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Protesters block Google bus in S.F. Mission

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

#21

Post by mhurron »

zxcvvcxz wrote: post #13

Anyone find it lame how people are tweeting about an incident instead of communicating with each other when they're like 10 feet away? Don't expect to reason with protesters if you're not even willing to talk to them. Way to be the uptight sheltered techies you're being made out to be. That being said, I don't think it's legal to block a vehicle, and protesters would probably be better served doing something producti…

> I don't think it's legal to block a vehicle

Civil Disobedience is pretty much by definition illegal.

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

#22

Post by zem »

zxcvvcxz wrote: post #13

Anyone find it lame how people are tweeting about an incident instead of communicating with each other when they're like 10 feet away? Don't expect to reason with protesters if you're not even willing to talk to them. Way to be the uptight sheltered techies you're being made out to be. That being said, I don't think it's legal to block a vehicle, and protesters would probably be better served doing something producti…

> Anyone find it lame how people are tweeting about an incident instead of communicating with each other when they're like 10 feet away?

no, it's like the "open letter"s you see floating about the internet - they don't care one way or another about the protesters, they are actually addressing the people whose opinions on the matter they do care about (in this case, their twitter followers)

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

#23

Post by seppo0010 »

waterlesscloud wrote: post #9
ma2xd wrote: post #8

It's a fake. The guy is an activist and is named Max Bell Alper. http://www.makingchangemedia.org/about-the-team/ http://www.gettyimages.no/detail/news-photo/occupy-wall-stre...

Which guy? The guy not mentioned at all in the article?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yc6z2oSPdQ

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

#24

Post by chaz »

jamiequint wrote: post #7
chaz wrote: post #6

Does anyone know what the sign "Fine $271; Total Fine (2011-2013) $1 Billion" refers to? https://twitter.com/maxbatt/status/410097083081695233/photo/...

I assume the number of shuttle bus stops * fine for stopping in a bus zone ($271) ~= $1 Bn

Their math seems suspect. $1B / $271 = 3.7 million stops. Assuming 39 bus stops in the Bay Area [1], a 7d/wk schedule (i.e., no separate holiday/weekend schedule), and that every bus stop gets an equal number of stops, that's 86 stops per day per bus stop. Or once every 17 minutes, around the clock. I'd believe that frequency for peak hours at the busiest/largest stops, but not as the all-day average across every stop.

[1] http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1000087239639044398290...

Edit: From their website & flyer: http://www.heart-of-the-city.org/

  Tech Industry private shuttles use over 200 SF MUNI stops approximately
  7,100 times in total each day (M-F) without permission or contributing
  funds to support this public infrastructure. No vehicles other than
  MUNI are allowed to use these stops. If the tech industry was fined for
  each illegal use for the past 2 years, they would owe an estimated $1
  billion to the city.
The numbers still sound high to me, but ... shrug

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

#25

Post by cynicalkane »

zxcvvcxz wrote: post #13

Anyone find it lame how people are tweeting about an incident instead of communicating with each other when they're like 10 feet away? Don't expect to reason with protesters if you're not even willing to talk to them. Way to be the uptight sheltered techies you're being made out to be. That being said, I don't think it's legal to block a vehicle, and protesters would probably be better served doing something producti…

I am not obligated to "reason" with anyone who stops me, illegally, and demands my attention. I don't see why it's different for the average Google employee.

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

#27

Post by tedivm »

cynicalkane wrote: post #25
zxcvvcxz wrote: post #13

Anyone find it lame how people are tweeting about an incident instead of communicating with each other when they're like 10 feet away? Don't expect to reason with protesters if you're not even willing to talk to them. Way to be the uptight sheltered techies you're being made out to be. That being said, I don't think it's legal to block a vehicle, and protesters would probably be better served doing something producti…

I am not obligated to "reason" with anyone who stops me, illegally, and demands my attention. I don't see why it's different for the average Google employee.

They blocked in a bus that was illegally parked. No one forced you to get on the bus that was violating city codes.

What these people are complaining about is a two tiered system, where one set of laws apply to the people who live in the city and another set apply to corporations like Google. Why should that bus get to do something that common citizens are not allowed to, simply because it's owned by a company instead of a person?

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

#28

Post by tedivm »

chaz wrote: post #6

Does anyone know what the sign "Fine $271; Total Fine (2011-2013) $1 Billion" refers to? https://twitter.com/maxbatt/status/410097083081695233/photo/...

I'm not sure about the $1billion, but the $271 fine is what we as regular citizens would get if we tried to pick people up from the bus stop. The complaint is that the two tiered system- one where normal citizens have to follow the rules, while corporations can do whatever they please- and the fine is simply one example of that.

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

#29

Post by tedivm »

chaz wrote: post #24
jamiequint wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume the number of shuttle bus stops * fine for stopping in a bus zone ($271) ~= $1 Bn

Their math seems suspect. $1B / $271 = 3.7 million stops. Assuming 39 bus stops in the Bay Area [1], a 7d/wk schedule (i.e., no separate holiday/weekend schedule), and that every bus stop gets an equal number of stops, that's 86 stops per day per bus stop . Or once every 17 minutes, around the clock. I'd believe that frequency for peak hours at the busiest/largest stops, but not as the all-day average across every st…

>Google declined to comment on the map, but said it has over 100 buses that shuttle 4,500-plus people per day from more than 30 stops across seven Bay Area counties.

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1000087239639044398290...

So Google alone could make up that number. Toss in the other tech companies that are doing this as well and I can see how there are far more than 86 stops a day.

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

#30

Post by xster »

I just moved to the area and have little context, wondering what solution are the local residents fighting for? I'd imagine going back to an idyllic agrarian past is probably not viable. Is the proposal for companies to pay a special municipal tax for zoning special loading curb areas (which I'd imagine UPS and taxis and the likes will have to pay as well for using public infrastructure)? Is it for higher income or newer residents to pay a special tax to give to lower income or older residents which can be used to fund affordable housing projects? What is the proposed solution that can be put into a legislation?
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