Armed pizza delivery [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

pendell

2012-08-22, 09:31 AM

Well this is a new one for me (http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/08/17/pizza-franchise-creates-not-after-dark-delivery-rule-in-detroit-after-driver-shot/) .

It's a tragic story, and my heart goes out to the victim. Still, this is an interesting snippet.

efore the shooting, they sent two drivers to every nighttime Detroit delivery, one of whom was armed, Joan McKenna said.

“They usually send somebody with a guy … who carries a gun,” she said. “Usually they have two go into Detroit after dark, if they have a delivery … One guy has a legal, he can carry a gun. That night, Timmy was the only one left, they had this one run to do, he said ‘yeah, I’ll do it.’ He’s a kid, he doesn’t think anything’s going to happen to him.”

So let me get this straight ... You need armed guards to deliver pizza in Detroit?

I guess it says terrible things about me, but my first thought was not for the victim (who deserves our prayers, him and his family), but for the Shadowrun campaigns that could be made from this.

1) A dark room. Four runners stand by. An orc street samurai, two techno-shamans, an okutai. The Johnson steps in, slaps down a cardboard box. "301 Maple street. 30 minutes. $5000. Mr. Lynch REALLY needs pepperoni and he needs it NOW."

2) Another Job from Johnson. "You may not be aware that Ares corp. is also the owner of the Pizza House chain. And something bad happened to one of our drivers." His eyes narrow. "Find out who did it. Give 'em an Ares special, hot, fresh and free."

3) Now we know what Robocop will do if he ever gets tired of being a police officer in Detroit City...

Respectfully,

Brian P.

Snowbluff

2012-08-22, 09:35 AM

Have you ever read Snowcrash?

The book starts off with a bit about how you can way overdo trying to delivered pizza.

The Glyphstone

2012-08-22, 09:37 AM

Have you ever read Snowcrash?

The book starts off with a bit about how you can way overdo trying to delivered pizza.

Darn, you beat me to it.

At least the driver survived. Being shot for pizza is bad enough without dying for pizza.

pendell

2012-08-22, 09:38 AM

Evil thought: Here's a solution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmanned_ground_vehicle)

Your drivers are being robbed or murdered? So use drone vehicles that don't require human occupants. Drop in the pizza (in an insulated compartment), build the vehicle heavy so it can drive through a concrete block if needed. It knows no pity, no remorse, no fear, and it absolutely will not stop -- until the delivery is made. And the best part is, it won't want a tip.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

Kneenibble

2012-08-22, 09:39 AM

Wow, Detroit. Somehow I'm not remotely surprised.

Mewtarthio

2012-08-22, 09:41 AM

I guess it says terrible things about me, but my first thought was not for the victim (who deserves our prayers, him and his family), but for the Shadowrun campaigns that could be made from this.

That is terrible. Your first thought should have been, "Uncle Enzo will never let them get away with this!"

Thank goodness the kid survived, by the way.

Snowbluff

2012-08-22, 09:43 AM

You know, I think pizza delivery shenanigans could be a trope by now.

pendell

2012-08-22, 09:47 AM

Darn, you beat me to it.

At least the driver survived. Being shot for pizza is bad enough without dying for pizza.

I regret I have but one life to give for the Matchbox 8-meat special.

Tongue-in-cheek,

Brian P.

Tyndmyr

2012-08-22, 09:55 AM

Have you ever read Snowcrash?

The book starts off with a bit about how you can way overdo trying to delivered pizza.

Was gonna say exactly that.

In seriousness though, Detroit is pretty bad. Damn.

polity4life

2012-08-22, 11:09 AM

I had a very reactionary and defensive reply written up. After reviewing it and looking at this interactive map made by the Detroit News (http://www.detroitnews.com/article/99999999/SPECIAL01/120606001), my vitriolic prose wouldn't look very convincing.

:smallsigh:

Tyndmyr

2012-08-22, 01:00 PM

In fairness, Baltimore's looks pretty similar.

I do avoid going to Baltimore, though, on account of not wanting to die.

THAC0

2012-08-22, 06:44 PM

I... don't know why this is so surprising, honestly!

Togath

2012-08-22, 08:13 PM

Lady Moreta

2012-08-22, 08:40 PM

Keld Denar

2012-08-22, 08:43 PM

ForzaFiori

2012-08-22, 09:03 PM

Thankfully, where I live isn't THAT bad, although Anderson, SC (which has a population of 26,000) actually has a HIGHER car theft rate than Detroit, Seattle, and LA. It's in the top 10 worst in the nation.

Lady Moreta

2012-08-22, 10:02 PM

You think Detroit is bad? Try Flint. Just up the road from Detroit, POLICE don't respond to anything in Flint unless it's a homicide.

Flint is like, highest in per capita murders. If it were the size of Baltimore or Detroit, it would make them look like happy fun time theme parks.

I'm from New Zealand and I live in Australia - that sort of - sheer volume just doesn't happen over here. (I'll admit, I haven't the faintest idea what the crime rate actually is, but I'm pretty darn sure if someone made a pin-point map, it wouldn't look like that!)

The Glyphstone

2012-08-22, 10:06 PM

Cikomyr

2012-08-22, 10:10 PM

Move to Canada.

Montreal is nice...

The Glyphstone

2012-08-22, 10:16 PM

Canada, where the muggers apologize after stealing your wallet and offer to leave you enough cash for bus fare home.

polity4life

2012-08-22, 10:18 PM

Flint is bad and is in fundamentally worse shape than Detroit. Apart from not being the heart of a large metropolitan region, Flint also has no opportunity for growth. What it does present, as does Detroit, is a fantastic sandbox for out-of-the-box thinking on how to manage and rebuild a municipality. For example, Flint's woes have resulted in the development of one of the largest, most capable land banks in Michigan and maybe even the country. A lot can be learned on how this is managed and what the results are.

As for that map I linked, you will note that the central section starting from around Hamtramck, going southeast to the river is relatively absent of datapoints. That is by design. The Detroit police department are deployed in such a manner to keep Midtown and New Center, the areas with Wayne State University, the Detroit Institute of Arts, and the massive healthcare providers and researchers, and downtown safer than the rest of the city. Development and suburbanite traffic are the heaviest in those areas. Downtown also has two avenues into Canada, a tunnel and a bridge, with another bridge likely to start being constructed after a ridiculous lawsuit is thrown out. This brings the U.S. Border Patrol into play. They don't police the city but their presence is enough to help the DPD near the waterfront.

