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Why is America the 'no-vacation nation'?

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Re: Why is America the 'no-vacation nation'?

#361

Post by foxit »

Mz wrote: post #297
chrisaycock wrote: post #290

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are you bringing up lifestyle? The discussion is insurance . And my point is that, beyond the elderly, most citizens don't qualify for any of America's public insurance plans (I certainly don't): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance_in_the_United_...

Why are you bringing up lifestyle? The discussion is insurance. Insurance does nothing to really insure your health. It is intended to help protect your wallet. A better way to protect your health is to take care of yourself so you are healthy. The discussion in the US about "the healthcare crisis" always focuses on the financial piece of it. There are differences between Europe and the US that impact health having n…

And if you get hit by a car?

And if you get cancer, despite your healthy lifestyle, which happens to millions?

Re: Why is America the 'no-vacation nation'?

#362

Post by cdavid »

dennisgorelik wrote: post #342
cdavid wrote: post #338

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Generalizations like Europe is more expensive than the US make no sense. Where in Europe, where in the US ? There is quite a difference between cost of living in London, Paris and Munich already, and the cost of living in the Bay Area is not the same as Austin. Even within a given country, the cost of living is very spread out (London and Paris are extremely expensive compared to the average of their respective count…

Nothing stops you from comparing Austin, TX to Munich, Germany and San Francisco vs London/Paris.

Indeed. The point being that comparing cities is much more relevant than countries. It has also the nice property to avoid too much country-bias.

Re: Why is America the 'no-vacation nation'?

#363

Post by vacri »

pstack wrote: post #318

After seven years with my company, I was finally earning the highest amount of vacation hours per pay check, up to 15 days per year. In my fifteen year career, as an adult, I've never taken a vacation and I don't really have any interest in doing so. I currently have about 300 hours of vacation banked. I'm at the limit, so unless I use some of that time, I won't earn any more. That's okay, because . . . I don't have…

Not to mention, after I die, nobody is going to remember me fondly for the vacations I took, so I could sit in the sun and cook my skin next to a chlorinated pool in another country. They're going to remember me for any work ethic, personality, and accomplishments I had.

If that's all you think vacations are, no wonder you don't take them.

My housemate is in Africa for 10 days with her mother at the moment. Another friend is going to Vietnam for two weeks shortly. Both of these ventures open the travelers up to new experiences and broaden not only their horizons, but mine by proxy. I can guarantee you that I will remember their trips to foreign lands more than I remember them spending another week in their jobs.

I actually find it a little sad that you seem to think that broadening your perspective is worthless (ie: "here I am, why ever look elsewhere?")

Re: Why is America the 'no-vacation nation'?

#364

Post by potatolicious »

jquery wrote: post #326
potatolicious wrote: post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What happens if I told you your garage door will open for 30 seconds on the hour, every hour?

If you gave me an extra $500-1000 a month and significant extra life expectancy I'd take that deal in a heartbeat. The freedom of being able to go wherever you want in a heartbeat in a car is highly overrated. Call a taxi for those times when it's actually urgent.

You miss my point - I don't have a car, nor do I want one, and I'm a complete proponent of urbanism and mass transit.

But once-an-hour does not a transit system make. There's a false dichotomy here - the choices aren't car vs. shitty transit. We can very well have good transit (i.e., arterial mass transit with frequency of every 10 minutes or better).

The problem with infrequent transit, particularly arterial routes, is that it completely wipes out the possibility of transfers. When your frequency is once an hour (with a high variance for on-time performance), people cannot rely on the transit method for making connections. Moreso, decreasing frequency increases total trip time for most people by a factor larger than the actual frequency drop (which is to say, a decrease in frequency of an arterial route results in a very large increase for most whole-trip times). A highly frequent (i.e. every 10 minutes or better) trunk line is the bed rock of any mass transit solution, and is absolutely non-optional.

Re: Why is America the 'no-vacation nation'?

#365

Post by ericd »

mahyarm wrote: post #281
chrisaycock wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And not to mention: * Healthcare - Health insurance is often a luxury in America. The elderly have Medicare, but there is (currently) no safety for most citizens. * Public transportation - Many US cities don't have adequate bus service. Just anyone who lives outside NYC or a college town will need a car.

Seeing how caltrain is pretty much a once an hour service (23 service runs per weekday) made me realize unless you live in downtown SF or any other area of the US where car usage is extremely painful, you pretty much need a car if you want to get out of your neighborhood.

It's really inconvenient compared to NYC's subway system, but I've lived in Mtn. View for a year without a car, and it's been fine.

Re: Why is America the 'no-vacation nation'?

#366

Post by pstack »

vacri wrote: post #363
pstack wrote: post #318

After seven years with my company, I was finally earning the highest amount of vacation hours per pay check, up to 15 days per year. In my fifteen year career, as an adult, I've never taken a vacation and I don't really have any interest in doing so. I currently have about 300 hours of vacation banked. I'm at the limit, so unless I use some of that time, I won't earn any more. That's okay, because . . . I don't have…

Not to mention, after I die, nobody is going to remember me fondly for the vacations I took, so I could sit in the sun and cook my skin next to a chlorinated pool in another country. They're going to remember me for any work ethic, personality, and accomplishments I had. If that's all you think vacations are, no wonder you don't take them. My housemate is in Africa for 10 days with her mother at the moment. Another f…

I've actually traveled a great deal (in my youth, including two years in Zambia and Kenya) and while it's not something I enjoy overall (for all the usual travel hassles, plus I'd rather spend my time earning money rather than spending it), I understand that your friend does. I don't know that there is anything particularly "perspective broadening" about it in a world that has grown so close together through technology and communication, but I'm sure she'll have plenty of memories and experiences from it. Memories and experiences don't necessarily have inherent value. They have personal value.

