15 Comments

True story, with a few details obscured.

A friend, let's call him V, led a bohemian sort of a life, kind of a Charles Bukowski. He had worked as a translator, mainly, in broadcast media, but his alcoholism became too obvious and interfered too much with job performance, so that work began to dwindle.

Another mutual friend lent him some cash to buy a car, take driving lessons, and become an Uber driver. V thrived on this: he could binge once or twice a week, when his moods were lowest, then get himself back together, and work long long shifts ferrying folks around. He loved other people, span a good yarn, earned really good tips.

But one day something happened. We're not sure what. Maybe an unguarded comment, perhaps a faint whiff of beer on his breath, or a tobacco smell in the car (by then he'd traded in the previous one and got a much shinier new one). Whatever it was, Uber suspended him from the pool of drivers while an investigation was carried out.

No human could be directly contacted to appeal this. Things dragged on. V's chronic depression kicked in, the boozing got worse, the shiny car sat there idle. Until one night V drove home, parked the shiny car in the garage, connected a hose to the exhaust and... you can guess the rest.

Never ever use these gig economy bastards. Never try to damage an online seller with some shitty feedback instead of trying to resolve whatever petty issue it is that they didn't solve within ten minutes.

Expand full comment
Jul 15, 2022·edited Jul 15, 2022

Recently I took a short day trip into Amish country several counties away. I’m in Ohio USA. I was driving my old rough and trusty 55 year old Citroen DS and traveling the two-lane country roads. Suddenly I realized I left my iPhone at home. It was just me, an old car, some cash, and a tattered road map in the glovebox. After a moment of panic upon this realization, a wave of calmness –and joy– washed over me. I savored the wind, the hum of the old motor, the sights and sounds of farm country. The one word that repeatedly came to mind to describe this long lost feeling: that I was “autonomous.”

I was a bit shocked at the revelation.

For that day I was not at the command of a corporate mediated technology suite.

The insidious corporate techno–intermediary cages the human spirit imo. Their panopticon will smother spontaneity and creativity thru the conscious and subconscious awareness that our every move is being tracked. Our thoughts are tracked as well. And it is becoming painfully clear that thoughts and actions are increasingly molded to reflect the globalist desires. No good can come of this.

Expand full comment

There is value for some in not owning a car that is not diabolical. The problem with this is pushy WEF forcing it on people who want to own a car for their own reasons. Any situation that allows others to make decisions for you such as supporting a worthy cause but WEF doesn't like it so your uber never shows up when you order one and you can't own a car is a bad situation to be in. That is what we must watch out for. If people want to not own vehicles or houses - their life their decision. When people want to force others into that lifestyle that is not their decision then it becomes time to eliminate the problem by whatever means is necessary to remain free and independent.

Expand full comment

"...take away from ordinary citizens and give to conglomerates."

No more to be said. Excellent article, a very clear review and yet so many have no idea what's coming down the line.

"The Market", must keep growing, the money must keep rolling over into ever greater returns without regard to consequence.

Expand full comment
Jul 16, 2022·edited Jul 16, 2022

Hello, I am new to your SubStack. I will admit that I did start to skim this great article at one point because here’s the thing: people who drive are people WITH KIDS. And I know a thing or two about carting around “wee-ins” for decades. For instance, just the introduction of car seats was directly correlated to shrinking family size.

So of course China is the damn model — they are heading toward population implosion.

The real motto of the hollow WEF elites is: You will own nothing — have NO children — and be happy.

Expand full comment

Thanks for linking me to this article.

Sharing beds? Is the same as sharing nits, scabies, MRSA just as it is in hospitals and hotels without adequate hygiene controls.

And if adequate hygiene controls are implemented then that would require exponentially more loads of laundry AND at much higher temperatures such as minimum of 60 degrees Celsius and using biological detergents.

Vs

Only you sleeping in your bed and washing the linen once a week at 40 degrees cycles with whatever detergent you want to use.

Also ride sharing/rent and gig employment is a sustainable model for the car rental firms as increase in number of customers and the corporate interests as fewer financial benefits to none are spent on employee benefits.

But for individuals, car sharing means waiting until there’s an open slot with higher costs at busy times such as end of school/work days or less availability of types of rentals during peak seasons. It also means choice of car is dependent on availability. For a large family might only get a small compact for a long journey when what they need is a small van.

I have always wondered about physical disabled people and the elderly in their 15 minute walk cities and then realised they’ve got it covered. During the Covid ops, they received no life saving treatments, Blanket DNARs, or were put on End of life care, Liverpool care pathway with removal of nutrition and hydration as well as Midazalam and morphine to repress respiration even more severely.

But with Canada’s maids, and UK Health security ex secretary Hancock’s push for euthanasia aka assisted suicide, it means THERE WILL BE NO PLACE FOR THE UNTERMENSCHE! They won’t be alive anymore, or will be sent away to homes for their ‘care’. Indeed someone told me as I was exempt from mask wearing, I should be locked up so the government could ‘care’ for me.

Note Amnesty international issued a report on The Killing fields of UK Care homes! August 2021. Also article in Sunday Times around the same date. I was sending evidence of how they were selecting those to die, using NICE Frailty scoring system (death panel scores) from April 2020 to many outlets and groups including Amnesty. I also continually posted it on SM, but was ignored. How many died during that period? I think most of the Covid victims died in these ways and not by virus.

Expand full comment

I'm all for removing the cars from cities as well. A few thousand kgs (or more) to carry around one person is a huge misuse of resources. But I don't like Uber either. So replace them with trams and bicycles (which can be electric). Trains for longer trips. And those little mini cars (a few hundred kgs) for the elderly and otherwise immobile. And privacy needs to be guaranteed.

I have a Vado electric bike. It turned itself off a few months ago seemingly on going past the kms for a service. The shop replaced the little speedometer/display unit.

https://www.specialized.com/nz/en/specialized-turbo-connect-display-tcd/p/159237?

I was of the opinion that this just should not happen.

Expand full comment
Comment deleted
Expand full comment