Comment on Why don't we have cool vending machines in the US?
scarabic@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I’m seeing a lot of advanced retail in US vending machines - inside airports. Food, electronics, cosmetics, all kinds of stuff.
This hints at the problem. Airports have improved security and you have to spend money on a plane ticket to enter so they don’t suffer the same dystopia as public spaces in the US which are trashed and destroyed by any asshole coming through who doesn’t give a shit, including the extremely impoverished and homeless which as a category includes many drugged up people, congenital criminals, and mentally ill. There are some over generalizations here about Americans all having no respect for others and this isn’t fair. Most are wonderful people. But enough Americans suck that it spoils the party for everyone, and broken window syndrome is a thing.
Chee_Koala@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Sidenote: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_Japan is really low because they made some serious efforts to tray and reduce it.
blarth@thelemmy.club 2 months ago
Homelessness in Japan is illegal, so people turn Internet cafe pods into “homes”.
Baguette@lemm.ee 2 months ago
I wonder if they’re including those that are living in internet cafes and such. I remember that being a pretty prevalent problem a bit back. Wikipedia says they counted it on 2007, but no notes of whether they continue to include them or not as homeless.
Not discounting their achievement though, they have their shit together, at least way more than the US
scarabic@lemmy.world 2 months ago
That’s interesting. It sounds like people are paying to be in those facilities, where they can get showers and food in addition to a place to be. Almost like everyone is tacitly okay with the arrangement. This is certainly not housing but neither is it exactly homelessness.
scarabic@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I’ll give that a read. There’s also almost no homelessness in San Francisco Chinatown, despite the rest of the city being an open sore. I’ve never heard the whole story about why but I think it’s a combination of active community development organizations offering low cost housing and cultural differences in how families work, how drugs are regarded, and what is permitted out in the open street.
Baguette@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Chinatown is a more unique environment. Lots of foot traffic, sidewalk vendors, and really tight knit community. Its not a scaleable solution though. Hard to make that kinda of super dense area everywhere