
Originally Posted by
JDBHorseGrin
I worked at a hospital and spoke with a social worker there. She told me (her opinion/experience) is that "poor people" are hopeless, and also preyed upon. Especially by "pay day loan" businesses. I don't know how it works, but she said there are companies that thrive on enticing the impoverished payment plans for "luxury items." A part of it (her opinion) is that buying the latest iphone helps you trick yourself into believe that your situation isn't dire: "If I were truly hopeless, would I be able to afford an iphone? I would not. Things will turn around. Just gotta keep making the monthly payments." I don't know if this is something that exists across the US but where we live, the power company allows you to pay for power like it's a prepaid phone: you pay for x-amount of kilowatts of electricity, and you have to stay on top of your usage, then top off your account. Many of her cases don't, because they can't so instead of having a month or 2 of overdue bills, their electricity simply gets shut off until they make it to the power company to put more money on their account. Prepaid electricity. Shitty used car, if they have a vehicle at all. Minimum coverage car insurance. Prepaid phone but hey! They're got the latest iphone so "winning." The phone itself is on a monthly payment plan. One that will end with them spending 50%+ more than the phone would have costs to buy outright. As soon as they get close to paying it off the company offers them a "deal" on upgrading to the newest model in order to keep them locked into making monthly payments.
Layne just moved into his dream house. Blaha has "$25,000" of barbells and weights instead of a living room, after laughing with Layne's lawyers regarding the money Layne spent to sue. Something tells me it was money well spent.