Not a lifehack, just a reminder that legality is not an indicator of whether something is ethical
For the US: The Supreme Court has ruled that flashing your lights to alert other drivers of an upcoming speed trap is protected by your First Amendment rights.
Flipping off a cop is also protected, but that’s less helpful to others.
Why would you help someone driving dangerously and putting others at risk?
I do get where you’re coming from, but there are a lot of roads where the speed limit is artificially low (or temporarily lowered for no legitimate reason) for the sole purpose of collecting income from speeding fines
This part. I live in a rural area near a city; lots of people commute into town, and the main road there is flat, wide, straight, not residential, not even any livestock near the road, just open fields. The limit is 35, and half the people I know have gotten at least one $375 ticket for doing 40. It’s literally just a cash grab designed to take money from poor people trying to get to work.
172·13 days agoThey’re helping the other drivers, not the murderous Nazi pigs.
How adorably naive.
Yeah such an American take lol
In EU I would be glad that anyone going over speed limit is fined, even 1kmph, these rules are there so drivers don’t kill pedestrians. If someone is afraid to be fined for going 1kmph over limit, just slow down a bit
Especially when you keep in mind that the speedometer reads higher than your true speed, so if your true speed is over you were clearly speeding intentionally.
Drive at 30 in a 20, end up killing a child with your massive SUV - which is another problem in its self…
Get your speedometer calibrated. It should read your proper speed
US drivers do it regardless to help other drivers avoid getting unfair/unjust tickets. We’ve been ticketed 275$ going 1mph over the speed limit (it was down hill bruh) when we were 19 in the middle of no where Texas.
Also we no longer drive because we were never supposed to drive and we hate doing it anywho
Also we no longer drive because we were never supposed to drive and we hate doing it anywho
What do you mean? Do you live in NYC or something? I drive 4-6 hundred miles a week
We lived in nyc, Pittsburgh, middle of no where Maine and rn in Spain. In USA we either took the bus, rode a bike or walked. Can’t drive because of disabilities but did it when we were 16-19 because we were forced to while temporarily living in Oklahoma and Texas
You’re a disgusting law enforcement shill. Cops have too much money as it is. If they’ve got time to sit on the side of the road and steal from us, then they must have cleaned up ALL the crime in the city, so their services are no longer required. Go be a school crossing guard.
Cops have too much money as it is
Found the American
Speeding cars kill like, so many people. Am I also a disgusting law enforcement shill now?
And if my flashing lights slow down somebody, so they don’t get a ticket, then it’s a great outcome for everybody but the cops.
Besides, nobody’s getting actively killed in my example, stop being so dramatic. I’m just flashing my lights in the neighborhood to alert my neighbor, and save him a ticket. That’s who I owe my loyalty to, not the cops.
Obviously, if it’s the guy who is always speeding through the neighborhood, I’m going to let that guy blow on past the cop. They deserve each other.
stop being so dramatic
disgusting law enforcement shill
🙄🙄
Don’t speed, don’t normalise speeding. Acab yes, but not because of speeding tickets lol
So maybe from your perspective, flash your lights when you think incoming traffic is going too fast?
Keep in mind, what you’re seeing is the combined speed of yours and theirs
Torrent everything. If it’s legal for a company to cancel my subscription then torrenting isn’t unethical.
Use the free tier if you are low-income. Privacy and security shouldn’t be for those with money.
If it’s legal for the Zuck to torrent all the books, it’s legal for me to torrent a few books.
Alternative option is not to pirate the books and instead read the public domain ones that are just free. Project Gutenberg is a good completely legit source of free books.
If libraries didn’t already exist and you tried to make one now, you would be arrested and likely get pretty hefty sentencing for copyright infringement.
Books are one of the few things I am more than willing to pay full price for.
Sure the publishers eat a lot of the money, but the authors don’t do too badly.
The very nature of a book (unless something is published as an e-book only) keeps it from being enshittfied like streaming audio and video services. If someone were to print an ad in the book, I could just rip it out and throw it away.
Books are one of the last places where you just will not see an ad or be tracked, or have popups, and other irritating “features”.
Books are good.
I’ve seen some children’s books with popups.
Slightly more seriously though, I do have some books that have an advertisement for something else from the author or publisher.
I feel like being I am pedantic on the points here so I will make a point of saying that I agree with the spirit of your comment.
Books used to come with ads all the time in the early 20th century, especially cheap paperbacks.
I’m not sure about unethical, but blocking ads is a big one for me. The WWW is unusable without blocking ads.
That’s just good advice 😂
If you get junk mail with a return envelope, it’s automatically paid by whoever sent it, so you can mail back whatever you want, like vulgar imagery or blank forms
It’s paid by weight and thickness so fill it with trash like pieces of cardboard and sand.
Sand sounds a bit mean. Postal service is not our enemy.
They show me nothing but naked hostility. The feeling is mutual.
Or bricks.
The post office got wise to that. Changed their regulations so that business reply mail cannot be used as a shipping label.
