Posts by dustymarlin10

Where does 🤦 go right when you actually need them...

I mean, we don't have to be that naive, do we?

So, how exactly is he going to prove you actually own a TV?

Casey Palmer5 said:Honestly, these days, I just don't see the point in opening the door for someone who shows up unannounced. If I see the mail carrier on my doorbell camera, sure, I'll let them in. But for anyone else? They can leave a message on my phone or just drop whatever they have in the mailbox. I’ve gotten pretty good at just ignoring the doorbell...

Exactly. And how exactly is some little collector supposed to even get close enough to get a signature on the application?

rowdyhawk15 said:The notice about starting legal proceedings is just the usual bluff from PBS. That’s why they claim if you pay the fine, they’ll drop the "proceedings" and register you as a subscriber.
For them to actually win a case in court, they’d need to prove you actually own the receiver—something they can't do unless you decide to cooperate with them. Don't be naive.

Sure, let the smart ones deal with it. As for everyone else... they can go ahead and fight their own battles.

ruggedhawk5 said:I find myself unable to agree with that perspective, and frankly, I don't view it as particularly helpful advice. Why do I say that? Because paying the subscription fee is a legal obligation, and it is abundantly clear that anyone attempting to circumvent it is technically in the wrong.

The fallout from following that line of thinking could include $80 + $333 fines for failing to register a receiver, plus legal fees, general headaches, and endless runs to the courthouse.

The reality is that the courts aren't foolish; they find it far more lucrative to take the word of PBS over an individual's claim. Furthermore, there are countless ways for them to establish that you indeed possess a receiver...

What truly piques my interest in this whole saga is how a formal notice from PBS can be deemed invalid from the very outset. And why is their entire approach characterized by such aggressive, extortionate, and intimidating tactics?

From my vantage point, this notification regarding the commencement of misdemeanor proceedings isn't really a legal document at all; rather, it feels like a public confirmation of extortion, and I believe it's litigious enough to cause genuine mental distress.

Is there anyone here with legal expertise or significant experience who might be able to confirm or refute my thesis?

You're wrong.

In court, it isn't about whether they BELIEVE you; it's about them proving you're guilty. And PBS, with their little eco-warrior debt collectors, isn't anywhere near capable of doing that.

Your home is your sanctuary; nobody gets in without a cop holding a warrant (which they won't get over a TV), so I don't see how they'd ever prove their case.

It's a gray area, and they follow a specific system, which works most of the time.

You're stressing out over breaking some unfair law, but do you think about it before you speed through a school zone or cross the street on a red light? That's breaking the law too...

shadowviper12 said:So, the car is registered in your name? You're gonna need a signature, right?

Why even bother?

Who’s actually going to prove there's a radio in your car anyway? What, are they gonna get a court order just to climb inside and check?

Seriously guys, stop being so paranoid. As long as you aren't acting shady, they can't touch you.

boldlynx23 said:Here’s some solid information for you:

PBS, being this state-run entity we fund through basically a stupidity tax, is working hand-in-hand with city utility collectors—who, in turn, feed them data on anyone dodging their bills. They’re running "raids" on apartment buildings in major cities now. A collector hands over a list of residents, and PBS agents go door-to-door checking names against their own subscriber database. That’s exactly how they caught up with me after I spent over 10 years dodging the bill by moving addresses. 😉

A good friend of mine who works for the city utility department let me in on it—they were ordered to start cooperating with PBS.

Basically, it isn't hard for them to hunt down people who aren't paying anymore, at least when it comes to urban apartment living.

So, the room you have to maneuver around paying your subscription is shrinking fast. Honestly, who actually wants to deal with the headache of courts, liens, appeals, lawyers, and notaries? I don't have the time or the energy to sit there proving to government bureaucrats that I'm "innocent" just because I'm technically breaking a state law. 😁

Sure, you can claim I'm making this up, calling it a conspiracy theory, or saying my buddy is lying—I don't care. I'm not defending PBS, and I'm certainly not thrilled about having to pay up after 10 years, but I really don't need any legal harassment from $333 or the mess of court dates. I just don't have the time for it.

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

That sounds like a total violation of GDPR...

Anyway, I can't really say much more until you actually sign the application...

Exactly...

Been dodging them for 25 years now...

Hell no.

As long as we were forced to buy it in the first place...

Jeremy Scott said:In my view, this is fundamentally an ethical dilemma, which is why I’ve posted it under philosophy.