The reasons for this policy of police assignment should be self evident: the city is protecting the present and future sources of development and revenues. The problem is that this is all done at the expense of the neighborhoods which aren't properly patrolled due to resource limitations.

I could go on and on about Detroit, it's problems, the problems that beget other problems, and possible solutions but I'm not sure if this forum is the proper place to say it all.

Lady Moreta

2012-08-22, 10:21 PM

Canada, where the muggers apologize after stealing your wallet and offer to leave you enough cash for bus fare home.

... is- is that something that actually happened, or are you just making it up?

Mutant Sheep

2012-08-22, 10:23 PM

Wow. I was thinking of making a long and politically charged rant, but that map... damn. Scary to think about. It's only the Summer too. All that over THIS Summer. Only since May...:smallfrown: First "Suspected Homicide" I clicked on was a mother of six found dead in a river.

The Glyphstone

2012-08-22, 10:28 PM

... is- is that something that actually happened, or are you just making it up?

It's Canada.:smallcool: Yes, I made it up.

Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll

2012-08-22, 10:46 PM

Totally (not) relevant!

http://static.dangerousminds.net/uploads/afiles/candianwhewghjgj_thumb.jpg

KingOfLaughter

2012-08-22, 10:52 PM

Us Canadians get up to all sorts of suspicious nonsense. :P

Karoht

2012-08-22, 10:52 PM

It's Canada.:smallcool: Yes, I made it up.We also have free healthcare. Hypothetically, if you got shot, you'd be fine.
Our ambulance response times are pretty darned good I might add. And we have a helicopter air ambulance as well (here in Calgary). Emergency wait times are not what everyone blows them out of proportion to be, but that's a topic for another thread, maybe.

Lady Moreta

2012-08-22, 10:54 PM

... I'm starting to be very grateful I live in the Southern Hemisphere :smalltongue:

Elemental

2012-08-23, 02:05 AM

... I'm starting to be very grateful I live in the Southern Hemisphere :smalltongue:

As am I.
*vows never to go to Detroit for fear of dying to an unnamed assailant*

Rawhide

2012-08-23, 04:18 AM

As am I.
*vows never to go to Detroit for fear of dying to an unnamed assailant*

Our animals are fluffy bunnies in comparison.

The Succubus

2012-08-23, 04:24 AM

I for one will add my vote for an armed drop bear invasion of Detroit.

@Pendell: Your title was a little misleading, sir. I was expecting to see a report on a Pepperoni Special covered in in bear traps and land mines, or at the very least capable of carrying its own baseball bat.

Elemental

2012-08-23, 04:27 AM

Our animals are fluffy bunnies in comparison.

Agreed. I'm more likely to survive a bit from a Red Belly Blacksnake than visiting Detroit...

I for one will add my vote for an armed drop bear invasion of Detroit.

Why do I always have to remind people that they're extinct! We even took the effort to erase them from the fossil record!

polity4life

2012-08-23, 06:25 AM

Elemental

2012-08-23, 06:57 AM

Ugh...alright, look. Detroit isn't a war zone where Geneva is willfully ignored. It doesn't have a homicide rate of 1000 per 1000 people. You are not guaranteed to be harmed in any way being in Detroit.

I've lived and worked in and around the city my entire adult life and I've yet to encounter anything remotely threatening. This hasn't made me Snake Plissken or Max Rockatansky. Millions of people can make that claim. It's a city that has quite a bit to offer, just like any other, that has some acute issues.

I challenge anyone who thinks Detroit is nigh hell on earth to visit it sometime. You would quickly find out that this opinion is simply not the case.

I know. Hell is under Iceland. (Just kidding)
But no offence to Detroit, it looks positively lovely and I am fond of architecture, but if I were able to visit the United States, I'd have too much stuff on my itinery to have time to visit Detroit.
I don't even know how I'd fit in all the things I want to. Ideally, I'd need to visit for several months or numerous times.

Let me see... I'd need to see deciduous trees, snow, numerous landforms I won't list because of the number, prove to myself that there's no way I'm ever going to be able to ski, Wilmington, the Declaration of Independence so I can have fun looking for spelling errors...
You know... Tourist things.

CoffeeIncluded

2012-08-23, 07:05 AM

...So that's what New York City was like in the 70s and 80s. :smalleek:

super dark33

2012-08-23, 07:11 AM

@Pendell: Your title was a little misleading, sir. I was expecting to see a report on a Pepperoni Special covered in in bear traps and land mines, or at the very least capable of carrying its own baseball bat.

Hmmm, pastry pockets filled with the hottest spices known to mankind as mines,
but how do we make a bear trap?

OT: Yeah.... no big surprise.

The Succubus

2012-08-23, 08:05 AM

Archonic Energy

2012-08-23, 08:39 AM

Oh, terrific. So what the blazes am I supposed to do with a battilion of bazooka-carrying drop bears now?! :smallannoyed:

sell them to the soviets (http://cnc.wikia.com/wiki/War_Bear) :smallamused:

also: who the hell shoots Pizza Delivery guys... how do you get your pizza next time?

Fragenstein

2012-08-23, 09:00 AM

:eek:

That's.... terrifying...

It gets even better if you start actually reading some of those marked reports. Example...

"The victim, 14, was involved in a verbal altercation when the suspect fired shots, striking the victim. The victim refused medical treatment"

Walk it off, son. Walk it off.

pendell

2012-08-23, 09:12 AM

As am I.
*vows never to go to Detroit for fear of dying to an unnamed assailant*

Realistically, you're more likely to be hit by a car in Detroit or anywhere in the US than you are to ever encounter an armed assailant.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

Elemental

2012-08-23, 09:20 AM

Realistically, you're more likely to be hit by a car in Detroit or anywhere in the US than you are to ever encounter an armed assailant.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

I am aware of that. However, the main difference is, I know how to avoid getting hit by a car. Unfortunately, my education has never involved such useful skills as unarmed combat or stealth.

