Walking through big box land - Democratic Underground

spinbaby

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Tue Mar-24-09 04:45 PM
Original message

Walking through big box land

I'm having my car serviced just now. The dealership is in one of those "big box" shopping areas. I decided to get some dinner at a TGIFridays not 100 yards away. I walked. On foot you notice just how sterile and pedestrian-unfriendly these places are. And there is nothing, NOTHING here that isn't a national chain.

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WriteDown

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Tue Mar-24-09 04:48 PM
Response to Original message

1. If you're going to eat at Friday's...

you have to have that steak sandwich with the plantains on top. Awesome!

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izquierdista

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Tue Mar-24-09 04:49 PM
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2. Franchising -- the new serfdom

In the middle ages, paying tribute was a practical necessity that most peasants would rather get out of. Today, peasants gladly line up to join a franchise and happily send their tribute to the head office.

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Wapsie B

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Tue Mar-24-09 04:57 PM
Response to Reply #2

7. To top it all off, you can bust your tail to make a successful business

and you decide you want to leave it for your kids or family to run. Guess what? Unless things have drastically changed in most states that cannot be done. Most franchisors will not allow someone to will the business to someone else, although they could in Iowa for a period of time. I don't know if Iowa still allows that or not. Believe me there was a big push by corporations to outlaw that practice there.

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YOY

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Tue Mar-24-09 04:49 PM
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3. Try international chain.

Most of them are well scattered throughout the developed world...or at least Canada and Mexico.

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LynzM

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Tue Mar-24-09 04:53 PM
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4. And many places, you *cannot* walk.

Most of America is so pedestrian-unfriendly, downright threatening, it's disgusting. You need to go 500 yards, but it's not safe to traverse that distance without getting in your car. I hate it! It's one of the things I like about living in a small city (about 20k people) - we can walk just about anywhere safely!

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YOY

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Tue Mar-24-09 04:54 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. I live in a major urban center.

I can walk anywhere. I drive once or twice a week to Home Depot or Trader Joes. Everything else is walkable unless the weather is nasty.

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spinbaby

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Tue Mar-24-09 05:04 PM
Response to Reply #4

9. Tellme about it

I had to walk in a ditch and cross a busy intersection with no crosswalk. Just to go 100 yards.

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undeterred

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Tue Mar-24-09 04:57 PM
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6. And you wouldn't know what city you were in

unless you already knew. A mall is a mall and they're pretty much the same across the country.

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ddeclue

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Tue Mar-24-09 04:59 PM
Response to Original message

8. A friend of mine in Atlanta coined a great term for this landscape:

It's not America she says - it's Generica...

You get the same BestBuy, Target, Red Lobster, Radio Shack, Burger King, etc. everywhere you go. It's the same mall everywhere in America.

ugh..

Doug D.

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