I understand how the world works. I am a fan of capitalism and commerce.
And no, everything from cars to clothes shouldn't just be handed out like a lollipop at a doctor's office.
But there are some things in life intended for everyone to have access to.
At the rate we're going, I just know some fool is trying to figure out how to charge us for the air we breathe.
I like capitalism, I despise greed.
Redditor Xanduh wanted to make a list of all the things that really shouldn't be monetized, they asked:
"What should be free?"
And for the things we do and should have to pay for, let's lower some of those prices. Do you really need to make 1000% profit? Where you going? Space.
Necessities...
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"ID cards issued by the government. Especially since you need them for almost every aspect of daily living." ~ DeathSpiral321
Afterlife
"Dying." ~ Dumb_Vampire_Girl
"I say this every time this discussion comes up. In the middle east, people are buried the day of or the next day after death. There is no casket, you are only buried in a white shroud. In my country burial is free, you can make a donation to the mosque for the service (as part of daily prayers), the transport of the body to the grave is free. You pay for the grave plot. Done and done." ~ CorianderSuuucks
That's My Spot
"Parking at hospitals." ~ WeCantKeepDoingThiss
"I once read a Reddit comment about hospital parking not being free and they explained that in some large cities, it actually makes sense to charge for parking. Patients and visitors could get their parking validated and the fees waived. This way, the parking lots weren’t full just from people parking to go downtown for whatever reason. Makes sense to me now. I’m from a smaller city, so I’d never been to a hospital that had paid parking." ~ NotActuallyFamous
Save a Life
"CPR lessons. ***edit: thank you for the upvotes and award. I’m new to commenting (digital shyness hahaha)." ~ Odd_Cake_5670
"I was taught that in cases of cardiac arrest, the impact of CPR is incredibly low... something like a 12% chance of survival improvement. Using an AED, automated external defibrillators, raises that percentage somewhere closer to 80-85%. If CPR training is happening, there needs to be AED training too. It is not hard to do." ~ ManThatIs*ucked
Flying Easy
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"Picking your seat on an airplane when booking online for coach seats." ~ IamDuckieee
"And if I do pay for this privilege, I should get the seats that I selected and not some random ones on the other end of the plane." ~ RDEnergizer7000
Don't get me started on airlines. To think about what it used to be like to fly even just 10 years ago. I'm surprised the toilets aren't pay as you go.
911 Issues
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"Ambulances. Or at the very least, they shouldn't be as expensive as they can be now.." ~ xXWolfyIsAwesomeXx
Clean in Expensive
"Drinkable water." ~ I_Love_Small_Breasts
"Yeah, I'm a municipal drinking water plant manager, tap water in my town is 'free' as in we don't meter and charge by volume to residents. But we have to gather money to keep the lights on and equipment running, so we charge a flat water tax rate worked into property tax."
"Our medium sized plant (produces 2 million US gallons or 7.5 million liters per day), which services 5500 people costs about $450,000-550,000 per year to operate (varies from year to year based on what breaks/needs replacement and chemical costs fluctuations)."
"Clean drinkable water isn't cheap to make, but it shouldn't cost what it does in many places, we don't operate for profit, just to keep going, the amount of tax charged to residents is adjusted each year based on cost trending as required." ~ Amidamaru717
I Gotta Go!
"Peeing/pooping in 'public' restrooms. Not sure wether this is a common thing around the world, but here in the Netherlands, almost all toilets are paywalled. Almost all establishments require purchase or payment. I somewhat get this, i somewhat don't. I'd assume sanitizing toilets is in the staffs duties?"
"Obviously restaurants/bars don't want to deal with the crap of non payers (pun intended), on the other, foot traffic is foot traffic, a handful of crap is peanuts compared to current day adds. I specifically don't get McDonald's deal with the quarter in lady. What really baffles me is the literally gated off toilets on the massive stations."
"For one, fondling a machine while having to catch a train is annoying, second, the station probably costed hundreds of millions, yet the toilet costs a buck. At least i get a discount on my next crap. No wonder the alleyways in the cities smell like fermented pee." ~ Nekrosiz
Chronic Issues
"Insulin (slightly biased T1D here)." ~ Jef171
"I’m not diabetic but y’all should definitely get that for free. & syringes. & test strips. & monitors. & pumps. The whole condition should be free to have. You got it for free, you shouldn’t have to pay for the add ons, it’s not DLC." ~ ghosts-go-boo
"I understand needing to pay for some of the new pumps and med-tech getting brought to market because they took a lot of time/$ to develop. But yea, Actual insulin, needles, test strips are all necessary to live, cost pennies to produce, and could easily be provided free." ~ Jef171
Help Me
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"Therapy and in general mental health help." ~ ApprehensiveStatus13
"I agree with this but I also think therapists should be pay very well. They go to 6+ years of higher education for this and in the U.S. have to get over 3,000 working hours to even be licensed. Plus they have to listen to trauma and things like that everyday." ~ rainydayinmay9
Spaces
"Parking at the college you go to."
simplexseason
"Parking was absolutely awful at my college. If you had classes in the middle of the day, you had to show up at least 90 minutes early and stalk other students walking through the lots. It got worse ten they got rid of the largest parking lots to build more dorms. They tried to implement some kind of valet system for a couple months, but that was an even bigger s**t show."
