Mustachian People Problems (just for fun)

[LennStar]

How is walking on an escalator unsafe? 

Moving (lose control and fall down) and moving parts. The bit in the middle isnt the problem, the main problem is where the steps hight changes and especially when you step on/off. Another sort of problem is when parts of your clothing and/or hair get caught by the machinery. People have actually been choked to death by escalators.
Of course, driving a car is still a lot more dangerous. But if you dont have the time to stand on an escalator, you should have started earlier, simple as that. 

[Dollar Slice]

I've been injured twice* while standing on an escalator, both times by other people who were also standing**. No escalator-walker has ever harmed me. Therefore, walking on an escalator is infinitely safer than standing. Anecdotally. ;-)


* and had my feelings hurt :-(
** and losing control of their heavy suitcases

[russianswinga]

I listen to a message about this every day from speakers next to the escalator... and no one cares. "Please do not walk or run on the escalator" it says... and everyone ignores the crap out of that message and walks up it. I always thought of them as speed enhancers.

How is it unsafe to walk on an escalator? What about the ones in public transit systems?
Growing up in Moscow, walking on an escalator in the Metro is encouraged. You stand on the right side, walk on the left. Very convenient since the escalators to reach the deepest stations can last 4 minutes. In St Petersburg, where stations are up to 100m deep because of swampland, an escalator ride can last 9-10 minutes. Damn straight I'm walking that. Unless it's rush hour, then noone's walking :)

[4alpacas]

Damn straight I'm walking that. Unless it's rush hour, then noone's walking :)

It's funny that no one walks during rush hour. 

[mustachepungoeshere]

(my mom will roll her eyes at the utilitarian nature of my list, and then proceed to stick to it because she loves me).

I wish I could figure out how to get people in my life to do this.  My Mom rejects my Christmas list yearly until it has something frivolous enough on it.

My MIL requests a list, and then just ignores it entirely and buys me junk.

A friend of mine is brutal with unwanted gifts. Last Christmas they unwrapped gifts with family and she sorted them into gift bags of keep and toss as they opened them. She dropped them off at a charity shop on their way home from Christmas lunch.

[Heather in Ottawa]

It never would have occurred to me that walking on an escalator would be considered dangerous. It's not exactly a thrill ride. I can see how the owner of the escalator would be worried about liability for injuries if a warning wasn't posted, though.

[Quinn]

(my mom will roll her eyes at the utilitarian nature of my list, and then proceed to stick to it because she loves me).

I wish I could figure out how to get people in my life to do this.  My Mom rejects my Christmas list yearly until it has something frivolous enough on it.

My MIL requests a list, and then just ignores it entirely and buys me junk.

A friend of mine is brutal with unwanted gifts. Last Christmas they unwrapped gifts with family and she sorted them into gift bags of keep and toss as they opened them. She dropped them off at a charity shop on their way home from Christmas lunch.

That is brutal. Did it work as a deterrent against future unwanted gifts?

[mustachepungoeshere]

(my mom will roll her eyes at the utilitarian nature of my list, and then proceed to stick to it because she loves me).

I wish I could figure out how to get people in my life to do this.  My Mom rejects my Christmas list yearly until it has something frivolous enough on it.

My MIL requests a list, and then just ignores it entirely and buys me junk.

A friend of mine is brutal with unwanted gifts. Last Christmas they unwrapped gifts with family and she sorted them into gift bags of keep and toss as they opened them. She dropped them off at a charity shop on their way home from Christmas lunch.

That is brutal. Did it work as a deterrent against future unwanted gifts?

No, because she didn't actually talk to them about it. (They didn't know the reason behind the sorting.)

She has a large family with a tradition of over-the-top gifts for any occasion but precious little thought about what people actually want/need.

After years of similar things with my in-laws, last Christmas I managed to convince them to scale back Christmas after repeated assurances that we would not be offended.

We agreed just to exchange a nice bottle of booze (champagne for them, spirits for us). They ended up buying us some extra things at the last minute, but we're working on it again for this Christmas.

[seanc0x0]

(my mom will roll her eyes at the utilitarian nature of my list, and then proceed to stick to it because she loves me).

I wish I could figure out how to get people in my life to do this.  My Mom rejects my Christmas list yearly until it has something frivolous enough on it.

My MIL requests a list, and then just ignores it entirely and buys me junk.

