um... yeah. whatever. You could be the Queen of England and you're still a random cunt to me, because I don't know you and you don't know me. I'm supposed to respect you, because you've been a member of stripcreator longer? Right. I can't say I give two shits. And concerning the "Junior High" comment, this place started in 2001. I was going on 19 and already finishing my last year in High School. Any other things you want to tell me about myself?

Sure. You can judge all you want. And I can call you a cunt in return. Because you're making judgments about stuff you don't even know about. You don't know my situation, besides what I've described here. You don't know my friends and how far back we go, and the offers of help I've recieved. When I'm fortunate enough to have funds, I lend my friends money, CDs, drinks, take them out to dinner, etec. When they go through bad times, I help them. When I go through them, they help me. When I say "steal", I mean I'll pick up a dime if I see one on the floor. I don't know what kind of uptight, penny-pinching fuckwads you hang out, but I don't know anyone who splits hairs over a dime. I won't be sneaky about it. My friends know I'm in a bad spot and I'll ask if they have any loose change lying around.

Perhaps. But it doesn't hold a candle to calling someone a thief and making judgments about their personal life. "Get a job" is a statement. It doesn't carry the same air of presumptuousness and sheer arrogance.

Hey kids, guess what time it is?! Self-righteous lecture time!

Honor?! What the hell are you talking about? You're some bored hypocrite on a website making armchair criticisms and passing judgments against someone you don't even know. It's so easy to judge people over the internet, isn't it? Would you call me a thief to my face? I SERIOUSLY doubt it, but if you did, I would still call you a cunt.

quote:

---

And here's the finale. I'll still paypal you $10, despite the "fuck you"s. You don't deserve to starve. Just please, do yourself a favor and take some of the advise that people have seen fit to give you, and get your head straight about where the line sits between theft and non-theft.

IM me your email address or post it here, and I'll send you some cash.

---

Guys, I've gotten some private messages offering me cash, and also some posters offering in this thread. And it's really nice and actually quite touching. I believe every offer is sincere and I appreciate every offer (except ladyj's). But I'll be okay! I need to hold off until Tuesday and then things should be taken care of by the time I come back from Thanksgiving. It's a shitty thing what the school did, but I spoke to the Dean on friday and I think they're in the process of amending it. Everyone's been really supportive and I appreciate it, and if I can make it through the next week I'll be in the clear. So while I really do appreciate the offers of cash, I wouldn't feel right taking it. But thanks anyway.

---
Destroying my reputation one post at a time.

there's a difference between judgment and sound judgment. the fact that you admit people here are "relative strangers" to you makes your character assault a jumping to conclusions

there's no honor in kicking someone while they're down. i'm not saying you shouldn't express a dissenting opinion. i wish more people here did and i respect you for having the balls to do so. what i'm saying is that instead of pushing your opinion on words like "stealing" and "judgment", maybe you should spend more time researching words like "compassion" and "tact"

---
what if nigger meant kite

This is rough, Inflat old pal. Do what you can, survive.

It's awesome to see how everyone on here is doing their best to support you. This site is just so full of love. We're a family. A big happy family. I'd probably cry if I was going through some rough times and I got support like this from my stripcreator peers. You guys all rock.

Just remember that you've got friends who'll see you through all this, both offline and on. I really hope everything works out for you, it hurts to see a friend who's hurting so bad.

---
It's grime time.

You have a car??

quote:

---

LadyJ, what would you do if you were in Flate's shoes? Seriously.

---

Flate, I have to put my two cents worth in here... although if you do find you need more I'm in as well. This is a great community of caring, compassionate people, and I admire bunner for offering the first real solution in this thread, and others who followed.

I have to speak up here, though. My first reaction when I read "every day, I've been scrounging for loose change under my car seats and bed and even stealing the odd nickle and dime from my friends' rooms" was similar to LadyJ's... all I could think was 'BAD FORM'.

