Freegans?! WTF! They are like Human Raccoons

Flashy_McFlash · 06-01-2006, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maui

Environmentalist? They are recycling the crap that would fill dumps.
Activist? They are spreading a message to help people improve their habits.
Marketing? Your hearing their message aren't you.

1) Wow, I guess I'm an environmentalist too!
2) I am 90% sure that 'Activist' isn't a job
3) I don't think that even you believe this.

wayne kenoff · 06-01-2006, 12:50 PM

I think that's pretty cool.

Not for me, but cool.

Seriously, having worked at a warehouse and at a restaurant, it blows me away me how much perfectly good stuff is thrown away.

When you think about it, it's only natural for a subsection of urban society to adept scavenger behaviour. It happens everywhere else in nature. Nothing is wasted.

Subsonic Chronic · 06-01-2006, 12:52 PM

ahaha... I love how everyone's gotta have their own label. Even bums these days can't call themselves bums anymore, they've got a new name - Freegans!

Maui · 06-01-2006, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flashy_McFlash

1) Wow, I guess I'm an environmentalist too!
2) I am 90% sure that 'Activist' isn't a job
3) I don't think that even you believe this.

What, what, and yes I do believe it.

What I don't believe is that I'm arguing with someone named flashy McFlash. You are quite obviously a flashy shopaholic, bigspending, corporate slut who provides a steady job for freegans. So I guess in the end you really are contributing to something remotely good.

Flashy_McFlash · 06-01-2006, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maui

What, what, and yes I do believe it.

What I don't believe is that I'm arguing with someone named flashy McFlash. You are quite obviously a flashy shopaholic, bigspending, corporate slut who provides a steady job for freegans. So I guess in the end you really are contributing to something remotely good.

Actually that's not too inaccurate a description.

Why not change my mind by taking me through a typical day of a freegan and point out to me specifically where they are contributing to society. Try not to define their contribution by what they're not doing, but rather, by what they are doing.

alexd · 06-01-2006, 01:07 PM

Soon these freegans will be climbing poles...

Maui · 06-01-2006, 01:08 PM

Dude, I'm not a freegan myself. Their website is right there if you want to learn more about them. I'm sure I'll read more later. I'm already an hour late for work thanks to surfing this blasted internet trying to find a new job and a place to live coincidentally.

DaPhatConductor · 06-01-2006, 01:12 PM

wow, that's some next level shit. i can't believe these people even exist.

wayne kenoff · 06-01-2006, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flashy_McFlash

Actually that's not too inaccurate a description.

Why not change my mind by taking me through a typical day of a freegan and point out to me specifically where they are contributing to society. Try not to define their contribution by what they're not doing, but rather, by what they are doing.

Yeah but what does anyone do to contribute to society? Seriously. Most people have an overinflated sense of worth about their jobs/career. Whether it's pushing paper or selling widgets, or greasing the wheels of commerce.

But if you want an straight answer, how about waste management.

Stan · 06-01-2006, 01:41 PM

So, essentially, a Freegan is like a North American Hippie version of a Tanuki?

Michlerish · 06-01-2006, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayne kenoff

Yeah but what does anyone do to contribute to society? Seriously. Most people have an overinflated sense of worth about their jobs/career. Whether it's pushing paper or selling widgets, or greasing the wheels of commerce.

But if you want an straight answer, how about waste management.

We contribute by paying taxes and spending money.

wayne kenoff · 06-01-2006, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michlerish

We contribute by paying taxes and spending money.

yeah well not to belittle you, because I do the same thing, but it's not much of a contribution

why not · 06-01-2006, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kalemic

Cause yeah, thats a brilliant idea. ahah And I'm really sure they go forth and turn them into "community centers".

Well its fine by me for a person to live their life the way they want (and it they actually do live by these principles thats fairly commendable re: the food and volunteering), the pipe dreams they're espousing are pretty rediculous.

squatting and squatter's rights are pretty well established through much of europe.
often they'll turn these old warehouses into viable 'businesses' (more co-op than for-profit).
some governments give them grants, and they make them into cafes and art spaces.
i know of a few toronto bands who when they tour europe play in lots of squatter venues, most of which are as good as the real clubs.

Michlerish · 06-01-2006, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayne kenoff

yeah well not to belittle you, because I do the same thing, but it's not much of a contribution

It doesn't belittle me...

Do you consider a contribution to society to be ONLY nobel prize-worthy ones?

If we were all Freegan, or Hippies, or bums... there would be no public education, no healthcare, etc.

I also find it kind of ironic that the Freegan lifestyle depends on the waste of society. Like them eating shit will make me want to waste less? Hardly.

MoFo · 06-01-2006, 02:00 PM

My friends are freegans.

It's a totally ridiculous concept.

They passed by me while I was sitting on a patio once. They came over, talked about how they just ate everyone's food in the Eaton Centre food court then left.

After they left, I realized that they had left all their garbage on my table for me to take care of.

If they wanted to make a statement, they should all do it in a big group, like 100 of them and eat off of people's plates. That would be cool.

MoFo · 06-01-2006, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ev

choice my ass.. they're just losers that can't hold down a job

I don't want to generalize but in my experience with my freegan friends, yeah.. this is pretty bang on.

wayne kenoff · 06-01-2006, 02:02 PM

I'm not sure where your hostility towards these people is coming from. I don't want to be a 'Freegan' either but I acknowledge that their existence is a direct result of the waste my daily 'contribution' creates. Yin and yang .

edit: in response to Michlerish

Cheap Ego · 06-01-2006, 02:08 PM

As long as they dont shit on my fire escape, they're ok with me.

wayne kenoff · 06-01-2006, 02:12 PM

Every ecosystem has scavengers and no ecosystem would function without them. Whether it's fungus, rodents, vultures or what have you. The fact that our cities can support human sized scavengers is a rather sad indictment of the quantity of waste available to them.

jared k · 06-01-2006, 02:16 PM

can you imagine how hard it would be to be a vegan freegan?