Rawhide

2012-08-23, 09:27 AM

I am aware of that. However, the main difference is, I know how to avoid getting hit by a car. Unfortunately, my education has never involved such useful skills as unarmed combat or stealth.

Agreeing with Elemental here. There are some people who should never go to a place where there is such a high crime rate. They will stand out like a sore thumb and act like a beacon begging someone to assault them.

Primarily this has to do with life experiences, e.g. if you've grown up in a safe neighborhood with trustworthy friends playing computer games, you do not walk The Bronx at night.

Peregrine

2012-08-23, 09:34 AM

... I'm starting to be very grateful I live in the Southern Hemisphere :smalltongue:
You mean the hemisphere with South Africa? :smallamused:

Down here, South Africa gets pretty much the same reputation as Detroit does in the US. And...

Ugh...alright, look. Detroit isn't a war zone where Geneva is willfully ignored. It doesn't have a homicide rate of 1000 per 1000 people. You are not guaranteed to be harmed in any way being in Detroit.
...South Africans have much the same reaction. Most of them get by without being shot, robbed, or otherwise inconvenienced in a criminal manner.

But nobody wants to go there and be the unlucky one. (And tourists in South Africa are at a higher risk of various crimes than locals. I gather that this isn't true for Detroit, where the touristy parts of the city are safer than the suburbs where the locals live.)

Elemental

2012-08-23, 09:38 AM

Especially in my case because I have a mild phobia of the dark.
I'm uncomfortable walking around my own neighbourhood at night despite knowing my way around. Then factor in the fact that I'm easily startled...

In a foreign city, by myself, at night, with poor street lighting, without knowing where anything is, I'd probably have a heart attack at the slightest noise.

The Glyphstone

2012-08-23, 09:42 AM

... I'm starting to be very grateful I live in the Southern Hemisphere :smalltongue:

Sure, we have Detroit....but you have Australia. Overall, I think we're better off.

Rawhide

2012-08-23, 09:47 AM

You mean the hemisphere with South Africa? :smallamused:

Down here, South Africa gets pretty much the same reputation as Detroit does in the US. And...

...South Africans have much the same reaction. Most of them get by without being shot, robbed, or otherwise inconvenienced in a criminal manner.

But nobody wants to go there and be the unlucky one. (And tourists in South Africa are at a higher risk of various crimes than locals. I gather that this isn't true for Detroit, where the touristy parts of the city are safer than the suburbs where the locals live.)

I know quite a few South Africans who have moved to Australia. They have explained the conditions they have lived in and the fear they had. Always slowing down before a set of traffic lights so that they never had to stop at a red light for fear of being car jacked, for example, and having their daughter call them up on the phone just before she got to the house while driving home so that they could open the gates as she arrived and she didn't have to get out or wait.

These particular South Africans must have been a little more afraid than the ones you've spoken to.

Sure, we have Detroit....but you have Australia. Overall, I think we're better off.

I don't get your point, Australia is a wonderful place.

Elemental

2012-08-23, 09:51 AM

Sure, we have Detroit....but you have Australia. Overall, I think we're better off.

Australia isn't that scary... I mean, I live here and I tell you, I don't know anyone who's died because of an animal.

I know quite a few South Africans who have moved to Australia. They have explained the conditions they have lived in and the fear they had. Always slowing down before a set of traffic lights so that they never had to stop at a red light for fear of being car jacked, for example, and having their daughter call them up on the phone just before she got to the house while driving home so that they could open the gates as she arrived and didn't have to get out or wait.

These particular South Africans must have been a little more afraid than the ones you've spoken to.

I know what you mean. A teacher from my primary school was South African and she said she left for reasons of safety. The details elude me because I haven't been in primary school since New South Wales last won Origin, give or take a year.

Rawhide

2012-08-23, 09:53 AM

I know what you mean. A teacher from my primary school was South African and she said she left for reasons of safety. The details elude me because I haven't been in primary school since New South Wales last won Origin, give or take a year.

Holy heck! That's a very long time!

Elemental

2012-08-23, 09:56 AM

Holy heck! That's a very long time!

Wait... No, I was in grade six when they last won...
I can't remember precisely, it was so very long ago.

The Glyphstone

2012-08-23, 10:00 AM

Australia isn't that scary... I mean, I live here and I tell you, I don't know anyone who's died because of an animal.

Obviously. Australian wildlife attacks don't leave bodies behind...or witnesses...

Rawhide

2012-08-23, 10:04 AM

Obviously. Australian wildlife attacks don't leave bodies behind...or witnesses...

Deadly animals exist, deaths from deadly animals are very rare. For example, there has been only 14 cases of deaths from red back spiders in Australian history, the last being in 1956.

Fragenstein

2012-08-23, 10:07 AM

Deadly animals exist, deaths from deadly animals are very rare. For example, there has been only 14 cases of deaths from red back spiders in Australian history, the last being in 1956.

I just wish the dingos would quit trying to trick me into using their sitter services. They should know by now that I'm not fooled by the Mrs. Doubfire costumes.

Elemental

2012-08-23, 10:08 AM

Obviously. Australian wildlife attacks don't leave bodies behind...or witnesses...

Really... The largest mammalian predator we have in our entire country is the Dingo. Saltwater crocodiles are only found in remote regions. Freshwater ones are reasonably safe. Only an idiot would get bitten by a venomous snake. No one has died from a spider bite for thirty years (something like that). Sharks only get you when you're in the water. Same with jellyfish. A wedgetail eagle can not carry off a human. Emus are not carnivorous. Koalas do not drop out of trees except by accident. Plovers are easily avoided. And platypuses will only inject you with their painful, painful venom if you disturb them.

Everything else dangerous is already extinct!
And now people are going to think I work for Tourism Australia... *sigh*

polity4life

2012-08-23, 10:38 AM

Oh, terrific. So what the blazes am I supposed to do with a battilion of bazooka-carrying drop bears now?! :smallannoyed:

Ohio is right next door. Dropping your bears there would provide a service for the entire world IMHO.

KuReshtin

2012-08-23, 10:41 AM

I wanna go to Detroit and hang out for a while.

