#but you can't rent a car until 25

[owlfuntimes-blog]

Yeah but at age 25 I'll finally be able to rent a car. And then it'll be OVER for all y'all.

I think being afraid of becoming 25 can be combated by like literally hanging out w people of all age groups and realizing that they too have personalities and hopes and dreams and goals and life is not over for you at like 30

[menlove]

that post just reminds me of how iiiiinsane conservatives are in the US about who they afford maturity and when and why

like oh god forbid you're under 25 and want hrt or gender affirming surgery. you're too young to know yourself and you need to be protected!

if you're under 18 you're WAY too young to be receiving sex education! or reading books with heavy themes in them! you can't know about slavery or racism or the holocaust or gay people or stds! you're too young!

if you want to rent a goddamn car, that's too much!

if you want to smoke weed or drink alcohol after 18, that's just insanity and they just can't let you do that until you're 21

but by the way, you can sign up for the military at 18 and get trapped for 7 years minimum and you get to go and start killing people! you get to ruin countless lives, probably end up with a permanent disability or ptsd, and become culpable in some of the most inhumane acts ever committed! yay!

you can start working hard labor jobs when you're 16- sometimes 14-15 with parent permission! you can work for companies that barely BARELY respect child labor laws while going to high school so you can help your family yknow, not starve, and start yourself on the long and endless road of continued poverty and chronic pain! yay!

and don't forget! if you're a child? say you're 15 and your dad or your cousin or your shitty 30 year old boyfriend knocks you up? well hey, that's your fault first of all, but it's God's will that you have that baby and you're absolutely mature enough to be a mother! you should probably marry that 30 year old too just to be safe, he needs a wife to take care of him

[munsons-hellfire]

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

SUMMARY: You moved back to Hawkins for a fresh start, but meeting your brothers biker gang takes things for an interesting loop especially when your trying to escape the past you want to leave behind.

PAIRINGS: Biker!Eddie Munson x Teacher!Fem!Reader

PART 1 IN THE DARK PARADISE SERIES

CONTENT WARNINGS: SFW, Biker!Eddie Munson, Teacher!Reader, no use of y/n, modern take (thought a modern setting best fit the plot), implied pet names (sweetheart, princess), bug is used as a name, she her pronouns but barley used, Reader is 24 (turning 25 soon), Eddie is 26, post-upside down, vecna is defeated (will be mentioned in later parts)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, so this is actually for sure my first series here on Tumblr. I am looking forward to the later parts. I got this idea when I was reading a short story about a biker and a girl. I then got a thought about Eddie as a biker and well I shared it with funsonmunson-again. I hadn't seen anything with this type of idea but I definitely thought it would be cool to write. I can't wait to build the relationship between Eddie and Reader as I get further through the series. Please let me know what you think and what you might want to see as we get further into it. This is also a modern take because I when I pictured it I just saw it taking place in our time. The canon events of the show do happen but they defeat Vecna and close all the gates. The other members of the show will be in this series, most will come in later on. Also I decided to go with a teacher!reader because my mom herself is a teacher and I think they are important so I wanted a chance to write something where the reader was a teacher.

WORD COUNT: 3.2K Words

THE DARK PARADISE SERIES MASTERLIST

Hawkins Indiana had always been your home since you could remember. But when your parents divorced and your mom moved out of the state you and your brother had to go live with your mom. Eventually your brother moved back with your father and you visited them whenever you were allowed too.

Now heading into adulthood you were standing in front of the apartment you had just rented out. It would be your home for the next few months, at least that's what you hoped. Things had gone sideways with your job back home, not to mention you weren't a fan of your new stepdad your mother had married.

The man wasn't the nicest man in the world but more so to you. He made your life a living hell and you couldn't live with him or your mother anymore, even when considering the fact that she wouldn't put her foot down. In hindsight you probably should've just moved back in with your dad and brother long before your mother had married your step father.

You could see the red flags that so clearly flew around his face but in the beginning you simply wanted to ignore it because you were going to school to be a teacher. Now that you had graduated with your masters degree there was nothing really holding you back and that included your mother.

When you FaceTimed with your older brother after graduating and told him that you had saved enough money up, that you wanted to move out of your mothers house, that you wanted to leave everything you had in New York and come back to Indiana where they lived. And your brother had the most simplistic answer to it all.

"Then if that's what your heart and mind is telling you, then come back to Hawkins. I wouldn't mind having my sister by my side and dad would love to see you again."

After Sam had mentioned those words to you, you gave him a bright smile and a quick nod. That night you began packing your belongings. You and your brother had discussed where you could live, he had pointed out the safest apartments in Hawkins. You filled up your car until none of your personal belongings were left in your mothers house.

The downside to starting over meant that you had to get new furniture, but you were lucky considering you had saved enough money for an apartment and new things as well. You had planned this out well before you brought it up to Sam. Without saying goodbye to your mother or step father you left New York and drove back home.

It took you 11 hours to drive from New York to Indiana. You had made a few stops along the way but it hadn't impacted your time on the road much. You had already rented out an apartment that wasn't far from where your brother and dad lived. They still lived with each other so it would make it easier if you wanted to do something with them.

Along the drive down to Hawkins your brother had called you and told you that a few of his friends would be helping you move your boxes from your car into your apartment. And then they would help with anything heavier once it was bought. For the first few nights you would be sleeping on an air mattress which didn't really bother you.

It would do until you could go out and get a bed. You had arrived just before nightfall, the sun was setting in the distance. It made a pretty view and one that you didn't know you missed until you moved back to Hawkins. You had just gotten your key to your apartment and were waiting for brother and dad to arrive along with a few of Sam's friends.

Your dad was actually the first to arrive, he pulled his truck up next to your four door Sedan. It was blue, one of your top three favorite colors. Looking down at your phone you saw a text from Sam saying that they would be there shortly. Placing your phone in the back of your pants pocket you walked towards your dad's truck as he climbed out and shut the door.

"There's my sweet baby!" Your dad said excitedly, with the brightest happiest smile plastered onto his lips.

"Hi, dad!" You spoke. Soon enough his arms were encased around your body as he pulled you in for a tight hug, one that you hadn't felt in a few years. "I missed you." You mumbled into his chest, with your eyes closed.

"Aw, I missed you too, princess." Your dad had no shame in calling you any kind of pet name. But you had and always would be his little princess. "I'm glad you're here now."

"Me too, dad." You pulled back from the hug and stared up at your father. He was still holding the smile on his lips as he continued to look down at you.

