Keep in mind that this program is for people who likely have no other means to get around, so it would be their main form of transportation.
As a personal example, before my son could get a licence, he used an e-scooter to get to his school co-op placement on a daily basis. He would have used local rentals, but it was cheaper to own one.
But from what I hear about places that offer rental prpgrams on a monthly program, they do get used very often as a main form of transportation. And plenty of people, regardless of their income, use a bike as their main form of transportation, too.
Tell me again why 40lb e-bikes and e-scooters need to be capped at some absurdly slow speed, but we don't do the same to these multi-ton weapons?
For sure on the same page overall.
We can agree to disagree on what's easier to afford (higher monthly vs lower daily), but I would absolutely love to see better programs to make micromobility more accessible to low-income families and individuals.
It's not like giving someone a car (re: cost, both ongoing and up front), so I think governments should explore this.
And hell, while they are at it, expand on incentive programs for everyone who wants to replace their car with a bike, e-bike, e-scooter, or anything else. It'll save taxpayers a ton of money in the long-term.
it’s easy for us to say “why not just pay $70/month instead of paying $12/day”, but… what if they literally don’t have $70?
How are they paying for the rentals? Some would be easily spending more than $70, so it kind of begs the question: how are any of these people able to afford the rentals? Buying would be cheaper!
The saying "it's expensive to be poor" certainly rings true here. I'm not really suggesting that those folks finance an e-scooter, since that would imply they have the financial means and credit rating to.
But it would be more cost-effective and provide a greater benefit for that state or local government to cover the cost of owning e-mobility devices, since these are really only going to a small percent of their total population.
And in my example, $70 was for a brand name, high-end of the <$1000 e-scooters. You can get a different model for half that amount, which would be like three days of renting one of those bikes, and you'd still end up saving money in the end. It's like spend a dollar and save 10!
But I do get what you're saying. I'm hoping these people can afford whatever allows them the mobility they need in their lives (plus, riding an e-bike will improve other aspects of their mental/physical health, too).
Non-income-qualified users pay $1 to start and $0.15 per minute for a maximum cost of $12 per day.
Ouch. I'm not non-income, but $12 a day to get around sounds crazy expensive compared to owning an e-scooter or getting a used bike.
On this program, just two short, 20-minute trips, and you're already at $7! Do that a few times per week, and you're at $100+ a month... wait at a couple of red lights per trip and you're bleeding money away.
To compare, you can get a Ninebot Max from Amazon USA with a zero-interest, 12-month payment plan of under $70 / month. It requires no maintenance, can be ridden in all weather (except deep snow, obviously), is super portable, and gets excellent range. And you get to ride it for hours a day without paying by the minute!
I wonder if the people who put together these programs actually do the math, because I can't see this being of tremendous value to low/no-income families.
Believe me, Google does enough a/b testing, and has enough experience in psychological manipulation to know where "the line" is for most people.
Sure, some will never use their product(s) again when pushed too far, but they don't really need everyone to be using their products.
Only the users they can profit from the most are of value. If a terrible UI, awful UX, or even a paid subscription doesn't scare them away from using a Google Product, then each of those users becomes a cash cow.
“There is nothing to be gained by further custody,” Rose (Justice David Stewart Rose) said.
Can this judge possibly devalue the life that was taken, any more than he already has? Or does he just not care because the victim was homeless at the time he was stabbed to death?
A real human being, who did not want to die, was murdered by a group of girls. Probation is spitting on the victim's grave.
And these strip searches should be punishing the guards, not rewarding murderers!
Those are mostly operating costs, offset by revenue, but are they actually losing 1.5 billion dollars a year? I mean, I hope so, but are they really?
I don't understand. They work in large cities, but can't work on a tiny street in Richmond Hill?
The ones in question are placed only at turns, which prevent cars from right hooking cyclists or turning from the bike lane or parking in the bike lane.
This would, in no way, prevent cyclists from cycling. I don't even know why you'd need to "swerve into the lane and out" when the bike lane is actually quite clear because of them. If the bollards were replaced with a curb (like in an actually separated bike lane), would you still need to swerve in and out of the lane??
Keep in mind that we're talking Richmond Hill in Ontario... an area where cycling infrastructure isn't easy to get.
