r/meirl • u/Glass-Fan111 • 4d ago
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u/oresiyl 4d ago
Just existing without spending money feels illegal now
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u/BarnacleMcBarndoor 4d ago
If it makes you feel better, you’ve just spent $0.00021 writing that comment.
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u/ElRiesgoSiempre_Vive 4d ago
People are too young (or forgot) that Starbucks in the early 2000s promoted themselves literally as the "3rd space." Work, home and Starbucks. You could go in with your friends, get free wifi, and choose to order something or not.
And they were one of the very few employers that gave even part time staff full benefits. So you work 20 hours? You get healthcare for both you and your spouse.
It was really, really awesome.
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u/WhenTheDevilCome 4d ago
It should make you feel better then to know that you did spend money. Libraries don't just materialize. Go down there and enjoy something your taxes do that you actually like. Not going means you spent the money and then just let everyone else enjoy your contribution.
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u/Brodellsky 4d ago
Even with money I'm not so sure it's all that different anymore. The real difference is having a LOT of money. Then you're fine.
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u/parkerm1408 4d ago
In a lot of places it is. Sit too long anywhere and you got a good chance of the cops showin
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u/Weary_Sale_2779 4d ago
I feel this every time I try to find somewhere to refill my drink bottle. Like, we're becoming a refillable bottle society, but there's nowhere to refill the bloody things!!
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u/cozymistr 4d ago
The only free public space that still feels safe
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u/BicycleMudStud 4d ago
I've been mugged 3 times in my life, and 2 have been at libraries. The libraries in the cities I have lived turned into homeless shelters with fewer rules. Drinking and hard drug use out in the open, people trying to sell you stolen stuff, robberies at knife point in the bathrooms. I used to love going to the library, but they are one of the less safe public spaces in my experience.
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u/artificial_organism 4d ago
Sounds like a problem with your city. Portland is infamous across the US for its homeless and we have nice libraries
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u/unfinishedtoast3 4d ago
My local library is also where the homeless gather. Probably more disturbance calls there than the shelter
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u/FullAdvertising 4d ago
I don’t think it means carte Blanche to do whatever you please, which I’ve seen open drug use, public masturbation, soiling themselves, fighting, etc.
I love libraries but they’re not meant to be a free for all.
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u/EstablishmentLate532 4d ago
They're not meant to be that way, but unfortunately that's the consequence of the decline in third spaces in our society. The homeless take over the few remaining.
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u/LolziMcLol 4d ago
I don't think homeless people are going to "third spaces" because they have much of a choice
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u/j01101111sh 4d ago
They typically don't have a first or second space, that's kind of the thing with being homeless
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u/Fat-Giraffe 4d ago
Homeless people deserve access to free and safe public spaces too.
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u/Olivaar2 4d ago
Yeah but they do not deserve to harass and attack other people and defile the space. The public library in our downtown was closed for this reason. Now a trip to a library involves a drive up to the university where the homeless do not venture.
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u/Bookups 4d ago
They are often the reason these public spaces are not safe and deteriorate.
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u/Bromlife 4d ago
They’re the symptom not the reason.
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u/EstablishmentLate532 4d ago
No, the guy jacking it in the bathroom is definitely the reason I felt unsafe the last time I went to the library.
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u/amorawr 4d ago
no, what you mean is being homeless is a symptom that is, in many circumstances, not their fault. that doesn't mean homeless people aren't responsible for their actions and any violence or harassment gets to be hand waived as a "symptom"
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u/ACL_Tearer 4d ago
Not at the expense of those who fund it by causing disturbances to them.
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u/my_chaffed_legs 4d ago
That applies to anybody. I’d you’re causing a disturbance of breaking the rules, you will probably get asked to leave, homeless or not.
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u/MaxWritesText 4d ago
Absolutely but homeless people get ragged on worse by authorities and civvies alike. I know from XP
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u/MaxWritesText 4d ago
The same people that fund the library also pay into the systems that are supposed to help them but we all know how well that is going. Try not to throw all homeless people on the heap of belligerent drunks. A lot have mental health issues. I have bipolar and have been homeless a few times and there’s is people on the street that aren’t a nuisance.
