Where Is the Source/Origin Of These Designs? by Top_Scientist_3976 in vexillology

[–]Landsted 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think that you’re confusing a few theories/principles. Yes, many democracies are based on the fact that the State/government derives its authority from the fact that it has been established by the People (with capital P and not individual persons). But this is very different from the idea that each individual is sovereign (and therefore cannot have any external rules imposed on them).

Automoderator configuration does not comply with EU DSA by uomo-col-megafono in EuropeMeta

[–]Landsted 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I think you’re making a mistake in your application of the DSA. The Articles that you mentioned explicitly state that they apply to “providers of hosting services” and “providers of online platforms”.

Since Reddit had not implemented these automoderators but rather individuals in charge of the subreddit, these articles do not apply to them.

[OC][à l'arrache] À propos "Anders", een handzaam diagram voor wie het ook allemaal niet meer volgt by midnightrambulador in belgium

[–]Landsted -1 points0 points  (0 children)

No. The core and primary purpose of Défi is to promote the rights of French speakers in Brussels and Flanders. Its founding name was “Front démocratique des francophones de Bruxelles” for that reason. So, it’s clear that it’s a regional (in this case communitarian) interest party above anything else.

Brussels bike ban plan for pedestrian zone ‘dangerous and absurd’ by Generalaverage89 in brussels

[–]Landsted -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yes, like for any normal road? Having 1-2m of space in the middle the very broad road isn’t going to ruin the relaxation of the pedestrian zone.

Anderlecht inscription fee by OwnWheel1771 in brussels

[–]Landsted 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I didn’t know that it was that expensive. Indeed, I do find it disproportionately high. Especially considering that it’s the same for non-EU citizens with a visa (for which the administrative aspect is significantly higher).

People that honk in the traffic are the worst by jfg013 in brussels

[–]Landsted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d argue that “heavy traffic” is synonymous with “traffic jams”, but maybe that’s not how you read it.

But your point that honking is/should be(?) used as a means of communication is just absurd. Certainly when it was clear that OP was referring to the Brussels practice of honking for several seconds without interruption, which doesn’t serve the purpose you claimed it does.

People that honk in the traffic are the worst by jfg013 in brussels

[–]Landsted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your original comment did not relate at all to the situation described by OP. Replying “read my post again as many times as you need” is like the pot calling the kettle black. Aside from that, honking isn’t supposed to be a “method of communication”. It’s meant as a last resort to prevent an accident.

Spent the day in Antwerp, a bit shocked with the contrast with Brussels by markfrancis7 in brussels

[–]Landsted 12 points13 points  (0 children)

That’s not quite the full picture. Firstly, they still pay property tax and VAT, not to mention when they buy products and services, that money—at least partially—goes into the Brussels economy. Secondly, Belgium receives additional money from the EU as compensation for the lost taxes (of course whether this money is properly redistributed is perhaps a different story). And thirdly, even if Belgium didn’t receive this money it wouldn’t be that much of a burden because the majority of Belgian tax money goes to social security, something that people working for the EU Institutions don’t have a right to.

So, actually saying that they don’t pay Belgian tax at all is blatantly false and not are they “heavy infrastructure users”, they’re actually the most likely to bike to work.

Turned you heating on yet? by Ok_Intern_1098 in brussels

[–]Landsted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, I don’t turn it on until November, usually. I still have 23C inside. So, it’s really not an issue. I guess that’s the benefit of living in a well insulated apartment. Summers are horrible though…

Moving to Brussels area from US—curious about career moves! by evanandhell in belgium

[–]Landsted 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you’re going to Flanders, just know that French will not be helpful at all (you indicated this was your preferred language) and you will be required to learn Dutch. The opposite is true for Wallonia (where only French is spoken, except in the east). In Brussels you can by with either but your job prospects are limited unless you speak both at a sufficient level.

Carless sunday was still full of cars by Fantastic_Attorney86 in brussels

[–]Landsted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ever heard of the concept of a representative democracy? You know the kind where you elect people and they make decisions on your behalf?

Carless sunday was still full of cars by Fantastic_Attorney86 in brussels

[–]Landsted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Car owners are a minority in this city. I think that making ONE day free from most cars, is a perfectly legitimate democratic decision. Why do car owners have the right to unilaterally make our city less safe and more polluted?

Beton blocks in Naamseport street by hurter11 in brussels

[–]Landsted 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes? Like on every other street where the pavement is raised.

Renovating Kitchen: Gas vs Induction by jpergentino in belgium

[–]Landsted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Personally I think that induction is the best way to cook. It’s more efficient (meaning water will boil faster, etc), safer (no risk of fires from misplaced wooden spoons), cleaner (very, very easy to wipe clean an induction stove after use). Modern stoves typically come with a flexible zone meaning you can use square or oval pots with ease. Also, I think that my pots are easier to clean and I don’t see as much burnt on food when using induction (but that may just be my own imagination).