You are the one that referred to it as stealing, then much later said "I won't be sneaky about it. My friends know I'm in a bad spot and I'll ask if they have any loose change lying around." Asking and just taking are two entirely different things, whether it's loose change or bills.

If making these statements to you warrants calling me a bitch or cunt, so be it. It's still bad form.

On another note, when I was absolutely desperate a few years ago trying to support my son and on welfare, I was working from home at a shit job because it was all my health problems would allow at the time. My own brother told me to "Get a job" and it stung like hell.
Point is, saying that to someone is cold, presumptuous and does indeed carry sheer arrogance.

I'm glad to be part of a community that cares so much about their members.

Peace out.

---
“It is only with the heart that one sees rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” - The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1945)

LadyJ may not be the most subtle of people at times (a personality trait that I love her for) but the fact is that she is right.

Beg and borrow as much as your pride will allow, but never, ever steal. I mean, seriously, where do you draw the line? It's only ten cents... it's only fifty cents... it's only a few bucks in change, not a paper bill... Where is the boundary between trivial and serious?

If I were one of your friends and I caught you flogging a few coins of mine, I'd be fucking furious. You want the coins? Fine, ask for them. "Mate, I'm literally starving - do you mind if I grab any loose change I see in your room? Nothing major, just any random bits of silver?" No real friend would say no to you.

I have genuine sympathy for you, Flate - far too many of the thirteen or so years since I left home have been scary "how the hell am I paying thr rent next month?" rollercoaster rides - but stealing is stealing, regardless of your situation, and stealing from friends is a low act.

What would you rather be, a beggar or a thief?

---
This signature has performed an illegal operation and has been shut down.

if the amount of money taken didn't matter, there'd be no distinction between larceny and grand larceny, and you'd be equally upset when you lost a penny as when you lost a million dollars. of course it matters. it's a question of amount, which goes to severity

that plus the fact that he said he knew his friends wouldn't care, and the fact that the greater good is better served by someone losing a nickel and Inflate gaining a meal rather than them keeping a nickel and Inflate going hungry, makes me think the eager moralists in this thread would also scold vagrants for loitering

---
what if nigger meant kite

*shrug* I simply think asking for it first would have been the right thing to do.

If he's sure they wouldn't mind him taking it then he should be equally sure they wouldn't mind him asking.

---
This signature has performed an illegal operation and has been shut down.

I know you just started this thread because you wanted to blow off some steam that had been going around in your head for a while. A lot of people have said a lot of really good things here to help you out. I personally am in agreement with the advice, but am in no position to help financially, as my husband just lost his job and I'm digging through the spare change bucket to buy a 99 cent XXL Burrito every day from Dierberg's for lunch (because no one will take me to Jack in the Box, which is right NEXT door for lunch and carpooling at work sucks). However, you know if I could help, I would.

Now for the bad stuff: you came here and made a complaint, people saw it as you seeking help, and they did what they knew to do: offer advice and money. TAKE IT. For the love of god, if someone offered me money or advice that I could actually use right now (and I'm totally taking notes), I would TAKE IT. Deal with the guilt later or just be grateful that someone thought so much of you to offer to help.

In the meantime, wherever you go for thanksgiving, there will likely be leftovers. TAKE THEM. Or have your friends bring home some leftovers from their houses. Coolers are pretty inexpensive this time of year, you can probably find one of those styrofoam ones for like $2.00 or so. (Mine was free from an old job). It may not be ideal, but it's a semi fridge until things get better. And you can always have someone make you some ice. Dollar stores sell 4 ice cube trays for $1. I know because I worked there.

I feel like I'm being really long winded here, but my whole point is if someone offers you help, put your damned pride aside and take it. I know that tonight when mom and I go to school an hour away (my idea), I'm going to accept her gas money. I'm also going to accept leftover stew from the deer meat we gave her. And I'm going to learn how to make deer ribs to keep my family in food. I should shut up now.