My mom gets me the same shit every year:

Silver dollar Proof
Proof set of year's coins
Something silly
Money

My birthday falls right around x-mas so everything gets combined into one.

My birthday is 21 days before Christmas. My parents always made sure to have enough saved to keep my birthday separate from Christmas. My second kiddo, born last year, was born Dec 11, and I intend to do the same. I can't imagine the disappointment I'd have felt if my sister, born months before Christmas, got more than I did.

[PMG]

This past Christmas my list included chocolate, coffee, tea, and wine

I got a huge 180 piece whitmans sampler box of chocolates in our family name pool. And a smaller box from someone else... And bags of pepermint patties from my grandpa.  Mom commented "that will teach you not to ask for chocolate!"  No. It was perfect. I still have a bit of that candy left.  I shared it with coworkers And thoroughly enjoyed myself.

(my mom will roll her eyes at the utilitarian nature of my list, and then proceed to stick to it because she loves me).

I wish I could figure out how to get people in my life to do this.  My Mom rejects my Christmas list yearly until it has something frivolous enough on it.

My MIL requests a list, and then just ignores it entirely and buys me junk.

A friend of mine is brutal with unwanted gifts. Last Christmas they unwrapped gifts with family and she sorted them into gift bags of keep and toss as they opened them. She dropped them off at a charity shop on their way home from Christmas lunch.

[mustachepungoeshere]

This past Christmas my list included chocolate, coffee, tea, and wine

I got a huge 180 piece whitmans sampler box of chocolates in our family name pool. And a smaller box from someone else... And bags of pepermint patties from my grandpa.  Mom commented "that will teach you not to ask for chocolate!"  No. It was perfect. I still have a bit of that candy left.  I shared it with coworkers And thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I don't understand... she wanted to spite you with your own Christmas present?

[dragoncar]

Small rant: getting REALLY*, irrationally annoyed by people who don't walk up/down escalators. Or who don't at least get "stand right/walk left".

This is the first I've ever heard of such a thing. When I walked up escalators as a kid my parents would tell me to stop because it's dangerous, so I've always been firmly taught that you stand still on an escalator until you get to the end. I don't think I've ever seen an adult walk on an escalator in my life.

Ha ha ha what? You've obviously never been on the Tube in London. STAND ON THE RIGHT. That way people who actually have somewhere to get can run / walk / skip past you.

It probably is 'dangerous' but, since we're on MMM, we know safety is a fallacy, right?

I've noticed escalator norms are regional/ cultural.

That's probably entirely true. Here in the Michigan/Ohio areas of the US you can even find signs next to escalators asking people not to walk on them. It's been like this all my life. I find it quite interesting that there are places where walking on them is seen as acceptable/normal.

This is great. In the Seattle area we walk up them all the time, and I have the same frustration when there aren't any stairs and people don't stand on the right.

This is why "big city folk" (e.g., NYC, SF, Seattle) hate tourists.  They just stand there in the middle of the escalator/sidewalk/subwaydoors playing their fucking banjo.  Sure, it's a cultural thing, and you should try to adapt to the culture of any place you visit.

[Rural]

Small rant: getting REALLY*, irrationally annoyed by people who don't walk up/down escalators. Or who don't at least get "stand right/walk left".

This is the first I've ever heard of such a thing. When I walked up escalators as a kid my parents would tell me to stop because it's dangerous, so I've always been firmly taught that you stand still on an escalator until you get to the end. I don't think I've ever seen an adult walk on an escalator in my life.

Ha ha ha what? You've obviously never been on the Tube in London. STAND ON THE RIGHT. That way people who actually have somewhere to get can run / walk / skip past you.

It probably is 'dangerous' but, since we're on MMM, we know safety is a fallacy, right?

I've noticed escalator norms are regional/ cultural.

That's probably entirely true. Here in the Michigan/Ohio areas of the US you can even find signs next to escalators asking people not to walk on them. It's been like this all my life. I find it quite interesting that there are places where walking on them is seen as acceptable/normal.

This is great. In the Seattle area we walk up them all the time, and I have the same frustration when there aren't any stairs and people don't stand on the right.

This is why "big city folk" (e.g., NYC, SF, Seattle) hate tourists.  They just stand there in the middle of the escalator/sidewalk/subwaydoors playing their fucking banjo.  Sure, it's a cultural thing, and you should try to adapt to the culture of any place you visit.

