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Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

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Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#391

Post by ARandomerDude »

dillondoyle wrote: post #354
ineedasername wrote: post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It amazes me that, in wealthy countries, there are significant homelessness problems due to economic displacement. I consider it an existence-proof of the idea that a free market cannot solve all problems. I think homelessness due to other causes-- mental health for example-- are more complex but similarly demonstrate fundamental flaws in the framework of society. Only once was I able to give a homeless person a meal…

I give out any singles I have. I don't care if it goes to drugs/alcohol. withdrawal from some can be deadly, others torture. The homeless population here in Denver is scary.

> I give out any singles I have.

How much Kraft cheese do you keep on hand?

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#392

Post by ehnto »

greggman3 wrote: post #294
anonymousiam wrote: post #112

If the author had a Ring doorbell (and looked at their crime reports), or participated on NextDoor, they would know that theft from parked cars is the number one problem in most neighborhoods. An alarm is still a good deterrent for people who do not park their cars in a garage.

> theft from parked cars is the number one problem in most neighborhoods You forgot to add "in the USA" (or some other country). Where I live (Japan), AFAIK, theft from cars is practically non-existent. Leaving things in your car visible is not an issue. I don't think I've ever seen a pile of glass from a car window busted the entire time I've spent here (14 yrs) where as in SF, several times, I'd walk by Dolores Par…

Imagine it's different even within the US. In the little Australian town I grew up in, we just leave the keys in the car. Who knows when someone might need it? In the city I live in now I lock it, and have had the whole thing stolen before right out the front of my house while I was away.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#393

Post by ineedasername »

earthboundkid wrote: post #334
ineedasername wrote: post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can however go back in our history to times with lesser and lesser regulation of markets-- 100 years ago, 150... And you'll still see similar problems.

There have always been crazy people and the indolent, but there was a qualitative change in the number of urban homeless in the 1980s. It didn’t used to be like this.

The qualitative change in the 1980's was a deep recession that saw a drastic reduction in HUD funding, combined with a 20-30 year long defunding of long-term mental health institutions. The combination left the economically disenfranchised and mentally vulnerable with high rates of homelessness.

It's notable that neither of these factors that had been keeping homelessness rates low were the result of a hands-off free market, but instead the product of social safety nets that, when removed, simply didn't catch people.

I'm not sure if it's deliberate on your part, but there are also more categories to homelessness than crazy and indolent. A significant portion simply "fall on hard times". Take this article [0] about the causes of homelessness in Seattle. Between eviction & loss of job, about 35% of homeless are find themselves there through economic issues. The other causes are worth reviewing as well. Crazy & Lazy simply don't cover it.

[0]https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/homeless/why-are-p...

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#394

Post by jacquesm »

patcon wrote: post #319
jacquesm wrote: post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What a sad story.

Not that both can't be true, but was surprised at your words. I read it as a subtly sweet story. Surprising in both generosity and gratitude, hinting at still being in touch, sincerity. (But yes, agree that poverty itself is sad.) btw you're a beautiful person, spiritplumber (been without home in the past too)

Obviously, the person helping is super nice and the people that are in that position are super nice as well. But what saddens me is that an older lady and her daughter are homeless, that should not happen in a functioning society.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#395

Post by meekrohprocess »

mauvehaus wrote: post #191
Mountain_Skies wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If your vehicle is a Ford, you can use a program called Forscan to disable the panic button or change it to require multiple presses before triggering. While there is a paid version of the software, the free version should be able to change the panic button functionality.

Forscan? That's up there with GIMP for most unfortunate software package name.

Hey, we don't need to shame people for their interests. Whether it is Shareable image Manipulation or car alarm circumspection, everyone should be welcome in open-source software.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#396

Post by tiziniano »

ineedasername wrote: post #261
spiritplumber wrote: post #244

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It prevents the fuel pump in the engine from working (I had to add an electric fuel pump because the original one isn't doing very well). Yes on the hot meal. I've been homeless and it stinks.