"How's your mother doing?" Allen questioned, his face had become serious but it was clear to you that sometimes it still hurt to talk about his ex-wife. He thought your mother was the love of his life and he thought he was hers. Though to you it seemed that your mother never really loved your father and she was just taking him along for the joy ride because they had Sam and then 2 years later had you.

"She's fine, she's with her boy toy. They're so perfect for each other it's disgusting. I had to get out of there before things got worse."

Your dad raised an eyebrow at the way you had mentioned that last sentence. "He didn't try to hurt you or anything like that did he?"

"No, god, no. He was just an ass who only cared about mom and wanted to make my life a living hell because I was a 24 year old still living with her mother. I'm just happy that I'll be starting out year 25 in my own apartment with a teaching job and I'll be closer to my dad and brother again." You tried your hardest to smile, but you knew your dad was picking up on the pain that was leaving your voice.

"If there's one thing in life I regret its that I didn't fight hard enough to get custody over you so you could live with your brother and I."

"It's okay, dad. Mom didn't want the responsibility of taking care of Sam because he was a troublemaker and difficult for her to work with. Apparently I was just easy for her."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short because your mother did. I'm so proud of the things you've accomplished in this past year alone and I can't wait to see what you'll do in the future, and I can't wait to see the impact you'll have in those kids' lives when you start teaching."

"Thank you dad." You smiled again, in the distance bikes could be heard which meant that your brother was now here. It was no secret that your brother was part of a biker club, you didn't have anything negative to say about it simply because the one he was a part of did a lot of good things not only for the community in Hawkins but surrounding communities as well.

"Your brother's here, let's get moving." Your dad walked towards your car and opened up your back door to start with that. Your phone buzzed in your pocket. Pulling it out you looked down to see a contact that you were trying to avoid at all cost and it wasn't your mother. After you find a teaching position you planned to get a new phone number so your ex could stop calling you.

You had gone the distance and blocked her from all social media that you did have, but you weren't too worried about it considering you felt you didn't have time to be on it. But you weren't so sure that would be enough of a cause for her to stop trying to contact you. She seemed to be a force to be reckoned with and she made your life far worse than the things your step father had said to you.

You only wished you had seen just who she truly was before it had gone down the wrong path. But you knew that maybe just maybe Hawkins could truly be the fresh start that you desperately needed. You looked away from your phone seeing your brother and a few of his friends pulling up next to your father's truck. Putting on a tight lipped smile you locked your phone and shoved it back in your pocket.

"Sam." You called out walking over to him as he pulled his helmet off his head. His brown hair fell from the helmet and you could instantly see the smile that fell onto his lips and how his eyes brightened when you called his name. He climbed off his bike and walked over to you pulling you in for a hug.

"I missed you so much, Bug." Sam said, you groaned at the nickname. Sam was never not going to call you Bug. When you were little you went through a very long phase and were obsessed with all kinds of bugs and had a lot of knowledge on them. You still to this day talk about certain bugs. But Sam started calling you Bug one day and never dropped it. Even sometimes the nickname would slip from your father's lips and your mother's lips.

"I missed you too," you pulled back from the hug as two of his friends walked over to you.

"I'd like you to meet some friends of mine. This is Steve Harrington, and Eddie Munson. Guys this is my sister, I like to call her Bug so I am giving you permission to call her that too." Sam smirked at you while you rolled your eyes.

"It's nice to finally meet you, I'm Steve. Sam here wouldn't shut up about his little sister coming back home." Steve said, as he shook your hand. You took in Steve's look, his hair was great, far better than what you had seen in New York. He had on tight jeans, with a polo shirt (which kind of shocked you to say the least), and he topped it off with a leather jacket, covered for the most part in patches.

On the front right side of the jacket rested the name of the club they were in. "The Wolves", seemed to fight the look they all had going on. Your brother talked about his biker club as much as you would let him so you knew most of the members without having to meet them.

"Oh, I'm sure. He's probably more excited about me being here than I am." You chuckled afterwards, then your eyes landed on the tall curly haired man who you assumed was Eddie Munson.

You were already swooning over the way his hair was styled, the bangs that rested over his forehead really seemed to fit his personality. Well, at least whatever you could pick up just from looking at him. After meeting your ex-girlfriend and learning more about her you started to get better at reading people which had been part of the reason why you started to see things you didn't see before you started dating.

Eddie was wearing ripped jeans that went with the black boots he had on his feet. Your eyes drifted to his shirt to see that he had been wearing a slightly worn out Metallica shirt. Like Steve he had been wearing a leather jacket as well. But most of the patches he had on his were on the denim jacket that rested over the leather jacket. The club logo rested on the right side as well and it was surrounded by band patches and pins.

It really helped complete his look and you couldn't keep your eyes off Eddie. Something he smirked at because he had noticed your face. Finally your hand found its way to Eddie's and the two of you shook hands. He hadn't said anything to you yet, but you were sure you felt a jolt of electricity run through your hand. And for a moment you were almost certain that he had felt the same thing, especially when you had looked into his soft brown eyes.

"It's very nice to meet you, Bug." Eddie said, with a gentle smile following behind his words.

"Come on, boys, we don't got all night." Allen called out to the three.

You and Eddie removed your hands from each other. You walked back towards your car, and opened the door. Just as you started to reach for one of your boxes you had packed your phone buzzed again in your pocket. Only this time it was a simple buzz indicating that you had received a text message from someone.

With an exhale you let go of the box holding it up by your leg. Eddie watched from the other side of your car as you pulled your phone out to look at who had texted you. You thought that maybe there was a chance it would be your mom asking where you had gone. As you unlocked your phone, you felt your blood run cold when you stared directly at the message.

It read, "I'm going to find you, and you're coming back home with me." You had an annoyed look on your face that mixed with anger and fear. Eddie was still staring at you while you looked down at the phone, he could tell just by your posture and facial expression that something was off. You knew that most likely you were going to have to take this to court eventually. Which is something you didn't want to do, in all honesty that was the last thing you wanted.

"Hey, you okay?" Eddie's voice ran through your ears and it suddenly felt comforting to hear his voice again. You looked up from your phone and placed your eyes on him as he held onto one of your boxes. Somewhere in between he had managed to pull his curly locks back into a low bun so his hair was out of the way.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay." You knew it was a lie because you were in fact not okay. But you didn't feel as though you could tell him let alone your brother or dad. The idea of telling anyone what was actually going on made you feel like you were being a burden to them. You didn't want to bother them with your problems because you knew you could solve them on your own.

Your brother and father couldn't know the real reason you had decided to up and leave your mother's house in the middle of the night. Sure you didn't like the way they talked to you but that was just a cover up for the simple fact that you were trying to escape another crazy ex, only this time it was your ex-girlfriend. She had made things a lot worse for you and more complicated than you wanted them to be.