Okay, totally taking my banjo (or, okay, dulcimer since I have one) next trip to NYC/SF/Seattle. Does Houston count?

[Squirrel away]

Small rant: getting REALLY*, irrationally annoyed by people who don't walk up/down escalators. Or who don't at least get "stand right/walk left".

This is the first I've ever heard of such a thing. When I walked up escalators as a kid my parents would tell me to stop because it's dangerous, so I've always been firmly taught that you stand still on an escalator until you get to the end. I don't think I've ever seen an adult walk on an escalator in my life.

Ha ha ha what? You've obviously never been on the Tube in London. STAND ON THE RIGHT. That way people who actually have somewhere to get can run / walk / skip past you.

It probably is 'dangerous' but, since we're on MMM, we know safety is a fallacy, right?

I have walked very quickly up an escalator on the tube but it makes me cringe when I see somebody run down very quickly as it looks so dangerous, especially when they are not holding onto the hand rail. I expect to see them trip and fall all the way down. Lol.

[Sam E]

I'm noticing a trend with this escalator thing... It sounds like most of the people who walk on escalators are from big cities with subway stations where people are in a hurry to catch a train. My primary experience with escalators is in department stores and malls because that's about the only place you'll find them around here (no subways to begin with). Someone mentioned 4+ minute long escalators in Moscow... I've never seen one that lasted longer than like 30 seconds (I've never actually timed them) or spanned more than a single building floor.

I also wonder if escalators in those places are also much wider than ours, because if you tried to walk past people on any escalator I've used you'd risk bumping into them and one of you could easily fall, especially if you were walking quickly. They're only about 1.5 people wide at the widest I've ever seen one and so would never accommodate multiple lanes of people each walking or standing.

[Pooperman]

(my mom will roll her eyes at the utilitarian nature of my list, and then proceed to stick to it because she loves me).

I wish I could figure out how to get people in my life to do this.  My Mom rejects my Christmas list yearly until it has something frivolous enough on it.

My MIL requests a list, and then just ignores it entirely and buys me junk.

My mom gets me the same shit every year:

Silver dollar Proof
Proof set of year's coins
Something silly
Money

My birthday falls right around x-mas so everything gets combined into one.

My birthday is 21 days before Christmas. My parents always made sure to have enough saved to keep my birthday separate from Christmas. My second kiddo, born last year, was born Dec 11, and I intend to do the same. I can't imagine the disappointment I'd have felt if my sister, born months before Christmas, got more than I did.

A few weeks before is easier than 4 days. It runs together.

[theadvicist]

Now that library cards are free here and I work half a block from the library and I keep seeing recommendations on this forum for awesome books to check out I have a library book addiction. I keep putting books on hold and they are coming in faster than I can keep up!

Too many books, not enough time.

You used to have to pay for the library?

[Pooperman]

I can tell you from experience, the escalators in Moscow are long. 4 Minutes sounds exaggerated though.
People in big cities are just used to standing on the right hand side of the escalator, in order to let people who are in a hurry walk up on the right hand side. You will always be able to tell the non locals who stand on the left with impatient people piling up behind them. xD

Typical morning rush hour in NYC (escalators of WTC PATH):

[LennStar]

A few weeks before is easier than 4 days. It runs together.

Try the 29th.
Just when everyone is stuffed up from christmas eatings you have birtday and nobody wants anything to eat. Its also the day they start selling fireworks, so its even fuller then "normal" between-holidays if you go buy somehting and it gets really noisy outside.

[Pooperman]

A few weeks before is easier than 4 days. It runs together.

Try the 29th.
Just when everyone is stuffed up from christmas eatings you have birtday and nobody wants anything to eat. Its also the day they start selling fireworks, so its even fuller then "normal" between-holidays if you go buy somehting and it gets really noisy outside.

Mine's the 29th and I much prefer 4 days after to 4 days before. My parents were always really good at having all Christmas stuff put away by my birthday so they didn't run together as bad but they probably wouldn't have waited until 3 days before Christmas to put the stuff up since we normally started decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Bonus; school was always out for my birthday but not always 4 days before, and in all my jobs the week between Christmas and New Years is sssllllooowwww so it's either very relaxed or very easy to take off. Pooperman, you have my condolences

It always felt like kids who were born in the summer (or really any other time than December) ended up with two normal sized x-mases a year in terms of gifts. Those of us unlucky enough to be born near or on x-mas (I knew a guy, felt bad for him) ended up with a slightly larger than average x-mas and nothing the rest of the year. So much packed into one week. Now, my mom's Jewish, so there's chanukkah too. A couple years growing up all three overlapped (i.e. chanukkah started on the 19th, birthday on the 21st, x-mas on the 25th, chanukkah ended on the 26th). I mean, epic week, but I always wanted them spread out haha.