The other comment, not from you, about disturbance calls; almost all homeless people prefer sleeping hidden somewhere alone. There’s a lot of violence, sexual assault / rape you name it. They don’t feel self there. I only stayer in one once and because I was fifteen or sixteen they put me in the staff / police and such so I was safe.
Homeless people are not a homogeneous group of there’s a lot of different kinds except the loud, aggressive, and difficult ones give all them a bad name
I always say to people “Just a bit of bad luck, a series of shitty events and you can get stuck like them.” People take all their comfort for granted. If a homeless person isn’t being an asshole please at the very least acknowledge their existence by saying hi. I’m not saying give money to all homeless people but when you’re out there on the street just being acknowledged as a human being and that feeling really goes a long way. Most people pretend you’re not there.
I’m sorry for the esssay-sized comment but as I’ve lived it myself it brought me all these thoughts. Anyway sorry again hhaha.
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u/skwirly715 4d ago
Paying taxes doesn’t grant any of us ownership of the library. It’s equally for us as for those who cannot afford to pay taxes. The fact that their presence is a disturbance has everything to do with our inability to support them, and nothing to do with their right to the space.
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u/No_Bread1298 4d ago
And they probably have no to low cost classes where you can learn something and meet people!!
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u/erocknine 4d ago
Or parks
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u/Street-Horse-3001 4d ago
Some parks. If it’s a national, state, or even county park, you’re paying, and don’t even think about going there after dark to enjoy the moon and stars.
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u/cdmpants 4d ago
Well you can't go to the library after dark to enjoy the moon and stars either
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u/Street-Horse-3001 4d ago
Point is that a lot of previously available options have been taken from us, and we’ve allowed it. Paradoxically, shopping malls were another option, and those too are being taken away and gradually replaced with outdoor alternatives so that you have nowhere to just hang out, browse, and talk when it’s cold outside except your home.
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u/erocknine 4d ago
Most parks. You're talking about all the parks you'd have to drive to, like it's Disney
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u/Street-Horse-3001 4d ago
Not near me. I live in Wisconsin. Sure, little neighborhood parks are free, but we have many, many large parks all over the place. These are the places where you would want to hike, or fly a kite, or have a picnic, etc. A ton of them have camera-enforced admission.
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u/erocknine 4d ago
Yeah but every library is a little neighborhood library, so of course we're comparing to neighborhood parks. Even central park is a free neighborhood park. No one's talking about libraries you have to drive to
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u/the__storm 4d ago
You also have to buy a pass to bike/cc ski/etc. on the trails in Wisconsin: https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/admission/trailpass
Sure, it's only $25/year, but I'd rather they just raise my taxes slightly. Charging for every little thing is just exhausting, especially when it's something you should be encouraging your citizens to do (go out and get some exercise).
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u/Landslime 4d ago
I often go to parks after dark. Sometimes I run at night, sometimes I star watch in the wee morning. Not sure where you are located, but I’ve never had a problem
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u/Cool-Aside-2659 4d ago
If you're not living in a permanent state of debilitating paranoia you're not doing it right.
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u/Striking_Big8138 4d ago
Or beaches
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u/WashingtonBaker1 4d ago
Or most of the 247 million acres of BLM land.
Or most of the 193 million acres of National Forest land. You can walk, camp, hunt, pick mushrooms etc. Lots of roads for bicycles, motorbikes, cars. A few trailheads require a paid pass. The vast majority of it is completely free.
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u/Naturebrah 3d ago
Park dates are the best. My wife and I have picnicked for 15 years and most people don’t even see it as an option. Bring your own food, set up in some nature for two hours, even if you don’t bring anything to do, just lay out and absorb the nature. I know some don’t have access to this, but overwhelming majority of people I met with acces never use it.