The question itself is stripped down to the basics: would you donate your organs in the event of your death? If YES, what’s the reasoning? If NO, why not? Personally, I’d do it, because I figure the worms in the dirt have plenty to eat already and don't need any extra snacks 🤣. Just kidding. I’d donate them because I believe in LIFE. That's it.

Hell yeah, obviously.

As long as even one spare part of mine can help someone else out, then yeah, count me in.

So, what’s the actual state of our national finances and the country as a whole?

The answer to that pretty much answers your question too. ☕

Thank god I finally cleared my last mortgage payment two days ago...

Joe Biden and his little puppets wouldn't even dare to sneeze without checking with the big bosses in Brussels first.

So yeah, mission impossible...

wiredmarlin43 said:Poverty is basically when you can't swing a new piece of furniture, fix up your place, grab dinner out, or whatever—that kind of thing.

...it’s more like wondering how you're gonna cover those skyrocketing utility bills, pay for college, and still have enough left over to actually eat...

Idiots.

Honestly, they might as well just mail them the cash—saves the tourists the trouble of actually showing up. ☕

Because why wouldn't some travelers want to go out of their way to ruin everyone's peace?

Robert Jones18 said:This thread actually makes sense for once. It seems like a ton of people struggle to stay on a bike for more than an hour, but honestly, how does anyone even wrap their head around sitting on a saddle for two or three hours straight? Is that even physically possible?😲

It’s all just a matter of putting in the work. And obviously, you need a decent meal to back it up, which that stuff they serve at the local diner definitely isn't.
Ever wonder why actual fairy tales are written the way they are instead of just being some total mess?

So you aren't exactly planning on hitting the pavement for a solid two or three hours right out of the gate, are you? 😉

Solid topic... 😬

crimsongull20 said:This whole thing is just straight-up creepy. Honestly, my heart goes out to you.

....

Why the negative vibes, though?

It’s not even an issue, really; I'm just genuinely curious about the reasoning behind it.

briskbison27 said:Reporting them, though they won't touch me either.
Especially when my husband is around, they just go straight for him.
His skin is way more damp than mine, if you know what I mean.
I barely sweat and my skin is pretty much bone dry.
As for the whole health and biting thing—my mom was always sick back in the day, and those mosquitoes used to hunt her down like she was a buffet.😕

Huh. I sweat a ton, yet I'm basically invisible to them? 🤷

Donna Johnson16 said:maybe you all need to get together and actually study this stuff properly if you want to end up with an effective repellent ☕

🙂

😬

But hey, maybe there's a point to that after all.

Donna Johnson16 said:Maybe you're an A type? I heard they're the ones who get poked the least. 🤷

So, AB+ blood type... what even is that? Is there actually a club for us, or are we just out here vibing on our own?

It’s kind of funny how they started picking at us more and more over the last couple of years, isn't it?

Not a single one has bitten me all year. 🤷

The other day down by the Mississippi, there were these massive swarms of mosquitoes hovering over everyone—fat little things, seriously, like they were the size of thumbs—and honestly, if you weren't careful, they’d just tear right through you. But me? Not a single one even thought about touching me.

I don't give a damn, honestly, especially when I see them coming for my wife like that.

I just don't get it...

velvetmoose9 said:You aren't even on the wrong track with that PDF idea...
If my memory serves me right—I think it was some researchers over in the Netherlands—some people just have certain types of bacteria living on their skin that produce stuff mosquitoes absolutely hate. Like, it smells so bad to them they'll just skip out on the buffet entirely.
And if I recall correctly, mosquitoes get "annoyed" when there's a wider variety of bacterial species on your skin. But if one specific type takes over (and apparently they have preferences), then you're basically delicious again.
So yeah, there's a decent chance you actually owe your "mosquito resistance" to the little microbes living on you.

If you feel like playing scientist, try scrubbing yourself raw with plenty of soap or body wash until you're totally clean and—this might be the kicker—completely scentless, then just go offer yourself up to the mosquitoes.

Supposedly, there are certain foods that can "enrich" your sweat with a natural repellent, though I can't quite remember which ones they were; or maybe certain medical conditions that make you unappealing to them...

Just a heads-up, this is all just me trying to recall some articles I read, so take it with a grain of salt.

Thanks for the input.

In bold: the mosquitoes don't care if I'm clean, wearing deodorant, sweaty from working in the garden all day, or drenched after a run... they love me regardless. 🤷

I'm healthy (as far as I know), in pretty good shape, and definitely not anemic... 🤷

Donna Johnson16 said:garlic (😉 part of the vampire myth origin story?
)
...

Well, if that's the case, it doesn't work on me; I barely eat any garlic at all... 🤷