"'scuse me, is this a nectarine or a piece of cheese? cuz if it's cheese, that's disgusting."

Flashy_McFlash · 06-01-2006, 02:17 PM

I think the backlash has less to do with the lifestyle itself (hey, everyone's got to survive somehow) than with their high-minded justifications for it. Poor? Go ahead, scavenge. But don't try to tell me that you're saving the world by doing so.

wayne kenoff · 06-01-2006, 02:17 PM

hahahaha @ jared

wayne kenoff · 06-01-2006, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flashy_McFlash

I think the backlash has less to do with the lifestyle itself (hey, everyone's got to survive somehow) than with their high-minded justifications for it. Poor? Go ahead, scavenge. But don't try to tell me that you're saving the world by doing so.

yeah fair enough, that didn't even register with me. my self-aggrandizing bullshit filter is tuned to ignore

The Peej · 06-01-2006, 02:53 PM

I've been dumpster diving before. Got some sweet cruelers the day after a huge drunk-fest. Nothing like free day-olds to cure a hangover!

janiecakes · 06-01-2006, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flashy_McFlash

I find it really difficult to believe that these rats find the time to do volunteer work in between dumpster dives.

i used to know people who dumpstered most of their food, and although they didn't seem to take it quite as far as these guys, they did a lot of community work with food not bombs and ocap and stuff like that.

06-01-2006, 01:07 PM	#31
alexd TRIBE editor Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: tousle me softly Posts: 28,035	Soon these freegans will be climbing poles... __________________ alexd > Editor/Admin > TRIBE® TRIBE® on Facebook: facebook.com/tribe TRIBE® on Twitter: @tribemagazine

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06-01-2006, 12:50 PM	#27
wayne kenoff TRIBE Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: up shit creek Posts: 3,543	I think that's pretty cool. Not for me, but cool. Seriously, having worked at a warehouse and at a restaurant, it blows me away me how much perfectly good stuff is thrown away. When you think about it, it's only natural for a subsection of urban society to adept scavenger behaviour. It happens everywhere else in nature. Nothing is wasted.

06-01-2006, 12:52 PM	#28
Subsonic Chronic TRIBE Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: wishing H1N1 on my worst enemies Posts: 23,771	ahaha... I love how everyone's gotta have their own label. Even bums these days can't call themselves bums anymore, they've got a new name - Freegans!

06-01-2006, 01:08 PM	#32
Maui TRIBE Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Toronto Posts: 2,692	Dude, I'm not a freegan myself. Their website is right there if you want to learn more about them. I'm sure I'll read more later. I'm already an hour late for work thanks to surfing this blasted internet trying to find a new job and a place to live coincidentally.

06-01-2006, 01:12 PM	#33
DaPhatConductor TRIBE Promoter Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: the phatcave Posts: 5,771	wow, that's some next level shit. i can't believe these people even exist.

06-01-2006, 01:41 PM	#35
Stan Member Join Date: Jan 2000 Location: uʍop-ǝpısdn Posts: 19,124	So, essentially, a Freegan is like a North American Hippie version of a Tanuki?

06-01-2006, 02:00 PM	#40
MoFo TRIBE Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Hugging Danny Tanner! Posts: 64,050	My friends are freegans. It's a totally ridiculous concept. They passed by me while I was sitting on a patio once. They came over, talked about how they just ate everyone's food in the Eaton Centre food court then left. After they left, I realized that they had left all their garbage on my table for me to take care of. If they wanted to make a statement, they should all do it in a big group, like 100 of them and eat off of people's plates. That would be cool.

06-01-2006, 02:02 PM	#42
wayne kenoff TRIBE Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: up shit creek Posts: 3,543	I'm not sure where your hostility towards these people is coming from. I don't want to be a 'Freegan' either but I acknowledge that their existence is a direct result of the waste my daily 'contribution' creates. Yin and yang . edit: in response to Michlerish

06-01-2006, 02:08 PM	#43
Cheap Ego Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: I miss the Friendly Thai :( Posts: 3,609	As long as they dont shit on my fire escape, they're ok with me.

06-01-2006, 02:12 PM	#44
wayne kenoff TRIBE Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: up shit creek Posts: 3,543	Every ecosystem has scavengers and no ecosystem would function without them. Whether it's fungus, rodents, vultures or what have you. The fact that our cities can support human sized scavengers is a rather sad indictment of the quantity of waste available to them.

06-01-2006, 02:16 PM	#45
jared k TRIBE Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: planet soul Posts: 840	can you imagine how hard it would be to be a vegan freegan? "'scuse me, is this a nectarine or a piece of cheese? cuz if it's cheese, that's disgusting."

06-01-2006, 02:17 PM	#46
Flashy_McFlash Member Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 51,857	I think the backlash has less to do with the lifestyle itself (hey, everyone's got to survive somehow) than with their high-minded justifications for it. Poor? Go ahead, scavenge. But don't try to tell me that you're saving the world by doing so.

06-01-2006, 02:53 PM	#49
The Peej TRIBE Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Psychoville, and Finkel's the Mayor!!! Posts: 3,445	I've been dumpster diving before. Got some sweet cruelers the day after a huge drunk-fest. Nothing like free day-olds to cure a hangover!