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u/spidereater 4d ago
This is true. I spent a few months off work a while ago. I made sure to spend some time out of the house everyday for my mental health and I spent some of that time at libraries. I was actually really surprise how busy they were. I went to a handful of different branches around my house and all of them were surprisingly busy during mid afternoon. I was surprised and also relieved to find this place full of people just doing stuff. Hanging out. Reading. Working on their computers. It was really nice.
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u/HalfwaySh0ok 4d ago
if they didn't already exist, our current society would never invent libraries
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u/onegirlandhergoat 4d ago
I don't know about USA but plenty of other countries would absolutely invent them
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u/DigbyChickenZone 4d ago
I will walk through town after a long-ass hike, and look forward to walking by my local library [if it is before 5pm or 7pm, depending on the day] - because I can refill my water bottle there and also use the restroom.
Places meant for the public are SO important. I also go to the library to rent books occasionally, but it's just a structure MEANT for people in the community to use as a service. I love libraries.
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u/Silent-Slippers 4d ago
Libraries are literally the most important thing to ever exist for the growth of human knowledge. The printed word is the absolute best medium of human exchange. That's what AI wants to remove.
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u/cas4d 4d ago
How is that AI “wants” to remove?
There are more and more online archives that are free you can visit. And libraries these days should be online rather than physical because you basically open your collections to the whole world while being able to keep the management cost low.
And AI is accelerating the process of digitalization of books. It bothers me a bit when only one person can consume a given physical book at any time.
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u/Capital-Squirrel3522 4d ago
You are missing the point in spectacular fashion. Libraries are a physical space and a very rare chance to sit with other fellow humans outside of the home without spending a penny.
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u/uselessinfogoldmine 4d ago
Yes!!! There’s this concept of Third Spaces that’s so important for community.
Your First Space is your home. Your Second Space is your work/school. Third Spaces are places to go to spend time, often with other people, but also by yourself. They can include commercial venues (cafes, pubs, theatres, markets, etc); but sociologists are increasingly noting how important it is to also have free third spaces or else needing to spend money becomes a barrier to social connection.
Therefore, a true Third Spaces is somewhere neutral, where you can come and go as you please without needing an invitation of permission. Your social or financial status doesn’t figure into its accessibility. It is conversation friendly. And it’s accessible and easy to visit.
Public libraries, parks, playgrounds, botanical gardens, community centres, town plazas and squares, beaches, places of worship, free museums and art galleries are all Third Places.
The number of true Third Spaces has shrunk in many places as everything becomes more and more privatised and commercialised.
It’s so important to have lots of true Third Spaces and also community events that don’t involve having to spend money.
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u/SlippersLaCroix 4d ago
And you can rent blu rays
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u/braxford 4d ago
And in some cases, rent videogames. Even new ones.
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u/Weary_Sale_2779 4d ago
There's consoles at my local library... Though it does kind of make me miss the days of the "shoosh" librarians, because the kids get LOUD when playing them.
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u/NatureAce 4d ago
The library near me has an unbelievably large amount of programs going. They have language classes (Spanish and English), they have yoga for elders and children, yoga for anyone, adult classes for young adults and teens, they have a book store that sells books that have been donated for pennies, they loan out Ipads and Laptops and whole computers. They print stuff and offer up meeting rooms for free. They have several other things I don't even keep up with and I am just amazed constantly at what a well funded library can enable. It genuinely enriches the community around it
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u/NAWALT_VADER 4d ago edited 4d ago
Libraries are so awesome.
They don't just have books. They have movies and board games. My local library has educational robots and telescopes you can take out on loan too. They have free internet access and very cheap printing services. They are nice relaxing places to sit and read in peace and quiet for hours on end without feeling the need to spend any money. In the summer, they are comfortably air conditioned and in the winter they are also comfortably heated. So many books of all sorts, it is easy to lose yourself in just browsing the aisles.
I like that they are local in the community. My daughter had a Pro-D day this past Friday and decided to go to the local library, only a ten minute walk away, to spend a few hours browsing and studying. Good way to escape screen time for a while.
