#trucking policy updates

[artisticdivasworld]

Shifting Gears in the Trucking Industry: The Impact on Owner Operators in 2025

The trucking industry is buzzing with speculation about what the Trump administration might mean for truckers, especially the small owner/operators who form the backbone of the industry. With policies and regulations likely to shift, the big question is: Will these changes make life easier or harder for independent truckers? Let’s look at what might be in store. For starters, there’s talk about…

[pussydemolisher900]

LetsTalkPalestine Updates from IG:

• 193 Palestinians killed, 920 injured in Gaza in the past 24 hours

🇺🇸 US to airdrop aid to Gaza in the “coming days”; it’s important to note that airdrops aren’t the most effective means to deliver aid, WHO stresses the safest and easiest way is by land through crossings which Israel has deliberately blocked from entering Gaza

🇨🇴 Colombian president announces suspension of all arms purchases from Israel and accused Israel of genocide in direct response to yesterday’s ‘flour massacre’ where Israeli forces fired at Palestinians awaiting aid trucks in Gaza City, killing 115 Palestinians and injuring 760

🇪🇺 EU to reinstate funding to UNRWA by sending $ 54.2m next week – EU Foreign Policy Chief says this indicates the EU acknowledges UNRWA as “irreplaceable”

• Hamas says 7 Israeli hostages have been killed by recent Israeli bombing; several hostages have been killed by Israeli attacks since Oct 7, including 3 who were shot by Israeli forces

[posttexasstressdisorder]

GEICO Terminates Tesla Truck Owners’ Insurance Amid Safety Woes

REVOKED

GEICO notified some Tesla Cybertruck owners that it would not be renewing their policy before reversing course.

Josh Fiallo

Breaking News Reporter

Jackie Salo

Deputy Executive Editor

Updated Oct. 07, 2024 3:12PM EDT / Published Oct. 07, 2024 2:26PM EDT 

Rebecca Cook/Reuters

GEICO informed some Tesla Cybertruck owners that it would not be renewing insurance for the monstrous electric vehicles, claiming the oft-recalled trucks are not up to their standards.

The sudden change in policy was first detailed by Robert Stevenson, a Tesla Cybertruck owner, who tweeted, “@GEICO said they can no longer insure my Cybertruck.”

“It makes no sense, as there are other, riskier cars out there,” he wrote in the since-deleted message, which was reposted to Reddit. “Let me know if you recommend any insurer for the truck. I have eight cars with an amazing record. I will be canceling my entire Geico policy!! Bye-bye!”

Stevenson included a copy of the letter from the insurance company, which stated that the “type of vehicle doesn’t meet our underwriting guidelines.”

Tesla Recalls Cybertrucks Over Scary Accelerator FaultHIT THE BRAKESDan Ladden-Hall

The insurance company, however, later reversed course, insisting it would continue to provide personal auto coverage for owners of the electric truck.

“GEICO has coverage available nationwide for the Tesla Cybertruck,” a spokesperson told the Daily Beaston Monday.

Earlier this month, Tesla recalled more than 27,000 Cybertrucks due to defective software delaying the rear camera feed.

Though there were no injuries reported over the defective software, the debacle marked the Cybertruck’s fifth recall since CEO Elon Musk rolled out the vehicle in Nov. 2023.

Past recalls, which include two on the same day back in June, have been issued due to to defective wipers, loose trim, and jammed accelerator pedals.

[blubushie]

Update on shittiest week in the past few months (which is saying something!):

12:33

Pharmacy was refusing to give me my T without my doctor's permission despite my insurance approving it and my doctor refilling it. I'm going to commit a fucking homicide. "Oh wait 3-4 business days for a return call" I will be in withdrawals by then. Suck my dick. This Week Has Not Been Kind but I've been fighting this shit for FOUR DAYS. With my luck "three to four BUSINESS DAYS" is gonna mean they won't get it until like. Fucking TUESDAY of NEXT WEEK. But my doctor is usually really on top of things, so fingers crossed.

16:40

Blu: So my insurance requested prior authorisation, which they approved yesterday. Dad: Right. Blu: So that was request for authorisation was sent to my doctor this morning, and she approved it. Dad: Right. Blu: And then the insurance received the authorisation from my doctor. And then the insurance denied it. Dad: That doesn't make any fucking sense. They can't do that, they're not doctors. Blu: Exactly. But they denied it. Dad: What the fuck? I'll call them right now. Blu: I can do that- Dad: No you're under my policy. I'll do it. Blu: I can do it. Dad: If I let you do it I'm going to have police on my doorstep for verbal assault or something. Go back to your truck and go play on your gay little website, I'll do it. Blu: I can do it. Look at me, I'm completely calm. Dad: And I know that means you're going to kill someone. Go outside. Blu: …Ok.

[magz]

Quoted from "Let's Talk Palestine" (instagram channel)

February 29, 2024 update:

• Gaza death toll surpasses 30,000, around 25,000 being women and children. Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor estimates the real number including the thousands buried under the rubble at over 38,000

• Israeli forces opened fire on hundreds of Palestinians awaiting “life saving aid” in Gaza City killing 112 and injuring 760

🇺🇳 Algeria requested a UN Security Council closed meeting on today’s massacre in northern Gaza; Secretary General statement affirmed the UN condemns the massacre and is “appalled” by the total death toll in Gaza

• 10 children in Gaza killed by starvation this week; UNRWA says aid “decreased by half” since the Jan. ICJ South Africa v Israel case

• Haaretz: Crowd of Israeli settlers protesting at Beit Hanoun crossing “broke through” the military checkpoint, entering northern Gaza to call on the gov’t Gaza settlements — some made it 500m before being stopped by Israeli police. While Israeli protesters continue blocking aid trucks at Karem Abu Salem crossing

March 1, 2024 update:

🚨🇳🇮 Nicaragua v Germany ICJ case

Nicaragua filed a case at the ICJ accusing Germany of facilitating genocide and violating its obligations under the genocide convention by providing political, financial & military support to Israel + halting funding to UNRWA.

Further arguing Germany’s complicity in war crimes, the illegal occupation of Palestine, and Israel’s apartheid regime through its long-standing support of Israel.

Nicaragua requests the ICJ to issue emergency provisional measures for Germany to:

• Immediately halt all aid and military assistance to Israel that violates the genocide convention & international humanitarian law

•Ensure already delivered weapons aren’t used to commit genocide or violate international humanitarian law

• Resume funding to UNRWA + ensure humanitarian aid reaches Palestinians

This case is a warning to all countries that they can be held accountable, as their unconditional financial & military support to Israel makes them complicit in genocide.