Your ex was trying to make it clear to you that you were soulmates, but you disagreed with her time and time again. You weren't looking to settle down not yet anyway. You liked the idea of being in a relationship to a certain extent. Most of your relationships didn't last longer than 6 months at most. Though you had a thought that if something happened between you and Eddie he was going to be the one you married.

Well that's what you hoped for deep deep down. Eddie took notice once again of how lost in thought you had gotten. He wondered if this was an often occurrence or if it only happened in stressful situations like this one where you moved across the country. The metalhead could tell that something was definitely off, and it seemed whatever it was had to do with this move.

Eddie was going to make it his top priority that he figure out what it was that made you move back to your hometown, what made you decide to leave the city and head to a quiet town. He also knew one thing for certain, and it was that the second he laid his eyes on you that he wanted nothing more than to keep you safe from the horrors of the world; whatever they may be.

When Sam started talking about how you were thinking of moving back to Hawkins to be close to your dad and him, Eddie couldn't help but start to form a crush on you. The pictures that Sam had shown to him just didn't do enough justice. Your hair was longer than what it had been in the picture that had been taken. You had beautiful eyes that he felt that he could get lost in no matter what time of day.

And he thought that you looked super adorable in any type of clothes you'd wear. Right now you had jeans, and a pain blue t-shirt on, with a jacket covering your arms. You were also sporting a red pair of converse that looked a little to beat, like they had seen a lot of years. But the outfit looked really good on you. The only thing that Eddie really wanted to do was rip it off so he could see all of you.

Seeing you here now in front of him on the other side of your car, he knew there was no chance he'd be able to control himself around you. With a heavy sigh you shoved your phone back into your pocket and grabbed a hold of the box that rested on your leg. Before taking a step away from the car towards the apartment you stared up at it.

"I'm okay, I'll be okay. She can't do anything to me." You whispered to yourself, though Eddie had definitely heard you. It was enough for him to know that he was for sure going to keep you safe. He would just have to get more intel about why you were here and who you were running from so he could better prepare himself.

Eddie caught up with you as you walked towards your new apartment. You dreaded the future because of what could happen if your ex found where you had gone. But you also looked forward to it, you hoped Eddie might become something more than just your brother's friend. You already knew there was something about him that you liked and it wasn't because he was in the Wolves with your brother.

It had something to do with the spark that you had felt shoot through your hands. You weren't one to believe in all that lovey dovey crap but you could see something with Eddie, whether it ended up in a bad place or it ended up in a good place. You internally groaned knowing very well that this next year could either make or break you.

You weren't looking forward to all the possible outcomes of what could or might not happen. You only hoped that someone out there was watching over you. That there was someone out there helping to guide you in the direction you needed to go.

TAGS: @funsonmunson-again @inhumanssxx

[cosmicpoutine]

dont think ive seen anyone say this but in the us we cant book a hotel room until 21 in some states. and the car rental thing is technically true. We can rent starting at 21, but 21-25 year olds get an additional (often hefty) fee daily for being "young drivers". oh and you cant test drive cars that your buying until 18 despite driving age being 16.

just pick an age, pick one age. pick a number. close your eyes and pick a number.

if you tell a brazilian they can't drink until they're 21 they're gonna laugh at you. and the hotel thing...??? what do you do if you're 20 and have to travel somewhere?? does this apply to airbnb??

also this reminds me that in the twilight movies there's a scene when bella is going back to arizona she and alice and jasper stay at a hotel... so you're telling me that whole scene was illegal? or does it not count because alice and jasper are hundreds or years old???

edit: WHAT ABOUT RENTING?? BC I KNOW YOU GUYS CAN RENT AT 18??? BUT NOT GET A HOTEL ROOM????

[phoenixyfriend]

I think one of the things that makes it possibly not... super clear why I'm so anxious about finding a job that pays enough. So uh. Here's the thing.

"In December 2022, 51% of people who earn more than $100,000 reported living paycheck to paycheck. [...] After taxes and adjusted for cost of living, $100,000 amounts to just $35,791 in New York, New York." - Time Magazine

Now... a lot of these people probably have dependents. Some are probably paying off student debt. Some may have medical debt. There are lot of reasons for a person to be living paycheck to paycheck.

But to pay off a most basic apartment in an outer borough, utilities, insurance, transportation, all taxes, and food, a touch of medical or dental, basic hygiene needs, the occasional treat? I need a 70k salary.

I could sell my car, in theory; the transit infrastructure is good enough, if I find a place near a subway station, even if I cannot do anything without it where I am now. I could get a roommate in a 2b instead of going solo in a 1b. I could live in the spare room of my parents' friends, even though I know from a friend that it's suboptimal. There are ways to make this work, obviously. There are people who make this work, millions of people in NYC who have been doing this for generations, and I am willing to compromise the way so many people do, sure, but...

Well, I'm bad at people. Getting a romantic partner isn't in the cards, really, and finding a roommate online is theoretically possible but fills me with anxiety to think about. It sucks that the rent is such that I have to. That health insurance is such that I have to. That I can't reasonably think about grad school until I've stockpiled some savings up again, just in case there's an emergency, because of the aforementioned health insurance situation.

People do it, sure, but there is not a single county in the entire United State where the minimum wage is enough for a single adult to live alone in an apartment. That's not really okay. Why should so many of us have to give up the most basic and affordable of luxuries because the economy favors those who came from wealth?

NYC might have a higher minimum wage than most, but a $15/hr minimum wage still doesn't mean much when the living wage is $25/hr for a single adult with no dependents.

(Did you know, the advice used to be that your rent should be no more than 20% of your income?)

IDK where I'm going with this. It's not a situation with an easy answer, and I'm not in a place to change anything directly. All I can do is keep looking for a job that pays me enough to survive, find someone I don't think is going to be a horrible roommate... or look into doing Chicago instead of NYC, I guess.

I just know that I can't stay in the suburbs forever. This place is killing me.

[cuntwrap--supreme]

So, for years, I've been rationing the CPAP supplies my insurance subsidized for me. I was paying $30/mo for about a quarter of the recommended supplies. They want you to change this shit out so often. It's unreal. So I'm on my last cushion mask, and it's got maybe a week left on it before the foam separates from the plastic and it's no longer usable. And I'm like, "This part costs what? $25?"

Wrong. It's $60.

For a part they say you should replace every 2 weeks.