CaffeinatedCannoli
Speak Up
"Hearing aids. They don’t cost too much, relatively. Research shows that if you need a hearing aid and you go without it, you raise your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. I’m 67% deaf but even government insurance doesn’t cover hearing aids. It will cover dental and Alzheimer’s up to a point. The cheaper option would be to cover the hearing aid and try to prevent Alzheimer’s if you can."
happyhomemaker29
But we Breathe
"Air for your tires."
tmartinez1113
"In my state it's required to be free. The machines will gladly take your money, but you can go inside and ask, and they'll turn it on for free!"
thegreatpotatogod
"Half of the gas stations charge a few quarters for 2 minutes worth of air, and their pumps are usually rusted and beat. The other half provide free air from nice digital pumps. Guess which gas stations get my business?"
PoopsExcellence
Take me Away
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"Public Transportation."
unpickedusername
"The Netherlands has free public transport (either in the weekend or during the week. Not both) for students. It's an absolute blessing to have. Otherwise traveling to university would cost me more than I'm paying for university."
ThePotatoSauce
Safety
"Any and all forms of contraception."
throw-away-hlpplz
"Preach!!! Money toward preventing kids since there are not enough programs to support children living in poverty."
sdmh77
For the Girls!
"Menstrual products."
Mars_Bars21
"Hear, hear! And gynecological care!!!! So many people who menstruate don’t receive appropriate or adequate care. It makes my heart sad to know that some folks suffer through gynecological issues that can often be treated with proper knowledge and care."
dhawkins331
Smile
"All medical dental (not cosmetic). Like filings, wisdom tooth removal, cleanings."
kingblobf
"This, or at least a lesser payment. My dentist said it would cost 500 per wisdom tooth an expected me to pay 2000 dollars to take out all 4 at the same time. I'm on disability and I'm struggling to find work, even part time, I can't afford that."
1BoiledCabbage
Help Me
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"Health care. All levels and types."
Umpire
"My dad died from one of the most survivable cancers there is because he didn’t have health care. Over 90% of people survive melanoma and I’m convinced the 10% that don’t are impoverished Americans."
armedo
Healthcare is a right not a privilege. Will we ever be a society that agrees on that? Sad. Mental health especially.
Good list.
When we're intoxicated, or even the slightest bit tipsy from having a little too much to drink, our immediate perspective on things is hazy.
But there's nothing like a bit of alarming news or a jarring incident to snap us out of the fog and focus on the moment.
Sometimes alcohol isn't always to blame for our impairment.
It can be a state of mind, like a perpetual numbness from being complacent in life, and all it takes is one shocking moment to rattle us back to our senses.
Curious to hear from strangers online about this type of scenario, Redditor Known_Challenge_7150 asked:
"What’s one thing that sobered you up real quick?"
These individuals were witness to shocking events that sobered them up right quick.
Bleeding Out
"Got out of a taxi and found a naked man profusely bleeding from his head crawling up the driveway in my condo. Called him an ambulance completely forgot I was absolutely wasted until 45 minutes later when I'd helped him translate and in to an amublance and stepped in my front door."
"Later a few days later learned he'd slipped in the tub and literally crawled out for help. Poor dude. He was fine but I genuinely thought he was going to die there."
– DongLaiCha
Tragic News
"At a bachelor party and we got a phone call that the groom’s father had suddenly passed."
– accountnameredacted
Bottom Of The Barrel
"I went to visit my parents back in July. I was homeless and deep into fentanyl addiction so I lost a lot of weight. My folks could see it. They knew something was up. Anyway, I spent the night and I was getting ready to leave in the morning and I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long time. I finally had enough and told them everything. They took me to detox, from there I went to rehab. Graduated in August and been living with them ever since then. I have 160 days clean and sober."
– Crotch-Monster
A reality check can be enough for some people to snap out of it.
Like Father, Like Son
"Was driving a drunk friend home, he had been on a bender again and was smart enough to call me for a lift rather than try and drive. As I helped in to his house his mother came down the stairs and said 'your as drunk as your father' and went back upstairs. I haven't seen him drunk since then, he still drinks but the thought of turning into his dad scared him out of hard drinking."
– psycospaz
Busted
"Flashing blue lights."