• 193 Palestinians killed, 920 injured in Gaza in the past 24 hours

🇺🇸 US to airdrop aid to Gaza in the “coming days”; it’s important to note that airdrops aren’t the most effective means to deliver aid, WHO stresses the safest and easiest way is by land through crossings which Israel has deliberately blocked from entering Gaza

🇨🇴 Colombian president announces suspension of all arms purchases from Israel and accused Israel of genocide in direct response to yesterday’s ‘flour massacre’ where Israeli forces fired at Palestinians awaiting aid trucks in Gaza City, killing 115 Palestinians and injuring 760

🇪🇺 EU to reinstate funding to UNRWA by sending $ 54.2m next week – EU Foreign Policy Chief says this indicates the EU acknowledges UNRWA as “irreplaceable”

• Hamas says 7 Israeli hostages have been killed by recent Israeli bombing; several hostages have been killed by Israeli attacks since Oct 7, including 3 who were shot by Israeli forces

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Catching Out: Final Part

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~2.1k

Summary: Spencer has his suspicions about your parents but you refuse to even listen to him. There is nothing going on with your parents... right? No, they’re normal parents that are just overprotective of you. Spencer is just being paranoid.

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Author’s Note: So, I know in previous episodes I had mentioned the reader's birthday is in February, but I forgot that when I wrote this episode. I have decided to change it to April since I've also based some other episodes around her birthday being in April. So, from now on, the reader's birthday is now in April.

I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them. If you’ve seen the show, then it’s the same level of angst unless otherwise stated

x

As it turns out, all the big farms set up housing camps for the workers during harvest. However, these camps are partly subsidized by the state, so they require ID and a strict sign-in policy, giving you a way to track migrants. Penelope called the camps and asked for their sign-in lists, and now all you have to do is cross-reference to your unsub.

While you've been busy with the newest murder, Derek and Rossi tried to figure out the first house that the unsub hit, and they came up with a woman named Mildred, his first murder. Why did it start with her? Why is she so special? Mildred Younce was sixty-eight at the time of her death. She lived by herself, making her an easy target for the unsub. She was killed in her bed just like the others, but there were no signs of a break-in.

Rossi and Derek can't come up with a suspect because they found seventeen different prints inside the house. Most of them belonged to transients since she was known to offer food in exchange for work around the house.

However, right outside her house are train tracks as well as another place where homeless people stay. They'd draw symbols around their camps that would signify if the water around there is clean to drink, whose houses were safe to go to, etc.

Rossi and Derek found those same symbols around Mildred's house, which is what the unsub used to determine if her house was safe or not. You don't think he's staking out properties for days at a time. He's using these symbols to pick out the vulnerable houses.

You walk outside to give yourself a break from seeing the deaths of the couple over and over again. Hotch is out there on the phone with JJ.

"Hey, I got an update from headquarters. Rossi and Morgan are on their way to that farm in Tehachapi. I found a representative from the local housing authority, Cesar Jimenez. He's expecting you. The press release went out to the media with a photo from the pawn shop, and I'm waiting to hear back from Garcia about tracking migrants who may have traveled the same route as our unsub."

"JJ, what are we going to do without you when you go on maternity leave?" Hotch chuckles.

"You think I'd just leave you hanging?"

"Does that mean you have a plan?"

"I don't know. You'll see."

Hotch hangs up with a smile, and you approach him from behind.

"She's irreplaceable, you know."

"I know."

The farm where Cesar Jimenez is packed with workers in and out of the field. A small truck passes by with four people in the bed of the truck. They look at you, but they don't say a word. Cesar meets you halfway and shakes hands with Hotch.

"I'm Agent Hotchner."

"Cesar from the housing authority."

"These are agents Prentiss, Y/N, and Reid. Thank you for meeting us here."

"Does this man look familiar to you?" Emily asks, showing him a picture of the man in the security footage.

"It's kind of hard to tell."

"Have you had any complaints in the camps? This man would show disruptive behavior. He might be stealing things from other workers or starting fights, and he sniffs chemicals to get high."

"Well, our facilities have a zero-tolerance policy. No drinking, no drugs, and certainly no violence. Anyone who cannot follow these rules would be kicked out."

"Have you kicked anyone out recently?" you ask.

"More than I'd like to. The camps in this area are at full capacity. We have to turn people away."

"Thank you." You four step off to the side to speak privately. "If he's pawning the jewelry he's stealing to get money, why is he still working in the fields?"

"Here's another question: Why is he circling the farm towns at all? What's keeping him here? Or, who? It could be a family member that he wants to watch over."

"It's a possibility."

Your phone rings, and you answer Penelope's call. You place her on speakerphone.

"Okay, mini-lesson. Migrants travel and work in these groups and the groups are called Cuadrillas. Now, I have found one such Cuadrilla that was in Chico at the same time as our unsub. Then, I checked the other towns, and they were in Sacramento, Modesto, and Vacaville at the same time as our unsub as well."

"What about the first town?"

"I got employment records from the apple farm in Tehachapi. This Cuadrilla last worked there two days before Mildred Younce was killed. Now, here's the whammy. A man named Armando Salinas checked in with this group in Tehachapi. Then, he falls off the map. There's no sign of him in any of the camps."

"Interesting."

"Double whammy," Penelope says. "Customs and immigration have a rap sheet on him for theft and assault, and he's wanted in connection to some burglaries."

"There's the record we've been looking for," Spencer says.

"Man, I am on a roll. Triple whammy! His fingerprints were one of the seventeen found at Mildred Younce's house."

"Get us his photo and get JJ to get it out to the media. We're going to need the public's help," Hotch says.

"I'm sending you his mug. The group that he's been following checked into Lockeford early this morning. That's not far from you."

Cesar knows exactly where this group is, and is familiar with them. He's the best chance you have of finding this person. If he can calm the locals, then you might be able to get them on your side. They're not going to like that the FBI is here, but that's why you have Cesar. You reach the camp in no time, and they are on high alert.

Cesar begins to speak to them in Spanish.

"Good evening. Sorry to disturb you. I am with the Farm Workers Council. These officers here have a few questions for you."

Almost immediately, people began to fear you. Some of them even run away from the group, and Hotch orders the officers not to chase after them. You're not here for them.

"We're sorry to interrupt your evening, but we've come here because we need your help."

Cesar translates whatever Hotch says to them. Cesar explains what is going on, and Emily passes out the picture of the man you're looking for. There is one man that can't seem to look Emily in the eyes, and he doesn't look at the picture in her hands.

She says something to him in Spanish, and he nods shamefully.

"It's his brother," Emily reveals.

The man, Ruben Garcia, is taken back to headquarters so that you can gain more information on his brother. He isn't too happy to be doing this, but it looks like he isn't surprised. He might not know what he is doing exactly, but you know he knows something about his brother's escapades.

"When was the last time you spoke to your brother?" Emily asks in Spanish.

"A few months ago in Tehachapi."

"Do you know that he's been following you?"

"Yes. He calls me from time to time. He likes to know where I'm going," Ruben says in English.

"Why does he have to follow you? Why isn't he with you anymore?" you ask knowing he can speak and understand English well.

"He's not a good worker. He got us fired from a big job. My Cuadrilla wanted him gone."

"So, you kicked him out?"

"Sí."

"Your brother has been following you ever since, burglarizing homes and killing people in every city."

The look Ruben has can be chalked up to one word: horrified.

"Is that where he gets the money from?"

"What do you mean?"

"He's been leaving me money at the camps."

"Does he know you're in Lockeford right now?"

"I found this at the camp today."

Ruben takes out a white envelope full of cash. Armando is here. This is your only chance to get at him before he goes to a different city.

