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Worst Roommate Ever

nymag.com

181–190 of 290 posts

Re: Worst Roommate Ever

#181
post #53

The kind of tenancy laws I read in articles like these, sound absolutely idiotic. If you let someone into your home, and they aren't on the lease, you should be able to kick them out anytime they overstay their welcome. If you do sign a lease with someone, and they haven't paid their rent, you should be able to throw their stuff out and change the locks as soon as their security deposit has run itself out. As a forme…

If you do sign a lease with someone, and they haven't paid their rent, you should be able to throw their stuff out and change the locks as soon as their security deposit has run itself out. I hear this and I think "You probably don't know what it's like to be in that situation." It's often temporary, so a little flexibility fixes the problem. But yes, sometimes you're right. You just phrased it in a bit of an inhuman…

I agree with you. In practice, if I had a roommate who was genuinely going through some difficulties and needed 1-2 months to get back on his feet, I would help that person out. What really disturbs me is people taking advantage of the law, acting like they are entitled to free housing, and not showing gratitude/remorse for the predicament they have put others into. That's the kind of person I would want to change locks on, not the former.

Perhaps my wording was too strong, and I apologise for that.

Re: Worst Roommate Ever

#182
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure what you mean by gender bias, but I am pretty sure, all things being equal, I'd likely let to a woman than a man, even if I were a different sex. All things being equal --income, social traits, etc. I think guys in these cases would be at a disadvantage.

> I'm not sure what you mean by gender bias, > I'd [be more?] likely let to a woman than a man There's your gender bias. When you are more likely to let to one gender (female), than another (male).

[deleted]

Re: Worst Roommate Ever

#183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it destroyed someone's life to go without a camera then this would be a reasonable analogy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_housing

It destroys a landlord's life if their primary asset is turned unfairly into a liability.

So you're suggesting that because they have the ability to buy additional housing and charge people to use it, someone else should bear the risk?

Re: Worst Roommate Ever

#184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great find! So, not exactly consistent with the NYT piece.

> Great find! So, not exactly consistent with the NYT piece. First, this is not a NYT article. What do you think is inconsistent? The article tries to highlight the idea that ‘beheading’ was said rhetorically.

Are you serious???

The newspaper article says the student was eating a bag of cheese snacks, which is COMPLETELY different than a cheese sandwich!

It's just NYMAG's liberal fake news 'sandwich hating agenda' peeking out again.

Edit: I was trying to make a joke, but as a former assistant librarian I can tell you, there really is a difference between someone eating a sandwich, and someone thumbing through books with Cheetos fingers.

Re: Worst Roommate Ever

#185
post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't realize the simple matter of not having an address on checks was such a red flag.

Barring a real-time clearance system (as I believe most stores still accepting checks tend to use), a check is just basically an IOU with a promise that there's enough money in your banking account to cover it. Especially in a rental situation, I'm not sure that the lack of an address is a huge red flag--after all, the person is probably between addresses. But a complete blank check without even a name on it? Yeah, t…

> But a complete blank check without even a name on it? Yeah, that's a red flag

At the very least, it’s a reminder to check ID and run a background check.

Re: Worst Roommate Ever

#186
post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Owning multiple properties and renting them out isn't a right. Having a house to live in should be. I’m not sure I’m reading this correctly. You believe it should be a human right to have a home to live in? Every person is just given a free home? Who would build all these homes in this utopia?

That's a very non-charitable way of reading my statement, I believe you are very sure you're not reading it correctly. But yes, I do "believe it should be a human right to have a home to live in". Not given freely, but having the opportunity for housing. It's even in Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Even if it's at the cost of someone else who does not wish to single-handedly carry this burden? I have seen first hand the damage someone can cause to a home. I really think that when they are not paying for it they have even less of an emotional stake in the livability of the home post inhabitance.

Re: Worst Roommate Ever

#187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Great find! So, not exactly consistent with the NYT piece. First, this is not a NYT article. What do you think is inconsistent? The article tries to highlight the idea that ‘beheading’ was said rhetorically.

Maybe not 'inconsistent' so much as neglected to include the key details necessary to understand why Vidrine was acquitted (or, 'not indicted'). I mean, it's presented as a heinous murder. But yeah, you are right, after a second read there isn't major inconsistencies.

> neglected to include the key details

The “key detail” is Bachman was close to a traumatic, seemingly-random violent interaction in his youth. Whether it was cheese snacks or a cheese sandwich, and who attacked whom first, are largely irrelevant to the main story.

Re: Worst Roommate Ever

#188
post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you do sign a lease with someone, and they haven't paid their rent, you should be able to throw their stuff out and change the locks as soon as their security deposit has run itself out. I hear this and I think "You probably don't know what it's like to be in that situation." It's often temporary, so a little flexibility fixes the problem. But yes, sometimes you're right. You just phrased it in a bit of an inhuman…

I agree with you. In practice, if I had a roommate who was genuinely going through some difficulties and needed 1-2 months to get back on his feet, I would help that person out. What really disturbs me is people taking advantage of the law, acting like they are entitled to free housing, and not showing gratitude/remorse for the predicament they have put others into. That's the kind of person I would want to change lo…

Nah, it's more of... Nowadays, it seems like the problems in the world are increasing. Programmers are probably the most insulated from the effects, but even we are starting to feel them. On HN you'd get the impression everyone makes $300k and courts VCs, but the vast majority of the audience is more along the lines of mostly broke and quiet. I know because I've talked to them.

In that context, it's very important for us all to work together. And I've been trying to think of ways for us to do that. There must be something better than the rat race to the bottom, with a few survivors reaching the top by scrambling over the fallen.

It's not you. It's the society around us that coaxes us into thinking the way you expressed. It's a cartoon, a caricature of real life. Very few people wouldn't be embarrassed to be an imposition on others, or feel like trash for not being able to afford rent. We're all trying, hard.

But there are so many people now. And some people really aren't trying, and really do put others into weird predicaments.

It's hard to mentally separate the former from the latter.

Re: Worst Roommate Ever

#189
post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Owning multiple properties and renting them out isn't a right. Having a house to live in should be. I’m not sure I’m reading this correctly. You believe it should be a human right to have a home to live in? Every person is just given a free home? Who would build all these homes in this utopia?

That's a very non-charitable way of reading my statement, I believe you are very sure you're not reading it correctly. But yes, I do "believe it should be a human right to have a home to live in". Not given freely, but having the opportunity for housing. It's even in Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Going from "Having a house to live in should be a right" to "having the opportunity for housing should be a right" is a very non-charitable way of arguing.

Re: Worst Roommate Ever

#190
post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What if I store my stool sample in the fridge that I need to take to the doctor?

Why in the fridge? It need to be kept fresh?

https://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/how-should-i-collect-and-store-...

Stool samples must be fresh – if they aren't, the bacteria in them can multiply. This means the levels of bacteria in the stool sample won't be the same as the levels of bacteria in your digestive system. If the levels of bacteria don't match, the test results may not be accurate.

If you can't hand your stool sample in immediately, find out how long it can be kept in the fridge. Your GP or the healthcare professional who requested the test will be able to tell you.

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