I recently used such an envelope to return a sheet where I had just written “poop”, using my left hand for extra aesthetics. I also added some screws and nuts I had laying around in case it’d increase the postage. My GF called me childish. I call it the result of ignoring the no-spam-registry everyone in my country is legally bound to follow.
None, I strongly advocate for ethics in all things.
Now if we want to talk about illegal lifehacks, that’s a different ballgame.
do you have any ethical but illegal life hacks in mind?
other than Internet piracy
What is your best illegal lifehack?
If you’re ever in charge of a young child with a stroller, it’s the ultimate shoplifting tool. You can cram all sorts of things under or behind it under the guise of fussing with the baby, and just walk out afterwards, no one wants to stop a fussy baby from leaving a store. Use this to harm predatory corporations that you can’t ethically give money to.
That’s true, but when you work checkout, you’re told to look there, specifically. And cameras, so be careful. If you steal meat, for instance, move to a non monitored isle, something cheap they don’t care about you stealing, so they don’t monitor it, and stash the meat there. But also Buy one of whatever you steal. They see you pick stuff up, but they can’t really tell you picked up 2 of the same slab of meat, they see you pay for one, they think all is good. Be super friendly and nice to all the staff. It’s not them you’re stealing from, they hate the system as much as you. Wear glasses, and mildly but not flashy upmarket clothing. Don’t wear hoodies or sunnies or nondescript clothing. And then you’re magically invisible. After working in a supermarket for multiple years, I can tell you exactly who they watch, and who they don’t.
Oh, also, watch out for security disgused as shoppers, they’ll walk around with a basket without any refrigerated items, just weird random junk, and they look at the people more than the shelves, walk too slow, and they’ll randomly follow you, so go in weird directions so you can spot them, act like you gotta double back to a few different weird isles, out of order, then it’s too obvious for them to follow you. Then If you see them try to follow you, but get frustrated, you definitely know to steal away from them. Or come back another day, they’re not there every day, or all day.
Storytime, I had a lady with a stroller come through, saw her all the time. She never looked me in the eyes, never bought much, was always a little off, avoidant to the point of rude. I always knew something was off, but i never check prams, because f that. One day I see a line of big burly blokes lined up at the exit to my register, I was running, “what’s up fellas?” “Here to catch a thief, don’t worry about it” they apprehend her, she had been loading her pram, chockas full, with meat slabs, they tell me later, they watched her put them all in her stroller. They watch the expensive stuff like a hawk.
Don’t feel bad stealing from corporations, they don’t feel bad stealing from you.
Also in bigger stores like Target, there may not be an unmonitored aisle. Just… look up, if you don’t believe me. But maybe not too obviously.
Many places punish employees for excessive “loss” in their departments. Sometimes explicitly.
Even ignoring that places will price “loss” into their products, I think it’s important to consider that this can affect “the little guy” too. Disproportionately at times, imo
Pricing in the loss only makes sense if it recovered any of the losses. And if it did, I’m pretty sure they would’ve already done it regardless of whether there’s any loss since it would just be pure profit in its absence.
Pricing in the loss only makes sense if it recovered any of the losses.
Maybe I’m not understanding what you mean, but I don’t think that’s true. They raise prices to account for the fact that they will not receive any money and lose out on what they paid for some percentage of the items.
And if it did, I’m pretty sure they would’ve already done it regardless of whether there’s any loss since it would just be pure profit in its absence.
Not necessarily. Not if they’re trying to beat a competitor’s price, for instance.
Those same competitors exist even if you steal from them. If raising prices means they make less profit due to those competitors, then they can’t raise prices to offset losses either.
Stuff some cash in an envelope and send it to Sweden for a totally anonymous mullvad account, download and set it up on your device (legal)
Download qbittorrent, go to the settings and bind it to your mullvad connection (legal)
Torrent every single 1 and 0 you consume, and seed that shit forever and eternity (mixed legality)
Every year, call your insurance/internet/phone/TV etc. provider and tell them one of their competitors gave you a lower quote and you want them to match it or come close.
They will often give you a better rate just for asking. It’s easier if you do have an actual quote to compare it against but you don’t need one. Everything is made up. Just ask to pay less and threaten to stop paying them and they’ll often just give it to you.
Even if they refuse, just say, “Okay. I need some time to think about whether or not I want to continue our relationship or switch.” Hang up and do nothing.
Tell your boss too. I told a boss that I’d been offered 25% more elsewhere which was enough for me to take it unless he wanted to match it, he did.
USA centric.
This is known as policy walking and has been banned in the UK by the FCA.
(edit - specifically for insurance)
——
@nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
Why the downvote with zero engagement?
Wait what??
The consumer is barred from swapping providers annually to get better rates? Or are they barred from lying about fake quotes to get a better rate from their current provider?
Edit: By chance did you mean “price walking”? I did some searching online and I couldn’t find anything about the UK forbidding consumers from changing insurance companies to seek lower prices by searching for “policy walking” but I did find something about insurers slowly increasing prices on customers (thus creating the need for the behavior I suggested) called “price walking”, though I didn’t see anything about it’s legality. Admittedly, I’m just skimming while working.