[mlejw6]

Okay, totally taking my banjo (or, okay, dulcimer since I have one) next trip to NYC/SF/Seattle. Does Houston count?

No, no, no, you HAVE to take it to DC! At least in NYC/SF (don't know about Seattle), people play music in the subways. In DC, everyone is stoic and quiet and rushing to their verrrrry important government/lobbyist jobs. You'd be way more disruptive there!

[Michael792]

I can tell you from experience, the escalators in Moscow are long. 4 Minutes sounds exaggerated though.
People in big cities are just used to standing on the right hand side of the escalator, in order to let people who are in a hurry walk up on the right hand side. You will always be able to tell the non locals who stand on the left with impatient people piling up behind them. xD

I lived in Korea and spent a lot of time in Seoul. Go to Seoul Station and you'll see that four minutes is neither an exaggeration nor all that long.

[I'm a red panda]

Escalator rides need more high fives.

http://improveverywhere.com/2009/02/09/high-five-escalator/

Yes, on escalators that crowded, there is no way you could walk (the stairs are for walking.)


But in non-commuting situations, escalators are not that crowded.  Like in airports.

[Arktinkerer]

Ha! When I first got with my SO, I spent a fair amount getting her jewelry. Once I got into decluttering and a more minimalist approach to my surroundings, I noticed that she almost never wore them. Kind of defeats the purpose if you ask me. ...

I bought my wife some fancy lingerie.  She seldom wears it and then not for long.   But I do think it serves its purpose...

[jordanread]

Ha! When I first got with my SO, I spent a fair amount getting her jewelry. Once I got into decluttering and a more minimalist approach to my surroundings, I noticed that she almost never wore them. Kind of defeats the purpose if you ask me. ...

I bought my wife some fancy lingerie.  She seldom wears it and then not for long.   But I do think it serves its purpose...

Well played sir.

[Bracken_Joy]

A few weeks before is easier than 4 days. It runs together.

Try the 29th.
Just when everyone is stuffed up from christmas eatings you have birtday and nobody wants anything to eat. Its also the day they start selling fireworks, so its even fuller then "normal" between-holidays if you go buy somehting and it gets really noisy outside.

Mine's the 29th and I much prefer 4 days after to 4 days before. My parents were always really good at having all Christmas stuff put away by my birthday so they didn't run together as bad but they probably wouldn't have waited until 3 days before Christmas to put the stuff up since we normally started decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Bonus; school was always out for my birthday but not always 4 days before, and in all my jobs the week between Christmas and New Years is sssllllooowwww so it's either very relaxed or very easy to take off. Pooperman, you have my condolences

It always felt like kids who were born in the summer (or really any other time than December) ended up with two normal sized x-mases a year in terms of gifts. Those of us unlucky enough to be born near or on x-mas (I knew a guy, felt bad for him) ended up with a slightly larger than average x-mas and nothing the rest of the year. So much packed into one week. Now, my mom's Jewish, so there's chanukkah too. A couple years growing up all three overlapped (i.e. chanukkah started on the 19th, birthday on the 21st, x-mas on the 25th, chanukkah ended on the 26th). I mean, epic week, but I always wanted them spread out haha.

I have a cousin who is a christmas baby. We celebrate his Bday mid-summer on his great-gpa's birthday (exactly 6 months offset). This was amusing when he turned 21- he had already been legally going to bars for 6 months.

[AllieVaulter]

Small rant: getting REALLY*, irrationally annoyed by people who don't walk up/down escalators. Or who don't at least get "stand right/walk left".

This is the first I've ever heard of such a thing. When I walked up escalators as a kid my parents would tell me to stop because it's dangerous, so I've always been firmly taught that you stand still on an escalator until you get to the end. I don't think I've ever seen an adult walk on an escalator in my life.

Ha ha ha what? You've obviously never been on the Tube in London. STAND ON THE RIGHT. That way people who actually have somewhere to get can run / walk / skip past you.

It probably is 'dangerous' but, since we're on MMM, we know safety is a fallacy, right?