Rawhide

2012-08-23, 10:55 AM

Really... The largest mammalian predator we have in our entire country is the Dingo. Saltwater crocodiles are only found in remote regions. Freshwater ones are reasonably safe. Only an idiot would get bitten by a venomous snake. No one has died from a spider bite for thirty years (something like that). Sharks only get you when you're in the water. Same with jellyfish. A wedgetail eagle can not carry off a human. Emus are not carnivorous. Koalas do not drop out of trees except by accident. Plovers are easily avoided. And platypuses will only inject you with their painful, painful venom if you disturb them.

Everything else dangerous is already extinct!
And now people are going to think I work for Tourism Australia... *sigh*

http://ct.fra.bz/ol/fz/sw/i59/5/8/23/frabz-ONE-DOES-NOT-SIMPLY-MAKE-A-JOKE-ABOUT-AUSTRALIAN-WILDLIFE-AND-GE-6747f7.jpg

Kneenibble

2012-08-23, 10:58 AM

Really... The largest mammalian predator we have in our entire country is the Dingo. Saltwater crocodiles are only found in remote regions. Freshwater ones are reasonably safe. Only an idiot would get bitten by a venomous snake. No one has died from a spider bite for thirty years (something like that). Sharks only get you when you're in the water. Same with jellyfish. A wedgetail eagle can not carry off a human. Emus are not carnivorous. Koalas do not drop out of trees except by accident. Plovers are easily avoided. And platypuses will only inject you with their painful, painful venom if you disturb them.

Everything else dangerous is already extinct!
And now people are going to think I work for Tourism Australia... *sigh*

Plus, you gave the world budgies. For this fact am I forever indebted to Australia -- even were your animals as dangerous as rumoured.

thubby

2012-08-23, 11:09 AM

most dangerous city in america :smallsigh:

dps

2012-08-23, 11:48 AM

You know, I think pizza delivery shenanigans could be a trope by now.

It is, but it's generally a porn trope.

Togath

2012-08-23, 04:28 PM

On the plus side, not all of america is as bad as places such as detroit, most of washington is fairly tame(or at least western washington is, I've never been to eastern washington), though Bellvue has very bad drivers.

super dark33

2012-08-23, 04:36 PM

My father told me about Frezno or whatever its called that is much worse then detroit.

Anyone might want to spill some light?

pendell

2012-08-23, 05:02 PM

Rockphed

2012-08-23, 05:23 PM

As am I.
*vows never to go to Detroit for fear of dying to an unnamed assailant*

I have been to Detroit numerous times. If you go during daylight, and stick to the area around wayne state university you are fine.

Ugh...alright, look. Detroit isn't a war zone where Geneva is willfully ignored. It doesn't have a homicide rate of 1000 per 1000 people. You are not guaranteed to be harmed in any way being in Detroit.

I've lived and worked in and around the city my entire adult life and I've yet to encounter anything remotely threatening. This hasn't made me Snake Plissken or Max Rockatansky. Millions of people can make that claim. It's a city that has quite a bit to offer, just like any other, that has some acute issues.

I challenge anyone who thinks Detroit is nigh hell on earth to visit it sometime. You would quickly find out that this opinion is simply not the case.

Be careful, they might end up just outside Heaven. There is a town named Hell near a town named Heaven in Michigan

Ohio is right next door. Dropping your bears there would provide a service for the entire world IMHO.

Leave the northern strip of Ohio, then Michigan can reclaim Toledo. Then we will have WON the war.:smallcool:

AtlanteanTroll

2012-08-23, 05:30 PM

Ohio is right next door. Dropping your bears there would provide a service for the entire world IMHO.

There's nothing wrong with Ohio (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBWNgg8CClc). *cough* I mean, if you're going to destroy a State, destroy one that isn't as important.

polity4life

2012-08-23, 05:54 PM

Leave the northern strip of Ohio, then Michigan can reclaim Toledo. Then we will have WON the war.:smallcool:

All of it went according to plan...mwahahaha...mwahahahaHA...AH HA HA HAAA!

Back on topic, there are many fine areas of Detroit from residential to commercial to recreational. People just need to have an open mind, stop buying into fear mongering, and give it a shot. There are bad places, neighborhoods and abandoned city blocks, that aren't alluring in any way unless you're into ruin porn, and even then most people will not bother you.

Detroit offers a very unique experience. It's very, very bizarre to be in a massive city, surrounded by buildings, and not a soul but yourself is in that city block. I bet Gary, IN can offer a similar accommodation.

THAC0

2012-08-23, 06:28 PM

and give it a shot.

...isn't that the problem in the first place? Ba-dum-ch! :smallbiggrin:

thubby

2012-08-23, 06:28 PM

There's nothing wrong with Ohio (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBWNgg8CClc). *cough* I mean, if you're going to destroy a State, destroy one that isn't as important.

well if you're going for a high score, hit NJ. they're packed in there like sardines

Marillion

2012-08-23, 08:58 PM

Bomb New Jersey! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glm3o7MWg_k) :smalltongue:

Grimsage Matt

2012-08-23, 09:16 PM

As a D&D fan, I have this to say. We need gun-hunting rust monsters.

On a more serious note, there are probobly places where theres a way higher chance of death, and there are safer places. But making it safe by running away is only a band-aid soultion. The underlying problems need to be resolved. And I'm pretty sure the formum dose not want us posting about those:smallfrown:

'tis a sad day when you cannot shatter the illusion of a peaceful, reasonable world, exposing the dark and lovecraftian world beneath the polish.

TheThan

2012-08-23, 09:29 PM

I think you mean Fresno (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresno). I'm from the Central Valley originally, And that whole strip -- Stockton, Modesto, Ceres, Bakersfield -- is in serious trouble. As to why...

*notes forum rules and wanders away grumbling*

Nevermind. Suffice it to say, it ain't the part of California the tourists like to see.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

The amusing sad thing is, that if you want to visit Yosemite National Park (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite_National_Park). you have to pass through the general area.

Creed

2012-08-23, 09:31 PM

Armed guards, eh?
Pizza is serious business. We're talking millions of dollars of cheese and pepperoni lost.
Honestly, this seems very detrimental to the pizza chain. I get the angle here, but think about the pizzas delivered after dark. Think of the last pizza you ordered during daylight hours. Mine would have to have been sometime in high school at a DnD game.
Still, I totally understand discontinuing services until Robocop and Adam Jensen step it up a notch.