It amazes me that, in wealthy countries, there are significant homelessness problems due to economic displacement. I consider it an existence-proof of the idea that a free market cannot solve all problems. I think homelessness due to other causes-- mental health for example-- are more complex but similarly demonstrate fundamental flaws in the framework of society. Only once was I able to give a homeless person a meal…

Of course free markets cannot solve all problems. And neither can socialism or communism or any -ism. A lot of pain would be avoided if people just minded their own problems and their immediate environment's. Alas, never the case

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#397

Post by meekrohprocess »

arprocter wrote: post #132
rootusrootus wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

More specifically, a North American thing. They also exist in some other markets, but generally not in Europe, as you noticed. I have no idea if they are required by some obscure law, or if it is just tradition. Probably the latter. I don't know anyone who has ever used the panic button in a panic, but almost everyone can remember hitting it by accident.

Depends on the range, but if you're inconsiderate and can't remember where you parked...

You can hold the fob under your chin to increase its range, using your skull as a reflector.

It sounds crazy, but it works.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#398

Post by mjevans »

brewdad wrote: post #260
thewebcount wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This happens to houses in my area all the time. Either the owner is on vacation, or has moved out, but it hasn't sold or the new owner hasn't moved in, and some alarm or other starts going off. Sometimes it's the annoying smoke alarm "replace the battery beep" once per minute. Sometimes it's something more annoying. I usually call the police or fire department and let them know. That's the only way I've found to make…

How poorly built are the houses near you if you can hear the "replace the battery" beep from a home that is closed up while an owner is on vacation?

America. There aren't sane minimums to the building code here. If you're lucky enough to be in a state ravaged by earthquakes the minimums require it to not fall over during one but still don't properly address acoustic isolation.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#399

Post by SequoiaHope »

leafmeal wrote: post #338
TaylorAlexander wrote: post #310

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As others have said the USA is far from a free market. Instead the wealthy use the state to manipulate markets for their benefit, and the rest of us suffer as a result. I've come to see "free markets" as the economic fabric on top of which we can build structures to support one another. For example we could form large healthcare collectives in a free market, as an alternative to state controlled health care (or insur…

> As others have said the USA is far from a free market. Instead the wealthy use the state to manipulate markets for their benefit, and the rest of us suffer as a result. Some might still call that a free market.

Well it’s not the libertarian conception of a free market. I’m not that kind of libertarian but as I learn more about their theory, a major complaint is that right now the wealthy use their money to influence the state to influence markets. The libertarians theorists would prefer the wealthy use their wealth to compete in the market, not use the state to force things to the benefit of one firm. That’s why they want a weaker state. So it can’t be influenced by the wealthy.

However lots of people misunderstand that theory and think the wealthy influencing the state is what libertarians want. I’ve not found any libertarian theoretician who advocates for that.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#400

Post by ineedasername »

bluGill wrote: post #311
ineedasername wrote: post #281

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sitting here on my couch looking around my living room, and it occurs to me that a significant % of my belongings could have been made under labor conditions illegal within the US. It's a bit chilling to consider that.

this is tricky. Most of those workers don't have better options. Work in conditions that are illegal, or for much less pay elsewhere, and probably still illegal. Safety standards are not as high, but they get better as the companies learn from us. (Even at the least flattering look, cleaning up body parts and training a replacement takes time. Most people are better than that ) But I still avoid slave labor. The work…

I guess my point about looking around my living room was that I wouldn't know where to begin if I wanted to avoid slave labor.

I mean, I think it's safe to assume that Apple isn't the Big Bad here in terms of overseas labor practices: It seems highly likely that a very large % of technological devices around me involved either 1) child labor 2) some form of forced labor 3) unsafe labor conditions 4) starvation wages 5) 14 hour workdays 7 days a week

It goes far beyond electronics too: I just grabbed one of my kid's favorite little plush puppy: made in China. It seems reasonable to doubt the quality of the work conditions in the factory it came from, but I just don't know.

I think about something like "Organic Food" and there are at least labelling requirements for things like that. People do, with some effort, manage to eat completely organic, even if there are some problems with labelling consistency.

There's nothing equivalent for "no kid/slave labor/fair wages" etc. You could buy only things made in the US, or other countries with fair labor practices, but the supply chains for components & materials to build those things are will be opaque & frequently have roots into the labor practices you want to avoid.

I'm not saying you shouldn't try to avoid products like that: If possible for a given product? Sure, go for it. But otherwise I'm saying that is seems like a virtually impossible task to accomplish

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