I have walked very quickly up an escalator on the tube but it makes me cringe when I see somebody run down very quickly as it looks so dangerous, especially when they are not holding onto the hand rail. I expect to see them trip and fall all the way down. Lol.

I think one could actually make a pretty compelling argument that walking on an escalator is actually safer than standing.  I'm no expert, but from my understanding, most accidents happen from shoes & shoe laces getting caught in the grating of the steps & becomes an issue at the very end of the escalator.  If you're walking up the escalator, it seems you would have the opportunity to notice a lace caught in the stair & fix it before it becomes a problem. 

[BlueHouse]

I've noticed escalator norms are regional/ cultural.

Yep.  In Japan, the norms are to stand left and pass right.  Except in Osaka.  This is a thing.  Really. 

[bzzzt]

I'm running out of credit card offers with good signup bonuses because I've gotten creative on being able to pump money through them.

-Property taxes
-Home and Auto Insurance (signup for AutoPay for the discount, but then use the CC to pay early and still get the discount!)
-Home Improvements
-All utilities/Netflix/etc

I used to be mad that my mortgage lender didn't accept CC payments, but that may be a blessing in disguise. Haha.

[I'm a red panda]

I've noticed escalator norms are regional/ cultural.

Yep.  In Japan, the norms are to stand left and pass right.  Except in Osaka.  This is a thing.  Really.

I was scurying down the moving walkway as fast as my injury-won't-let-my-legs-runs body (hence the need for the walkways, I would have never made it without the boost) would let me to catch a plane with the worlds tightest connection (no- I did not book it that tight, a fire changed all of our travel plans). This was Miami International terminal, so I was peppering my excuse me, I'm so sorry, with pardon, and lo sientos, and it seemed to work.  But EVERY standing group I came upon, when standing in the middle, would step to the left- where I was prepared to pass. Only ONE person on what seemed like a mile of moving walkways (seriously- worst terminal ever to have to run for a flight) stepped to the right so I could pass left.

I was SO annoyed.  Until I realized the bulk of people in that terminal are not from the US.  (The only reason I was in there was because the international flight on American couldn't take me, so I was flying LAN).  Then I realized maybe I was the person trying to pass on the wrong side, and their cultural norm was to pass on the right.

Thankfully, I didn't run into anyone, nor hit anyone with my backpack.  And I made the flight- last person onto the plane.

[Rezdent]

I've noticed escalator norms are regional/ cultural.

Yep.  In Japan, the norms are to stand left and pass right.  Except in Osaka.  This is a thing.  Really.

I was scurying down the moving walkway as fast as my injury-won't-let-my-legs-runs body (hence the need for the walkways, I would have never made it without the boost) would let me to catch a plane with the worlds tightest connection (no- I did not book it that tight, a fire changed all of our travel plans). This was Miami International terminal, so I was peppering my excuse me, I'm so sorry, with pardon, and lo sientos, and it seemed to work.  But EVERY standing group I came upon, when standing in the middle, would step to the left- where I was prepared to pass. Only ONE person on what seemed like a mile of moving walkways (seriously- worst terminal ever to have to run for a flight) stepped to the right so I could pass left.

I was SO annoyed.  Until I realized the bulk of people in that terminal are not from the US.  (The only reason I was in there was because the international flight on American couldn't take me, so I was flying LAN).  Then I realized maybe I was the person trying to pass on the wrong side, and their cultural norm was to pass on the right.

Thankfully, I didn't run into anyone, nor hit anyone with my backpack.  And I made the flight- last person onto the plane.

Interesting.  I do believe it is local customs.
When my kids were in middle school hallways were all over the map but HS halls, the students generally moved right/passed left.  I think drivers education just somehow got internalized along the way and became the norm.

[nobodyspecial]

When my kids were in middle school hallways were all over the map but HS halls, the students generally moved right/passed left.  I think drivers education just somehow got internalized along the way and became the norm.

So you could cause chaos in American high schools by installing roundabouts ?

[russianswinga]

Someone mentioned 4+ minute long escalators in Moscow... I've never seen one that lasted longer than like 30 seconds (I've never actually timed them) or spanned more than a single building floor.

Welcome to St Petersburg, Russia, where the longest escalator is 165 meters in length. (541 feet)

[Heather in Ottawa]

The example calculations used to illustrate various pension options (retire at age 65, take a reduced pension early, transfer out...) NEVER seem to use "let it ride for 20 years while living off the other funds you've saved" as a scenario. Makes for a lot of double-checking of the rules.