"Would you excuse us?" You and Emily leave the room and join Spencer outside. "The killings started in Tehachapi. I think his brother rejecting him must have been a stressor."

"Morgan and Rossi made it there, and they're with rail security. Hotch and Liman are patrolling neighborhoods."

"Okay, we need to get these guys going." Emily clears her throat and addresses the entire room filled with officers. "Excuse me! Could we have your attention, please? This is Armando Ruis Salinas." You start to pass out his photo to everyone. "He is thirty-eight years old and a Mexican national. We believe he is currently in the vicinity of Lockeford and its outlying towns."

"He'll only target homes within a mile of train tracks. You'll be assigned search quadrants. Think the way a burglar would. Pay close attention to houses that have no exterior lights on, no security alarm signs, and no barking dogs nearby. Let's go."

All of the officers leave to do their job, but you and Spencer stay behind with Emily to talk to Ruben some more.

"Are you surprised the police are looking for him?"

"He's my half-brother. I wasn't around for him when he was young. He's been in trouble all his life, even being in jail in Mexico. I thought if he came to work with me, he would change. I'm grateful to work, but Armando hated work. Hated the camps. He always complained that he never had a nice bed to sleep on. When he was a kid, he slept on the floor. In jail, he slept on the floor. All he ever talked about was having a house of his own... a bed to sleep on."

It's clear he needs time to process what's going on, so you leave him alone to think. You don't know what he'd do if his brother is killed, and unfortunately, that exactly happens. Derek and Hotch found him in the freight yard trying to escape, but Derek ended up catching him.

Armando died trying to escape, and Ruben breaks down in tears at the news.

This isn't one of those cases you want to remember.

It's hard to forget something like this, so when you arrive back at the BAU, you try your damndest to think about something positive, like Spencer's birthday.

"Do any of you have plans for tonight?" Spencer asks.

"We do. Your birthday is tomorrow, baby. I have something planned for the two of us. We're celebrating."

"You're on your own, kid," Derek chuckles.

After grabbing your things, you head to the elevator with the rest of your team. JJ stops you before you can get on, and you look at the woman to her right.

"Before you leave, I wanted to introduce you to someone. This is Agent Jordan Todd. She'll be taking over for me while I'm on maternity leave."

"Agent Jareau has told me so much about you all. You must be Agent Prentiss."

"Yes, nice to meet you," Emily grins and shakes her hand.

"Hello, Dr. Reid and Agent Y/N. Agent Morgan. It's nice to see you again," she grins.

She must be the woman Derek met before at the cafe.

"Nice to see you, too. So, this must be the good news."

"This would be my brownie."

"Have you two met?" JJ asks.

"Briefly."

"Well, Agent Todd comes to us from seven years at counter-terrorism."

"I'm looking forward to working with the Behavioral Analysis Unit."

"We're starting her training now."

"Wait, right now?"

"We're kind of running out of time," JJ smiles and pats her big stomach. "Let me introduce you to the rest of the team."

"I'll see you in the field... team," Jordan grins.

She and JJ leave, and you're free to return to your own lives. You and Spencer head to your car, but before Spencer can get into the passenger seat, you toss him your keys.

"You're driving." Spencer doesn't drive often, so when he does, he takes joy in it. He doesn't like it, but he doesn't mind once in a while. "We're not going home."

"Where are we going?"

Spencer stops at a red light and looks at you in confusion. You lean over and place your lips to his neck, and he stiffens up. He grips the steering wheel tightly, refusing to let his feelings get in the way of his driving. You kiss his neck slowly while sliding your hand across his thigh. You can feel him tense under your touch, but that doesn't stop you.

You nip at his sensitive spot before licking up to the shell of his ear. You bite his ear gently, and he strangles out a moan.

"I got us a hotel for the weekend," you whisper. "I don't plan on leaving the bed with you at all. I have your real present later, but right now, all you have to worry about is getting me naked."

All reasonable thought has left Spencer's mind. He closes his eyes for two seconds, and the car behind him honks. His eyes fly open to see the light is green. You giggle and return to your seat, but your hand doesn't leave his thigh.

This is going to be one helluva weekend.

"Beyond the East the sunrise, beyond the West the sea, and the East and West the wander-thirst that will not let me be." - Gerald Gould

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[vague-humanoid]

A woman was seen on video stealing a fully-automatic rifle from a Texas gun range.

KENS 5 reported that the owner of LoneStar Handgun in San Antonio revealed the theft last week.

Surveillance video from Friday showed the woman leaving the property with the gun. The theft was said to have occurred soon after 2 p.m.

The woman reportedly said she was considering a gun purchase but wanted to try some firearms first. The owner of LoneStar Handgun said the woman filled out a liability form before taking possession of the firearm.

"She went out on the range, shot it, came back in with the handgun, and said, 'I think I want to try out the machine gun,'" LoneStar founder Josh Felker said.

The woman then rented an MP5 Sub Machine Gun, which can fire up to 900 9-millimeter rounds in a minute.

Instead of taking the gun to the shooting range, the woman exited the building and left in a white truck.

"Felker said Friday was busy for business and admitted it was at least a couple of hours before staff realized what happened," the KENS 5 report said. "The staff member who also rented out the firearm didn't follow the policy in place to prevent thefts like this from occurring."

An identification card presented by the woman was determined to be fake.

"In [the employee's] defense, his mother died earlier this past week. And so he was at work not because he had to be at work, but because he wanted to be at work. And just so his mind was at other places. It's not excusable, but that happens," Felker explained.

LoneStar planned to update its policies after the theft.

"We're looking into probably everyone that rents a machine gun at the minimum will have to be escorted on the range, which will tie up more range staff, which will increase the cost, which will also take away from their ability to supervise the others in line but nobody wants firearms stolen, especially machine guns," the owner explained.

@socialistexan

[ramon-balaguer]

The Happy New Year wasn’t so happy, in fact, pretty sad with the suicide of a Georgia Judge who tried to resign, because of poor voter show of only 6% to replace him and correctly opted to resign in order for the governor to appoint his replacement, which he Wrongly denied and let to Judge ending his career and life tragically in his courtroom office. 😢

It gets worse, with the Tragic Mayhem caused by several (5-6) Crazy IS Terrorist Pigs 🐖 in New Orleans using a pickup truck to ram through police barricades and run over many people, killing at least Innocent Lives, and eventually the driver Shamsud Din Jabbar (born in Texas) getting out and shooting at law enforcement, which returned fire and had a good kill 🤩 in killing the pig 🐽 where he stood. Not sure what the update is on the other Crazy Terrorist Pigs 🐷

This Heartbreaking Islamic Terrorist Attack last night in New Orleans’ New Year’s Celebration, I believe, is a direct result of Leftist Liberal Democrat Open Borders Policies and Lackadaisical view of ILLEGAL ALIENS entering and staying here ILLEGALLY and having babies, automatically making them citizens (like the now dead Crazy Terrorist Murderer) or eventually securing legal statuses for nefarious means. Such a beautiful and great American city and American Citizens. May GOD🎚️ bless the victims and their families and friends, and hold everyone accountable that Justice may Prevail. ⚖️

With #BloodyBiden's, #KacklingKaMala’s and #Dem’s Open Borders, Sanctuary Cities and Crime & Criminal Friendly Lawlessness...