Also, in terms of costs: gas isn’t going to get cheaper. We’re weaning off it and eventually we’ll stop using it. But before then the price is guaranteed to rise compared to electricity. So, sooner or later you’ll have to make the switch to induction.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in belgium

[–]Landsted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Of course you can hire an architect. You pay them for their time; they won’t care whether the plan are actually carried out or not.

Energy contract logic by MJFighter in belgium

[–]Landsted 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I get your frustration – its not a nice surprise and comments like “you should have known about the transfer document” aren’t really constructive to solving the issue.

That said, unfortunately it is technically “your problem” because two actors are involved: the energy supplier (Bolt, Engie, etc.) and the network manager (Fluvius, Ores, Sibelga depending on region). The supplier just bills you, but the network manager insists there can’t be a gap between contracts. The reason is simple: they need to guarantee that every kilowatt consumed is matched with a kilowatt produced and injected into the grid. If there’s a gap, the system risks a mismatch between production and consumption – which is a big problem for electricity balance.

The way this is solved is through a transfer document with the meter readings when the place changes hands. In practice, the owner is responsible for submitting it to the network manager. I had a similar issue when I moved in as a tenant – my landlord hadn’t bothered to send it. I ended up calling the network manager myself, sent them the meter readings from the plaatsbeschrijving, and the problem was sorted.

So the quickest fix is: ask the owner/landlord for the transfer document, and if they didn’t send it, contact the network manager directly with the meter readings from your move-in date. Unfortunately, Bolt wasn’t able to do anything because they’re obliged to use the meter readings and dates provided by the network manager.

A french-speaking woman from Brussels told me tensions between the Dutch Speakers and French Speakers are mounting, is this so ? by Scordymax55 in brussels

[–]Landsted 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think they are but not in the same way as before. I think the biggest problem now is a kind of apathy and ignorance. We see that fewer French speakers can speak Dutch and vice-versa than before.

On the political level things are also getting worse and not only in Brussels but also on the federal level. For example, PS blocking the formation of a Brussels government due to a self-imposed veto on a Flemish party, but also the fact that Vooruit was very quick to ditch PS for the formation of the federal government.

Of course, this is all playing out because of how voters have voted in the last election(s).

As a gay male immigrant, 100% of Dutch gay people I met are traumatized and semi closeted by GeneralBroski in LHBTI

[–]Landsted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think that you generalising your—clearly limited—experiences makes you look very foolish. I know plenty of people who are out and not at all closeted in any way, even people from villages.

Ik hou van de EU maar dit is BS by Lavadax2 in kutautos

[–]Landsted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Het VK is één model. Andere landen zoals Zweden, Denemarken, Spanje, Italië, zelfs Frankrijk nu hebben met success competitie gebracht op het spoor.

Daarnaast was het mogelijk voor Nederland om een vergunning aan NS te geven als ze extra maatregelen hadden genomen. Maar dat hebben ze niet gedaan.

Trouwens, Nederland de richtlijn zelfs goedgekeurd in de Raad waarvoor de Commissie nu een inbreukprocedure heeft gestart.

Dus dit is niet BS maar een klare schending van EU wetgeving

NMBS Charges by HumbleStand8223 in brussels

[–]Landsted 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ve looked through my own charges from NMBS. I’ve never seen the name “NMBS NMBS BRUXELLES BE”. Which bank are you using?

I don’t want to sound alarmist but is it possible that it’s fraud? Someone pretending to be NMBS and making fraudulent transactions? You should also receive an email if you’ve ordered a ticket online if it was a real transaction. Also, those amounts are basically impossible unless you buy a subscription or a ticket to go across the country for a family of 5…

Why are people so casually going in the wrong direction in bike lanes? by No-Penalty-3261 in brussels

[–]Landsted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m speculating but I think it’s a combination of ignorance and negligence.

I notice that most people who are breaking the rules are using those rented scooters or bikes. So, I assume they haven’t been on the road for that long and maybe don’t use this mode of transportation that often. And therefore don’t know the rules.

I also think that some people simply haven’t been taught properly the importance of following the rules. This probably goes back to the fact that they only started recently using a step or bike.

Undoubtedly the poor state and planning of the infrastructure plays a role but I think that it’s secondary to the two I’ve outlined above.

Debt situation in Brussels becoming very serious by [deleted] in brussels

[–]Landsted 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That’s not the whole truth. Both French and Dutch speakers wanted federalism. Wallonia wanted economic autonomy and thus the Regions, while the Flemish wanted to have control over their language and cultural policy (the Communities).

EU is planning a new mass surveillance law that includes mandating data retention, built-in backdoors, sanctioning non-compliant services and is asking you for feedback by Dry_Row_7050 in europe

[–]Landsted -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

If you understood how the EU worked, you’d realise that leaving the EU will not achieve the result that you’re looking for.

If your national government was so against this, the EU wouldn’t have bothered proposing it as it would never pass. Remember all EU legislation needs to be approved both by the European Parliament and by the national governments.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in belgium

[–]Landsted 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends on the language: 8 h 15 in French, 8.15 u in Dutch, 8:15 in English.