– FiddleOfGold
"This sobered me up just thinking about it."
– redmaple_syrup
Losing Sight
"Woke up to no sight in one eye. I had cataract surgery so just thought one of the lenses had slipped and it was an easy fix. Eye doc says nope, you had a stroke. I loved soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and salty food, which caused high blood pressure, which caused retina damage. Over six months was able to get most of my eyesight back with medication, and all back within a year. Trying to navigate life with one eye was very sobering. Started taking HBP much more seriously."
– MissHibernia
Quitting The Bottle
"Looked up someone I went to highschool with who was an awesome guy. Found out he had been dead for 3 years from alcoholism, at age 33. I made an overnight change. I hadn't started drinking that night yet, 10 months ago. Haven't touched it again since."
– omgtater
These disturbing moments were enough for Redditors to immediately come to their senses.
Unplanned House Guests
"Me and a buddy Woke up in someone’s living room, realized neither one of us knew the people, they were just nice and let 2 drunk guys sleep on their living room floor. We didn’t even say goodbye."
– Oneinsevenbillion75
Serious Health Warning
"Elevated liver enzymes."
"And the knowledge that this sh** was gonna kill me and I just couldn't orphan my family over it."
"So I opted for recovery, instead."
"Clean and sober since June 5, 2009."
– Far_Meal8674
The Joyride
"Grew up in a rural area. The little town hosted dances at the hockey arena, everyone (adults and kids) went and they overserved everyone, regardless of age. I was maybe 16 or 17 and was absolutely sh*tfaced, and jumped in the back of someone's truck with about 8 other people to go back to someone's cottage for after dance drinking. The driver (still don't know who it was) started racing one of his buddies and we whipped around small dirt roads, flying around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, going god knows how fast. It was basically a disaster waiting to happen. It was crazy scary and I was sober and thankful to be alive when we finally arrived."
– foxfood9116
The human psyche is a fascinating thing, isn't it?
How we can automatically focus on something urgent at a crucial time, even after getting buzzed from drinking too much alcohol.
But as we're in the thick of the holidays, it's a good reminder to drink responsibly and stay off the roads if you drive to your celebratory destination.
Cheers. Stay safe. And happy holidays.
We've all complained or vented about something in our lives which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't exactly a problem, or is very easily solved.
Then there are those who complain about things that others almost hope will happen to them at some point in their lives.
These are known as "first world problems", as they are problems that pretty much only the world's one percent faces.
From having to fly business class instead of first class, or being served Roederer instead of Dom Pérignon, these complaints are often met with amusement, bewilderment, or even anger.
Redditor jennimackenzie was curious to hear the most absurd "first world problems" anyone ever complained about, leading them to ask:
"What’s the most ridiculous 'first world problem' you’ve seen people get worked up over?"
"Tale As Old As Time..."
"I once knew a mom who was legitimately devastated, to the point of tears/grief, because a doctor predicted her 8 year old daughter's final height to be around 5'2","
"Which wasn't tall enough to get cast as Belle at Disney World."
"That was the child's (and her mother's) only dream in life, apparently."
"Didn't appreciate my suggestion that she could be Minnie or Mickey."
"Lol!"
"Only a face character would do!"- TravelLovingMom
"Must Be Funny, In A Rich Man's World..."
"My boss from about a decade ago was this insanely rich dude who always went to the bank to get fresh and crisp currency."
"He'd call the bank in advance to make sure they had some on hand."
"I think he was a germaphobe."
"He had a trash can that he'd throw $1 and $5 bills in that he thought was 'dirty' and regularly just donated it vs spending it."
"I asked him why he did this and he said it was too much trouble and asked if I wanted it."
"I said f*ck yeah dumped it into my bag and when I got home it was close to $400 in singles and fives.
"Another time, he wanted to upgrade all the computers in his studio, so we went to a store and bought 10 PCs."
"They all had $150 mail in rebates and he wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of mailing them in."
"3 weeks later I received $1500 after spending a whole afternoon filling out all those goddamn forms."- azninvasion2000
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Who Wore It Better?
"When I was about 19 years old, I was at my boyfriends family BBQ."
"I was wearing this pretty floral sundress."
"His cousins girlfriend showed up in the same dress and she was SO mad that she went and changed."
"I will never understand being upset when someone is wearing the same thing as you.'
"Did you really think that your shirt you bought off the rack is going to be unique to you?"
"No."- mertsey627
Seeing Red! Or Blue In This Case...
"The blue of the balloons wasn't quite the same as the bridesmaid's sashes."
"Years ago my wife and I attended a wedding."
"It was very low key."
"The dinner was in the dining hall at the university where the couple met, cinder block walls and all."
"It was a Baptist wedding - no booze and very serious."
"The dark blue balloons attempting to liven up the hall were a slightly darker shade of blue than the sashes on the bridesmaid's dresses."