In this case, say you've got the following options, let me know what you'd choose:
a) No cycling infrastructure at all. No sharrows. No bike route sign. No bollards. No painted gutters. Cars will park where they like, turn into the way of cyclists causing "right hook" accidents on a regular basis.
b) A "bike lane" that gets filled with parked cars, forcing cyclists into the car lane (causing an increase in crashes and cycling injuries/fatalities). There's a bike route sign, but intersections are a free-for-all with frequent right-hook crashes.
c) A mess of painted bike gutters, signs, and sharrows. But turns are protected by plastic bollards, so drivers don't use the bike lane as a turning lane.
Unfortunately, you won't have the option for separated, dedicated bike lanes or multiuse paths (especially not on this small, residential street). Not only due to the lack of space, but because NIMBYs will not allow it.
There is no "best" solution when given crappy options. But if I had the option to put inexpensive, plastic bollards on right turns so that drivers fear getting their car scratched up (with a side-effect that they aren't running over cyclists during right turns), then I'd go with that until a better solution comes up.
Also, you guys are aware that bollards (both plastic, but also metal and concrete) are used in some pretty major bike and pedestrian-friendly cities. Amsterdam has them protecting nearly every corner. San Francisco has them on both sides of their bike lanes, so cars can't enter them. Even in the bike-hating UK, you'll see them protecting right turns for cyclists:
So are they all that's needed for cycling infrastructure? No, of course not. But having them is better than not. At the very least, they keep people from parking in bike lanes at intersections.
Source? Where is that money going?
When did it get this bad?
Bad? Google just proved that they can get you to stay on their search page (or come back to get a different answer) for way longer than you need... this is a WIN for them.
The enshittification of the internet + the greed inherent in these mega corps have caused websites to be designed to grab steal your attention for as long as possible. The longer they can keep you on their site, the more money/data/attention/time they can get out of you.
If search was designed to benefit the user, a typical visit would result in maybe 5-10 seconds of someone's time to enter a search and click on the relevant result. You proved that when you compared it to DDG 😀
That's frustrating, for sure. I can't stand devices with built-in batteries for that reason.
I don't remember the exact model, but I've got a Logitech mouse on one of my computers that uses maybe a single AA battery. It lasts like 1-2 years with that battery, so I'd suggest looking for a mouse with AA or AAA batteries to be more future-proof.
‘They are not safe’: Richmond Hill residents at traffic meeting want bike lanes installed this year removed immediately
> “They are not safe. They are anything but for safety,” said a woman who added vehicles in the two-block section sometimes drive in the middle of Springbrook to avoid the bollards.
Oh, so drivers behind of the wheel of an automobile are the danger. Why remove the bike lanes rather than the car lanes?
I heard that Etobicoke's NIMBYs are insane, but this is a new level of stupidity from Richmond Hill.
You'd need to explore the topic in further detail, as I'm sure the answer is there.
It may be dose dependent, but it may also be that a "splash" of milk might not impair absorption by much, but would anyone use just a splash of milk?
It's one study of many showing this effect. I believe they suggest that the protein in milk is the culprit. The same effect applies to tea... Adding dairy to tea reduces its health benefits.
Tech companies only care about making money. If people continue to buy their half-effort products, then they'll keep making it.
On the other hand, open-source (hardware or software) is designed for maximum longevity.
Unfortunately, the wrong people have unlimited resources when it comes to making our tech products.
Considering that coffee is probably the highest source of antioxidants in a person's diet, there will be some health benefits. Just dont add dairy milk to it, or it will blunt absorption. Soy milk is fine.
But if you're an overweight, overworked, stress filled couch potato who doesn't exercise and eats poorly, then you're health is screwed regardless of how much coffee you drink 😂
Hear me out, but shouldn't the slowest and more vulnerable citizens get the easier and most direct paths to destinations?
Cars don't belong in cities. Let drivers decide if they want to take the long way, or the shorter/faster/easier way (i.e. public transportation, micromobility, cycling, etc.) That's how other great cities solve this problem.
If you were never a "fuck cars" person, hang out near a school
Walking my grandkid to/from school, it absolutely floors me how many dangerous drivers there are around kids.
In a matter of maybe 10 minutes, I've witnessed:
- at least a dozen cars illegal parked. It's not the parking that bothers me, but the fact that these cars are often parked on turns or just before intersections, making it impossible for other drivers to see small kids.
- Several people not stopping at stop signs, including at the exit of the school parking lot.
- One car, who completely blew through a stop sign at the front of the school, made a left turn and nearly hit a guy walking his kid. The driver didn't even slow down.
