Signs of a bad economy!

[UGA]

Hello everyone, its been a while. I know that everyone is seeing different problems due to the bad economy. My wash isn't in a bad area of town, yet I am getting more calls from the Police Dept asking if they can review my surveillance cameras than I am from customers about car wash problems. The bank across the street has been robbed twice, the drug store twice and the auto parts store just yesterday. That doesn't even count the problems in the apartment complexes that adjoin my property. I have had to burn dvd's twice in the past week.

I was really unhappy when I had to switch to tokens only a little while ago due to vandalism. However, I am sleeping a little easier now. Have not had a problem at my wash in two years knock on wood.

What are you guys seeing?

 

[Ghetto Wash]

Vandalism and theft is up. Last week I was staking out one carwash overnight to catch some stringers that have been hitting me. Was about to give up and go home at 4am when alarm company called about another location. Someone had knocked a hole in the masonry wall to try and get in the equipment room to attack the changers from the back.

I think people are starting to get more desperate and will do anything for some cash.

 

[bigleo48]

Not to change the subject...but I was just in Denmark for 10 days, 7 in Copenhagen and saw two police the whole time. Poped over to Sweden by train, no border checks!

Didn't see any vagrants hanging around, crime seems low, young fit population, eat and live well (very very few homes for sale). And they have high taxes (25% sales tax)...universal health care. One might call them socialists on this side of the pond. Perhaps there is another way.

 

[Red Baron]

Not to change the subject...but I was just in Denmark for 10 days, 7 in Copenhagen and saw two police the whole time. Poped over to Sweden by train, no border checks!

Didn't see any vagrants hanging around, crime seems low, young fit population, eat and live well (very very few homes for sale). And they have high taxes (25% sales tax)...universal health care. One might call them socialists on this side of the pond. Perhaps there is another way.

When all taxes are factored in we pay a lot more than 25% in "sales" tax, especially when the price of the goods factors in a healthy helping for the government.

As for "universal" healthcare, no thanks. I had 3 surgeries in Toronto and 20 in the US...I'd rather have 20 in the US than 3 in Canada's socialized healthcare system. Yeesh, spooky!

 

[Louise]

To get back on topic, I have had constant problems at my wash since I opened 5 years ago. Every 4-5 months I would have a changer or ACW attack. I installed vibration sensors in everything that accepts money and caught a pair of criminals. Since then, not one problem. I thought things would get worse with the downturn in the economy - especially here in Pensacola with the oil spill - but we have been lucky.

 

[bigleo48]

When all taxes are factored in we pay a lot more than 25% in "sales" tax, especially when the price of the goods factors in a healthy helping for the government.

As for "universal" healthcare, no thanks. I had 3 surgeries in Toronto and 20 in the US...I'd rather have 20 in the US than 3 in Canada's socialized healthcare system. Yeesh, spooky!

Red,

25% was just the sales tax...

Sorry to hear about all the surgeries...that in itself is a feat!

Health care in Canada is like anything else, depends where and who is doing the work. We have world class facilities and surgeons in some places (usually major centers). I have about 10 or 12 friends, neighbors and acquaintances who are doctors/surgeons/specialists...many have also practiced in the US and Europe. Yeah we have problems, but so does everyone else.

If you're well covered in the US, you're good...its everyone else I worry about. An inadequate safety net helps to create the kind of problems mentioned by the original poster.

My observations of Denmark are merely anecdotal. I have traveled a fair bit and Denmark is the first place I have ever been that I believe may be an overall better place to live (generally) than Canada. People there seem to have a social view and the environment as a whole and it shows in almost everything they do. Mind you, these things are easier to accomplish in a smaller country. But I was impressed and it got me thinking.

For the original poster, I too get canvased by local police for footage of the Wal-Mart parking lot across the street. That annoys me as I never see the local police actually drive through my parking lot unless there is a problem.

Big

 

[jfmoran]

Not to change the subject...but I was just in Denmark for 10 days, 7 in Copenhagen and saw two police the whole time. Poped over to Sweden by train, no border checks!

Didn't see any vagrants hanging around, crime seems low, young fit population, eat and live well (very very few homes for sale). And they have high taxes (25% sales tax)...universal health care. One might call them socialists on this side of the pond. Perhaps there is another way.

The entire population of Denmark, Sweden and Canada combined is about 50 Million people, which is roughly one-third our population, not really a fair comparison. Nor would I guess that any of these countries have millions of illegal immigrants living in their countries sucking of the government teet, with more pouring in every day. Yeah, socialism, that's the answer...

 

[mjwalsh]

Not to change the subject...but I was just in Denmark for 10 days, 7 in Copenhagen and saw two police the whole time. Poped over to Sweden by train, no border checks!

Didn't see any vagrants hanging around, crime seems low, young fit population, eat and live well (very very few homes for sale). And they have high taxes (25% sales tax)...universal health care. One might call them socialists on this side of the pond. Perhaps there is another way.

Bigleo & others,

We are getting into some heavy approaches but I wonder if even more issues aren't being swept under the rug over in some of the other countries vs the USA.

I found out that one of the persons working for me was in a coma for over 45 days less than ten years ago so these kind of issues are somewhat near & dear to my heart. See the following & many other articles.

http://poq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/74/1/109

MJ

 

[bigleo48]

The entire population of Denmark, Sweden and Canada combined is about 50 Million people, which is roughly one-third our population, not really a fair comparison. Nor would I guess that any of these countries have millions of illegal immigrants living in their countries sucking of the government teet, with more pouring in every day. Yeah, socialism, that's the answer...

JF,

I did mention the smaller population, but than can be a good 'test' situation for the rest of the world. Denmark is part of the EU and so they do deal with immigration like everyone else. But they are a young population so they don't need the immigration to grow the economy. Look at Japan, aging pop and no immigration...future looks bleak.

I didn't say socialism is the way. I just said that with anecdotal information, I was impressed. Now walk downtown of any major US and Canadian city (and I've been to most of them) and tell me how many cops you'll see in an hour. I saw 2 in one week, no street people, no house for sale! You gotta admit, that is impressive. So maybe there is something to it more than coincidence.

Big

 

[JustClean]

I lived in Germany for a long time. That was on the western, "capitalist" side. As everyone else I thought whatever lives over the fence is rather dangerous and better be dead than red! At least that's what the media and Government wanted us to believe. Then the wall came down and Germany was reunited with the "communists". Gee...suddenly you noticed that this fear against the other side was just unfounded. You know - those people love their children too. Of course, socialism can never keep up with our western way of life but (talking to many people from the other side) there was something that is often missing in the western world: a sense of community - looking a bit more after the others and money being a bit less important. I think it's important to travel and to see the best "of both worlds". Maybe there is something to bring home and to improve. Living some time in another country has definitely broadened my mind.

 

[Reds]

I think the fear was of the government on the other side of the wall, not the people. It was not a government "of the people by the people" -- thats for sure

 

[bigleo48]

JustClean,

Well put. For a few years we had both a doctor and child from Belarus. The child was an orphan here for the summer on a radiation respite (Chernobyl dumped most of the radiation on Southern Belarus). It was interesting talking to the doctor and get her perspective, since during her childhood, we were the mortal enemies as Belarus was part of the Soviet empire. Belarus is still like the old Russia with a dictator running it and I asked...why don't the people do something about him. She said "When your wondering where your next meal is coming from, you realize that politics is for the rich"

Yes it is good to travel and see how the rest of the world works (or tries too). Many countries do things because of their circumstance, but some may have very good ideas that we can adopt or modify to suit us. I don't see it as US vs. the rest of the world, but how to make things better.

Big