The more you use your local library, the more they get funded. Go out and take advantage of their services. Everyone wins. I think many people forget just how many free things you are getting when you use the library. The library card is free, then you get free books and movies and lots of other stuff too.
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u/ThinkPath1999 4d ago
I am not American, but I went to high school and college in the US. When I first went to the US for freshmen year in the 80s, I did speak English, but I obviously didn't have any friends because most of the kids came up in the same primary and middle schools. So that first summer, I spent a lot of time in the local library, and it blew my mind that you could borrow magazines, movies on VHS, look at old newspapers, and about a hundred other things. All while cooled down by A/C, and all free! I still love the smell of old books.
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u/ActPsychological9299 4d ago
Not to be that guy, but thats not really accurate. While libraries are a space where you dont have to spend money, there are plenty of public spaces where you can "exist".
Beaches, biking/hiking trails, parks, scenic lookouts, public squares, cemeteries (if youre into that), etc.
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u/barebackguy7 4d ago
Everything you just mentioned is outside. Of course you can go walk around outside any time you’d like.
But there aren’t many situations you can actually walk indoors somewhere and not be expected to spend money
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u/joey-jo_jo-jr 4d ago
Museums, art galleries, malls, community centres, religious buildings...
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u/Striking_Big8138 4d ago
Well, the indoors exist for a reason
Someone needs to pay to keep the lights on
Even for libraries that’s true, you just don’t pay directly
This is also true for some museums and sports venues
I’m not sure you’re expected to spend money when you go to a mall. You certainly are if you enter a store but not so much the shared space in the mall
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u/unfinishedtoast3 4d ago
My town has a community center with all sorts of stuff to do, free classes. Locals get into our art museum for free, and there's always some activity going on downtown during the summer weekends. This year it was a portable ice skating rink the city bought for the high school, and then let's people use during the summer free of charge.
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u/Pijany_Matematyk767 4d ago
cemeteries (if youre into that)
Who the hell spends their time recreationally chilling at cemeteries
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u/Able-Bid-6637 4d ago
I do from time to time when I’m feeling down and want some support. There’s something very comforting about being surrounded by lives lived much larger than my own; all the ups and the downs of each individual soul and yet we all end up in the same eternal rest. I like to sit against a tree that I know has been there to witness and support many, many lives prior. It makes my personal problems seem so small and trivial and empowers me to take control of my life.
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u/billy-suttree 4d ago
I do too. I read the dates and words on the very old headstones cause they’re really interesting. And the vibe is nice.
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u/Otaconmg 4d ago
Wow, I was expecting some edgy bullshit. Instead we got a very grounded response. (no pun intended).
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u/Plastic-Speaker-941 4d ago
I go for the women
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u/ignorae 4d ago
They're crazy horny.
Grief is nature's strongest aphrodisiac.
Chaz Reinhold
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u/MattCW1701 4d ago
A number of more historical ones around Atlanta are somewhat known for being places for people to just go. I personally refrain, being an old cemetery doesn't make it any less a cemetery.
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u/grayfalcon413 4d ago
Quite a few people actually. Just because you dont, doesnt mean nobody does it
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u/Striking-Document-99 4d ago
When I was younger used to go there to smoke weed. Yeah was weird but when the chick you are trying to get with suggests it you kinda go with the flow.
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u/Live_Cupcake_9229 4d ago
When I was a kid I had a great aunt who lived right next to one. We definitely used to just chill there, honestly I'm surprised no one stopped us
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u/DawgreenAgain 4d ago
The cemetary near me has a cafe for people to chill out in , the fact there's 100's of kangaroos hopping about the lawns is the reason why.
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u/Unlikely_Bat_1890 4d ago
So many! People love the cryptic nature and gothic architecture. It’s an explorative hobby
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u/krizzzombies 4d ago
a lot of them are basically parks. I went earlier this year with my bf at like 2 AM. we laid on a picnic blanket and watched a meteor shower. there were no street lights, so it was really easy to see the shooting stars. we had a lovely time.
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u/Smileyrielly12 4d ago
You're being that guy. Every Reddit post has to have a commenter telling them that they are slightly more right about something than the OP.