Motherfucker. I make these things last 5-8 months, depending on how poorly I'm sleeping. I do not change them out until they've disintegrated. "But they can't be washed!" Cool. I wash them as best as I can. I can't afford $120/mo just just for the mask. They also say you should replace the hose ($120) every 4 months and the water tank ($35) every 2. The headset is $45 and they say to replace it every 2 months, too.

Nope. Sorry. I'm fucking poor. Rent is expensive and it's only going to be worse when I renew my lease. I'm talking an extra $400/mo for my rent, and that means I literally cannot leave if I want (in part because this is still the cheapest rent in town, and in part because moving costs like $4000 between deposits and truck rentals and boxes and shit, and if I have that kind of money I have to get a car for work)

It's just wild that there's the technology to force me to breathe in my sleep, but there can't be the technology to make supplies for that machine that aren't 1) incredibly fragile and 2) poorly made. Like. If I knew I could have one mask that lasts me 1+ years, I'd spend a lot on it. But like hell am I spending $120/mo at the least on supplies for this shit. I will use everything until it is unusable and unfixable and only THEN will I replace it!

[vvatchword]

So. I got fired.

When a big family emergency hit back in November, it just knocked me the fuck out. Just blew me right out of the water. I kept thinking I'd get back into things, but I never did. I was just completely flattened.

I started being late. Dreadfully late. Then I started not working at all. I could just NOT WORK. Like I couldn't get out of bed--it was that bad. I mean I couldn't. I wanted to get up, I was willing to get up, but I couldn't fucking get up. If I did work, it was at a crawl. I have never had as much trouble with alarms as I do now: they can't wake me up, or I simply cannot get up. My communication fell off. My work fell off. Simply the worst work and the worst worker you've ever fucking seen. As far as my personal life was concerned, I started missing appointments and I stopped being able to cook. I just couldn't fucking cook! It didn't matter if I had a whole box of ingredients and the recipe book in front of me, I couldn't do it. It wasn't happening. I lost something like 25 pounds because if I couldn't make myself go shopping I just wasn't eating.

And we were putting out a BOOK.

Anyway, I got my first-ever "less-than-satisfactory" job review. I got a list of things to improve. It was a fucking torment, but I was pushing myself, I spoke to friends for accountability's sakes, I was up front with my bosses, I went to therapy, I was making sure I was medicated... I thought I was improving as of the last two weeks!

But it was too little, too late. I think they'd already decided they wanted to drop me. And that's because--well, at my yearly review, my greatest nightmare occurred. Y'all know I'm autistic as fuck. And part of being autistic is pretending you're a human being. Look at me! I'm a fucking human! I smile at the right time and speak the right way and meet your eyes just the way I should. Don't get in a conversation with me when I'm tired or it starts getting weird but otherwise-----

Well, us autistics call this shit "masking." It's a labor. It's a skill. And at my yearly review, I had to sit down with this brand-new A-type executive director we have--and it did NOT feel good. It felt like a goddamn job interview. I could tell he was judging me on a level I wasn't prepared for. I was pretty worn down from months of family and personal bullshit--not the least of which was the low fucking pay and terrible benefits, which, combined with astronomical rent and car issues, have put me heavily in debt. Oh, and did I mention that I have a problem with older men? It's not something I realized until after I spoke to my therapist about this particular event, but under certain circumstances--of which this was the perfect storm--I revert to a child. It's a trauma response. Don't ask.

My mask straight-up shattered and I looked and sounded like I was fucking mental. I don't know how to explain it to you and half of that is because I hate just THINKING about it. It's like my soul was trying to leave my body. My voice pitched up and went monotone in a way I haven't had to fight since I was in college. I began self-flagellating and just uttering complete nonsense. If I were a dog I would have been rolling over with my tail between my legs. Please sir not the boot. Please sir do not hit

Obviously I only told this to like. Two people. Because it's embarrassing. It's something you should be able to fucking control. And I couldn't, just all of a sudden, in front of this exec who thinks he's cool shit (he's like Elon Musk, but a boomer. Just the worst ideas. I tell you, being rich is a curse, you turn into an idiot).

That said, honestly, I don't blame anyone? This was my fault? And at the same time I'm deeply, deeply troubled. Because when I look back, I see the seeds of this collapse in my previous job--where I was starting to fall behind on work that shouldn't have given me trouble. I just couldn't keep on track or stay on target. I was starting to be late here... and there...

This is terrifying. Like this is mortally, deeply terrifying. I don't know if I can work. I truly don't know. My own brain has turned on me. I don't know if I'll be able to keep to deadlines or get to work on time. I truly don't. I truly truly don't. I'm too scattered, I'm spread too thin, I'm too needy, money's too tight, my needs are too many. There's too much going wrong. And I'm alone and I'm tired. I don't like this world or this country or this state. I don't want to do this anymore. I'm so tired of pretending I'm a human being for people who can IMMEDIATELY tell I'm a weird fucking mistake from another planet.

Right now I'm trying to think how I can minimize literally everything. Just sell as much as possible, keep only the most important things. It'll suck, it'll hurt, but...

all I want to do is write. I'm tired. I don't want to do anything else. I want my books and I want my computer and that's it. But I have to eat somehow, I have to find shelter SOMEHOW, I have to pay for things SOMEHOW.

I'm tired of hoping life will look up. I'm tired and I haven't been given any reason for why anything is worth THIS MUCH AGONY. All the things I need to do, I can't. All the things I want to do, I can't--because I'm hung up on the things I NEED to do.

Let's face it. i'm not good at adult shit. I've never been good at adult shit. I've only ever been good at going to school, really. And I don't really think I'd be good at that anymore. I can only do things now if I am deeply interested in them, and literally none of those things pay my bills.

I'm fucking doomed.

Fucking bye y'all

[jellogram]

Hello we are the american government and we listen to the scientists that say your brain isn't developed enough for alcohol until you are 21. That's why we let you get married, go die in a war, get a face tattoo, and vote for government officials at the ripe old age of 18. But you can't buy beer, that's too grown up for you. Also you can't rent a car until you're 25 for some reason but that's not our problem. Enjoy the wildly varying state-dependent laws on marijuana that we refuse to engage with.