---
Mediocrity at its most average.

quote:

---

Now for the bad stuff: you came here and made a complaint, people saw it as you seeking help, and they did what they knew to do: offer advice and money. TAKE IT.
...
Deal with the guilt later...

---

Isn't paying it back with interest the same as dealing with the guilt later?

Personally, I was homeless once and this guy let me live in his basement. So instead of feeling guilty that I was using this guy for a place to sleep at night, I felt well rested.

The following Christmas (I guess I had been moved out for 2 months or so), I bought his family a ham and a cheesecake. Deal with the guilt later.

---
Mediocrity at its most average.

quote:

---

Personally, I was homeless once and this guy let me live in his basement.
The following Christmas (I guess I had been moved out for 2 months or so), I bought his family a ham and a cheesecake. Deal with the guilt later.

---

Guys... got a bit of an update on my situation.

As horrible as these experiences are, they're especially humbling and make you appreciate your friends, because just as I've been touched by the generosity and kindness of people here, I've also had some friends pull my fat out of the fire up at school. Last night I had my first REAL meal in a week, because a friend treated me to dinner at a nice restaurant. And today, someone else lent me ten bucks for gas money to get home. My parents have been in contact with housing and it's all a bit technical and I'm not sure I completely understand it myself, but the meal-plan check bounced, because I had switched bank accounts recently and there was some problem with my new account being activated... blah blah blah. Anyway, my parents have wired over the necessary funds to get my meal-plan going again, so while I'm still broke, I won't go hungry again. I would like to thank everyone who offered help or words of advice.

---
Destroying my reputation one post at a time.

Awesome. : )

---
I wanted my half in the middle and I wound up on the edge.

Sweet! Now do the same thing that happened to me when a horrible misfortune happened: MAKE A SERIES ABOUT IT!!!

Regardless of the minor shitstorm, I'm glad it's being sorted out. Bring broke and unable to have any fun sucks, but it's better than being broke and unable to have food.

Don't forget to relax and have some (free) fun, too. In situations like this it's really easy to let stress rule your life, and coupled with a less than optimum diet this can make you really sick. So, play some games, listen to some music, go to the library and borrow some leisure reading (textbook study doesn't count!) and just give yourself permission to relax for a while and not feel guilty about not studying or working.

---
This signature has performed an illegal operation and has been shut down.

I nearly forgot. The best way to score some quick extra cash is in the trash. You live in a dorm room, people throw out their cans all the time. If you ask them to save their soda cans for you, they will, and you can at least score some temporary gas money for the week until everything gets sorted. That is, if there's a can recycle facility near you (there's two within 5 miles of my house).

---
Mediocrity at its most average.

I did that, too... great idea! I'd get anywhere from $6 to $10 that way, used it for gas money. 'Course, nowadays that'll get you about a gallon of gas :P

---
“It is only with the heart that one sees rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” - The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1945)

Trade car for 49cc scooter. Umpteen mpg, don't have to register or insure it most places, tho you might want to. It's cheap. And you'll look all hip.

---
What others say about boorite!

That's good news 'flate. I didn't want to come across as harsh before so apols if I did. There's been a lot of good advice given by everyone; the best piece I can give you is hold your head up - sounds like you have some true friends, which are the kind who won't mind if you need money for gas or who throw you the odd spare portion of pasta. I wish I had asked my friends for help when I was in trouble.

---
Please replace the handset, and try again.

We're getting $1.88/gallon latest here. I filled my tank up for $15 the other day, it was SWEEEE-EEET.

---
Mediocrity at its most average.

we're down to 89.9 cents/Litre.

Don't know how to convert it, but it cost me less than $40 to fill up from the bottom of empty. When we were at $1.17/L it cost about $48

---
Okay, Lindsay, are you forgetting that I was a professional twice over - an analyst and a therapist. The world's first analrapist.

You bastards!

You've seen the car I drive. The tank holds about 40 litres. I get about 400 miles to a tank max. It costs me over £30 to fill up. I'm seriously freaking mad now.

---
Please replace the handset, and try again.