Thanks

Sick to death of anonymous reply guys

Yes and then I clarified what I meant and admitted it was the wrong word, even though I think my meaning was clear. You seem like the sort of person who just like arguing

Not saying otherwise

There is definitely evidence of the driving thing though. I'll dig up the report. But the causation could equally go the other way - people have to drive because there are no supermarkets and they wouldn't be viable either way

That's a strong point. To be clear I don't think that's the only explanation at all, in part because small *chain* supermarkets are rare in rich places too. Most of the places near me are independent.

Exactly this

Ability to drive rather than willingness probably would have been a better way to put it. It's harder to borrow a car in the UK (at least legally) because of the way car insurance works. But ownership among the poor is just way lower

Yes. I never take public transport to a supermarket because it's way easier to carry stuff on a bike, but I can imagine that for sure

If you're a wealthy person in Chicago, it's not worth the effort of driving out of the city to go to a cheaper Walmart in the suburbs. It probably is if you're poorer. And the research I've seen on food deserts has found even people without ownership of a car can often borrow one or hitch a ride

Whereas if you look at somewhere like the UK that's not as true, so smaller supermarkets can do better with an only marginally high price point. Probably some zoning stuff too - need parking for most US supermarkets

I would love to know more about the economics of why inner-city supermarkets in poor areas in the US do not work. Much of it must be population density & lack of consumer spending power. But there are no small supermarkets either. My theory is that poorer people are more willing to drive

He was right on this BTW. People get incredibly neurotic about missing flights because they've never missed one. Once it's happened to you (assuming you're not travelling with kids) it's annoying but fine and you start leaving/wasting less time at airports.

Indeed

“I can’t risk my life for a sandwich”: A day watching shoplifters at Greggs "No pastries?" said one thief as she cleared the shelves and asked staff for further supplies.

This is such a brilliant bit of reporting by @jim.londoncentric.media and @londoncentric.media: www.londoncentric.media/p/greggs-sho...

Tremendously depressing read. Also: proper reporting.

open.substack.com/pub/londonce...

Reports of a third attempted arson attack on Jewish targets in North London this week. It's getting really scary and more people need to start taking it seriously.

Lol yes, succumbing to nostalgia slop far more terrifying than mere ageing

Bit of Everquest a few years later

I don't think it was old news in 1999. And ChatGPT launched four years ago

I was at a very normal British state school so I think they were, and I was 11, so I wasn't investing in IT companies

38. Old enough to remember being told IT classes were vital to future employment

Massive Attack / Tom Waits - Boots on the Ground YouTube video by Massive Attack

New protesty Massive Attack single with Tom Waits is both weird and amazing. And also not available on streaming (I just paid $1.99 for an MP3 download) but it is on YouTube: youtu.be/L-57FrioeuE?...

Have been waiting almost two years for the right article to smuggle this fact into.

(From my leader on America's misguided war on taxes: economist.com/leaders/2026...)

In a big bag of hydrogen

About $8,000 in today's money, which obviously was a lot more relative to incomes then

Volunteering myself to be the first passenger/reviewer

Indeed. At the lower prices

Cargo probably makes more sense buttttt

The sort of thing I'd do if I had that much money tbf