(Also, I think the absolute worst birthday is January 2 through about 7th. EVERYONE is feeling fat, partied-out, going strong on the resolutions, back at work, and doesn't even want to think about one more get-together. If you're anything like me, you don't want to even look at birthday cake, and your birthday becomes something to try to avoid every year. At least Christmas and New Years people are still on holiday and having fun, and birthday can be part of that).

[Cookie78]

Now that library cards are free here and I work half a block from the library and I keep seeing recommendations on this forum for awesome books to check out I have a library book addiction. I keep putting books on hold and they are coming in faster than I can keep up!

Too many books, not enough time.

You used to have to pay for the library?

Ya, as recently as a few months ago. $14ish/year

[mustachepungoeshere]

I've switched off my 'want' impulses so many times my mother has started asking me now what I want for my birthday (three months away) so I have some time to come up with something equally pleasing and practical.

I started a note for it in my phone. So far the list is:

• new tea-towels
• a second homemade wheatbag

I keep a running list for this specific purpose. It includes things like wool dryer balls (my mom will roll her eyes at the utilitarian nature of my list, and then proceed to stick to it because she loves me).

I'm also now keeping a list of clothing items for when mine wear out. I'm on a no-spend challenge for the year re: clothing, but when I do begin to replace pieces, I have specific (slow fashion, quality, versatile pieces for my increasingly minimalist wardrobe) that I want to replace.

Same. lol.
My birthday is next week and all i asked for was a new Wahl beard trimmer, costing 15$. My parents and GF are always frustrated by how little I want.

Well, I visited parents on the weekend and there were two wheatbags ready and waiting for me. I pointed out that they were supposed to be for my birthday. My mum, who has been flexing her mustachian muscles longer than I've been alive, just laughed at me and said it was $4 worth of wheat and some (pretty, patterned) fabric remnants leftover from a project. I adore my mum!

[Hedge_87]

Well, I visited parents on the weekend and there were two wheatbags ready and waiting for me. I pointed out that they were supposed to be for my birthday. My mum, who has been flexing her mustachian muscles longer than I've been alive, just laughed at me and said it was $4 worth of wheat and some (pretty, patterned) fabric remnants leftover from a project. I adore my mum!

Lol. That is awesome. My mother is very much the same. Any gift that I have received since the  day I moved out have been completely utilitarian, 100% useful, and 150% apriciated. Nothing says I love you like a winters worth of canned goods or a years supply of home made soap.

[1967mama]

My public library puts a 50 item limit on requests from other branches. I have 50 items coming over the next few months and want to order more, but I'm cut off!

[Sanne]

Now that library cards are free here and I work half a block from the library and I keep seeing recommendations on this forum for awesome books to check out I have a library book addiction. I keep putting books on hold and they are coming in faster than I can keep up!

Too many books, not enough time.

You used to have to pay for the library?

Ya, as recently as a few months ago. $14ish/year

In the Netherlands it's free up to 18 years, between 18 and 23 there's a 'young subscription' for € 27.50 for a year and for older people there are a few subscriptions up to € 60 a year. If you have a cheap subscription, you also have to pay for every book/cd you  take home.

[2ndTimer]

Ha! When I first got with my SO, I spent a fair amount getting her jewelry. Once I got into decluttering and a more minimalist approach to my surroundings, I noticed that she almost never wore them. Kind of defeats the purpose if you ask me. ...

I bought my wife some fancy lingerie.  She seldom wears it and then not for long.   But I do think it serves its purpose...

It is very mustachian to remove fancy lingerie as quickly as possible to avoid wearing it out.  You should then proceed to any healthful and aerobic activity that comes to mind.

[markbike528CBX]

Ha! When I first got with my SO, I spent a fair amount getting her jewelry. Once I got into decluttering and a more minimalist approach to my surroundings, I noticed that she almost never wore them. Kind of defeats the purpose if you ask me. ...

I bought my wife some fancy lingerie.  She seldom wears it and then not for long.   But I do think it serves its purpose...

It is very mustachian to remove fancy lingerie as quickly as possible to avoid wearing it out.  You should then proceed to any healthful and aerobic activity that comes to mind.

Preached.
              practiced,
                              Done.

