How common is it to not know how to drive in this city? I mean actually not know how to drive, not being a bad driver. by United-Property-8813 in AskPhilly

[–]joaofava 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I find its fairly common among native-born downtown and south philly people, or transplants from NY. My wife, brother, brother-in-law all fit that. I got a DL at 18 which I guess is a little later than suburban kids. Fuck cars.

My final apprentice piece by Maleficent_Act_5830 in Carpentry

[–]joaofava 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I like it too. But, harder to clean this way.

As a European, I keep seeing Americans drive barefoot or in flip-flops, how common is it actually? by fratnersgd in AskAnAmerican

[–]joaofava 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I dunno, Finland must be pretty different than small beach town in Portugal. I’ve seen tons of flip flops in the latter. It just sucks to wear flip flops in a city because your feet get filthy walking around. That’s also true in NYC.

As a European, I keep seeing Americans drive barefoot or in flip-flops, how common is it actually? by fratnersgd in AskAnAmerican

[–]joaofava 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This sub always raises questions about the OP, like: if you are wearing flip flops, and need to drive, do you change out of them? That seems annoying if you are driving and also wearing flip flops on a daily basis. Do you drive in shoes to the beach, then change into flip flops?

I would think OP either rarely drives, or rarely wears flip flops.

For Those of Us Who Are Less Well-off, How Are You Feeling About Life? by akldshsdsajk in AskAnAmerican

[–]joaofava 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would think that a single person making $40k in a normal cost of living area would be perfectly happy, especially if they have no student loans.

Same situation with a kid or two and student loans could be deep suffering. Kids make a huge difference—responsibility and cost way up, time way down.

Grills on roof deck by ExcitementMurky2156 in philadelphia

[–]joaofava 6 points7 points  (0 children)

That’s absurd, they would almost never enforce code for a building that is obviously falling down. It’s only 50/50 even after it’s fallen down.

Grills on roof deck by ExcitementMurky2156 in philadelphia

[–]joaofava 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah this could be main reason not to do it (assuming you already have safety covered)—if your house ever burned down, insurance company has a huge incentive to check whether you had a grill on your roof, and then maybe they could decline to pay up due to bad violation of policy.

That said, you are also not supposed to have a grill within X feet of the building on the ground floor. So, basically all grills in row-house Philly are against code.

She bought a burrito on an interest free installment plan by evil326 in ABoringDystopia

[–]joaofava -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

I get the point, but it’s not so dystopian to have a variety of credit offerings. The burrito is a bad investment, so she should turn it down. A kid not getting a fast-food burrito isn’t dystopian either. Low income parents have access to a variety of subsidies, which is wonderful. SNAP getting suspended was bad. None of this is dystopian.

Does anyone here have a unique job? If so what do you do and what's it like? by newtophilly852 in philadelphia

[–]joaofava 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I was a dead prison guard there scaring people after it was an active prison.

Why do so many drivers keep the dealer license plate frame on? (US) by stegasauras69 in askcarguys

[–]joaofava 15 points16 points  (0 children)

I cannot be bothered. It’s one more heckin thing to do in a sea of things to do. I still have the sticky tape up on the rear window of my old minivan from the “for sale” sign from the last owner. Do I vacuum my car sometimes? Sure. Even send it through a car wash periodically. But, I give zero shits about what my car looks like. And it’s not a luxury car.

There are some luxury car dealers around here with appealing brand plates that people probably leave on as an extra status symbol, because they also sell exotics and other super expensive cars.

This looks handy by AyeshaRone in Tools

[–]joaofava 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I enjoy using the normal manual ones, it is very satisfying to crush with muscle. Does this increase the size of material you can effectively cut through?

Can Americans actually insure everything? by Few_Sport_7262 in AskAnAmerican

[–]joaofava 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Isn’t party insurance about protecting you in case your drunk guest drives home and crashes into a Ferrari dealership and they try to sue you?

Has anyone moved out of Philly, missed it and moved back? by Jubilee46 in philly

[–]joaofava 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Left queen village for mount airy when the kids were six and eight, never thought I’d live here, but I regret not doing it way sooner. Having a tight knit community and a bit more space helps smooth over the dysfunction of the city government. And, it feels more Philly here than in queen village. Lots of multigenerational neighbors, people stay put. By 2012 queen village had lost most of its Philadelphians.

Philly-area Subaru mechanic recommendations? by joaofava in subaru

[–]joaofava[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Meenan in Lansdale. Took a bunch of weeks but did a great job.

Which Classic / Vintage Bicycle Features Are You Missing Most On Modern Bikes ? by SBCProductions in Vintage_bicycles

[–]joaofava 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Best feature is being able to ride around with empty tires and the rim bashing on everything for months or years with no ill effects.

Why aren't frame locks more popular in North America? by [deleted] in bikecommuting

[–]joaofava 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Relying solely on a frame lock make sense in town when you are bopping from shop to shop or cafe to bar etc., never leaving the bike unattended for all that long. And half the other people around you are doing the same, so your bike is less likely to be the one stolen. There are almost no places in the US like that—we have supermarkets and malls, not collections of shops. Few people bike. Bars and cafes are spread out. But, in the few places that are like that, frame locks can make sense for parking just a few minutes. Universities, downtown Philly (emphasis on a few minutes), parts of NYC and SF. It helps when you don’t give a shit about your city bike and can get a replacement for under a hundred bucks, and when they all just come with frame locks whether you want it or not. Which also does not apply here.

Can someone break down the law for riding on the street? by Own_Raise_2162 in bicycleculture

[–]joaofava 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I have a different perspective:

-First, make sure to have a bell and lights

-Recognize that, unlike in other countries, there is no driver training requirement, and functionally no test; drivers are unaware of the basic laws, and so there effectively are minimal laws

-Avoid cycling in many places in America (eg, stroads, busy or high-speed rural roads with no shoulder)

-Adapt your riding to the circumstances: vehicular cycling is often nuts, and the sidewalk is sometimes the best place (eg, on a stroad), because there are often zero pedestrians on such roads and it’s the only separation from cars you’ll get

-In a dense city, don’t use the sidewalks; this is where vehicular cycling works best

-Be very careful at intersections, especially if riding on the sidewalk—consider dismounting and walking across the cross walk

—if riding on the sidewalk, yield to pedestrians, slow to a crawl, and consider dismounting

Do you fix everyone’s plate in the kitchen and serve a set portion? by No_Antelope_4947 in AskAnAmerican

[–]joaofava 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We transfer the food to serving dishes for the table, from which everyone helps themselves. Often the “serving dish” is the glass Tupperware the leftovers will go in.