Elemental

2012-08-23, 11:32 PM

Plus, you gave the world budgies. For this fact am I forever indebted to Australia -- even were your animals as dangerous as rumoured.

Thank you for your kind words.

DeusMortuusEst

2012-08-24, 04:41 AM

I know. Hell is under Iceland. (Just kidding)

Correction, this is Hell: 63.446107,10.89897

Just enter the coordinates in google maps.

Related: Is there any way to get a direct link to that?

Archonic Energy

2012-08-24, 05:03 AM

Still, I totally understand discontinuing services until Robocop and Adam Jensen step it up a notch.

Delivery Guy: heres your pizza and Garlic Bread.
Adam Jenson: I never asked for this. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Unl-UZ1Fjg)

:smallbiggrin:

Peregrine

2012-08-24, 09:37 AM

These particular South Africans must have been a little more afraid than the ones you've spoken to.
Now that I think about it, it's probably... oh, what's the term for it... is there a term for it? Where you tend to draw conclusions based on your most recent experiences rather than a more representative long-term sample? Wait, where was I? :smallconfused:

Ah, right. Thinking back, I believe it's only the last couple of South African emigrants that I've spoken to who've said they never suffered a violent crime "back home". In fact one of them was making a point that it was shortly after moving to Australia that their son's bike was stolen, the worst crime that's ever happened to them.

In contrast, the South African I worked with last year was much more free with criticism of the crime rate in his native country. And even the ones I've met more recently are, after all, living in Australia now.

Deadly animals exist, deaths from deadly animals are very rare. For example, there has been only 14 cases of deaths from red back spiders in Australian history, the last being in 1956.
What you need to realise, of course, is that balanced against all our dangerous wildlife (and dangerous terrain, dangerous weather, and dangerous fires) are the Australian people. :smallbiggrin:

And now people are going to think I work for Tourism Australia... *sigh*
Yep, because that's exactly the sort of message they're wanting to give. "Come to Australia, it won't actually kill you after all!"

(PS You forgot to say something nice about kangaroos. Or was that intentional?)

Elemental

2012-08-24, 09:49 AM

Yep, because that's exactly the sort of message they're wanting to give. "Come to Australia, it won't actually kill you after all!"

(PS You forgot to say something nice about kangaroos. Or was that intentional?)

I thought people were smart enough to avoid disturbing animals...?

I mean... That's the whole point! Don't disturb things that can injure you, and you'll be fine!
Seriously... With all the dangerous predators, large animals, snakes, scorpions and other venomous things in America, you'd think tourists would already know how to look after themselves...
Lions and tigers and bears! I mean... Cougars and wolves and bears!

In other news: I am going to ask Tourism Australia to pay me for each post I have to make like this. By the end of the year, I'll be a wealthy man.

Edit: Because I'm ranting like a crazy man: The general gist is: Kangaroos are herbivorous animals that are likely to leave you alone unless you threaten them. And then they will defend themselves, like any animal.

Peregrine

2012-08-24, 10:42 AM

Edit: Because I'm ranting like a crazy man: The general gist is: Kangaroos are herbivorous animals that are likely to leave you alone unless you threaten them. And then they will defend themselves, like any animal.
To be fair, that's inaccurate in a couple of senses. One, kangaroos (at least the male reds) are more aggressive about defending themselves than most herbivores of comparable size.

And two, kangaroos brutally assault many (probably in the range of hundreds) of cars every year. :smalltongue: And while it usually ends up fatal for the kangaroo, it's remarkable how much damage they can do to the vehicle (and, sadly, to its occupants in many instances).

The Glyphstone

2012-08-24, 01:14 PM

What you need to realise, of course, is that balanced against all our dangerous wildlife (and dangerous terrain, dangerous weather, and dangerous fires) are the Australian people. :smallbiggrin:

Exactly. Australian wildlife only fails at killing people because the Australian people have been undergoing such harsh natural selection to overcome their environment.

Rockphed

2012-08-24, 01:38 PM

To be fair, that's inaccurate in a couple of senses. One, kangaroos (at least the male reds) are more aggressive about defending themselves than most herbivores of comparable size.

And two, kangaroos brutally assault many (probably in the range of hundreds) of cars every year. :smalltongue: And while it usually ends up fatal for the kangaroo, it's remarkable how much damage they can do to the vehicle (and, sadly, to its occupants in many instances).

A moose who doesn't care at all about you car and is just standing in the road will total you car and probably kill you.

Karoht

2012-08-24, 04:39 PM

A moose who doesn't care at all about you car and is just standing in the road will total you car and probably kill you.
A moose managed to derail a train once* here in Canada.
Moose lived too.
Nature is hardcore like that.

*
I only have second hand information on that. It happened up in the mountains at a tourist stop called Banff Hot Springs. I trust the source because it was a Park Warden who likely had some work to do when the incident occured.

Pokonic

2012-08-24, 05:08 PM

Even deer can be pretty bad for cars, if I remember right they a very high number of kills(human kills) per year just from having themselves be hit by cars.

We dont know it yet, but Cervidia as a whole is united in the distruction of mankind.

Grimsage Matt

2012-08-24, 06:06 PM

A moose managed to derail a train once* here in Canada.
Moose lived too.
Nature is hardcore like that.

*
I only have second hand information on that. It happened up in the mountains at a tourist stop called Banff Hot Springs. I trust the source because it was a Park Warden who likely had some work to do when the incident occured.

I can belive that one. Once saw a 18 wheeler hit a moose. 18 wheeler? 0. Moose? 1. It walked away, and the most it showed is that it shook it's head.

THAC0

2012-08-24, 06:40 PM

I thought people were smart enough to avoid disturbing animals...?

There are people who visit Yellowstone who are convinced that "they wouldn't let bears just wander around if they weren't tame."

I personally witnessed a crowd of tourists standing less than five feet from a bear snapping photos as it crossed the road. Now, it was a black bear, but it was color-phased cinnamon, so I'm also willing to bet most of them thought it was a grizz and STILL stood that close.

People are stupid.

