6 ms·

In Poor, Rural Communities, Fleeing Hurricane Michael Was Tough

s0rce 8y ago
In this case it appears he had a truck but no license. Seems like taking the risk of getting pulled over and cited for driving without a license is preferable to drowning in a 13ft high storm surge, for me at least.
- AnimalMuppet 8y ago
  During that kind of an evacuation, the cops have worse problems than checking licenses. The risk was probably pretty small, at least during the evacuation itself.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
- gregorymichael 8y ago
  A risk calculation that's easier for us, seeing the aftermath, and having nothing at risk.
  - unstuckdev 8y ago
    It's hard for people outside the experience of poverty to understand it. It's not just a ticket if you can't afford to pay it, and can't afford time off work to fight it in court.
- toomanybeersies 8y ago
  He could possibly be out on parole or similar, where getting pulled up for driving with no licence or registration could get you sent back to jail.
- jurassic 8y ago
  For many of these people, even if they have a driver's license, the cost of gas and a hotel room is insurmountable. Many have their entire extended families close by so there isn't a cheap "stay with relatives" option that isn't also in the evacuation zone.
crooked-v 8y ago
Among other things, the situation in the article is an excellent example of why we need a national ID system instead of the absurd patchwork of different issuers that exist today.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- ghaff 8y ago
  Leaving aside the politics of a true national ID card, even if there were a national ID card which went beyond a social security card (which many people don't have a physical copy of), there is absolutely no way that the federal government is going to regulate driver's licenses. And that was the issue here. Of course, we also have a national ID in the form of passports, but a lot of people don't have one.
  - toomuchtodo 8y ago
    > Of course, we also have a national ID in the form of passports, but a lot of people don't have one. Passports should be issued to citizens free of charge, and could carry driving endorsements as physical and digital metadata (I don't suggest that harmonizing driving credentialing and administration across all 50 states and other US territories is an enormous undertaking, just one that should be done).
    - lbotos 8y ago
      Are there countries that issue passports for free now? Tried a quick search and didn't come up with anything fruitful.
      - toomuchtodo 8y ago
        Not entirely free, but I did find several countries that charged as little as $15.
  - fzeroracer 8y ago
yosefzeev 8y ago
Those without many resources are often hit harder than those with abundant resources. The problem in this instance has more to do with bureaucracy than money. It does also show how "valuable" a solider is to the country.
ilamont 8y ago
It's depressing how many people depend on meager Social Security checks to to get by in old age.
- anon49124 8y ago
  Not everyone qualifies for SS because either they didn't pay in long or enough. There's thousands of people working well into their 70's and 80's in menial jobs because SS doesn't cover their living expenses. For example, I'm worried about my mom because her finances are dwindling.
anon49124 8y ago
Because human activities are error-prone, evacuations cause an increase in fatalities; so any evacuation decision has to be balanced against the risks of sheltering locally.
- craftyguy 8y ago
  > evacuations cause an increase in fatalities Compared to what, not evacuating and having hundreds of thousands (or millions) weather out a major hurricane? That seems doubtful..
  - gizmo686 8y ago
    Evacuations cause fatalities; both directly, by decreasing compliance with future evacuations (as happens if the situation turns out to be not as dire as advertised), and by hindering even more necessary evacuations in nearby areas. Non of this is relevant to this case; lack of money shouldn't be the reason people don't evacuate. If the government determines that evacuation is warranted, it should fund an evacutation. (Of course, this policy could backfire if it means the government calling for fewer evacuations).
- JustSomeNobody 8y ago
  Because so many survived Katrina by not evacuating?
SubiculumCode 8y ago
Keep this up and the whole east coast will be up in arms to stop climate change.

In this case it appears he had a truck but no license. Seems like taking the risk of getting pulled over and cited for driving without a license is preferable to drowning in a 13ft high storm surge, for me at least.

AnimalMuppet 8y ago
During that kind of an evacuation, the cops have worse problems than checking licenses. The risk was probably pretty small, at least during the evacuation itself.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
gregorymichael 8y ago
A risk calculation that's easier for us, seeing the aftermath, and having nothing at risk.
- unstuckdev 8y ago
  It's hard for people outside the experience of poverty to understand it. It's not just a ticket if you can't afford to pay it, and can't afford time off work to fight it in court.
toomanybeersies 8y ago
He could possibly be out on parole or similar, where getting pulled up for driving with no licence or registration could get you sent back to jail.
jurassic 8y ago
For many of these people, even if they have a driver's license, the cost of gas and a hotel room is insurmountable. Many have their entire extended families close by so there isn't a cheap "stay with relatives" option that isn't also in the evacuation zone.

crooked-v 8y ago

Among other things, the situation in the article is an excellent example of why we need a national ID system instead of the absurd patchwork of different issuers that exist today.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
ghaff 8y ago
Leaving aside the politics of a true national ID card, even if there were a national ID card which went beyond a social security card (which many people don't have a physical copy of), there is absolutely no way that the federal government is going to regulate driver's licenses. And that was the issue here. Of course, we also have a national ID in the form of passports, but a lot of people don't have one.
- toomuchtodo 8y ago
  > Of course, we also have a national ID in the form of passports, but a lot of people don't have one. Passports should be issued to citizens free of charge, and could carry driving endorsements as physical and digital metadata (I don't suggest that harmonizing driving credentialing and administration across all 50 states and other US territories is an enormous undertaking, just one that should be done).
  - lbotos 8y ago
    Are there countries that issue passports for free now? Tried a quick search and didn't come up with anything fruitful.
    - toomuchtodo 8y ago
      Not entirely free, but I did find several countries that charged as little as $15.
- fzeroracer 8y ago

yosefzeev 8y ago

Those without many resources are often hit harder than those with abundant resources. The problem in this instance has more to do with bureaucracy than money. It does also show how "valuable" a solider is to the country.

ilamont 8y ago

It's depressing how many people depend on meager Social Security checks to to get by in old age.

anon49124 8y ago
Not everyone qualifies for SS because either they didn't pay in long or enough. There's thousands of people working well into their 70's and 80's in menial jobs because SS doesn't cover their living expenses. For example, I'm worried about my mom because her finances are dwindling.

anon49124 8y ago

Because human activities are error-prone, evacuations cause an increase in fatalities; so any evacuation decision has to be balanced against the risks of sheltering locally.

craftyguy 8y ago
> evacuations cause an increase in fatalities Compared to what, not evacuating and having hundreds of thousands (or millions) weather out a major hurricane? That seems doubtful..
- gizmo686 8y ago
  Evacuations cause fatalities; both directly, by decreasing compliance with future evacuations (as happens if the situation turns out to be not as dire as advertised), and by hindering even more necessary evacuations in nearby areas. Non of this is relevant to this case; lack of money shouldn't be the reason people don't evacuate. If the government determines that evacuation is warranted, it should fund an evacutation. (Of course, this policy could backfire if it means the government calling for fewer evacuations).
JustSomeNobody 8y ago
Because so many survived Katrina by not evacuating?

SubiculumCode 8y ago

Keep this up and the whole east coast will be up in arms to stop climate change.