World is Falling Apart Thread (Locked forever)

[Luke]

I'm more worried with deaths in traffic accidents.

If you want to get away with murder, have a few drinks and "mistakenly" run over your victim.

I have a staunch belief that all murders related to a DUI should be tried as premeditated murders. But! You can kill an entire family while driving drunk and receive less than thirty days in County.

I repeat, you can kill a family and not go to prison. Just a week or two in jail and some community service. Makes absolutely zero sense to me. Well, our entire judicial system makes no sense to me as it is more about making money off of crime than preventing it. But with no crime, how can judges and lawyers make money? Reminds me of "Why cure cancer or HIV if it would cost the medical community trillions of dollars?".

As Homer Simpson once said while doing a Mad Magazine Fold in: The Al-ighty Ollar. I don't get it.

[Fragems]

I honestly do fear bad drivers more then guns. It's a rare occasion when I get on an interstate and don't have 1-2 near collisions with people driving like crap. For instance last week I'm going 60 in a 60 and being the cautious driver I am I notice a car going probably 80 starting to creep up about 1/2 a mile behind me so I get around the car I'm passing and signal to get over what does the son of a bitch do he accelerates and cuts around me to the right as I'm half way into the lane nearly clipping my side. What makes it even more beautiful is his car had clear damage on the left side from a previous collision probably caused by the same shit. Luckily I corrected fast enough to avoid the asshole, but it was close.

Probably the my least favorite thing is night driving with Tractor trailers at night. I've literally had guys attempt to murder my family with their trucks. One night we were driving home from a long trip and traffic was pretty heavy so things were crawling along at 15 below the speed limit. We were in the right lane passing a tractor trailer when suddenly another tractor trailer pulls up behind us and starts high beaming us and riding our bumper. After we got around the truck we got over to get the asshole out from behind us and he blared his horn as he passed. A few miles down the road traffic had thinned out and sure enough we ran into the same truck. We went to pass him and what does he do he waits until we are right behind his cab then jerks the wheel suddenly from right to left swinging his trailer within inches of us and nearly sending us into a concrete divider. So we called the state police and reported him, but their response was we should just let it go and at most they might question him next time he is at a weigh station .

[Ack]

Have any of you guys ever looked over the reports of mass shootings in the US? There are two different methods of defining what they are: events where two or more people are wounded by gunfire(the Mass Shooting Tracker uses this), or events where three or more people are killed(the FBI uses this).

The claim that mass shootings happen in the US on a daily basis are based on the Mass Shooting Tracker basis for the statistic. Here's the list for 2015: http://shootingtracker.com/wiki/Mass_Shootings_in_2015 This includes the cities and states of events, name of the shooter if found in the initial reporting article, statistics on the number of dead or wounded, and links to the articles about the shootings. I don't think the MST does any sort of follow up beyond the initial article, so some of the information is potentially inaccurate(for instance, you'll see lots of 'Unknown' put down for the names of shooters). I don't know if or how the MST treats police shootings, such as in 2012 when NYPD officers opened fire on a man outside the Empire State Building in New York City and killed 2 people while wounding 9 others in the process.

If you read the articles, you'll notice several recurring trends when it comes to mass shootings in the US: they mostly affect low-income areas and minorities, they often occur during the committing of some other crime(robbery, fighting, gang-related activity), and they occur in across the US in states with varying levels of gun control laws and enforcement. The MST also doesn't track any information regarding the legality of the weapon used.

This is not an endorsement or an indictment of the MST method or current firearms regulations in the US. This is just to present information to make sure people are aware of it.

[Luke]

I honestly do fear bad drivers more then guns.

My friend and colleague Karsten visited from Germany a few years ago, and it blew his mind that he could rent a car.

"I walked in, I gave money, and got a car! Are you guys completely crazy?"

He got a Buick Lacrosse, which both he and his gal called "Monster Truck".

During breakfast, Karsten, his arm candy, his Father, my wife and I had some eye opening conversations.

Karsten mentioned "My Father and I played golf this morning without having to qualify. We gave money, we got to golf!". He then said that in his neck of the woods (not in those words) that most golf courses in Germany require you to not suck if you want to play. You have to qualify in order to enter.

And as far as getting a driver's license, at the time he said you might have to pass at least five separate driving tests before earning it in Germany. "You Americans don't earn and don't work for your license, you pay for it". True and untrue, but his point is valid.

[Luke]

Have any of you guys ever looked over the reports of mass shootings in the US? There are two different methods of defining what they are: events where two or more people are wounded by gunfire(the Mass Shooting Tracker uses this), or events where three or more people are killed(the FBI uses this).

If true*, that's a really dumb way of defining "Mass shootings".

*It is true.

[samsonlonghair]

I thought of this analogy last night:

Guns are like rodeo clowns. I don't generally care for them. Truth be told, they kind of creep me out, but I acknowledge that they serve an important function. During that split-second moment they become necessary, I'm glad they are there.

[mjmjr25]

My friend and colleague Karsten visited from Germany a few years ago, and it blew his mind that he could rent a car.

"I walked in, I gave money, and got a car! Are you guys completely crazy?"

...and you perpetuated the ignorance rather than offer the reasoning.

He met the requirements to drive in this country. He met the requirements to rent a car in this country. Presented a valid drivers license from a recognized country.

You, Luke - yes, YOU, can go rent a car in Germany today without taking any test. You better call Karsten and let him know - i'm sure he'll be appalled.

I rented a car in the UK. You know what I needed...? A DRIVERS LICENSE from the US and to be 24 years old. That's it. A country where the roads are tighter, the speeds are faster, the drivers are on the opposite side and the only vehicles available at the rental place were manual transmission. Whoa! What is wrong with them!

Sometimes I can ignore the silly anectdotes, but man...sometimes they are just so silly they need to be called out. Sorry, homey.

[Pulsar_t]

So Trans-Pacific Partnership anyone?

Fnck that shit.

[Luke]

I rented a car in the UK. You know what I needed...? A DRIVERS LICENSE from the US and to be 24 years old.

He's a good friend and colleague and I don't find him to be deceptive, but we are all victims to nonsense.

Did you rent a car in Germany? Because Karsten said you need specific requirements to obtain a rental car, that exceed what you mention.

Edit*Spoke with Karsten. The major rental car companies are all around Germany, but you do need more that a DRIVERS LICENSE (why are you yelling?) from the US, and to be 24 years of age.

1) Money
2) Drivers License
3) Passport
4) Green Insurance Certificate

He also said "This mjr guy sounds like an asshole who has never rented a car in Germany."

[mjmjr25]

I have not rented a car in Germany, only the UK.

I did google multiple sites and forums before posting the rules were the same in Germany - all forums had similar info. Valid license in your country, be at least 23-24 yo, OR expect to pay a premium on insurance if 19-23. Also pay a premium for an automatic transmission...and be prepared for very high speeds (no speed limits) on highways.

Some people thought you "might" need an international license, which can be acquired stateside before you travel by paying a fee and presenting a valid US license.