I enjoy working. I enjoy that every week, I get to do technically creative and very detailed and complex things with people who are all over the planet. China, Japan, India, Australia, all over the UK, France, the Vatican, Israel, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Singapore and many others. Granted, taking time away from work makes you look bad, so not doing that is a point in my favor -- but I truly enjoy my work. I also enjoy that it allows me to own a home, have plans to buy my childhood home so it can stay in the family some day, put my siblings through college, help with financial support and technical guidance of my friends' businesses and projects, contribute to worthy causes, and someday potentially retire.

Then again, if I have to die "young", I want to be one of those Karōshi deaths where they go out slumped over a pile of spreadsheets and whitepapers on their desk. So . . . take my preferences with a grain of salt, if you like.

Re: Why is America the 'no-vacation nation'?

#367

Post by pstack »

gcb wrote: post #301
camiller wrote: post #282

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And the fact that at the end of 20 years of paying a mortgage I own a piece of property while at the end of 20 years of paying rent I own nothing.

and now you own a place with one bedroom, that can be sold for 2/3 (if you are lucky) of the price you paid in full for the mortage. if you spent the same in rent, you would have lived in a 2-3 bedroom for 20 years, moving every time you changed jobs 20yrs is a LOT of time to be living in the same place you can afford downpayment when you are 20yr old. and a LOT of time to work/study on the same area

At the end of that twenty years, you can keep renting for another twenty years. Or you can spend the remaining thirty or forty years of your life in the home you own clear and free without paying rent or mortgage any more. I sure as hell don't want to still be making out a monthly check for a place to live when I'm 50, 60, or even 70 (not that I seriously think I'm going to live to any of those ages).

Re: Why is America the 'no-vacation nation'?

#368

Post by pstack »

jinushaun wrote: post #6
wccrawford wrote: post #4

When I complained to an employer that it was too hard to request my vacation time (it's in my contract, they made it very hard to pick dates by always having an emergency deadline, etc) they replied "It's like that everywhere", as if it was a legit answer. Many employers also lump in sick time with vacation time, as if that's a replacement since you didn't come into work. That would probably be okay, if you had an op…

What really grinds my gears is when federal holidays count towards my "vacation time". Those alone eat up seven days! I request four weeks of vacation in my contract, but am afraid to use them. That's America.

Whoa, I've never heard of that before. In my experience, there are company holidays and vacation days and "sick days". All are at the discretion of the employer as to what are observed and given, but I've never heard of them overlapping (ie, if your company observes ten holidays and you have ten vacation days, you get 20 days off that year).

It seems like something you should be able to take up with your employer, because you requested vacation and they're counting holidays (something different) against them. That sees like a bit of a rip off.

Of course, I know that even two weeks of vacation is considered a lot in this country and my mom works in a job where she doesn't get _any_ paid vacation, so . . .

Re: Why is America the 'no-vacation nation'?

#369

Post by Mz »

foxit wrote: post #361
Mz wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are you bringing up lifestyle? The discussion is insurance. Insurance does nothing to really insure your health. It is intended to help protect your wallet. A better way to protect your health is to take care of yourself so you are healthy. The discussion in the US about "the healthcare crisis" always focuses on the financial piece of it. There are differences between Europe and the US that impact health having n…

And if you get hit by a car? And if you get cancer, despite your healthy lifestyle, which happens to millions?

Freak accidents like just getting hit by a car while minding your own business are uncommon. Most accidents that happen are basically "accidents waiting to happen". If you are hit by a car and seriously injured (as in quadraplegic), your medical insurance in the US will still fall far short of covering the costs. With or without insurance, you are far better off doing everything in your power to avoid ending up in such a situation: Don't drink and drive, don't get in the car with an unsafe driver, and so on.

If you are concerned about getting cancer, you can get a very affordable cancer policy for a lot less money than major medical coverage costs. As with the above situation, the expenses involved if you get cancer are likely to far exceed what insurance covers. And cancer is influenced by lifestyle. Most Americans aren't terribly healthy. For example, obesity is rampant in the US. So I would be interested in a citation for your assertion that "millions" of people with "healthy lifestyles" get cancer.

Thanks.

Re: Why is America the 'no-vacation nation'?

#370

Post by Mz »

dhume wrote: post #348
Mz wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are you bringing up lifestyle? The discussion is insurance. Insurance does nothing to really insure your health. It is intended to help protect your wallet. A better way to protect your health is to take care of yourself so you are healthy. The discussion in the US about "the healthcare crisis" always focuses on the financial piece of it. There are differences between Europe and the US that impact health having n…

Insurance does nothing to really insure your health. You are confusing "insure" and "ensure."

Thanks. Too late for me to edit though.
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