Things that are f'd up about the US thread

[Platypus]

(Feel free to start one about Australia)

Here's a thread for things I come across that are clearly stains on the US. There are many wonderful things about America, of course, but some of the stuff that comes out of your country is sad, disappointing, and occasionally enraging.

To start us off, the story of Gina Ray, thanks to the NYT:

"CHILDERSBURG, Ala. — Three years ago, Gina Ray, who is now 31 and unemployed, was fined $179 for speeding. She failed to show up at court (she says the ticket bore the wrong date), so her license was revoked.

When she was next pulled over, she was, of course, driving without a license. By then her fees added up to more than $1,500. Unable to pay, she was handed over to a private probation company and jailed — charged an additional fee for each day behind bars.

For that driving offense, Ms. Ray has been locked up three times for a total of 40 days and owes $3,170, much of it to the probation company. Her story, in hardscrabble, rural Alabama, where Krispy Kreme promises that “two can dine for $5.99,” is not about innocence.

It is, rather, about the mushrooming of fines and fees levied by money-starved towns across the country and the for-profit businesses that administer the system. The result is that growing numbers of poor people, like Ms. Ray, are ending up jailed and in debt for minor infractions."

Continued at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/us/probation-fees-multiply-as-companies-profit.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all

[Speaker Dereich]

The biggest problem with the US is that its just too perfect.

[Platypus]

Glad you enjoy it.

[Hatman]

The biggest problem with the US is that its just too perfect.

lololol

I'll give you one thing, I assumed at first this Ray woman was Black, and turns out she isn't, but the article does feature a black guy as well. If it's Alabama, and they're targeting poors, then I would assume there is a racial element in it. Even if it means fining a couple of poor whites.

[Ghyl Tarvoke]

The biggest problem with the US is that its just too perfect.

lololol

I'll give you one thing, I assumed at first this Ray woman was Black, and turns out she isn't, but the article does feature a black guy as well. If it's Alabama, and they're targeting poors, then I would assume there is a racial element in it. Even if it means fining a couple of poor whites.

This is a thread about what is f-cked up about America, not your autobiographical confessions.

[Ghyl Tarvoke]

But to go on-topic for a moment I have never forgotten being in a hotel in State College, PA flicking between television channels and ending up landing on a business channel who were having a discussion on how best to profit from the hurricane season.

[opebo]

The biggest problem with the US is that its just too perfect.

Please elucidate.  Are you a masochist?

As for myself, the list of things I dislike about the Bad Place is (as you might expect on the part of one who calls it 'The Bad Place') too long to get into here, but I'll just tell you about three images that dominate my dim remembrance of visits home:

1) The Drug Sniffing Dogs which greet you, held straining on leashes by black-uniformed storm troopers as LAX.  Welcome to the 'Land of the Free'!  (in Thailand there is no customs - you just walk in!)

2) Every time I come home, I'm pulled over at least once.  The place is absolutely teeming with pi.. police.  And the lights that they flash behind you nowadays are totally blinding - really dangerous.  Again, welcome to the Land of the Free. (in Thailand you hardly ever see any police, and there is almost no crime, and even the few police there are go home at six PM... I have never actually seen anyone pulled over here, ever!)

3) The Gastrointestinal and Privy aspect.  I shall not go into detail, but let me say that the food in the USA does NOT agree with me, and as for the toilets, a photoset will suffice:

In The Bad Place:



In The Good Place:

[Harry]

But to go on-topic for a moment I have never forgotten being in a hotel in State College, PA flicking between television channels and ending up landing on a business channel who were having a discussion on how best to profit from the hurricane season.

State College, PA, is the most f'ed up in America and deserves its on entry in this thread. The Paterno cultists are beyond creepy.

[Simfan34]

(Feel free to start one about Australia)

Here's a thread for things I come across that are clearly stains on the US. There are many wonderful things about America, of course, but some of the stuff that comes out of your country is sad, disappointing, and occasionally enraging.

To start us off, the story of Gina Ray, thanks to the NYT:

"CHILDERSBURG, Ala. — Three years ago, Gina Ray, who is now 31 and unemployed, was fined $179 for speeding. She failed to show up at court (she says the ticket bore the wrong date), so her license was revoked.

When she was next pulled over, she was, of course, driving without a license. By then her fees added up to more than $1,500. Unable to pay, she was handed over to a private probation company and jailed — charged an additional fee for each day behind bars.