[scrambled-meat]

and being a good person fucks you in the ass generally, having a genuine sense of empathy always fucks you in the ass.

like not even 20 mins ago i was across the street 2 dry my clothes n buy cat food--we "have" laundry facilities on the apartment property, but none of the fucking dryers work despite how fucking Ridiculously out the ass we pay for basic monthly rent (welcome to colorado that isn't rural, racist, and homophobic!!!) so i have 2 wash my clothes here n walk the heavy ass water-logged clothes in a basket 2 the closest laundromat* in order 2 actually dry them, n there's a walmart on the same strip so i went there 2 buy a box of cat food as well.

i spent basically the entire rest of my money on that box of cat food. when i left the walmart i had literally two fucking dollars to my name.

and most of that was going to go to go to drying my shit at the laundromat so i don't get fucking fired from my job for smelling bad.

on the walk from walmart to the laundromat, being the only person walking past, i hear "sir! sir!"

i keep walking because i don't initially know she's talking to me (despite nearly nine years on t i still get "ma'am'ed") but i eventually turn around after "SIR! PLEASE!" and it's this old white lady sitting in a running car, smoking a cigarette, with fully did nails.

"do you have a couple dollars you can possibly spare?? i am an old lady, you know,"

i quite literally have a couple dollars to my name.

and it seemed so fucking fake. there are many genuinely homeless and/or struggling people around these parts, but this LEGITIMATELY seemed like a ploy. there was no fucking way.

but unfortunately i have a sense of empathy. i may be very fucking jaded and bitter, but i have a sense of empathy.

call me fucking spineless and weak, but in the back of my mind, all i could think was, "what if she's actually struggling? maybe she only came upon hard times recently, which is why she still has a running car, fancy nails, and access to cigarettes. sure, even though i can't afford nicotine even with a roof over my head (that i can barely fucking afford lol), i've basically been homeless myself before. i don't want anyone to suffer that same fate. even if she is completely pulling this shit out of her ass, i don't wanna take that chance if she actually isn't. i wanna help."

so i forked over half of the money i had left to my name, knowing damn well that most of that last dollar was going solely 2 the laundromat, and when i went home i'd have 25 cents left to my name until the next time i get paid. but at least the laundry would be dry and i wouldn't get talked to a second time, let alone fired from the only job i have, for smelling bad because i don't wash my clothes enough.

i told her this is one of the only two dollars i have left after washing my clothes and buying cat food, but it's the least i could do.

and right after handing her that dollar, one of the only two dollars i have, the pleading "sir! sir!" switched to this evil fucking smile and a biting-back-laughing, "thanks, lady."

not all homeless people are like this. she probably wasn't even fucking homeless at all. just desperate for nicotine/booze money knowing she could exploit the "i'm just an old lady!!!" thing.

all because of my poor bleeding heart.

poor people are obligated to pay other poor people, but people with several million if not billion dollars can't be fucked to do shit.

i'm tired of this fucking shit man. i am so fucking tired of this shit.

[theconstitutionisgayculture]

I'm going to specify my reasonings for why I think 18 should continue to be the legal age of becoming an adult anonymously cause I have a fandom blog and I choose to remain a closet conservative to keep the peace. Anyway, at 18 we're given access to pretty much everything aside from alcohol and renting a car, and perhaps a few other things. We can live on our own, vote, buy cigarettes, get a loan, apply for credit cards, etc. I would even be okay with lowering the legal drinking age to 18. I think the biggest thing we need to do better, though, as a society, is preparing teens for adult life, helping them to develop skills that are required in adulthood. I know it's a big thing right now for people to bring up the fact that our brains aren't completely mature until we reach 25, but I don't see how we could realistically change the legal age of an adult. What exactly would that look like? Would they have to live at home with their parents until they reach that age? What kinds of jobs would they be allowed to have? Would they be allowed to go to college or would we add more years of high school education?

Anyway, at 18 we're given access to pretty much everything aside from alcohol and renting a car, and perhaps a few other things.

That's literally my point though. If 18 year olds can't be trusted with being a full adult, why do we let them become partial adults? Why can someone vote and serve in the military, but not buy alcohol? And it's even worse these days when adolescence has been extended so far into people's 20s. In a perfect world, the legal age of adulthood, or at least to vote, would be at least 26. But 21 is a decent compromise. It recognizes that 18 year olds are still not ready to take on adult responsibilities, but it sets a reasonable age of adulthood that's already used for other things like buying alcohol.

Would they have to live at home with their parents until they reach that age?

Yes. And considering the growing trend of people living with their parents well into their 20s anyway, this is gonna happen no matter what the legal age of adulthood is.

What kinds of jobs would they be allowed to have?

The same jobs we let under 18s have now. Which are mostly the same jobs 21 year olds fresh out of college with useless degrees get anyway.

Would they be allowed to go to college or would we add more years of high school education?

Of course they'd be allowed to go to college. In most colleges, you need to be 17, which is already a year younger than the national age of adulthood. But even that isn't absolute, since kids who skip grades and homeschooled students can be accepted earlier. What colleges look for are SAT or ACT test scores, along with racial and gender demographics because they're just like that. Age isn't really considered.

The use of "we" when you're talking about 18 year olds makes me think you're either that age, or very close, so I'm sure that's a large part of the reason why you're against raising the age of adulthood. And trust me, I get it. If I was under 21 and people started talking about raising the legal age I'd be pissed too. I thought 18 was too old, since I was smart enough at 16 to know things adults didn't seem to get. I had my opinions and I knew they were right.

And then I got older and realized I was wrong about at least half of what I thought were rock solid facts. I didn't have the life experience, or the fully mature brain, to handle life the way an adult needs to. And most people my age didn't either. And that was in the early 2000s. These days it's so much worse. The amount of young people who think they know everything but actually know nothing is disturbingly high, especially considering how easy it is to access information these days.

As for how to implement it? You just do it. Maybe a grace period gets put in place. Say, anyone 18-20 when the law gets passed is grandfathered into legal adulthood, but for everyone else it's now 21. There will be an adjustment period, definitely. But that's what happens when you change anything, and if that's enough to halt change then we might as well just accept everything as it is and never try to improve anything. And I know how much that'll suck too, because when I was going through school I was always in the first year they were implementing new state standards and tests and a lot of teachers didn't know how to teach to those standards yet, so I was always getting stuck in the experimental year. And it was shitty. But I got through it, and so can kids now.

[unrequited-words]

9/26/24

12:48 a.m.

I'm currently boiling chicken thighs to shred them for what I Hope to make green Chile enchiladas for my SIL. I want to make Spanish rice for her for Friday. She texted me asking if I'm coming for dinner, and of course I am being extra. It'll be probably frozen for whatever we need here for dinners later this week.

I have been sleeping HORRIBLE. I still can't let anything go. My anxiety is at a all time high. No I durance until November and I hope I can see a doctor a overview... How I feel, what meds I'll need etc. the same for A. She needs all her boosters to get ready for kinder.

Dad, and A are sleeping and I am cooking to forget how truly terrible I feel. It's the depression but I always feel like a POS even though I know I'm not.