"The bride lost here sh*t and absolutely raved for nearly an hour."
"I can't remember how they finally managed to talk her down."- mechant_papa
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See You In Court!
"Rich neighbors who end up in expensive court battles because they disagree about where a tree can be planted or whether the color of a fence fits in with the street’s 'amenity'."
'These disputes get really heated and rack up huge lawyers’ bills."
"The most pathetic part is after the judgement when they are arguing about who should pay the other party’s costs."
"Lots of affidavits filed citing the 'emotional distress' they had to endure, or painting themselves as brave warriors who were forced to take a stand to fight for 'justice'."
"Also lots of pompous litigants insisting that the judge refer to them by their 'Dr' title."
"An absolutely insane dumpster fire of entitled rich people problems."- ElectrocRaisin
It's Always People With Money Who Don't Want To Pay!
"I work in a public library."
"People will get so so mad if they have to be put on a wait list for a book."
"A popular book that just came out."
"Ok our services are not only free but so are the books."
"You’re welcome, a**holes."- Switchbladekitten
A Warm Butt Is A Happy Butt!
"My own."
"We have a bidet toilet seat (Fabulous! Everyone should have one!) and not only does it wash your bum and blow dry it, but the seat's heated!"
"It's shocking how much a heated toilet seat makes the whole process more agreeable."
"Except: We had a power outage and I went to use the toilet and the seat was cold!"
"Unacceptable!"
"This shall not stand!"
"I was really upset because it didn't feel good."
"Then I stopped and thought: This is the most first-world problem anyone's ever had."
"I was really pissed because my heiny was tepid."
"I got over it."- DeathGrover
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Holy Matrimony!
"Weddings are a gold mine for this question."
"People get so hyped up over their 'most important day of their life'."
"They'll destroy friendships, go into debt, and have crazy expectations."
"It's not always the couple who go crazy, either."
"Sometimes, it's the parents or another family member who feels entitled to control the wedding."
"It's just a party."
"Be considerate of guests, have plenty of food and drinks, and enjoy it."- magicrowantree
When Fast Food Isn't Fast Enough...
"Having to pull off to the side to wait for a drive-thru order to be brought out to you because your food isn't ready and there's a line building up behind you."- demanbmore
In Case You Don't Think Customer Service Employees Are Undervalued...
"I was working the return desk at a Target next to a military base so I have so many stories."
"One of my favorites was a lady who had her baby shower before revealing the gender and was livid that she had received floral newborn diapers when she’s having a boy."
"It was a huge box of super expensive, all organic diapers, that we didn’t carry and therefore could not return."
"I cannot accurately express her fury and disgust."
"How dare either suggest her boy could wear feminine diapers."
"I suggested she donate them if she didn’t want to use them and she instead threw away the entire box."
"When she left we pulled it out and threw it in our donate bin."
"There have also been multiple times where mom’s order massive toys and when we bring them out to the car they get furious that they aren’t wrapped."
"We don’t offer wrapping services."
"Here’s the thing, if you don’t want your kids to see the toys you got them for Christmas or their bit to day DON'T BRING THE CHILD WHEN YOU PICK IT UP."
'I’ve had multiple women scream and curse me out that I had ruined their kids Christmas by bringing the toys they ordered out to the car like they requested."- clever-mermaid-mae
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Happiest Place On Earth!
"I used to work for Disney."
"That in itself should tell you everything."
"However for fun I'll give you two specific stories one form our tech department and one from my wife who worked bookings."
"I specifically worked for their call center to help with technical issues with magic band and the website."
"Suddenly got worse huh?"
"A right of passage call everyone has at least one story of is the 'Dome call'."
"Basically there is a subset of Disney Guest (TM) that believes if it rains at Walt Disney world there is someone that will push a button to encapsulate the whole of Disney property in a dome to keep out the rain."
"I'm not kidding."
"If this button is not pushed they call our tech department to angrily ask why."
"My wife worked booking."
"Pretty much everything including Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique and Pirate's league."
"These two things did roughly the same thing difference being price and theme."
"BBB was expensive did more and was focused on princesses, pirates league did a bit less and focused on mermaids and pirates."
"Lady called up my wife, and got pissed about BBB being booked up (It goes FAAAAST)."
"Karen: 'Im going to give the phone to my daughter and I want you to tell her how you are ruining her vacation by not letting her do BBB'."
"Wife proceeds to explain how pirate's league is so much cooler and how she can be a mermaid or pirate and basically gets the kid to start demanding to their parents about how they want to be a mermaid instead of a princess."- trollsong
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The horror!
Being booked into a junior suite at Disney World instead of an executive suite!
It's almost as bad as having no money for groceries, or no food to feed you children...
Said absolutely no one.