- Terrorists & Violent Gangs and Crazies can just walk across the souther borders and do the terrorist attack themselves.

- Terrorists & Violent Gangs and Crazies can just walk across the southern borders and create sleeper cells all across the country.

- Terrorists & Violent Gangs and Crazies recruiters can just walk across the southern borders and brainwash and radicalize weak minded Americans.

The entire #KaMalaBiden regime are treasonous traitors and Must be Investigated for Truth & Justice. ⚖️ I don’t know about you but January 20th Can’t Get Here Fast Enough 😡🙏🇺🇸#REBTD😇

Georgia Breaking News 🗞️ https://www.foxnews.com/us/georgia-judge-final-day-bench-found-dead-courtroom

New Orleans Breaking News 📰 https://www.yahoo.com/news/orleans-attack-updates-10-dead-171833279.html

Nevada Breaking News 📡 https://www.yahoo.com/news/tesla-cybertruck-explodes-outside-trump-202302252.html

[metropolitanmutantofark]

so when I told you guys on Halloween that I was gonna update you on kerblam man soon?

yeah, that was a lie. sorry about that.

HOWEVER, I'm now pleased to present to you the END OF THE KERBLAM MAN SAGA. This one's a DOOZY. I will be COMPLAINING A LOT about MY EX-JOB, my LAST TWO SHIFTS at the company, and the process with which I was FIRED. I hope to instill you with SCHADENFREUDE, at my TERRIBLE SITUATION, and to perhaps give you a MILD CHUCKLE at my ANTICS. This story, particularly in the latter half, may perhaps be read as INCREDIBLY BIASED. In addition, NOBODY CLAPS at the end (sad). You have been WARNED.

We open our story ROUGHLY TWO WEEKS BEFORE HALLOWEEN. Due to Hurricane Milton, ALL of my shifts the week prior had been removed. When we open our story (on my first day back in two weeks (more on that later)), I have to train a new co-worker, which dedicated Kerblam Fans may remember as the person mentioned in October 17th's entry.

The next day, Oct. 18th, 2024, I spend ten minutes too long in the shower and FAIL TO TELL MY BOSS I CAN GO INTO WORK. For those of you unfortunate, less knowledgeable citizens who do not work at Kerblam!, delivery drivers at my ex-DSP are required to check in with dispatch before 9:00 each morning. By the time I picked up my phone to check in, it was 9:12, and I had already received a text saying that my shift had been cancelled.

it is at this point that I piece together my manager's specific disciplinary action policy, which until now I had not been informed about, but had a suspicion of. I'd only ever failed to check in ONCE before this point (Oct. 4th), and when that happened, the rest of my shifts that week mysteriously vanished into the aether because of a quizzical "low volume of packages" despite everyone else also showing up to work.

Bear in mind, I was still checking-in on all of the days I was scheduled to work when I didn't have an assigned route - I just wasn't getting a shift after check-in. I'd wake up at 8:00, check in before showering (having learned my lesson on the 18th), then at 9:40 receive a text on the company app saying I couldn't go into work because of a low volume of packages. This process repeated every day until Halloween, when I FINALLY received a shift.

THIS SHIFT WAS THE SHIFT OF THE DEVIL HIMSELF.

I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW BAD THIS SHIFT WAS.

On Halloween morning, I arrived at the station for my first shift in exactly two weeks. For OBVIOUS HOLIDAY REASONS, there was a very high volume of packages to deliver. For LESS THAN OBVIOUS REASONS, a LARGER THAN AVERAGE NUMBER of the packages I have to deliver are LOOSE PACKAGES - for context, small packages show up in big, brightly-colored bags that we pick up at the station, while larger packages can't fit in those bags and must be toted into the truck by hand, one-by-one. An average shift would have about 9 or 10 (roughly 100-115 stops, depending on the density of the bags you get) of these bags, and roughly 15 or so loose packages. On this particular day, I received 12 bags (roughly 130 stops for this particular route), and 25 loose packages that all have to be delivered to DIFFERENT ADDRESSES.

Unfortunately for me, the larger packages were split pretty evenly between the front half and the back half of my shift, meaning I had various organizational issues because of the giant boxes cluttering up the back of my delivery truck, making the walkway much smaller than my GIANT FEET are accustomed to. I spend the first two hours or so rearranging the packages between stops because of how many large packages I have to retrieve.

It's around this time, a little after clock noon, that it starts raining. Out in the gated community I'm delivering to, the signal was spotty WITHOUT cloud coverage, but because of the weather, I suddenly have to deal with the map bugging out and registering me as wildly off-course, the GPS failing to tell the server that I'm at the address I need to deliver to, AND I have to keep the company cell phone dry so that I can actually keep doing my job.

A couple hours pass. The rain eventually stops - the cloud cover does NOT. Signal troubles would plague me for the rest of the shift.

I eventually decide that I'll take my lunch break at 4:30 and scout out the nearest fast food place. Fortunately for me, this actually does happen on time, which was a rarity for this job. My company policy was a 30-minute lunch break, and two 15-minute breaks on-route. I'd already taken my 15s to try and wait out the rain and the cloud coverage, but this did not happen.

I spend about 10 of those 30 minutes just LOOKING for the McDonald's, which was at the opposite end of the plaza from where my phone's map led me in - obscured behind three separate OTHER fast food places. I order, get my food, and have to drive back to the gated community IMMEDIATELY to save time when my break ends.

5:00 rolls around, and I'm just now starting up my shift again, but when I arrive at the next stop, I'm shocked to see that I'm being given a rescue pickup - for the uninitiated, rescue pickups are when a driver is a few stops behind, and needs help from someone who already completed their route.

This particular rescuer was not very helpful. There was a language barrier between us, so we needed to communicate via phone translator (I want to clarify, I have no problem with this, it just took a lot of time which could've been spent doing work) - and when we did get the point across to each other about what he was picking up, I had nothing to do between the time it took for him to move the packages from my truck into his. He took my company phone to check the packages he needed, and it took another 20 minutes just for him to get the packages into his truck, after which we both had to wait for confirmation from dispatch that he'd picked up the right packages. In sum, 30 minutes have passed.

It is now 5:30. The sun has dipped down into the horizon, behind the treeline surrounding the gated community. What little sunlight that had remained is now vanishing into twilight. The only perceptible colors are the quickly-dimming gradient between azure and goldenrod comprising the sky above, and the deep purplish shadows of objects in front of that skyline.

Due to my rescue taking a half-hour after my break, I was effectively sitting, DOING NOTHING, for a FULL HOUR.

Post-rescue, I still have about 45 stops to complete before 8:00.

7:00 rolls around, and I'm finally let out of the gated community, directly into the adjacent neighborhood. Daylight is but a distant memory, and I have to conduct all of my deliveries in this neighborhood by the illumination of my headlights. My headlights are NOT VERY ILLUMINATING for the purposes of delivering packages.

