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I agree with you here. Some of the things that the article dismisses as impossible are quite possible, like getting a bank account. You have to waste an hour waiting in line to get an ID, and then you can save $15 every time you get paid. That sounds like a good deal to me. These people should do that, and stop letting the check cashing places take advantage of them. They can also go to the public library and pay their bills online, saving the the cost of either postage or the fee on the money order. None of this costs money or much time, but it will save money.

Also, why are people with a 10 minute drive not riding a bicycle? If you can't afford a car, and the bus route isn't convenient enough, it's time to get a bicycle.

I also don't buy the article's premise that having a car is mandatory. I live in a big city (Chicago), and I have never owned a car. I ride my bike to the grocery store (even in the winter), take the CTA to other stores I need to visit, or just order what I need online. All of these things save me money, and don't cost me much time. (It would take as long to drive to the grocery store ad it takes to ride my bike.)

Don't get me wrong, I know the poor have a hard life. But some of their problems are easily fixed, if they are willing to invest time now to save time later.

That is kind of the point of the article. Part of being poor is not knowing ways of saving money. That is why they are stuck in this vicious circle.

Not taking this out on you. But, start a business then that teaches them this and find a way to make money doing, or get donors and do it as a none profit. I am not saying that you are saying have the government do it for them, but that is the vibe, I get with the vast majority of people in this thread.

The government is not the only people that can help the poor, and likely not the best to help the poor. Why is this? Because the government does things on tax payers dime, they don't have a 100% control of the money.

I am sorry, but even if this is the case in real life that the poor have it harder, which I do not doubt, it does not make the solution government intervention.

"I am sorry, but even if this is the case in real life that the poor have it harder, which I do not doubt, it does not make the solution government intervention."

Why is that any less a solution than starting a business?

I realize this place is full of people who want to start businesses, but at least attempt to make an argument why that is the case instead of just stating it as if you're saying "the Sun rises in the East"...

In the case of poverty it's in the taxpayers interest to get rid of poverty, because society is footing a lot of the bill. The interests seem much better aligned than those of someone running a business trying to extract money from the people who have none.

That's a valid point, but I don't see anywhere in the article that seems to be trying to make it.

Then the article should be about how expensive it is to be dumb, but it's not.

Try living in rural North Florida without a car.

You're lucky. I live in Appalachia without a car. If I don't want to pay $11 for cab fare, I have to walk 5 and a half miles over a MOUNTAIN to get to work.

Bikes are good for non-poor people too. Walking is not the only option if you are car-less.

I'm not allowed to say this, because I'm not poor, but I'm going to break that taboo.

Many people have to walk that far to get clean water. Many people in history had to walk further than that to get to school or work before cars were invented.

I'm not saying you should do it, or should be happy to do it, or even that you can do it. I'm trying to point out that your somewhat defensive retort can be interpreted in the context of a world where it's standard for people to drive many miles to work, or one where people walk many miles to survive. Maybe neither is the best context to consider it.

(I don't mean to be preachy, but to comment as a means of thinking about your reply. I want reply and discussion, not to be pushing a stupid opinion).

> Many people in history had to walk further than that to get to school or work before cars were invented

When nearly everyone has a car, being able to get to distant places on a strict time-table becomes expected.

<i>...Jacob Carter finds himself standing in a checkout line at the Giant on Alabama Avenue SE...The clerk suggests that he use his "bonus card" for savings...Carter tells the clerk he has no such card.</i>

The way I understand the paragraph is that Carter doesn't even ask because he thinks it is something beyond his possibilities. Just one of the many things he cannot get because he is poor.

In fairness to the other side, that sounds like a problem with Jacob Carter and his assumptions than with "the system." We can't really blame them for that, can we? I'm sure they WANT him to use they card, just as for any other class of people (so the retailer can use that information for advertising, move the goods they desire to, etc).

I'm sure they WANT him to use they card

I'm not.

You almost never have to walk to the courtesy counter; you can fill it out while standing at the checkout. But people typically don't know this, in my experience, and the cashier is unlikely to enlighten them, since then he'll have to wait for them to fill it out while there are people in line, etc.

Things like this are important to know, and if you don't already just know, you have to ask about them constantly. If you don't know that, though, and you're poor, it feels as though you're asking for handouts or special help whenever you aggressively inquire about this sort of thing.

At most stores I've been in, the cashier will enter the store "bonus card" number if you ask them to. In fact, they often enter the number before I can even get my card out.

I'm surprised they don't do this in DC. It must be a Chicago thing.

Oh, they do that around here at some stores, too (not the more upscale ones, interestingly). Around the Columbus, GA area, though, where I used to live (in east AL), I don't remember that happening. Of course, I shopped mostly at the super Walmart, then, and they don't have a card.

Safeways here in Silicon Valley will ask for your phone number (the card is linked to this) if you forget your card. Pretty handy.

Curiously, my parents never signed up for a bonus card because they use it to track your purchases and my dad was not comfortable with this. Once I moved out, this habit lasted for exactly one visit to the supermarket before I realized I could save 10+% and got one. Money > privacy.

They can take a phone number too; I give them nnn-555-1212. It's always registered and you get the discount. I use this on vacation - "What's the area code here?" "808..?" "My number is 808-555-1212". Bingo.

But yeah, it's a hack.