going to use this car as a tool to do these things, but we don't know.  I just wouldn't put someone down because they're poor and bought a $500 vehicle.  At least there is a potential upside with this purchase, as opposed to getting a new TV or a couch, or even just going out to the bars with the cash until the money is burnt out.

RFAAOATB

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Re: Your broke, someone gives you 500$...so you spend it on a car.
« Reply #32 on: November 07, 2014, 11:51:56 AM »
This is where I would reply to the cashier "Why did you have kids if you poor and broke"....oh I am going to hell :P

That is funny because I usually am the person thinking what you said out loud. So thank you for allowing me to be "the compassionate one" for once.  :)

So I worked at a birth control clinic for several years and chaired a TPPP (Teen Pregnancy Prevention Partnership)

I can tell you two things --- The pill does not work.  30-40% of teen pregnancies are due to incest. Those are the two biggest reasons teens get pregnant.

I've heard they are promoting the birth control arm implant as a better alternative to the pill.  Would making the implant as subsidized, promoted, and routine as vaccinations be a successful campaign to lower unplanned pregnancies?