- Super fucking huge pickup trucks parked in the school parking lot, but their long ass hangs well over the sidewalk near the kindergarden area, leaving very little space to use the sidewalk.
- Speeding. Obviously, you have to have speeding in school zones, right?
This happens every day, during drop off and pick up. I was told that bylaw were “cracking down”, but no, they aren't. If they were, our municipality would generate $5000 in fines each and every day at every school.
The other day, I rode my bike past another school as kids were getting out. Not only was their massive parking lot completely full, but they had blocked the bike trail (WITH PYLONS) to make space for more cars. Then as I entered onto the road, cars were illegally parked along the road and on a bridge for a like 100m. Making it extremely difficult and dangerous to cross because they blocked visibility for me and other drivers on the road.
I asked the cross guard if these students all lived out of town, requiring every parent to drive them home; he obviously didn't get my joke.
Seriously, fuck cars. All of them!
Ontario eyes barring new bike lanes where car lanes would be cut
Been watching the Q&A with this guy... total clown. He evaded every question about bike lanes and keeps pounding the idea that "We will always be building! [more roads]".
I will tell you one thing, I'm not usually one to take the lane unless absolutely necessary, but I'd be happy to do so every time in protest of any Ontario's proposed actions to go backwards on sane, cycling infrastructure.
Also, the focus is always about reducing congestion and gridlock... guys, YOU ARE THE CONGESTION AND GRIDLOCK! Stop making cars the only way to travel, and you'll magically solve your problem.
OPP said it happened around 9 p.m. on Wednesday in the Steeles Avenue West area and the northbound Highway 410 ramp.
Toronto, please don't normalize hit-and-runs.
A Benbrook man who was an avid cyclist was killed Saturday morning. He's being remembered as a dedicated, retired educator who enjoyed riding with friends.
> "She said she didn’t see us. Didn’t see us. She was very, very upset."
> The driver did stop and is not expected to be charged.
This makes me furious, but it's completely expected.
Cars are the only weapon where you can kill someone without consequence, even if it was pure negligence or entirely on purpose.
Several windows programs won't work with Wine. Would running a Windows VM be a better option?
In my persistence to fit Linux in my life, I'm curious if some "must have" Windows software will work better if I just ran a Windows VM within Linux.
None of the software I need to work is needed to work continuously. They are basically programs that I fire up when needed, for a few minutes, then exited.
Wine will install them, but not run them, so I'm hoping a VM is the answer as I'm not interested in dual-booting to run a few Windows programs occasionally.
"Quick" security check... I had to do 15 of these...
Also, "identical" has a different meaning here.
There's a special place in hell for the monster who dreamed up this captcha!
Adguard DNS... most queries are "Processed". What does that even mean?
I've been trying out NextDNS and comparing it to Adguard DNS (adguard-dns-.io), but unlike NextDNS, Adguard DNS' query log is quite vague, and I can't even tell if it's doing anything.
99% of the listed items in the Adguard DNS query log show up as "Processed", but the request clearly shows either advertiser or tracking as the categories.
It seems that unless I actually click BLOCK, the status doesn't really list these requests as Blocked, except for a very small number.
Is this normal behaviour? I assume any requests showing "processed" but not "blocked" are still going through, which is bad. NextDNS shows these same requests clearly as blocked or not, so at least I know that it's working.
Anyone have any thoughts, or clarification on how it works?
Anyone find a way to actually get rid of ads in Aliexpress?
I'm talking about the ads that look like listings, but they have a small "AD" text on the corner.
These ads are often grotesque and offensive, and I'd rather not see them at all.
I've tried various block lists, but it's not removing them.
MORE CONTEXT: Sorry, I should have been more specific!
The gross/offensive ads seem to only be in the Aliexpress app (Android).
On the mobile and desktop browser version, I still get the "AD" listings, but they are of products related to things I've purchased or browse through (all bike related items). I'd like to get rid of those, too, but I guess the ones in the app are the worst type.
I do have Adguard for Android set to filter HTTPS requests from the Ali app, so I figure it's just a matter of finding the right filter. Hopefully, anyway!
Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but why is the "upgraded" model more limited?
The upgraded model has the same low-end adjustability and a wider wide vs the old style. Yet, it's only compatible with 27.5 - 29"?
Typo?
Thank you for creating this Lemmy community!
It's been incredibly frustrating to ask for help or share ideas since Adguard killed their official forum.
The official website of the Durham Regional Police Service.