For that driving offense, Ms. Ray has been locked up three times for a total of 40 days and owes $3,170, much of it to the probation company. Her story, in hardscrabble, rural Alabama, where Krispy Kreme promises that “two can dine for $5.99,” is not about innocence.

It is, rather, about the mushrooming of fines and fees levied by money-starved towns across the country and the for-profit businesses that administer the system. The result is that growing numbers of poor people, like Ms. Ray, are ending up jailed and in debt for minor infractions."

Continued at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/us/probation-fees-multiply-as-companies-profit.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all

Good old debtor's prisons!

Sometimes I can get a kick out of how effed up this country is. I mean I like to bask in it, and embrace it an a very twisted way.

[Progressive Realist]

The enormous power of business in the US.

[Nagas]

The Obesity Epidemic which is both a burden on healthcare costs and aesthetic looks.

[IDS Judicial Overlord John Dibble]

This sums up a good deal of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEyUWKJFER8

[Link]

(Feel free to start one about Australia)

Here's a thread for things I come across that are clearly stains on the US. There are many wonderful things about America, of course, but some of the stuff that comes out of your country is sad, disappointing, and occasionally enraging.

To start us off, the story of Gina Ray, thanks to the NYT:

"CHILDERSBURG, Ala. — Three years ago, Gina Ray, who is now 31 and unemployed, was fined $179 for speeding. She failed to show up at court (she says the ticket bore the wrong date), so her license was revoked.

When she was next pulled over, she was, of course, driving without a license. By then her fees added up to more than $1,500. Unable to pay, she was handed over to a private probation company and jailed — charged an additional fee for each day behind bars.

For that driving offense, Ms. Ray has been locked up three times for a total of 40 days and owes $3,170, much of it to the probation company. Her story, in hardscrabble, rural Alabama, where Krispy Kreme promises that “two can dine for $5.99,” is not about innocence.

It is, rather, about the mushrooming of fines and fees levied by money-starved towns across the country and the for-profit businesses that administer the system. The result is that growing numbers of poor people, like Ms. Ray, are ending up jailed and in debt for minor infractions."

Continued at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/us/probation-fees-multiply-as-companies-profit.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all

Yup.  Sounds about right.  The system has no interest in solving problems.  There is no reason a speeding ticket should ever get to $3000+ in fines and multiple stays in jail.  It should be a $150 fine or two days in jail.  You pick.  Instead of raising taxes on the 1% to pay for county and state budgets they want to do this garbage.

[Ghyl Tarvoke]

But to go on-topic for a moment I have never forgotten being in a hotel in State College, PA flicking between television channels and ending up landing on a business channel who were having a discussion on how best to profit from the hurricane season.

State College, PA, is the most f'ed up in America and deserves its on entry in this thread. The Paterno cultists are beyond creepy.

I think you ignored the point of my post there. But please, do go on...

[Purch]

Listing all the problems of the US, is the equivalent of trying to list the names of all the people in China, it'll just go on forever and leave the writer with no sense of accomplishment.

[ChairmanSanchez]

The TSA. They stole my worthless Metro PCS cell phone from my bag when I flew to Latrobe from Fort Lauderdale eleven days ago. I planned to write a thread about it but gave up.

[Yelnoc]

Fucking long-ass commercials interrupting a program every few minutes.

[Emperor SJoyce]

The KFC Double Down.

[Platypus]

The tipping culture in the US is f'd up.

As are the laws that surround it: http://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=149709.0

[Joe Republic]

The tipping culture in the US is f'd up.

Two nights ago, a bartender screwed up my order and then nearly gave my credit card to a complete stranger.  I wasn't going to tip him, but then forgot and did so anyway purely because it has become such a reflex.

[Senator MaxQue]

The tipping culture in the US is f'd up.

Same thing in Canada. Only time I saw people I was with not tipping was in a breakfast restaurant. It was empty and took one hour to get food, which was cold, because the waitress was talking to another one instead of doing her job.

[Hashemite]

Fucking long-ass commercials interrupting a program every few minutes.

That's not a uniquely American thing, sadly.

[I left.]

The tipping culture in the US is f'd up.

As are the laws that surround it: http://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=149709.0

Everyone wants a tip in the US. Seems that way at least...

[Torie]

The tipping culture in the US is f'd up.

As are the laws that surround it: http://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=149709.0

Everyone wants a tip in the US. Seems that way at least...

Well in France there have a 15% gratuity charge (or something) that they add to the bill no?

[Lief]

Guys we already have a thread for this topic: http://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=143929.0