Protesters block Google bus in S.F. Mission • Hacker News Board

Re: Protesters block Google bus in S.F. Mission

#111

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Dec 09, 2013, 11:34 PM UTC

raldi wrote: post #100

ryguytilidie wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"The alleged trespass of using 'public infrastructure for private profit' is unsupported. People pick up and drop off people at the sidewalk (required, no stopping in the middle of the street)." I'm sorry but this is simply wrong. If you tried to pick up and drop off someone in a bus stop everyday, you would get ticketed for it. These buses do not. If you need to make things up to support these people it kind of worr…

I dropped off and picked up my wife at the bus stop by 24th Street BART every workday for over a year and never had anyone challenge me about it.

[deleted]

Re: Protesters block Google bus in S.F. Mission

#112

Post by Cookingboy » Mon, Dec 09, 2013, 11:37 PM UTC

kingnight wrote: post #102

yid wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That was not implied. Google employees generally have high salaries, and therefore pay a higher net dollar amount than the average taxpayer.

What I believe is implied is that since Google employees pay more in taxes than the average bloke, they are due more of that public infrastructure (privileged access to bus lanes, in this situation) — which is not how things work.

Nobody implied that, he was simply saying that it's good we have high income residents in the area, since they contribute significantly to the local tax revenue.

Re: Protesters block Google bus in S.F. Mission

#113

Post by Houshalter » Mon, Dec 09, 2013, 11:37 PM UTC

epoxyhockey wrote: post #106

bobbles wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably because the city realises that having companies bus their employees around is a shitload better than having 20 extra individual cars on the roads?

20 extra individual cars on the roads Those double decker buses hold about 80 people. Assuming a handful of people would carpool, we're still looking at 60+ more cars on the road, per bus.

The buses likely aren't loaded to maximum capacity are they? They also have to drive slightly extra. A car driver would go in a straight line to work, whereas the bus has to travel to all the different bus stops first.

Re: Protesters block Google bus in S.F. Mission

#114

Post by rubiquity » Mon, Dec 09, 2013, 11:37 PM UTC

md224 wrote: post #101

rubiquity wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As the article states, gentrification and "income inequality" (lol?) were the main reasons for these protestors surrounding the Google bus. I'm sure Google bus is an inconvenience for other busses but that wasn't why these people were protesting.

Just curious, why the "lol" for income inequality?

I recognize it's a real thing I just can't stand the mindset that such a word creates. If income/money is an issue for you, go out and do something to change that, don't sit around and be toxic against people that aren't having income issues.

Re: Protesters block Google bus in S.F. Mission

#115

Post by cia_plant » Mon, Dec 09, 2013, 11:38 PM UTC

ryguytilidie wrote: post #55

cia_plant wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Assuming that everyone has a reasonable point, is also a bias. There are protests over gay marriage and "get the government out of medicare" and all kinds of ridiculous things.

First, i never said reasonable point, you did. I don't think its disingenuous to assume that a large group of people protesting have even a single reason to be doing so. The person I'm responding to seems to believe they have NO REASON to be protesting. I'm simply saying that I don't think a bunch of people went and wasted their AM for no good reason.

The person you're replying to never said they had no reason to be protesting, only that the google buses benefit the city, employees, and environment.

This leaves an enormous number of reasons. For example, "Buses are, in reality, evil ghosts" is a reason to protest google buses, even if they are good for the environment, city, and employees.

Re: Protesters block Google bus in S.F. Mission

#116

Post by Cookingboy » Mon, Dec 09, 2013, 11:40 PM UTC

ebiester wrote: post #51

xanderstrike wrote: post #38

I don't get it. The buses are cutting down on personal driving (a universally acknowledged evil), and paying for permits to use the stops (generating revenue for the city). Would these people rather the Google employees all drive personal vehicles, increasing wear and tear on the roads, congestion, pollution, etc., costing the city money? Also, is it really the companies fault that the value of housing in the area is…

No. At least the ones I've heard from, they want employees of companies in the South Bay and Peninsula to live outside of San Francisco. They believe that the mass influx of money is driving long time residents out, and that building more housing is the wrong solution. I remember reading one article that suggested there should be a wait list to get to live in the city.