To make matters worse, traffic is particularly dense in this neighborhood - despite the lack of trick-or-treaters on the streets (due to the noticeable LACK OF LIT STREET LAMPS (due to the damage caused by Hurricane Milton)), cars and trucks are regularly passing by, especially when I have to park on the side of the road. Because of how slow my vehicle has to move in this neighborhood (because of the aforementioned LACK OF LIGHT OR PHONE SIGNAL), I'm essentially a glacier that drivers have to move around. The further I move into this neighborhood, the worse the signal gets due to how thick the treeline becomes.

It's about 7:45, and I'm wrapping up my last 5 or so stops, when my map bugs out. It registers that I've driven FAR past the turning point to my next stop, and before the issue corrects itself, I've now ACTUALLY driven past the turning point. However, the map's re-route would send me all the way to the edge of the neighborhood, which is a time loss I can't afford. I make the decision to take the nearest right turn, and then upon seeing a No Outlet sign, I decide to make a three-point turn because nobody was moving through this street.

For a truck of the size I was driving, you may be surprised that I backed up quite safely, and didn't roll backwards into a ditch.

Looking out over the front of the truck, I could only see an inky black abyss. There is exactly ONE street light lit up, and it's about 40 feet away, much too far to show me anything. However, I'm already committed to the three-point turn, so I pull the wheel as far left as it will go and slowly start to move forward.

If I were a lesser Kerblam Man, I'd have said that at this point the wheel uncontrollably lurched to the right - but I can admit when I make a bad decision, and this was by far the worst decision I could have made in my entire Kerblam career. Not long after I start pulling forwards, the vehicle starts to lean right - the roads in this neighborhood, I realize, are FAR TOO THIN to be performing a three-point turn. In addition, the street is slanted such that I have VERY LITTLE ROOM to move forwards after I back up.

I make this realization FAR TOO LATE.

The truck pulls forward, but in turn it also lists further right, and sooner than I expect, it rolls straight forwards into the ditch. In my blissful ignorance, I see that the truck isn't ENTIRELY in the ditch, and try to back up while I have the chance. Unfortunately, the ground beneath the truck is just soft enough that the tires already begin sinking into the dirt, at which point the back tires are slightly above the ground, leaving me stranded in the middle of the neighborhood, with 2 bars of signal to phone for help.

Dispatch does NOT have their number on-hand in the vehicle, in any way, shape or form. Compounding this issue, all of my communication with them has been done via Breakroom (the app), or when they text me with their personal phones, none of which I remember off the top of my head. Fortunately, it doesn't take me long to remember that they DID update the Breakroom chat feed with their new number - which it takes me 5 minutes or so to scroll back through messages and find.

I text my boss about the issue. 10 minutes go by, and my phone tells me that the messages haven't sent. I delete the messages and decide to call. The connection remains steady enough that I can relay the issue, along with where I am, to the dispatch operator.

The dispatch operator seems to have some issue grasping the fact that I'm in a ditch with no signal, and can't complete my route. He hands me over to the company owner, who's filling in for my manager while he's away.

The company owner does not get back to me immediately. In the meantime, two people walking by have noticed my predicament and offer to help push the truck out. I refuse, but they insist - and there's not much I can do to stop them, since the dispatch operator told me I have to remain in the truck until help arrives. Fortunately, the would-be Good Samaritans realize just how heavy the truck is before very long (especially while it's parked), and stop pushing. They offer to bring a third guy in on it, but warn me that he had a leg injury. I thank them for the offer, but refuse, and I don't see them again.

The company owner finally gets back to me. She asks me about the situation - at which point I have to re-relay to her that I'm stuck in a ditch after doing a three-point turn, that no damages happened to the truck, and that I'm safe but immobilized and unable to deliver packages. I'm grateful that she seems more concerned with my safety than the dispatch operator - but the conversation swiftly turns back to my route. Because of the lack of signal, I can't scan out the packages I'm failing to deliver, nor can I text the images of these packages to dispatch to have them scan out themselves. She asks for pictures of the truck from outside - which I had already taken immediately upon getting stuck - after which I start the lengthy process of uploading these images to text to her. While this is going on, she reiterates that I shouldn't leave the truck, and that a tow truck would be arriving within the hour. This is told to me around 8:30.

No less than 6 people, counting the two strangers from earlier, offer to push or pull the truck out of the ditch in some form. Because help is already on the way, and I don't want anyone to hurt themselves, I have to refuse each time. At about 9:00, a police car shows up, and the officer stepping out approaches the window, asking to hear how this all happened. I regale him with the tale of my failed GPS, the three-point turn, and tell him that I looked very professional as I was driving head-first into the ditch, and that my boss already phoned for a tow truck - after which I ask him if I need to hand him my license.

To my surprise, he says no - apparently, he was only on the lookout for DUI incidents because of the holiday, and as I was VERY coherent and cognizant of where I was and what I was doing, I was dressed in my Kerblam! vest, no property was damaged, and nobody was injured, he didn't suspect me of being under the influence.

Roughly 5 minutes go by, and another car passes by, but stops and pulls in - someone ELSE who wants to pull the truck out of the ditch, or just to TRY pulling the truck out of the ditch. When the officer and I both inform him that a tow truck is on the way, he doesn't leave, but stays on the scene, and near-instantly starts talking the officer up about Joe Rogan's podcast.

To this day, I'm still baffled as to why the officer kept this person around. Not only is he talking about a podcast I have negative interest in listening to, not only is he providing no valuable input to this situation, but he's BLOCKING THE STREET ENTRANCE. If I could time travel for one return trip, I would travel back to that Halloween night, 2024, and ask why that person was even still there. Not to seem attention-hungry, but if I were a more aggressive person, I'd ask "Excuse me? I'M the one who drove head-first into a ditch here, is JOE ROGAN going to help me out of it? NO? THEN KINDLY AWAY WITH YOU" and that would be that.

The tow truck arrived at 9:25. The officer and quite frankly useless citizen left the scene once it was assured that I would be helped out of the pit, and I was out by 9:37. At this point, I drive to a parking lot where i can get signal, scan out my packages, and finally get the green light to return to station.

On my return trip, however, I was hit with another fright - I-75, the interstate between the gated community and my station, had (and possibly still has) TWO LANE CLOSURES, because of ROAD WORK. What should have been a 20-minute drive, at most, took a full hour, and I only manage to return to the station at 10:40, though I spend this time on the road thankful that I'm being paid to sit still in traffic and listen to Critical Role.

I finally clock out at 10:53, after which I'm on my way home.

I don't even try to go to bed on time, and I don't set my alarm, but I wake up at 8:00 regardless. When I check in for my shift on Nov. 1st, they inform me that there's a "low volume of packages", at which point I'm just glad to have the day free.

A week passes, and my next shift comes on November 6th. To my surprise, this shift goes off without a hitch. I still need a rescue because I'm a week out of practice, but I'm pretty happy with my work.

The following morning, I open Breakroom, and find that all of the chat rooms have disappeared. Whenever I try to open the app again, I can't get in. I text "Hey, I can't get into Breakroom to check in, please help" to three different managers before I finally get a response - "Hello The Metropolitan Mutant of Ark, please check your company email."