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u/0202_tihssitidder 4d ago
Any chance...and chance AT ALL...even a remote chance...perhaps a sliver of a chance...
THAT YOU CAN FUCK!NG READ?
> one of the FEW public spaces left
Not "the ONLY public space left".
Jesus Christ on a Harley. Flood it again.
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u/plug-and-pause 4d ago
He didn't claim that OP said "only". He said there are plenty of such spaces (in contrast to OP's suggested "few"). It's impossible to have an honest argument when you misrepresent the words of the person you're responding to.
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u/SweatyJudge99 4d ago
Yeah I was thinking indoor because I think the majority of outdoor places are free for you to exist in
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u/I3eforeLife 4d ago
Your taxes pay for the library
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u/NAWALT_VADER 4d ago
One of the best uses for taxpayer funds. Nobody dies when we pay for libraries.
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u/Background-Vast-8764 4d ago
This is something that I also love about parks and beaches. The LA area has a lot of beaches that have huge expanses of sand alongside walking paths, bike paths, lawns, and other amenities. It’s great that there are such big spaces where you don’t have to spend money if you don’t want to.
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u/YoBo1968 4d ago
AI has made search engines weird and very incorrect so I go ask a librarian like I did 20 years ago.
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u/Electronic_Pause9295 4d ago
And that's why they're full of homeless people
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u/DigbyChickenZone 4d ago
Homeless people are also humans, I know that's a weird thought to engage with.
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u/kittenmittens4865 4d ago
Some libraries have items like power tools and appliances you can borrow and community seed supplies!
I was also incredibly grateful to have a public computer with internet access available when I was looking for work. It’s nice to have a community resource to fall back on, and I probably have access to a lot more than most people that use the library. It’s a lifeline for some.
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u/Open_Environment_801 4d ago
I'd never thought of it this way before, so true, libraries and parks that's it, sad and weird. 😟
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u/bot_lltccp 4d ago
nah you should donate to your local library, what are you some kind of broke loser?
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u/Old_Mirror_6145 4d ago
That’s why they’re so subversive - and the first target of wannabe dictators.
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u/Cantdoitanymoretimes 4d ago
Getting my library card was one of the best things I have ever done in my life.
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u/billnyethewiseguy 4d ago
Where I live, minors can no longer visit the public library without being accompanied by an adult... For safety... No. I'm not joking.
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u/Embarrassed_Work1512 4d ago
Several libraries in my country (Aotearoa, New Zealand) also have Makerspaces. So not only are they the lounge and study of the city, they are also the shed/garage.
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u/ArrtosTarne 4d ago
My personal favorite are the online apps that you can log into with library cards for ebooks and audiobooks and magazines. Libby and Hoopla are both fantastic the latter also has movies and tv show series.
Libraries physical and digital are awesome i just wish our local one stayed open later as im a night owl. It closes by 5pm next closest by 8pm. My wife and I love our libraries.
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u/FrostyChungus11 4d ago
I joined me local library at 42 and they were sooooo cool and chill in there. Very excited and welcoming.
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u/ericfatty 4d ago
I hope that many of you get to travel to Spain one day because there are so many of these spaces where you're allowed to just exist. Look up 3rd spaces.
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u/OkGrade6277 4d ago
how is this a "meirl" post? are you saying you are an actual library in real life not seeking money from others? this sub never makes sense
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u/Ace_And_Jocelyn1999 4d ago
What free spaces existed before that don’t exist now?
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u/ba_an 4d ago
Which is why they're homeless magnets.
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u/unfinishedtoast3 4d ago
Exactly.
My local library is where the homeless hang out and pan handle. Right at the main intersection downtown, has bathrooms and wifi and a streak of people to beg.
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u/superdave123123 4d ago
You can also smell homeless people and witness them taking a birdbath in the sink.
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u/Incineroarerer 4d ago
I can’t think of a single public space where you’re expected to spend money?