It's sad when I think an uninterrupted nap is a vacation. I get paid later tonight and that goes to rent. All other bills are paid, and I hope to get extra hours for extra pay. Already gave Zod 1K for Christmas and half is going to get the car finally fucking registered later today.... We will see low results for me personally.

I put the spare in the car. I've spent 1k plus on fucking cat repairs. I need to find a costume for A as Halloween is approaching.

Thank fuck it's a Thursday my day off. Work as an event, on Wed and I'm like do I really want to drive down there and see one person as I work from home. 85% is like nope but 15% is like you need to go out even if you're a fat fuck

Decision, decisions 🧐

12:56 am

I truly need a vacation by myself for 25 hours. I'm so burnt out

[noveltysensegallery]

Master Class in Ruthlessness

COVID-19 Pandemic Edition: Do you have what it takes to be a ruthless landlord in Alabama?

Photo by Morning Brew on Unsplash

It's Just Business

Covid-19 rages across the nation, destroying jobs, damaging lives and even killing thousands. But you are about to be a landlord in Alabama; these facts don't apply to landlords in Alabama. The law is on your side...but are you on your side? Laws can't protect the weak! Take this quiz to see if you have the heart of a ruthless Alabama landlord.

1. It’s May 1st 2020 and a few of your tenants have not paid rent. They just have some sob story about losing their job as a waitress, a car salesperson and a chef. You call your lawyer who is on speed dial and she advises you that evictions will not be enforced until June 1st, 2020 due to a Proclamation by Governor Ivey. Do you?

a. Begin your unlawful eviction process anyway, proclaiming “I am the law!!”

b. File an eviction with the court and then countdown until June 1st to rush the court while harassing your tenants every step of the way and sometimes even your lawyer.

c. Compassionately work out a plan so that on June 1st you do not have to follow through with an eviction because it would be just horrible if thousands or even millions roamed the streets unhoused while a contagious virus spreads like wildfire.

2. You overheard somewhere about something in the Federal CARES Act protecting tenants who live in federally backed mortgages until July 25, 2020. Do you?

a. Think�� ‘interesting’ and forget that you in fact have a mortgage that is federally backed and then proceed with eviction not realizing that it will be a futile endeavor.

b. Seek federal assistance, hide this information from your tenants and harass them until they leave. “I’m not passing on any favors!”

c. Disclose this valuable information to your grateful and relieved tenants. Then work out a plan so that on July 25, 2020 there is no need to proceed with eviction.

3. You have a tenant who is an elderly woman who is behind on her rent due to a mix up on her social security benefits. Due to the pandemic, it is difficult for her to reach anyone. Do you?

a. Feel victimized. This was supposed to be your retirement income. How will your travel fund ever grow? At this rate you’ll never make it to Italy.

b. Refuse to do necessary maintenance on her unit.

c. Show empathy since we are in the midst of a pandemic. You are well-known in the area and you have a lawyer. Perhaps these tools can be utilized to help her get connected.

4. Your tenant has congestive heart failure now owes $1550 in back rent. Do you?

a. Become consumed with worry about the economic future of your family and yourself.

b. Send a rude letter stating that rent is due and threaten immediate eviction.

c. Work with tenants who are especially vulnerable to the pandemic and look for outside resources to refer them to. Landlords are powerful in Alabama, so you can use your power to vouch for your tenants to overwhelmed non-profits who appreciate your input.

5. On what date did the Governor's Proclamation begin, which protected tenants from the enforcement of an eviction?

a. What Proclamation? Do you mean the date my letter states that my tenants will be evicted?

b. Doesn’t matter, I already have my order in place.

c. Order became effective 5p.m., Saturday on April 4th, 2020.

6. How many cases of Covid-19 has Alabama added on July 9, 2020?

a. Covid-19 doesn’t exist; it’s a hoax.

b. It’s only bad in New York, probably less than 100.

c. 1,304 cases were added on July 9, 2020 and deaths rose by 35.

7. After being furloughed as a flight attendant, your tenant Ruthie is stressed, hungry and limited on funds, which bill or cost should she prioritize first?

a. Credit Cards

b. Food

c. My Rent!

8. Why won’t your tenant pay rent?

a. Your tenants are withholding their stimulus check.

b. Your tenants received generous unemployment benefits but are too irresponsible to pay rent.

c. They lost their job due to the shelter-in-place order and the stimulus from the federal government haven’t arrived. In addition the unemployment office is too backlogged to process their claim.

9. When you read the Proclamation by Governor Ivey concerning evictions, what was the main message you gathered?

a. I can still file for an eviction.

b. Rent is due.

c. “All state, county and local law enforcement officers are hereby by directed to cease enforcement of any order that would result in the displacement of a person from his or her place of residence.”

10. It’s July 4th, what do you think of when you go to the Kroger grocery store and see steak?

a. You don’t see the steak. You ruminate over that one tenant who was too savvy to succumb to your self-help eviction. One day you’ll get them...out...one day...

b. You think, “They can have their rent for free and that’s nice but I can't go over to Kroger and start buying a steak and say oh by the way put it on the tab when this things over I’ll pay you as soon as my tenants pay.”

c. Happy, can’t wait to get this on the grill.

Results:

Mostly A's and B's: Excellent! You have what it takes to be a landlord in Alabama even if you have to pry that check from their cold, dead and Covid-19 riddled hands.

Mostly C's: Why did you even take the quiz? I'm surprise you didn't start weeping at the thought of collecting rent. Landlords in Alabama collect rent no matter what! Take your compassion and move on! Compassion can't pay for that Kroger steak!

Sources:

AL.COM: 1,304 new coronavirus cases in Alabama since yesterday; Deaths jump by 35, article published July 10, 2020.

ABC3340 NEWS: Alabama stay-at-home order prohibits evictions & foreclosures during COVID-19 crisis, article published April 3, 2020.

AL.COM: Some Alabama counties evicting tenants in pandemic, article published May, 2020.

AL.COM: Some Alabama counties resume evictions for unpaid rent, article published June 6, 2020.

FOX10: Evictions are back – but in Mobile County, at least, pace falls short of pre-pandemic levels, article published June 25, 2020.

The Office of Alabama Governor: State of Alabama Proclamation by the Governor, proclamation published April 3, 2020.

WAFF48: Evictions possible again after governor’s order is lifted, article published June 10, 2020.

WHNT News19: Alabama ban on eviction set-outs expired, article published June 8, 2020.

WHNT News19: UPDATE: Gov. Kay Ivey issues ban on evictions for the entire state, but rent is still due, article published April 3, 2020.