Coidzor

2012-08-24, 10:02 PM

This only confirms my fears about how bad urban decay can get. Not quite sure if this is at Mad Max levels though...

Peregrine

2012-08-25, 01:45 AM

A moose who doesn't care at all about you car and is just standing in the road will total you car and probably kill you.
Yeah, I saw that MythBusters episode. :smalltongue: The difference is...

*holds hand up, palm down*
Moose.
*lowers hand to well below own height*
Kangaroo.
*raises hand again*
Moose.
*lowers hand*
Kangaroo.

*scratches head*
Why am I using hand gestures on a textual forum? When I could just say "moose are large, kangaroos are not"?

*shrugs*

Rockphed

2012-08-25, 12:58 PM

Yeah, I saw that MythBusters episode. :smalltongue: The difference is...

*holds hand up, palm down*
Moose.
*lowers hand to well below own height*
Kangaroo.
*raises hand again*
Moose.
*lowers hand*
Kangaroo.

*scratches head*
Why am I using hand gestures on a textual forum? When I could just say "moose are large, kangaroos are not"?

*shrugs*

But are Kangaroos tasty?

Rawhide

2012-08-25, 01:11 PM

But are Kangaroos tasty?

Actually, yes. But they are high in protein and low in fat, so if you're not careful how you cook them, they can be quite tough. The best ones I've had we're marinated roasts.

sktarq

2012-08-25, 03:29 PM

Actually, yes. But they are high in protein and low in fat, so if you're not careful how you cook them, they can be quite tough. The best ones I've had we're marinated roasts.

Also their skin makes great leather. Esp for football (as in the kind played with the feet, round geodesic(sp) sphere style ball) boots.

As for Urban decay. I nod to Detroit and the Rust belt-congrats you win....even over the California Interior. Then stick hard to the coast of California. Fresno? Has been passed by cities disbanding their police in North Bay, the antelope valley meth culture etc....No details. . . will get to venting

Karoht

2012-08-27, 11:41 AM

There are people who visit Yellowstone who are convinced that "they wouldn't let bears just wander around if they weren't tame."

I personally witnessed a crowd of tourists standing less than five feet from a bear snapping photos as it crossed the road. Now, it was a black bear, but it was color-phased cinnamon, so I'm also willing to bet most of them thought it was a grizz and STILL stood that close.

People are stupid.
There is a book called "When do you let your animals out" which is an anthology of stories written by Canadian and American Park Rangers and employees of National Parks.
Oye. The people + bear stories they had were enough to make a whole book alone, they said.
There was one lady who decided to smear peanut butter and honey on her kid's face, and then stand the kid within 20 feet of a black bear.
Luckily the kid lived, the bear was unharmed or disturbed in any way, the park ranger expelled the dumb tourists from the park (one of the only known examples of such happening in Banff National Park). The park ranger first received a stern talking to followed by a promotion and a raise.

It is a good story.

EDIT: Found the book.

"At what elevation does an elk become a moose?
Where can I find alpine flamingos?"
Yeah.
http://www.amazon.ca/Animals-Field-Guide-Mountain-Humour/dp/189400406X

@Pizza Delivery
So yeah, I don't think all that many pizza places make that many sales past midnight to justify delivering that late. At the same time, it isn't so much about the time of day or neighborhood as it is the people, whom you can not predict or account for very well.

Tyndmyr

2012-08-27, 01:16 PM

@Pizza Delivery
So yeah, I don't think all that many pizza places make that many sales past midnight to justify delivering that late. At the same time, it isn't so much about the time of day or neighborhood as it is the people, whom you can not predict or account for very well.

Really? Pizza is sort of THE late night delivery food. Most pizza shops in my area aren't open at all before lunchtime, and run till about 2 am or so. They're pretty dead during the post-lunch period too, nighttime deliveries seem to be remarkably common.

I don't know of any statistics on the subject, but I'd guess that deliveries around/after midnight are pretty substantial in any urban area.

polity4life

2012-08-27, 01:45 PM

Really? Pizza is sort of THE late night delivery food. Most pizza shops in my area aren't open at all before lunchtime, and run till about 2 am or so. They're pretty dead during the post-lunch period too, nighttime deliveries seem to be remarkably common.

I don't know of any statistics on the subject, but I'd guess that deliveries around/after midnight are pretty substantial in any urban area.

You would be surprised. The only villages, towns, townships, and cities I've come across with pizza joints reliably open past midnight are college towns. Cities, even those with a nightlife, on some days still shut down operations at midnight or even 10:00 PM.

Perhaps I'm seeing nothing but outliers or the minority of pizza places, but my anecdotal evidence has shown that pizza isn't typically available via delivery after midnight. If I want it, I have to go to a place still serving after midnight, which isn't such a bad prospect since Detroit-style pizza (yes, it's a real thing that doesn't involve violence) is delicious.

Karoht

2012-08-27, 01:53 PM

There is a Chinese Restaurant that stays open until 4am, then opens up again at 10am for Dim Sum. The better chefs are on after midnight IMO. Nothing better than post-bar chinese food while drunk.

As for why they are open until 4am, it's something of a mystery.
They also serve liquor past the 2am closing time. You just ask for a pot of special tea. Then clarify what kind of tea you are looking for. Yes, it is something of a blasphemy to have beer in a tea pot (offending both the beer and the tea pot), but there it is.
Also, there have been unconfirmed reports of the local Chinese mafia operating out of that location. Guys in white business suits walk into the kitchen with briefcases, walk out of the kitchen without briefcases. That kind of thing. Unconfirmed as in always second hand reports. "A friend of mine says he saw..." kind of thing.
Maybe the briefcases are full of MSG?

Rockphed

2012-08-27, 06:29 PM

You would be surprised. The only villages, towns, townships, and cities I've come across with pizza joints reliably open past midnight are college towns. Cities, even those with a nightlife, on some days still shut down operations at midnight or even 10:00 PM.

Perhaps I'm seeing nothing but outliers or the minority of pizza places, but my anecdotal evidence has shown that pizza isn't typically available via delivery after midnight. If I want it, I have to go to a place still serving after midnight, which isn't such a bad prospect since Detroit-style pizza (yes, it's a real thing that doesn't involve violence) is delicious.