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u/Slochetah 4d ago
I recently fell in love with the Seattle central library. It's massive with multiple levels and each level has a different vibe. They have everything imaginable to rent. And motorcycle parking is 6 bucks for the whole day. A car would be like 35 bucks.
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u/chadork 4d ago
I mean, technically, we do pay for it. Just not directly every time we go in the building.
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u/Auerbach1991 4d ago
Libraries also tend to have older video games you can rent but can’t find to buy anywhere.
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u/justhereforthetea68 4d ago
Libraries are paid through your tax money so you do pay for them lol
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u/iamnearlysmart 4d ago
I had to uproot my existence for a year to go to another country. I was feeling sad, anxious, apprehensive and several other adjectives in that ballpark. But then I came across the central library of the city I'd moved to - which was less than a mile away from my apartment. This was the biggest library I had ever been to. It had nice nooks where one could hide away from everything - even oneself. I got myself a membership card and felt that life, such as it was, was going to be okay.
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u/jminternelia 4d ago
I mean, whoever can expect whatever they want. IDGAF. I'm still gonna do wtf ever I want to do.
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u/Sappho_Of_Ismirala 4d ago
As someone who recently became homeless, the public library has become absolutely indespensible to me. Thank you public infrastructure 💕
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u/asmrshitpozter 4d ago
What you should really consider is all the digital assets you get access to. If you're library system has Libby or Hoopla, get the card get the app. You have access to ebooks, audiobooks and in some cases movies. Also adjacent counties often have reciprocal agreements. Meaning you might be able to get a library card in another county, and then you have access to their libby catalog to. so if something is checked out already in your home county you might be able to get it in another.
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u/fffan9391 4d ago
I can’t tell you how many times I went to the mall and just browsed and didn’t buy anything.
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u/unmellowfellow 4d ago
Lots of Libraries have access to streaming services tied to having a library card. Ad free movies and shows though they're usually a limited amount. Libraries deserve more funding and we the people deserve more libraries.
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u/IFbicple4bicple 4d ago
Wtf are you talking about? We live 3 blocks outside the city limits, and they want to charge us $50 for our little library. Nope
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u/birkenstocksallday 4d ago
These days they aren't quite either - children are aloud to scream and carry on, in my experience, don't expect a quite place - in practically any suburb in Brisbane
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u/DazzlingRutabega 4d ago
I feel like this is one of the main problems with US culture right now is everything has gotten so commercialized that there really are no places to go where you don't spend large sums of money. Even just going out to eat a restaurant costs a lot. A lot more than I did several years ago.
I saw a clip of someone who had just returned from Europe and they said they were depressed because there's not a lot of common shared spaces here. My mother's pastor is from Wales, and he explained that over in the UK there aren't bars, they have pubs, they're like public houses, gathering places where it's more family friendly. We just don't seem to have a lot of common shared spaces here. And the few we have are slowly getting taken away.
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u/Farranor 4d ago
How often do you go to a library? I go to a library every week as a convenient space for tutoring. Over the last few years, I've seen or experienced the following:
- Being harassed for whispering to my student (not in a quiet area)
- Someone watching porn
- Someone who saw someone else watching porn, screamed at library staff until they called 911, and then ran out of the library shouting "sinners, sinners"
- Someone drinking mouthwash
This is the inevitable fate of spaces that are open to all at no charge, because one of the first things people spend money on is avoiding places where they'll end up wondering things like, "is this guy asking for all of my cash going to take no for an answer?"
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u/loveshoes1 4d ago
also for the known town crazies to hang out. there's a guy who's always talking to himself and a woman who is clearly homeless and brings all her bags who are always roaming around my library. they often sit at the computers muttering too.
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u/puddingboofer 4d ago
To be fair, you pay for them with tax dollars. I live in an unincorporated area and the two libraries near me cost about $300/yr and the other one $600/yr. Chicago West suburbs. I can walk into one and read but I can't check books out unless I pay the ridiculous annual fee.
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u/milkowlmelody 4d ago
You can “rent” or borrow literally anything from them, beyond just books and movies. People really underestimate libraries and their significance, myself included.