WSFA12 News: Lawyer says some Alabama landlords violate order, try to evict tenants, article published April 8, 2020.

© 2024 Proudly Produced by Novelty Sense Gallery. All Rights Reserved.

[euphorial-docx]

I have a thing for the whole Astarion age debate.

100 for Elves = 25 for Humans. Basically, Elves keep maturing physically until they hit adulthood and then their mental, emotional and spiritual development continues going on until they hit 100. Just like how humans don't really 'mature' until 25 because their brain chemistry is still churning and they haven't really lived adult life enough until then, to really be called an 'adult'. Most 25 year olds, if we had enough jobs, would have cars and be able to drink and join the army. It's the age of total adulthood. That doesn't mean you can't still keep maturing afterward, but you've got everything you need. So if we were going to say anything about 39 being Astarion's age, it would be that he was most certainly a 39 year old ADULT by human standards. It's just that Elves have higher standards for adulthood because they live hundreds of years. Which means they have entirely different levels of aging. Baby-Toddler-Child-Preteen-Teen-Young Adult-Adult-Mature Adult-Middle aged Adult-Older Adult-Elder. So it's more like 'sure you're an adult at 18-20 like the humans, but you haven't really LIVED until you've hit 100.'

exactly. it’s basically like astarion is an Adult, but he just can’t rent a car yet. he’s not literally a child like some people try to make him out to be. there are nuances to elven maturity.

[novakspector]

helpful travel USA hints:

Don't visit anywhere as a tourist without doing research on where not to go, what neighborhoods are and aren't safe. This is true anywhere, not just the US. This is a real thing, it's not scaremongering or "hate," there are neighborhoods in major cities where you will be threatened, robbed, or attacked. This information is freely available online.

Don't come to the US as a tourist if you can't even afford a hotel/motel in a decent location. "Inglewood is ok because Tyra Banks is from there." LMAO. Staying somewhere sketchy to save money could put you in danger, it's not worth it. Just wait until you have enough money to stay somewhere safe and comfortable, you'll have a better time.

Stay out of the ghetto, skid row, the hood, sketchy areas, whatever you want to call it. The only people who live in those areas are people who don't have the means to leave. They don't want to see tourists taking photos and videos of their misery.

Probably shouldn't be a tourist anywhere if you're as dumb as this girl and her friend were. Like, just stay home. You're going to get in trouble or end up dead. They were lucky. If you're naïve and think everyone is your friend, you're not ready to be an international tourist. That is to say, you don't have common sense. No, you should not walk around thinking that everyone is trying to rob you or kill you because they're not, but you should be aware of your surroundings and know where to go and where not to go as a bare minimum.

Don't think that people are the same as they are wherever you're from, because they're not. People shape their environment and everyone is shaped by their environment. Ireland for example is a small island country, it's generally pretty safe and on a small island almost everyone is cousins so there's a quaint sort of we are family vibe there. It's not like that in big cities in the US, it's just the opposite.

Go to an actual travel agent and sign up for a guided tour if you want to do touristy sight seeing in LA, unless you are close friends/family with a local who is showing you around. LA is not just a city, it's a huge metropolitan area with terrible neighborhoods and upscale neighborhoods. It's not all Beverly Hills 90210 and Baywatch.

Don't come to the US as a tourist if you can't drive or aren't old enough to rent a car (you have to be 25 to rent a car!). Safe and reliable public transportation that exists throughout most of Europe is not a thing here in most places. Taxis are not cheap, neither is Uber in big cities.

Don't come to the US as a tourist if you only want to see NYC and LA because "that's what's in Hollywood movies!!" That shit is not real! Hollywood is bullshit and those places are not really like that. You get a completely fake idea of what America is like if you're only basing it on movies and TV shows.

[lindsaywesker]

Good morning!  I hope you slept well and feel rested?  Currently sitting at my desk, in my study, attired only in my blue towelling robe, enjoying my first cuppa of the day. 

Welcome to Too Much Information Tuesday.

Not everyone you lose is a loss.

The dot over the letter “i” is called a tittle.

‘LOL’ used to mean ‘lots of love’ before the Internet.

You aren't rich until you have something that money can't buy.

On average, 12 new-borns will be given to the wrong parents daily.

In the eighth century, fishermen in Japan paid their taxes in seaweed.

Coca-Cola only sold 25 bottles in their first year but kept going.  (Never give up!)

Boredom is the single largest contributor to the use of drugs and alcohol among teens.

A ‘loophole’ originally meant a narrow slit through which a defender could shoot attackers.

British spies stopped using semen as invisible ink because it began to smell if it wasn’t fresh.

80% of people have at one time found themselves subconsciously singing a song they hate.

In the 1930s, there were plans to build an airport on top of Kings Cross station in London.

The number of heart attacks spike in Brazil on days their team is playing in the World Cup.

“The obedient always think of themselves as virtuous rather than cowardly.”  (George Carlin)

The Popemobile used by John Paul II on his visit to Ireland can be rented out for stag parties.

The movie ‘Paranormal Activity’ cost less than $15,000 to make but grossed over $193,000,000.

Until 1899, the list of official diseases of the Royal College Of Physicians included ‘nostalgia’.

Coin flips aren’t 50/50, there is a 51% chance you will end up with whatever side you started with.

Only 10% of British teenagers meet the recommended guidelines on sleep, exercise and screen time.

Cameroon is the only country named after a crustacean. It comes from the Portuguese for prawns.

In 1957, Eleanor Roosevelt did a music radio show, taking song requests from children with polio.

Some orchids have spring-loaded traps in their flowers that are activated by male insect’s genitals.

The US Patent Office insisted on proof that the Ouija board worked before granting the patent in 1891.

Some female frogs play dead to avoid mating with male frogs.  (Some women probably wish it were that easy!)

Psychology claims that if two past lovers can remain just friends, it’s either they are still in love, or never were!

The average Bentley driver owns eight cars.  The average Bugatti driver owns 84 cars, three jets and a yacht.

‘Corn sweat’ is the phenomenon whereby the corn fields in the American midwest make the air more humid.

American photographer Danielle Lessnau has created a body of work using a pin-hole camera installed in her vagina.

An unborn baby can taste what their mother is eating and can develop a preference for the foods that she eats.

A new analysis shows that cancers may have more to do with lifestyle, not genetics, in as many as 90% of cases.

Delete your browser cookies before you buy airline tickets.  Ticket prices go up when you visit travel sites multiple times.

During pregnancy if the mother suffers organ damage, the baby in the womb sends stem cells to repair the damaged organ.

According to a study, the two most common feelings that people tend to bring out in others are enthusiasm and boredom.