[riverffashion]

Ha! When I first got with my SO, I spent a fair amount getting her jewelry. Once I got into decluttering and a more minimalist approach to my surroundings, I noticed that she almost never wore them. Kind of defeats the purpose if you ask me. ...

I bought my wife some fancy lingerie.  She seldom wears it and then not for long.   But I do think it serves its purpose...

It is very mustachian to remove fancy lingerie as quickly as possible to avoid wearing it out.  You should then proceed to any healthful and aerobic activity that comes to mind.

Preached.
              practiced,
                              Done.

Worth the investment I'd say ;)

[theadvicist]

Now that library cards are free here and I work half a block from the library and I keep seeing recommendations on this forum for awesome books to check out I have a library book addiction. I keep putting books on hold and they are coming in faster than I can keep up!

Too many books, not enough time.

You used to have to pay for the library?

Ya, as recently as a few months ago. $14ish/year

I'm seriously shocked by this Cookie. I thought Canada was supposed to be all socialist?!

I'm in the UK, and of course, I pay for my library in terms of taxation, but the idea of users paying is shocking to me. What about poor people wanting to get on in life?

I mean that in all seriousness (are there exemptions for low earners / pensioners etc?). But also, how do awful people disparage the poor if they can't pretend that any old homeless person could live their life of luxury and privilege if only they'd go to the library and then get a job!

[tardis]

All libraries I've ever used in Canada (5 cities in 3 different provinces) have all been free, except the one in my hometown and that was because our address was technically outside the city limits (therefore our municipal taxes were not supporting it).  That was $50/year for a family.

[theadvicist]

All libraries I've ever used in Canada (5 cities in 3 different provinces) have all been free, except the one in my hometown and that was because our address was technically outside the city limits (therefore our municipal taxes were not supporting it).  That was $50/year for a family.

Interesting that it is directly tied to taxes like that. I live right on the border of three counties, and I'm a member in each - one is close to home, one is close to work, and one is where I used to live but still visit. I was surprised I was able to join the one near work when I live elsewhere, but was told anyone could join anywhere as long as they agreed to the terms.

[Sibley]

Since I'm not using the dryer as much, I did all my laundry and didn't remember that the towels were in the dryer until two weeks later.

[Cookie78]

Now that library cards are free here and I work half a block from the library and I keep seeing recommendations on this forum for awesome books to check out I have a library book addiction. I keep putting books on hold and they are coming in faster than I can keep up!

Too many books, not enough time.

You used to have to pay for the library?

Ya, as recently as a few months ago. $14ish/year

I'm seriously shocked by this Cookie. I thought Canada was supposed to be all socialist?!

I'm in the UK, and of course, I pay for my library in terms of taxation, but the idea of users paying is shocking to me. What about poor people wanting to get on in life?

I mean that in all seriousness (are there exemptions for low earners / pensioners etc?). But also, how do awful people disparage the poor if they can't pretend that any old homeless person could live their life of luxury and privilege if only they'd go to the library and then get a job!

All socialist?

You don't have to be shocked anymore. It's free now.

There were plenty of homeless people in the library before. They could read the books, they just couldn't check them out.

I don't know if there were exemptions, but I imagine so. Or maybe they thought that fourteen dollars a year was low enough for anyone.

[nobodyspecial]

I'm in the UK, and of course, I pay for my library in terms of taxation, but the idea of users paying is shocking to me. What about poor people wanting to get on in life?

The fees are normally only if you don't live in the city, so you don't pay property taxes to them

The US and Canada is a lot more regional in the taxes, you can live in the "city of X" on one side of the street, the "district of X" on the other and pay half as much property tax - but not get access to their libraries, sports centers or schools.
It makes house hunting a precision business for anyone with kids in school.

[infogoon]

It makes house hunting a precision business for anyone with kids in school.

My brother-in-law and two of his cousins were born within a couple weeks of each other, and all grew up within a range of a mile. They all went to different high schools because they were in different districts.

It's very strange.

[cripzychiken]

It makes house hunting a precision business for anyone with kids in school.

My brother-in-law and two of his cousins were born within a couple weeks of each other, and all grew up within a range of a mile. They all went to different high schools because they were in different districts.

It's very strange.

My house is districted for an elementary school that is about 4.5miles away.  There are 2 other elementary school closer to my house, including 1 only 3 blocks away, but we can't go to it since it is in a different city.  We can't even petition to go there since it is also in a different county.