My company email contains a message informing me that I'm being fired, and that "your last shift will be on November 7th" - that very day's date.

I quickly put two and two together and realized that even if I WERE to have a shift, it would most certainly be called off due to "low volume of packages". This would be what happened, but I was instructed to come in anyway because I had to turn in my vest, badge, and other company property.

When I asked why I was being fired at the station, I was told it was NOT about the ditch incident on Halloween, which would have been my first guess.

No, they could care less about the ditch incident - they did say safety was an issue - but primarily, they were concerned about my PRODUCTIVITY.

To tell you guys exactly how LAUGHABLE this reason for termination is, I was told on October 3rd by the dispatch operator that I was one of their best drivers. But if you don't believe me when I tell you that, let me show you the calendar of events for October, including each day I worked!

You can see some colors there, and I'll explain what they mean: GREEN: I had a shift assigned on this day, and I worked all 10 hours. BLUE: Hurricane Milton landed on Oct. 9, meaning I couldn't work all throughout that week due to harsh weather conditions and the subsequent repairs. I don't hold it against my company that I couldn't work on days when that would've probably killed me. RED: I failed to check in (Oct 4, Oct 18), or I was not given a shift due to a "Low volume of packages" (translation: my manager took the day off as disciplinary action for failing to check in on an earlier day). This also covers November 1 and 2, but I forgot to color those in.

CAN YOU SEE AN ISSUE WITH ANYTHING IN THIS PICTURE?

CAN YOU SEE, PERHAPS, A LOGICAL REASON I MIGHT NOT BE SO PRODUCTIVE TO THE COMPANY?

AS YOU CAN PROBABLY TELL, I WAS ASSIGNED A 150-STOP ROUTE WHEN I WAS TWO WEEKS OUT OF PRACTICE. ON THE 17TH, I WASN'T EVEN THE ONE DRIVING, I WAS TRAINING A NEW COWORKER.

AND THEY HAD THE NERVE TO TELL ME I WAS THE WEAK LINK THERE.

needless to say, I'm never taking another Kerblam! delivery-driver job for as long as I live, even for the $18.50/hr that this job gave me. I continually found myself tired at home and dreaded going into work, more so than when I was working other strenuous or long-hour jobs. It's tied with my first job (where I would often get my schedule ON THE DAY OF) as the worst-managed job I've ever experienced.

I wanted to yell at my manager about this at the time, seeing as he was the one who decided depriving someone of working hours is a good punishment for failing to check in, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Looking back on it, I definitely should have, even if he was being "calm" about it.

When I got home, my whole family clapped.

Yeah, that's right, I lied to you earlier, everyone DID CLAP IN THE END.

YEAH, NOBODY GOES HOME HAPPY WITH THIS STORY!

[rehan-14]

As a trucker, you can perform various tasks within truck dispatching:

*Primary Responsibilities:*

1. Receive and accept load assignments from dispatchers.

2. Review load details, routes, and schedules.

3. Plan and navigate routes using GPS and maps.

4. Manage cargo, including loading/unloading and securement.

5. Comply with safety regulations, hours of service, and company policies.

6. Communicate with dispatchers, shippers, and receivers.

7. Update dispatchers on shipment status and any issues.

*Additional Tasks:*

1. Pre-trip inspections: ensure vehicle safety and compliance.

2. Fuel management: optimize fuel efficiency and costs.

3. Maintenance scheduling: coordinate vehicle maintenance.

4. Logkeeping: maintain accurate records of hours, miles, and cargo.

5. Customer service: interact with shippers, receivers, and brokers.

6. Route optimization: suggest alternative routes or improvements.

7. Load optimization: maximize cargo capacity and revenue.

*Technology Used:*

1. Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs)

2. GPS tracking systems

3. Mobile apps (e.g., Trucker Path, TruckStop)

4. Fleet management software (e.g., TMW, McLeod)

5. Communication platforms (e.g., phone, email, messaging apps)

*Skills Required:*

1. Knowledge of transportation regulations

2. Navigation and route-planning skills

3. Time management and organization

4. Communication and customer service skills

5. Mechanical knowledge of trucks and equipment

6. Adaptability and problem-solving

7. Attention to detail and safety protocols

*Career Advancements:*

1. Lead driver or mentor

2. Fleet manager

3. Safety inspector

4. Dispatch coordinator

5. Logistics manager

6. Owner-operator or small fleet owner

7. Transportation consultant

*Benefits:*

1. Competitive pay and benefits

2. Job security and stability

3. Opportunities for advancement

4. Independence on the road

5. Variety in routes and cargo

6. Sense of accomplishment and satisfaction

Would you like more information on:

1. Trucking regulations

2. Dispatching software

3. Career development

4. Safety protocols

5. Something else

Let me know!

[ohsodesi]

Top 10 Wedding Trends for 2024-25 in India and Dubai

As we approach the 2024-25 wedding season, both India and Dubai are embracing a blend of tradition and modernity. Key trends include:

Emerging Bridal Fashion: Lightweight, elegant ensembles in India and classic white gowns with Middle Eastern touches in Dubai.

Innovative Venues: Unique locations like heritage mansions, luxury villas, and beachside resorts.

Modern Decor: Minimalist chic, floral walls, and customized centerpieces.

Technology Integration: Live streaming, wedding apps, and social media updates.

Sustainable Practices: Biodegradable decor and zero-waste policies.

Customizable Experiences: Personalized wedding attire, tailored menus, and unique entertainment.

Popular Colors and Themes: Soft blush tones, rich berry shades, and whimsical wonderland themes.

Fusion Food: Molecular gastronomy and food trucks.

Entertainment: Live performances, interactive games, and sparkler send-offs.

Destination Weddings: Exotic locations like beach resorts and cultural heritage sites.

To learn more about these trends and how they can inspire your wedding planning, please click here: Top 10 Wedding Trends for 2024-25 in India and Dubai.

[wheelsgoroundincircles]

Supercars May Have Been Sacrificed to Save Cyclists' Lives

Andrew Beckford

Writer / 329 Articles

We've all had a bad day at work, but there are few among us who can say their bad day cost their employer over a million dollars. According to a report from The Daily Mail, a vehicle transporter was on the A20 highway near Farningham, Kent in the U.K. when the trailer containing no less than nine high-dollar supercars turned over. When police arrived, the trailer and several cars were sprawled across the road.

The truck driver, Richard Kilburn only suffered a minor injury but the same can't be said for the vehicles the driver was transporting. Ben Slipper managed to capture the aftermath of the accident on video and posted it to Facebook. From the footage it looks like there was a Lamborghini Aventador, Jaguar F-Type convertible, two Ferrari F430s, an Audi R8, a BMW 318i Sport Plus, an AMG GT Black Series, an Aston Martin DB11, a Nissan GT-R R35, and a Bentley Continental GT that managed to get completely flipped upside down. There is some strong language in the video so be warned.