If we put a giant mirror ten light years away from Earth and looked at it through a telescope, theoretically we'd see 20 years into the past.

‘Frozen’ and other Disney animated films include a credit for Disney’s coffee guy.  He is credited with ‘caffeination’ and has his own IMDb page.

In a 1930s Mickey Mouse comic, Minnie cheated on Mickey with another mouse.  Mickey then tried to kill himself by jumping off a bridge.

Iceland's population is so small that an Icelandic company has created an anti-incest app to prevent Icelanders from dating their relatives.

The hottest temperature measured on Earth (56.7 degrees Celsius) was recorded in a place called Greenland Ranch in California, now known as Furnace Creek.

During the 1945 Hollywood strike, one tactic employed by protesters was to picket movie theatres and give away the ending to people before they could buy tickets to the film.

“Talent is what they say you have after the novel is published and favourably reviewed.  Beforehand, what you have is a tedious delusion, a hobby like knitting.”  (Marge Piercy)

Since odd numbers are harder for our brains to process, some people actually experience feelings of discomfort when the volume of the television, among other things, is set to an odd number.

You can be declared dead in 48 US states but still alive in New Jersey and New York.  These two states allow families to reject the diagnosis of brain death if it conflicts with their religious beliefs.

When asked why he wrote the theme tune from ‘Mission: Impossible’ in 5/4 time, the composer Lalo Schiffrin said: “The people in outer space have five legs and couldn’t dance to our music, so I wrote this for them.”

Okay, that’s enough information for one day.  Have a tremendous and tumultuous Tuesday!  I love you all.

[ohhoneato]

Really wanted taco bell this morning around 6 am and found out they were all closed after I went to one. Bestie got McDonald's and I ended up getting Jack in the Crack tacos, which aren't nearly as pleasing, and some onion rings.

I almost cried, I swear. Plus the person at the window for JITB was really REALLY rude. We've all around just been having really bad experiences there recently, whereas we used to not have that as often and that's super disappointing, cause we both deliver for UberEats in our area.

Plus the cost of everything is SO much worse now and our pay doesn't reflect it, especially in the UberEats or Ubering stuff.

Remember people, your delivery charge and tip are what the UberEats people are getting paid for their delivery. Which means if you pay a $1 delivery charge with no tip for a $40 order, that's what they're getting paid. Not even enough for a gallon of gas anymore.

We get excited when we get the $12 deliveries or someone tips well (we've gotten a $6 tip and it made us so excited), but really, it only pays if you do it constantly, all day, every day. We just made enough for rent, but it's currently my only job.

And trust me, customer service with this is everything as well. Most of the time I don't even see the customer, but I still send them a message that I hope they have a great day/night/morning. I go out of my way to find difficult to find places so I can get paid, most people in apartments don't include their gate code and then never respond when you ask for it.

And this post isn't to complain about customers for UberEats, I haven't had a single rude customer for the 3 weeks I've been doing this. Everyone has been kind and understanding and friendly. This is to complain about the pay Uber offers its workers for this. The delivery charge is sometimes insane when ordering Eats, and I know for a fact that my pay isn't reflecting that most of the time. Gas prices went up, food prices went up, and people rely on Eats to make a living. If the area is just dead for the day and you need to pay rent, gas prices are outrageous enough that sometimes it's not feasible to drive to a different area. You need that money for rent.

It's also become almost impossible for us to eat at home. It's a more than full time job, if you aren't out doing it 24/7, you aren't making enough money. I do it for the whole 12 hour shift bestie works and don't even make enough to go grocery shopping. Sometimes I just make $25 at most. In 12 hours.

But on the other side of complaining, you absolutely CAN make enough money to make rent, to pay for groceries. And all you need is a car or a bike for it. I have a few tips for anyone wanting to start doing it, because it's super easy to do and sign up for.

1. Uber customizes itself for what you do most.

They have several options for things to do, from grocery delivery, they just started package delivery, food delivery and carpooling. Bestie tends to carpool more often than not and I do Eats more often. Her app has the Ubering rates on her map and all of her opportunities are driver related. Meanwhile, mine has boost opportunities for deliveries in sections on my map and there are many grocery delivery opportunities. Hers doesn't show the boost zones at all, no matter which function she's doing.

2. Figure out when busy hours are.

If you're Ubering, from 6-8am and 3-6pm is always busy Monday through Friday. When people are going into and leaving work. On weekends, Friday and Saturday specifically, if you're in a bar heavy area or city, 5pm-2am are golden time. I do stress to be careful though, Uber just released new safety training and they have a great system for emergencies. Deliveries tend to start heavy around 6am and go until 9am. Then start up again around 11:30-noon. Go around mealtimes, especially in business areas, where people can't easily leave to get food. Even in residential areas though, you'll get plenty of orders in highly populated areas. Just make sure you're near where restaurants are open. And lastly, from 5pm- 2am tends to get pretty decently busy for Eats. The stoners and late night workers need something to eat around midnight-1am most of the time.

3. Stay in bigger cities.

I know for some people this isn't possible. But bestie's mom used to travel about an hour to get to an actual city to Uber so she could support her kids and it actually made pretty good money. Bestie and I live in Houston right now and the closer to the inner city you get, the better the pay is and more orders and rides you get. It is absolutely more of a city app, but don't discount the fact that smaller towns and cities still need Uber drivers. The longer the distance you have to travel, the more you'll get paid. If you have to go through tolls, they'll pay extra for that as well. This one goes for all roles.

And honestly just have some music playing to jam out to, if you're making deliveries, bring a friend to talk to. It gets lonely if you're alone doing deliveries, or if you prefer the quiet time, it's great for that! It's a lot of driving and honestly sometimes doesn't even feel like work, so just have fun with it. Leave the customer cute personalized messages, bestie always puts a :3 at the end of her messages. Also, don't automatically knock or ring the doorbell if it says meet at door. Message them first, wait until about a minute and a half on the timer is done, then knock if they haven't responded or come out. No one wants to hear that, especially at night. You have no clue how many times I've had Eats people do that when we've ordered from it, when I've specifically asked them not to.

When you talk in the chat, an 8 minute timer starts. If they don't respond, it tells you to leave it somewhere safe and take a picture. The same instructions for if the person asked you to leave it at the door. If there's no where safe to leave it, it will cancel the order, but you can't return the food, so now you have food. But don't do that purposely, it'll put a negative mark on your record and you'll get less deliveries. Plus, I'd like to think we all want the customer to get their food and be happy.

Other than that, have fun! If anyone has any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them, or if they'd like any more advice.