I have heard of Chicago style pizza, but what is Detroit style pizza? I suspect it has less to do with little ceasars and more to do with Buddy's, but I don't remember ever hearing about it.

There is a Chinese Restaurant that stays open until 4am, then opens up again at 10am for Dim Sum. The better chefs are on after midnight IMO. Nothing better than post-bar chinese food while drunk.

As for why they are open until 4am, it's something of a mystery.
They also serve liquor past the 2am closing time. You just ask for a pot of special tea. Then clarify what kind of tea you are looking for. Yes, it is something of a blasphemy to have beer in a tea pot (offending both the beer and the tea pot), but there it is.
Also, there have been unconfirmed reports of the local Chinese mafia operating out of that location. Guys in white business suits walk into the kitchen with briefcases, walk out of the kitchen without briefcases. That kind of thing. Unconfirmed as in always second hand reports. "A friend of mine says he saw..." kind of thing.
Maybe the briefcases are full of MSG?

Maybe the briefcases are made of MSG?:smallamused:

polity4life

2012-08-27, 08:19 PM

Detroit-style pizza (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_style_pizza), founded by Buddy's, carried on by numerous worthwhile pizza joints. :smallsmile:

Mando Knight

2012-08-28, 12:17 AM

I guess it says terrible things about me, but my first thought was not for the victim (who deserves our prayers, him and his family), but for the Shadowrun campaigns that could be made from this.

1) A dark room. Four runners stand by. An orc street samurai, two techno-shamans, an okutai. The Johnson steps in, slaps down a cardboard box. "301 Maple street. 30 minutes. $5000. Mr. Lynch REALLY needs pepperoni and he needs it NOW."

2) Another Job from Johnson. "You may not be aware that Ares corp. is also the owner of the Pizza House chain. And something bad happened to one of our drivers." His eyes narrow. "Find out who did it. Give 'em an Ares special, hot, fresh and free."

3) Now we know what Robocop will do if he ever gets tired of being a police officer in Detroit City...
A hundred Golden Cockatrice Sausage Specials. 30 minutes or it's free. (http://drmcninja.com/archives/comic/25p04/)

Rockphed

2012-08-28, 01:33 AM

Detroit-style pizza (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_style_pizza), founded by Buddy's, carried on by numerous worthwhile pizza joints. :smallsmile:

Okay, that makes sense. And now I am craving good pizza. Looks like I need to go to either Colorado or Las Vegas to get some.:smallannoyed:

Archonic Energy

2012-08-28, 04:50 AM

Okay, that makes sense. And now I am craving good pizza. Looks like I need to go to either Colorado or Las Vegas to get some.:smallannoyed:

or... prehaps Rome?

Brother Oni

2012-08-28, 06:15 AM

Correction, this is Hell: 63.446107,10.89897

Just enter the coordinates in google maps.

Related: Is there any way to get a direct link to that?

Is this what you're looking for (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=63.446107,10.89897&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=49.57764,78.662109&t=h&z=16)?

inexorabletruth

2012-08-28, 04:01 PM

RandomNPC

2012-09-01, 09:33 AM

In my area saying "I'm getting a gun for home defense" is something that'll get you looked at like you told a bad joke, I know, I've told the joke. the crime around here exists, but it's more in store robberies or vandalism.

That being said, yes, tip your driver. I've been told even a single dollar is better than nothing, but another guy I knew said for two dollars he promises not to spit on your car on the way out, and for five he'll be faster next time. I've had a time where I didn't have enough for what I thought was a good tip, so we told the guy we'd order again next week and make it up to him, same guy showed up and was rewarded justly.

THAC0

2012-09-01, 11:07 AM

...said for two dollars he promises not to spit on your car on the way out,...

People like that irritate me.

Mercenary Pen

2012-09-01, 12:17 PM

but another guy I knew said for two dollars he promises not to spit on your car on the way out,

People like that irritate me.

People like that I would let him spit, then phone the pizza joint back up to lodge a complaint against him, because that's just plain unprofessional. Fair enough some places you need to earn tips because you aren't eligible for the minimum wage, but even so, the expectation is that you'll earn that money with good customer service, not by threatening to be a pain in the ass.

Karoht

2012-09-03, 07:42 AM

When I owned a pizzeria, one of my partners was held at gunpoint while on a delivery. The thug took almost $300 because my partner didn't deposit his money. We usually don't carry more than $10, so that sucked as a double whammy. They caught the guy, but it's a legitimate hazzard of the job.

Tip your drivers, guys. They risk their lives to bring it to you hot and fresh, and on the rare occasions that the boss gives the driver their delivery fee, it is nowhere near enough to counter the cost of risk, wear and tear on the engine, gas, and cost of living.In Calgary Alberta Canada, the minimum delivery fee per house is two dollars. Some places pay 2.50, I was fortunate to work for a Pizza 73 in Airdrie (small town outside of Calgary, easy to get around quick) who paid 3.50 per delivery. Tips were nice too. Hitting 100 bucks in 3-4 hours was doable on an average day.
A few places I've heard of pay $10 an hour rather than a delivery fee, and that sucks. Supposedly, back in the day, Pizza Hut used to pay minimum wage per hour PLUS a delivery fee, and this was considered to be pretty awesome. The hourly wage satisfied the tax man, and since tips aren't reported, everything was kosher like christmas.

But indeed, it's a harder job than everyone thinks, if the vehicle starts breaking down it is incredibly costly to the driver (out of work AND have a bill to pay really sucks), and gas is not cheap. Most orders come in during the tail end of rush hour, roads are dangerous enough as it is with all the moron/jerkface drivers out there. Add in the potential to be shot? Yeah, seriously, tip well people.

Elemental

2012-09-03, 07:54 AM

Hmm... I can't remember the last time we had pizza delivered...
We usually go out to get it and sit in the pizza shop waiting for it. But, I suppose that's my Mum's preference.

Karoht

2012-09-03, 09:26 AM

Hmm... I can't remember the last time we had pizza delivered...
We usually go out to get it and sit in the pizza shop waiting for it. But, I suppose that's my Mum's preference.
Best Pizza I ever had was at a cheap chain, but it was the hottest and freshest Pizza I ever ate. It was just a plain pepperoni. The cheese was still bubbling slightly. I burned myself eating it, but it was mind blowing.