According to a followup report from The Daily Mail, the supercar carnage was actually the result of Kilburn trying to save lives. Kilburn was transporting the vehicles from Brands Hatch to Goodwood when his truck began to fishtail as he was going down a steep hill with crosswinds. Kilburn saw that he was gaining speed and was heading directly toward a group of cyclists on the road. To avoid hitting the cyclists Kilburn purposely yanked the steering wheel, causing the trailer to jack knife which saved the cyclists but doomed his expensive cargo.

The AMG GT Black Series alone had a starting MSRP of $327,050 back in 2021 and goes for anywhere between $370,000 and as high as $700,000 on the current market. The Daily Mail estimates the value of the supercars to be about £2 million—or a little over $2.5 million. The vehicles may have been property of Everyman Racing Driving Experiences as that is who Kilburn was driving for when the incident occured.

Hopefully the parties involved have a really good insurance policy, otherwise some bank accounts are in for a major brusin'. In the meantime Kilburn is being hailed as a hero for doing what needed to be done despite the massive financial implications to his employer. They may be some amazing vehicles but cars can be replaced, lives can't.

This story was originally published August 25, 2023, and has since been updated with new information surrounding the crash. 

[catdotjpeg]

Protesters acting in solidarity with Palestine interrupted the New York City Pride March on Sunday afternoon, blocking a float from a major LGBTQ+ organization as it made its way down the West Village’s Christopher Street. The action started at around 2:30 p.m. one block from the Stonewall Inn, when activists unfurled a banner that read “No Queer Liberation Without Palestinian Liberation,” distributed leaflets, and sat down in front of the float representing the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to block it from proceeding, according to a report from Gay City News.

Footage of the action was shared on social media by the group Writers Against the War on Gaza (WAWOG), a “coalition of media, cultural, and academic workers who are committed to the horizon of liberation for the Palestinian people,” according to the group’s website. One video shows the protesters unfurling the banner and throwing red paint on the truck pulling HRC’s float as people in HRC shirts run out to intervene. Protestors sat on the parade route with a Palestinian flag and a banner reading “Palestine will be free” in red, black, and green. Another video shows New York Police Department officers arresting protestors as the crowd chants “Shame, shame!”

In a statement provided to Them, the group specifically called out pinkwashing, noting as an example a now-infamous November image shared by Israel’s official Instagram account showing an Israeli soldier standing amid the rubble in Gaza holding a rainbow flag scrawled with the words “In the name of love.” The caption read “The first ever pride flag raised in Gaza 🏳️‍🌈.” “But who among us felt anything other than abject shame when the rainbow flag was raised, purportedly ‘in the name of love,’ over a razed Palestinian neighborhood in January?,” the statement reads.“We refuse the identitarian navel-gazing that would tether us to such violent spectacles and their authors.” It continues, “There is no version of this where we pat ourselves on the back for fighting back, and then go back to ‘yes queen, glitter in the streets, corporate pride but watermelon stickers’ as we boots the house down fifth avenue behind our complicit ‘human rights’ organizations, hand in blood-stained hand with weapons manufacturers and the rainbow capitalists who use the language of our liberation to buy us into their military industrial hellscape while their lobbyists work against us behind closed doors.” A representative for WAWOG told Them that Sunday's protest was carried out by a group formed within WAWOG and comprising both WAWOG members and comrades. On the social media site X, the group wrote that HRC was targeted for its ties to arms manufacturers. Northrop Grumman, an arms manufacturer, is listed as a “platinum partner” of the HRC on its own donor website, alongside names of corporations such as Apple, Amazon, and Google.

[...]

When asked for comment, HRC directed Them to the organization's statement “Humanitarian Crisis in the Middle East,” last updated June 1.

“HRC’s mission is focused on advancing the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people in the United States and around the globe. Given our expertise, HRC’s work outside of the U.S. is focused on issues with a unique impact on the LGBTQ+ community, including the proliferation of anti-LGBTQ+ laws and policies around the globe," the statements reads in part.

According to Gay City News, onlookers joined chants of “Free, free Palestine,” as well as “Shut it down.” Some people on the HRC float joined in the chants, as well, per Gay City’s report. Police, some wearing rainbow NYPD insignia, zip-tied protesters’ wrists and denied journalists access to the protest to capture images of the arrests, Gay City wrote. The parade, which took place on the final day of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, was the latest example of pro-Palestine protesters using pride festivities to demand solidarity with people in Palestine. Earlier this month, protesters brought messages of solidarity to major cities across the United States, including Boston and Philadelphia. Disclosure: While not an active WAWOG member, this journalist signed an October 2023 statement from WAWOG voicing solidarity with people in Gaza.

-- From "Protestors Disrupted NYC Pride in Solidarity With Gaza, Blocking HRC's Float" by Mathew Rodriguez, 1 Jul 2024

[gossipgurlingursht]

On EVs

Responding to this thread, and I copied @bluebelly-sun-serpentine's original comments here below my response.

I say:

I'm suggesting we invest in both EVs and high density / green infrastructure. The decision against congestion pricing in NYC is shitty, but that happened right now, without EVs. Not having EVs didn't prevent car culture from happening, but switching to them would help reduce emissions from those cars, in addition to other policies we can pursue that would reduce total cars in general at the same time.

It also sounds like you're worried that if we switch to EVs, people will drive more and it will be a net rise in emissions. If you're concerned about enviro-conscious people driving more with EVs because they feel less guilty, I'm not sure I think this is a big problem. If there were so many environmentally-conscious people holding off on driving right now because they don't have EVs.. wouldn't there be way more support for us to pass green legislation? I just don't see that being a big group (but willing to change my mind if you have other data).

The other group is people who would drive more just based on lower cost per mile of EVs. I don't think this would be a problem for a few reasons. First, this CBO.gov report finds that on the short-term, gas prices don't really change the total miles driven. Secondly, EVs emit only 57% as much CO2 per mile as combustion cars. People would have to drive EVs 75% more than they do now to even break even with the CO2 emissions from combustion cars. That doesn't sound reasonable to me.

Next, the US currently has a huge dependence on road infrastructure. We need to create policies (and build infrastructure) that shift that towards more sustainable transit methods. But that's a huge undertaking that takes a lot of time. In 2023, 64.7% of US freight was shipped by truck (by weight), vs. only 7.3% by rail. I don't think we could honestly increase the amount of goods we ship by rail by 880% overnight. Wouldn't it be faster to transition that to EV trucks at the same time as we build out rail?

It's also good to consider particulates, you have a good point, however particulate pollution only stays in the air for weeks. Greenhouse gasses stay in the air for decades+, and will cause tipping points of runaway environmental collapse that will be catastrophic for the planet. We should care about particular pollution, but it shouldn't be our #1 priority.

Overall, our current situation is that the US not only has a shitton of combustion vehicles, it also heavily relies on them for transportation. Shifting those needs away from cars & trucks takes time, to build dense housing, rail, etc., at a time when we're fighting to bring down our emissions to zero ASAP. EVs are an essential tool to bring down our transportation emissions while other policies and infrastructure are being developed. We can implement policies that disincentivize ALL cars, at the same time as we shift the cars we do have from combustion to EV.

