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Renting a sewing machine from the library

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Re: Renting a sewing machine from the library

#161
post #41

Socialist wet dream. In reality someone has to pay for all these adults wasting time instead of working for a living.

It may lead to less demand for things like sewing machines which in turn may lead to less competition to less productivity, the producers innovating less, less GDP less happy people... Where have we seen this type of thinking before... In socialist States... I agree... But how do we create supply and demand? Letting China produce cheaply and open our boarders for a couple of decades, maybe... Maybe we are in a doom loop where we need a poorer generation or two before people turn around... It is interesting times. The most interesting is how people view the same things completely opposite. Some are super happy about the trend others super frustrated... Imho it is a part of the great reset and the big debt cycle. Maybe an attempt to soften the blow?!

Re: Renting a sewing machine from the library

#162
post #140
post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Auto part stores often will lend both weird and specialized tools, and relatively basic ones, too. Usually the way it works is you "buy" the tool and then "return" it.

While I understand some people think this is clever, all it does is increase costs for businesses which ends up increasing costs for honest consumers. Worse yet: it tends to increase the cost for local businesses, or at least businesses employing local people, so it's giving the finger to your neighbours rather than to the man.

They make money on the parts you buy. the tools are a loss leader

Re: Renting a sewing machine from the library

#163
post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please critisize the harassment, not libraries for providing shelter to homeless people. A well managed library has a degree of supervision that allows the visitor to do something about harassment. This level of control is also important for homeless people, who are subject to harassment more than most. A reasonably well run library is also no place to consume alcohol or drugs in plain sight. In these respects librar…

> A well managed library has a degree of supervision that allows the visitor to do something about harassment. Library staff in my city are instructed not to do anything themselves about homeless. If there's a problem then they just call the police, who are equipped to handle it. Same as the city bus drivers are not going to enforce paying fares or making sure no riders are causing problems. They just pull over and c…

Seems like such a confident, exact number here.. How do you arrive at that? I've lived around and been friends with homeless people my whole life.. I can't even think of one thing 9 out of 10 of them shared beyond there general circumstances. They are just people, how can it be alright or even really rational to talk about them like this?

Re: Renting a sewing machine from the library

#164

Denver has this... nominally. 3 machines (2 in circulation, one is a "Display"). 4 week checkout period. 103 current holds. 103*4/2/12 ≈ 17 year wait time.

While the wait time to rent a machine may be long (I didn't even know Denver had this,) Denver also has the ideaLAB maker spaces at five branches, all of which are equipped with sewing machines to just drop in and use.

Some ideaLAB locations (like my local one) have fancy machines like embroidery, quilting, and industrial sewing machines. There's also lots of other tools, from basic hand tools to laser cutters and 3d printers (again, location dependent.) There's always staff on hand to help during open lab hours. All free to use. Really an impressive system that I use frequently.

https://denverlibrary.org/idealab

Re: Renting a sewing machine from the library

#165
post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It might be you need to make a choice to choose it; I know that when I was at school in the UK I got to choose between "CDT" (craft, design, and technology) or home economics, which was sewing, cooking, & etc. I picked woodwork, as 95% of the boys did, and about 80% of the girls picked the home-lessons instead. I do recall doing some sewing lessons outwith the home-ec classes, but it was very irregular. I know I skip…

Interesting, it was indeed design and technology; we weren't given a choice - we did both for a a couple of lessons each (cooking, sewing, woodwork, electronics, metalwork and graphic design). I guess it must have been dependent on the school then? It was useful - I'm quite sure I wouldn't have gotten any exposure to those subjects without it.

Perhaps it varied on the school, or perhaps they tried to make it a little less divided on gender lines since my time. (I'm 50.)

Housework, sewing, knitting and stuff I'd been exposed to at home due to a pretty large family already. Though otherwise I would have probably benefited from it, and it did strike me even at the time that it would be best if we could do both classes, rather than having to pick only one.

Re: Renting a sewing machine from the library

#166
post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not the bottom line, the law is the law nobody is arguing to kick anyone out. This thread was just about why someone might not want to go there and then being gaslighted that homeless people are somehow not a risk group in any way lol

It's up to you to do your own assessment but I don't see any reason to be fearful. These are regulars at that library who never caused enough disruption to be banned, and aren't dangerous enough to be in jail. They also have more to lose by getting banned than housed patrons.

There absolutely are people which are fine and there are one's that don't. No need to create these specific scenarios.

That's the whole point of that post.

Re: Renting a sewing machine from the library

#167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, that's exactly what you want in library. I understand it's tough for them but some of the homeless people are not people you enjoy you want to be around. I don't understand this need to spread this sentiment.

You will encounter homeless people in libraries, because it's one of the few public spaces that won't kick them out. Your reaction to that shouldn't be to hate and avoid libraries though. It should be to appreciate them more.

I hate and avoid homeless people. They're often in the library. Therefore...

I've had this idea for a business kicking around for awhile, basically a private library with membership fees. It would have all the accomodations you wish a library would have but that it can't have due to being public commons, like free coffee, private reading rooms, locker storage, and of course no vagrants.

Re: Renting a sewing machine from the library

#170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You will encounter homeless people in libraries, because it's one of the few public spaces that won't kick them out. Your reaction to that shouldn't be to hate and avoid libraries though. It should be to appreciate them more.

I hate and avoid homeless people. They're often in the library. Therefore... I've had this idea for a business kicking around for awhile, basically a private library with membership fees. It would have all the accomodations you wish a library would have but that it can't have due to being public commons, like free coffee, private reading rooms, locker storage, and of course no vagrants.

This sounds like a good way to discover being a dick isn’t unique to the homeless.
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