Alarra

2012-09-03, 11:13 AM

In fairness, Baltimore's looks pretty similar.

I do avoid going to Baltimore, though, on account of not wanting to die.
Baltimore's really not -that- bad, especially if you stay out of the bad neighborhoods. Unfortunately my job doesn't have the luxury of doing that. Though of all the people I see, I only have two places I go that I get nervous after dark, and the closest I've been to having any problems is having to wait in someone's house a little while longer than usual while we waited for the police to finish arresting a guy that was on the sidewalk between the house and my car.

Now I want pizza.

Karoht

2012-09-03, 11:18 AM

Now I want pizza.
I'm at work, it's the long weekend holiday.
I now want Pizza, but I don't have enough money for a good tip to go with ordering today.
And I hate. Hate. Being that guy who calls to have food delivered on a day off like today. Heck, I hate bothering anyone on a day off, even the 7-11 guys.

Crud. Do I order Pizza today, or do I just man up and eat the lunch I brought with me?

Rockphed

2012-09-03, 12:36 PM

Hmm... I can't remember the last time we had pizza delivered...
We usually go out to get it and sit in the pizza shop waiting for it. But, I suppose that's my Mum's preference.

The only times I get pizza delivered is when I order more than 10 at once.

The Glyphstone

2012-09-03, 12:50 PM

Now I want pizza.

I'm at work, it's the long weekend holiday.
I now want Pizza, but I don't have enough money for a good tip to go with ordering today.
And I hate. Hate. Being that guy who calls to have food delivered on a day off like today. Heck, I hate bothering anyone on a day off, even the 7-11 guys.

Crud. Do I order Pizza today, or do I just man up and eat the lunch I brought with me?

*Blissfully eats oven-cooked frozen pizza.*

What? Hey, I got 5 medium pies for $10 on sale, and it means I don't have to get dressed to eat.

pendell

2012-09-04, 02:15 PM

What? Hey, I got 5 medium pies for $10 on sale, and it means I don't have to get dressed to eat

That was probably more information than I needed, and now I won't be able to erase that mental image without at least 10 hours of a first person shooter.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

Tyndmyr

2012-09-04, 02:49 PM

Baltimore's really not -that- bad, especially if you stay out of the bad neighborhoods. Unfortunately my job doesn't have the luxury of doing that. Though of all the people I see, I only have two places I go that I get nervous after dark, and the closest I've been to having any problems is having to wait in someone's house a little while longer than usual while we waited for the police to finish arresting a guy that was on the sidewalk between the house and my car.

Now I want pizza.

Watching people get arrested makes me hungry too. :smallsmile:

In seriousness, it's patchy, like anywhere. I used to live in greenbelt, and that place was pretty terrible. Some parts of Baltimore are the same way...other parts are pretty safe. There's a certain reputation overall on account of the former, tho.

Lensman

2012-09-07, 11:45 AM

In my area saying "I'm getting a gun for home defense" is something that'll get you looked at like you told a bad joke,

Round here, (in the UK), if you get a gun (whatever the excuse), you get arrested. And a long prison sentence. It means we don't get the casual shootings you get in the USA.

Actually, you can get a long stretch just for carrying a knife. Or even a golf club - the police call it carrying an offensive weapon. (I'm a solicitor and a lot of my work is done at the police station or in court defending the indefensible).

Of course, we get our own absurdities - weirdest "offensive weapon" case I ever dealt with was a man accused of possessing a cricket bat as an offensive weapon. All right, so allegedly he hit someone with it, but we still had no trouble convincing a jury that he had a legitimate reason for being in possession of what in other circumstances amounts to a blunt instrument - he was on a cricket pitch at the time, in the middle of a cricket match...

Brother Oni

2012-09-07, 03:44 PM

Round here, (in the UK), if you get a gun (whatever the excuse), you get arrested.

Unless you live in rural areas. Shotgun licenses aren't too hard to get if you can prove you have membership of a local shooting club or proof you have land or access to land where you can legitimately shoot on.

Rifle licenses are significantly harder however.

For the benefit of Americans reading, getting hold of any handgun though will land you in trouble with the law.

Lensman

2012-09-07, 03:59 PM

Unless you live in rural areas. Shotgun licenses aren't too hard to get if you can prove you have membership of a local shooting club or proof you have land or access to land where you can legitimately shoot on.

Rifle licenses are significantly harder however.

For the benefit of Americans reading, getting hold of any handgun though will land you in trouble with the law.

Fair comment... but shotguns (ignoring the sawn-off variety, which are also thoroughly illegal) are big and bulky and relatively easy to spot. Rifle licences nowadays are very difficult - you have to be a member of an authorised club, prove the weapon will be kept safely, justify having it at all, and (as with a shotgun, too) demonstrate you have a locked and secure cabinet in which to keep it. Effectively, rifles stay in clubs and don't go elsewhere.

pendell

2012-09-07, 05:00 PM

I for one would not want a rifle either for home defense or for protection of a pizza delivery vehicle. The reason being that .30-06 bullets can travel long distances, and I'm not certain they are even slowed all that much by a human body. They certainly won't be slowed by tissue-thin apartment walls. Fire one shot in a built up area and there's no telling who or what might be hit from it, unless you happen to have a nice concrete embankment to serve as backdrop to your target.

Actually, you can get a long stretch just for carrying a knife. Or even a golf club - the police call it carrying an offensive weapon. (I'm a solicitor and a lot of my work is done at the police station or in court defending the indefensible).

My sympathies. A necessary job and whenever I've had a legal issue I've always been glad there were people available willing to do the job.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

THAC0

2012-09-07, 05:05 PM

I for one would not want a rifle either for home defense or for protection of a pizza delivery vehicle. The reason being that .30-06 bullets can travel long distances, and I'm not certain they are even slowed all that much by a human body. They certainly won't be slowed by tissue-thin apartment walls. Fire one shot in a built up area and there's no telling who or what might be hit from it, unless you happen to have a nice concrete embankment to serve as backdrop to your target.

Don't imagine that buckshot doesn't suffer from the same issues though.

You'd be surprised the number of people who figure to get a shotgun because buckshot won't penetrate. Not true.