They said:

@bluebelly-sun-serpentine:

Yeah it’s easier to convince people to keep buying cars than to radically change the landscape, but convincing people to keep buying cars(ev version) ends up looking like this:

Oh now you can drive further without feeling as guilty (because we’re not going to tell you in our ads that the majority of pm2.5 pollution is not from gas usage but from friction, so you’ll have just as many or more people on the road because govts disinvest in transit…

see for instance NYC which has at the last minute decided against congestion pricing to please a few commuters from long island - the money from congestion pricing was going to go into updating public transit (bus lines and elevators for currently ADA noncompliant subway stations) and now it’s not. NYS public transit system is just going to further degrade because people are still on the car supremacy path - EVEN in the densest city in the USA

so if more people erroneously believe driving is somehow climate or pollution neutral, people who would maybe choose to drive less will drive more, more people on the road means more public money spent on car infrastructure (not necessarily EV infrastructure), that money can’t go elsewhere, maybe we get more highway lanes added because people still erroneously believe widening highways lowers congestion, so that money doesn’t go elsewhere either…

iirc correctly bigger vehicles (i live in the USA and in the USA EV just means “we can build them bigger now”) also pollute more not just because of higher gas costs - more friction, more pm2.5 from that, more materials costs at the outset, higher environmental costs to ship all these new vehicles to wealthy consumers who may want a new car in 5 years…

and that’s no even starting on how many car-dependent municipalities are in a financial death spiral already because of how that development pattern impacts costs vs tax revenue - it’s expensive to run out suburban roads, sewage sewage & water, electrical lines, etc and many suburban or exurban developments grow and then find the municipality’s tax draw can’t afford to keep up that vital infrastructure simply because there aren’t enough taxpayers per sq mile

when you rezone and build density you have a geographically condensed tax base that can actually support and pay for that vital infrastructure and might even have money left over for other vital things like ADA compliant transit, libraries, school lunches, whatever

so I kind of see personal EVs as just one more thing encouraging municipalities into bankruptcy because they help mask the urgency of updating our land use patterns

EPVs simply don’t solve - and in fact help prolong or worsen - one of the biggest problems driving economic and environmental catastrophe in my country, and I also think that the hype around them encourages overconsumption.

[starwalker42]

febuwhump day 16: semi-conscious

episode: Darkness Falls | no warnings apply | general audiences

Dr Boone, head of emergency response at the Winthrop High Containment Facility, gets the call at 7am. The first response team have found someone in the woods.

At 7:10, there’s an update: one deceased victim has been found, trapped in a truck and wrapped in some kind of silk web cocoon.

By 7:30, they get another call: 3 more casualties have been found, alive this time, and are en route to the facility, contaminated with an unknown biological agent. All three need immediate medical treatment for severe dehydration, hypoventilation, and hypothermia, and will be requiring quarantine on level three, as is policy when there’s an unknown biohazard.

Mobilisation on this level is rare, but the team have had the procedure drilled into them by now. By 7:50, when the first patient is brought in, they’re more than ready to launch into action.

The casualty is a Caucasian male; his heart rate is slow, his pulse thready, and his face is marred with abrasions that Dr Boone can only assume were made by the same thing that’s responsible for the rest of his condition. The same thing that killed and cocooned the man in the truck.

The next patient is another man – he’s in worse shape, and crashes on the table as the team attempt to stabilise him. Dr Boone leaves her team working to save him as the last patient is brought in.

It’s a woman. She’s small, and she’s been hit hard by the biohazard’s effects – her face and hands are badly scarred. One of the response team grabs Dr Boone’s attention as she watches the team transfer this last patient from the gurney.

“She’s been somewhat responsive on the chopper. Couldn’t get any sense out of her, but she’s been more alert than the others.”

Dr Boone nods, and leans in over the woman. She, like the other two, is covered in remnants of what looks like the same cocoon the response team described over the phone. The other medics start to pull it off of her, revealing red hair and a bright coloured windbreaker.

“Ma’am? Can you hear me?”

The woman moans quietly, stirring.

“It’s okay, ma’am, you’re in the hospital. You’re in good hands.”

There’s a noise in response, a vocalisation that might be the beginning of a word. Dr Boone turns to her team.

“Once we’ve got her vitals, get her on fluids, pain relief, and then start her on O2. And check her for head trauma.”

She’s about to turn away, to check on the second man who appears to have been stabilised, when the woman makes another noise.

“Mulder…” It’s a word, a clear word, albeit a nonsense one; the doctor makes a quick assessment.

“Check her for any head trauma, too, and have midazolam on hand in case she gets distressed.”

As the team hurry to follow her orders, Dr Boone takes a moment to wonder what exactly these people found in the forest… and hope that whatever it was, her patients would be lucky enough to recover.

@today-in-fic

[triune-god]

i love public transportation and i live in los angeles which has a burgeoning system, so there’s bound to be kinks and learning curves. we weren’t lucky to get a great society metro, most of the city proper is single family housing outside of wilshire, dtla, and some properties in westlake area, and la was built with the car as the main resident within the city, so no matter what, public transpo & pedestrian oriented infrastructure will be an uphill battle. i will always applaud metro for /trying/, but it’s just frustrating sometimes.

i’ve been late to work & school more times than i’m comfortable with because the e line has no signal preemption so we have to wait at jefferson, pico, western, vermont, and crenshaw for four minutes each like a car and then we have to wait at the station for 10 minutes for some unexplainable issue. and then because of that, i miss my bus which wasn’t there anyway because of bunching and poor infrastructure so now there’s 100 people at the bus stop cramming into a bus to get to their jobs, but cars are clogging the roads and making it near impossible to travel more than 20 miles an hour for much of the trip there.

cars are the least efficient form of transportation known to man and one of the greatest cities on earth, my hometown, where i was born and raised, was not built for and will continue to denigrate humans and pedestrian alike. and, car drivers will continue to demean and fear monger about walking and public transportation. the suv & light truck arms race is turning thoroughfares which should have multitudes of modes of transport within and serve people into raceways where you can go 45 with no repercussions. right hand turns on red have nearly hit me more times than i have fingers.

i live in a city where we can afford to widen the 405 into oblivion and bloat lapd’s budget yearly and yet we can’t provide good enough infrastructure for angelenos?? this is a major policy failure and we are living with its effects. i’m so tired of living in a city built for the wealthy and for the vehicle. we need to change los angeles zoning codes, enforce rent caps, institute a low income rent moratorium, tear down the 110, 10, 710, 101, 405, and 210, institute a robust commuter rail system, publicize the railroads, remove eighteen wheelers as the primary mode of freight movement, expand heavy rail through urban core, increase density along metro corridors and use property taxes to pay for projects and maintain system, increase metro ambassadors, clean the cars, update the rolling stock, rebuild union station, create streetcar suburbs in la county, increase density in the suburbs, turn all boulevards and avenues into mixed mode thoroughfares, increase cycling network, create a statewide engineering and construction firm instead of outsourcing, produce american made rolling stock, create a high speed rail system, and turn cities back into thriving hubs of culture where we can afford rent, create art, live lives, move freely, build community, and live healthier, more fulfilling lives.

sorry for any typos, inconsistencies, or any oddities. i’m typing this while walking 25 minutes late to my public policy class.