Right, and that simply does not work in a free country. These people moved to SF a while back, but they still displaced the local culture that was before them, and now they are settled in and they think they rightfully own the place. The draconian zoning laws and anti-development sentiment is only gonna hurt these people more, since the cost of living is being driven up artificially and the people they are trying to ward off are gonna move in no matter what.

Re: Protesters block Google bus in S.F. Mission

#117

Post by jamesaguilar » Mon, Dec 09, 2013, 11:42 PM UTC

Houshalter wrote: post #88

ryguytilidie wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The article says that the city is working on a permitting system, and that one does not currently exist. Which means that these buses are parking illegally everyday and instead of fining them, the city is coming up with a plan to accommodate them. Think they would do that for your parking tickets?

Hmm perhaps. Still seems like such a minor issue to protest over.

That's because they're not really protesting about the buses using public stops. What they're really protesting is gentrification -- a decreasing amount of affordable housing in the city. Which is another way of saying they are protesting their own collective refusal to add higher density housing in the city.

Re: Protesters block Google bus in S.F. Mission

#118

Post by Cookingboy » Mon, Dec 09, 2013, 11:43 PM UTC

mellis wrote: post #57

xanderstrike wrote: post #38

I don't get it. The buses are cutting down on personal driving (a universally acknowledged evil), and paying for permits to use the stops (generating revenue for the city). Would these people rather the Google employees all drive personal vehicles, increasing wear and tear on the roads, congestion, pollution, etc., costing the city money? Also, is it really the companies fault that the value of housing in the area is…

As someone who's tried to get from San Francisco to Silicon Valley without a car, I'd love to see companies like Google advocating and supporting better public transportation as well as just providing a private solution.

Public sector unions and corrupt/incompetent government workers in SF Bay Area is the root cause of the atrocious public transportation in this area, money is not. There are plenty of cities around the world that spends less per capita on infrastructure but still has a way more effective system.

Re: Protesters block Google bus in S.F. Mission

#119

Post by leot » Mon, Dec 09, 2013, 11:44 PM UTC

seanconaty wrote: post #85

This op-ed does a better job at explaining how some non-tech residents of San Francisco feel about the buses. When your experience of a big city is a seamless parade of hip restaurants and privately funded transportation, it's easy to overlook the things that cities need, like filled potholes and a reliable transit system. San Franciscans feel resentful about the technology industry's lack of civic and community enga…

The Bay Area tech sector is not to blame, here. It's those opposing densification: Paris is beautiful and has a density of 21,000/km^2. San Francisco can thus clearly remain beautiful and functional while increasing its density from its current paltry 6,600/km^2.

Want an affordable San Francisco? Increase the number of housing units.

- low-density - beautiful - affordable

... pick two.

Re: Protesters block Google bus in S.F. Mission

#120

Post by Cookingboy » Mon, Dec 09, 2013, 11:46 PM UTC

seanconaty wrote: post #85

This op-ed does a better job at explaining how some non-tech residents of San Francisco feel about the buses. When your experience of a big city is a seamless parade of hip restaurants and privately funded transportation, it's easy to overlook the things that cities need, like filled potholes and a reliable transit system. San Franciscans feel resentful about the technology industry's lack of civic and community enga…

That article is down right stupid. It's not the rich people's job to invest in public infrastructure, it's the government's job. Wealthy people contribute to that by paying large amount of tax. All those hip restaurants and fancy parking spots in the city? Those are tax revenues.

Can't help it that the city is so poorly/corruptly run that it has one of the highest budget in the country yet still can't manage to fix a few potholes before the heat death of the universe.