Saw the most depressingly American thing today

[Sympthsical]

I was down in Cupertino for various reasons, staying at a hotel across the street from Apple Park (their new $5 billion headquarters).

All along the perimeter of the giant circular building?

Homeless encampments.

A $1.3 trillion company with the homeless lined around outside. Positively dystopian.

A fun follow up for those wondering why California is becoming a Covid mess. Passed a huge flea market along 880 in either south Oakland or San Leandro. No social distancing. Maybe half without masks. Completely crowded.

It's a total mystery why cases are spiking here.

[Newest Reality]

1. By my estimation...

Now that we will have that lapse in the extra IU payments and no stimulus check for now, by the end of this month, there may be many people on their way to the streets, (in areas that allow for quicker evictions).

The options are to move in with family, (probably not friends due to landlord restrictions), couch surf until that option runs out, or get a tent, sleeping bag and other camping gear and hit the streets.

That may be the most striking outcome of the high unemployment numbers and it will grow as we go into Fall and the numbers begin to snowball.

Not only is the economy going to take a hit overall from less spending and activity, but this will also impact C1-19 spread and vulnerability. You can not stay in a tent all day, every day, for many, many reasons.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

2. I wonder how many of the homeless work at Apple Park.

Housing is pretty expensive in that area. With covid driving the "work-from-home" model, I wonder how the electrics and wi-fi are done from inside a tent/van/rv?

[CloudWatcher]

10. Not a joke ....

I gave up my Apple job when they demanded (long pre-covid) that I move to Cupertino. The absurd price of housing was the #1 reason I couldn't seriously consider moving.

There's more than a few full-time employees of tech firms living in RVs in the bay area.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

16. I never meant to imply that it's a joke.

Just pointing to the absurdity of a "work-from-home" model when there is no home to work from.

The electricity/wi-fi issue is probably among the least of the worries.

Food, cleanliness, waste disposal, police sweeps, personal security, social interaction, education for the kids, etc. Everything is more challenging. And then there's the worry of the job being outsourced overseas.

I hope you landed well.

[tblue37]

3. We are going to have Hoovervilles everywhere if the GOP doesn't stop obstructing

Democrats' relief efforts.

[csziggy]

4. Let's update that to Trumptowns

It's only appropriate.

[tblue37]

5. Yes. And McConnellvilles. nt

[Sherman A1]

7. I like that name

[csziggy]

13. McConnellvilles makes a good meme, too.

Both of the traitors need to be blamed for this mess along with all of their cohorts.

[2naSalit]

6. That's exactly correct!

Trumptowns.

[Raine]

15. Back in the 1980s lots of us referred to them as Reaganvilles

homelessness was really really bad but mostly it was still in in downtown civic center areas, hadn't moved out to the suburbs ... yet.

[Raine]

8. I wonder if there is a single area here in California

that doesn't have homeless encampments, I doubt that there is.

[dchill]

9. Did you see RoboCop or Snake Plissken?

[yaesu]

11. its pretty much like that in every US city. nt

[kimbutgar]

12. Santa Clara county is still locked down but San Mateo is open but coming close to being locked

Down again.

Growing up Cupertino was the country. A family could buy a affordable home now even a dump is work 2 million. because of COVID A lot of people lost jobs and ended up on the streets. Buying Rvs are big now. I see them on the streets all over the Bay Area. and sadly have seen people living out of their cars. It shouldn’t have to be so hard on people and there are more have not now than haves. My best Friend who I grew up with is living in a homeless shelter. I give her money when I can but she can’t even afford an apartment. Life sucks now for so many people.

[Star-Thrower]

14. We cannot go on like this

Nobody is steering the american ship. It is so depressing, I'm depressed about all those losing unemployment benefits, people losing their homes. The virus continues on and freaking no one in the administration or in congress does'nt seem to give a damn. I sit at home and read the news on the internet, read a book. Social interactions are telephone calls from and to facebook friends, some I have known personally and some I have never met. It is like an oasis in a desert. We have a few months to mount a huge wall of voters to get Trump and the Gop-ers out of the senate. We must prevail in this.

[Texaswitchy]

17. You should see down town Houston.

Nothing like it used to be


Homeless folks everywhere.


Some kind folks are feeding them by the library.

The downtown workers are working from.home.


Downtown is a ghost town.