We recently flew a Cirrus SR20 to Martha’s Vineyard, an instrument training flight for an IFR student that, of course, turned into an actual IMC experience (thanks, Maskachusetts weather!).
We brought his 12-year-old daughter along in the back seat. After touring around the island for a bit, it was time to change into bathing suits. We availed ourselves of the government-run public restrooms for this purpose. The 12-year-old complained about their filthy condition. Of course, I responded with “Remember that the country that hasn’t ever been able to provide clean public restrooms will beat the coronaplague via superior hygiene.”
She then shared her idea: “People who are on welfare, instead of just sitting at home to get checks and benefits should have to clean public bathrooms.” (that would be a workforce of at least 70 million!) She had previously been disparaging Dr. Donald J. Trump, M.D. and singing the praises of Democrats, presumably a result of her years of contact with unionized public school teachers here in the Boston suburbs. I told her “you know, there is actually an established political party in the U.S. that is already lined up with your thinking.”
One of the clean public restrooms in every Shanghai Metro station:
(Bonus: While taking these photos, I learned how the locals say “What is that stupid white guy doing?”)
If you go to a private shopping mall, which are spaced at intervals of just a few blocks in many areas, the level of luxury is a lot higher:
Note, in both cases, the provision of low sinks for children. Also note the Chinese conception of (1) possible gender IDs for humans, and (2) most likely family structure.
Houses in Oak Bluffs, failing to social distance:
(This was the site of a 19th century religious summer camp, prior to Americans’ conversion to the Church of Shutdown.)
Separately, we received a notice from our Town Administrator:
Effective Monday August 10, 2020, Notary services will temporarily be unavailable at Lincoln Town Offices due to the inability to maintain safe social distancing. Notary services will resume when deemed safe to do so. In the meantime, you can contact the following local businesses that advertise notary services…
In other words, it isn’t safe for government workers (who could easily walk a few steps to meet a taxpayer outside and the town hall already has a covered-from-the-rain entry), who will be paid at 100 percent regardless of how much or little they do. So let’s make private-sector employees, who need to work in order to get money, take the risk of close encounters with the public.
My toilet experience in China was primarily in Tibet where toilets looked like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=6sntn7zmrQg&feature=emb_logo so I am not so sure your pics are representative
Shanghai and Tibet opposite ends of the spectrum. Shandong would be more representative of most of China.
My experience was a Peking opera performance in 2011, where there was a Mr. Heinke lyng on the floor next to the toilet. The performance cost $40 per ticket, so there are some privileged pigs in China too!
By the time she gets through her first year of College (and probably before) she’ll understand that she felt that way about the restrooms and the welfare people because of white privilege. It has nothing to do with lazy people on welfare, or government tax dollars that are supposed to be used for public services but instead get vaccumed up by millions of layers of administrative bloat.
“It’s a class issue, it’s a race issue, it’s a gender issue. Middle-class white people who normally have greater access to toilets in public spaces are all of a sudden being denied access. Now they’re woke to it.” – Taunya Lovell Banks, professor Univeristy of Maryland School of Law.
https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2020/07/23/the-pandemic-has-closed-public-restrooms-and-many-have-nowhere-to-go
It’s surprising, though, even the public restrooms at Martha’s Vineyard are in awful shape. Usually the “woke” has its limits.
Interesting attitude from a 12-year-old who has never worked a day in her life, has had every meal she’s ever eaten given to her on a plate, and gets to spend her free time galavanting around in Daddy’s plane. Perhaps she should spend some time with other 12-year-olds, you know, from the immigrant hordes who help Daddy mow lawns on the weekend… but that’s not exactly your crowd, now is it, Phil?
Anonymous: “Daddy” for this 12-year-old was the IFR student/renter. An aircraft renter at our airport is “lower class”. Piston aircraft owners are “lower middle class”. A “middle class” denizen of the airport is in a turboprop (jet engine spinning a propeller). The upper class begins with the light jets. “Rich” is reserved for the Gulfstreamers.
Shanghai is not a representative of the rest of China, it is a first tier city, designed and maintained to be the best of the best as a showcase to the world of China’s capability. It like showing a picture of a bathroom in the Trump Tower in NY.
As for workers cleaning bathrooms. Here in Canada we had a real problem, there was no one available to work on the farms collecting the harvest. Nobody on government support, about 8 million Canadian’s were able to do the high skilled jobs. We had to import high skilled farm labour mostly from Mexico to work on the farms and mainly pick fruit and berries. All the workers had to undergo a two week quarantine upon arrival. No wonder local fruit is more expensive this summer.
Filthy public toilets
of the Dispossessed
are the result of
White Privilege resource
capture. When the Revolution
comes, the rich will
clean the toilets
before being slaughtered
and eaten. Old white males,
hoarding their protein and fats
will be processed into
protein cakes for Children of Color.
His children will be
charged for the costs.
Rise up! Rise up! Rise up!
and abolish class domination!
The Four Olds shall be destroyed!