> Marlon Fernando JONES, age 47 from Oshawa is charged with numerous offences including: Aggravated Assault x3, Possess Weapon Dangerous to Public x2, Robbery with Violence, Assault with a Weapon x3, Carry Concealed Weapon, and Possess Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking x2.
> Mehki Steven HYMAN, age 24 from Whitby is charged with numerous offences including: Aggravated Assault, Possess Weapon Dangerous to Public, Carry Concealed Weapon, Assault with a Weapon, and Possess Schedule I Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking x2.
If baffles me that you stab a half dozen people in separate incidences and NOT be charged with attempted murder.
These two goons are a danger to society. Why even offer bail??
Is deraileur hacking the new frontier in pro cycling? Your wireless drivetrain might not be as safe or secure as you think.
Another win for older tech?
A young osprey calling out for food... and was delivered a fresh catch shortly after!
Port Perry, Ontario Aug 2024
Inner tubes... go big or go small?
I've got 32mm wide tires on my road/gravel bike. Currently looking at TPU tubes and I've got two options:
- 32-47mm
- 18-32mm
So, is it better to get one over the other, or will they both work equally well? Never used TPU tubes before, so I wouldn't even have a reference to compare these.
TEMU black hole
When I want something cheap, I usually hit Aliexpress (website). As I was looking at the Aliexpress app page on the Google Play Store to check its privacy details, TEMU came up as a recommended app.
Now, my wife has used TEMU in the past, but since she often can't find her way around things, I downplayed her negative experience as "user error". That said, I went to the TEMU website and started looking around.
I found something that was a reasonable price, but then get this message saying I could get this item free through the app... sigh. OK. I sign up with my usual fake/random credentials and add this "free" item to my cart.
A spinning prize wheel comes up. Hey, I can get THREE free items now! Sweet. I spend the next 3 hours looking for stuff I can actually use, doom-scrolling through everything from women's underwear to t-shirts with assault rifle print. Literally something for everyone. LOL
Then I select my third "free" item, and another spinning prize wheel comes up. "100% off the next $35". Ok.
I didn't need more stuff, but hey, 100% off sounds like more free stuff!
I spend another hour looking, keeping an eye on the amount "saved" (apparently $600+, for stuff that is sold on Aliexpress for maybe $25).
When I finally get to check out, I get another spinning prize wheel. "100% off $100"!! Goddamn, I'm on a roll here. How do these guys make any money?!!
More time looking... I must have spent well over 4 hours on their app. Time to check out.
$67? Huh? What about 100% off and all that nonsense? Enter your phone number*
- You must agree to get promotional texts, or you can't check out... hmm, maybe my wife wasn't wrong.
In any case, there was no way to actually get anything "free". I deleted the app, deleted my account, and will never touch this scam ever again.
Do people actually end up getting anything from Temu? I thought AliExpress was bad, but the experience is 1000x better.
Suggestions wanted re: Saving/archiving web pages
Hey guys, so it seems that Linkwarden isn't as good as I was hoping, since some websites will throw up a cookie popup or some other screen that basically prevents the capture.
Firefox Screenshot seems to work well, but it saves a PNG, which isn't really text searchable.
FF's "save page as..." feature seems to break things when viewing them back.
Save to PDF is another option, and that seems to be decent.
I'm not looking to copy entire websites, but I like to save web pages for later reference (i.e. instructions/specs).
I use Synology Note Station, but they don't have a web clipper for Firefox...
I'm fine with using a folder structure to store files, despite not being totally ideal when compared to Linkwarden.
Does anyone have any other suggestions that perhaps I've missed? Nothing too complicated... ideally, as simple as a button click would be great.
Anyone use triathlon shorts instead of cycling shorts?
Ok, so here's my problem.
I own quite a few padded shorts, ranging from $30 - $250 (bibs), and they feel great for the first 2-3 hours, then I get really uncomfortable in them. Not pain, but quite uncomfortable.
I was able to ride 200km wearing only compression shorts with no padding, but I think I got lucky.
Regular shorts/underwear always have issues because of the seams, so they aren't viable.
I heard that triathlon shorts are lightly padded, so they may offer a nice in-between.
Does anyone wear them? How do they compare to traditional cycling shorts?
An Osprey enjoying lunch
I heard this guy chirping very loudly and spotted him enjoying a meal. It's rate that I'm able to see them eating this close, since they usually carry their catch away 😂
Near Darlington Park in Ontario.