A new customer and a renewing customer should get the same price.
If you go to an insurance company to get a quote, as a brand new customer or a renewal, the price should be the same.
Historically, its to prevent companies giving lower prices for the first year and then raising it for the second year.
Youre not allowed to increase the price just because its not a new customer.
Its nothing to do with regulating the customer - its regulating how insurance companies price their products for new vs existing customers.
I said policy walking, but price walking might be the more accurate term
Oooooooh that makes sense! Thanks for explaining. Yeah I wish we had legislation around it here, it’s stupid that I have to play games to get lower prices on things.
Wish that were the case where I live. Still I’ve noticed that what they’re now doing is offering the same price to everyone, but then giving the option of free Netflix for 1 year as a sign up bonus or the equivalent credit towards your service for that year, which effectively is the same practice.
To me the it sounds a bit more likely that they’re regulating insurance companies and not the customers.
insane, huh?
Not USA centric.
It is also solid advice here in Germany and probably many other countries.
Your comment might be UK centric…
You may notice I specifically called out my comment as UK centric.
You monster.
Worked for me in Europe. Do this yearly now.
Removed by mod
It was a question. I do not recall you at all. Why do you care enough to follow me around and downvote?
what “dumb shit” have I said today? Would you like to correct me on UK insurance law? How did that “make you feel dumber”?
edit - and thats all of our interaction in the last year. Youre this upset cause I didnt like a game you like?
Removed by mod
I gave specific, UK advice, in a thread that isnt country specific, since the comment I replied to was defaulting to USA centric. Not sure why youre so upset about that? At least I clarified the exact country Im talking about, rather than assuming everyone is from the same place.
deleted by creator
Youre the one following me around arbitrarily downvoting.
I looked back at our last interaction. I actually said something positive. I was sincere about you enjoying starfield. Why is that “making you feel dumber”?
My ISP charges $15/mo for gigabit. I don’t really anticipate beating that.
They charge another $15/mo for a static IP, which they apparently require to allow port forwarding, but if I called annually about it they’d probably catch on. They already know me by name because, despite being several states away, they provide internet access exclusively to my city in my state and I’m apparently the only person here who wants port forwarding.
Keep a reflective umbrella in the passenger seat. When an asshole with death beams tailgates you, have the passenger open it across the back seats
I would do this alone. I just don’t trust assholes not to shoot into my car and kill my family.
Get a bulletproof one like the Penguin.
a machine gun one.
I angle my sideview mirrors to reflect back at them. It tends to force them to back up a little
How do you know it’s reflecting back at them? I have tried and am never sure how to aim it.
I do the same, but primarily to get their headlights from blinding me through the side view mirror.
Watch youtube through other apps like Grayjoy If people are having a conversation in a dumb spot, walk through the middle of them
Is grayjay any better than newpipe
For me it is, newpipe had way more instances of loading very slow or not at all when i tried to use it
Use Morphe
What is Morphe?
It’s like ReVanced, which is not working anymore. Morphe works. https://morphe.software/
Almost a really, really stupid show.
If you really want to piss people off, treat every individual with compassion and dignity. Even (especially) if they don’t treat themselves like that.
Also, corporations are not people, my friend. So use the above to help guide your social engineering tactics.
Not unethical or illegal, but avoiding a barrier, if you have a problem that a company won’t solve using regular customer service means, spend time to find their email formula (FnameLname or FLname or FnameL @company.com) do some online searching, and then email your unhelpful CSO person and start to CC senior people in the company “to bring this error to their attention.”
If the unhelpful CSO person hasn’t messed up, then it’s no heat on them and their supervisor will just say “ugh, just get rid of this guy,” and solve your problem. I’ve used this method a dozen or so times, works well.
When I have an issue with a corp and have to talk to a human I start with an apology to that individual.
“Hey I have an issue with X about Y, but I have nothing against you as a person. You’re just trying to do your job and probably deal with a ton of verbal abuse. I apologize in advance if I get upset or use crude language during this call. Be aware that I’m not upset at you I’m upset at the company policies.”
Having been of both sides of this situation, this is excellent advice and will get you much better results on average because you get the CSR on your side and invested in a positive outcome almost every time.
Yeah nearly every time they end up on my side.
My latest issue that didn’t help at all with with a Verizon call to a CSR in India. She was a human robot reading a script. Didn’t listen to me at all just following her prompts. An AI would’ve done a better job.
This works so well. I’ve been on the receiving end of that, and I wanted more than nothing more than to help resolve their issue. I felt acknowledged and validated, and wanted nothing but to return the favor. Do this.
When shopping, I like to make it seem extremely likely I am stealing to help poor people who actually need to steal to survive.
For example, when picking up a soda, I furtively look to my left and right to make sure no one is looking and crouch my head down. I pick up things and make it seem like I may be putting it in a pocket at times before putting it back. When security guards say hi, I don’t make eye contact or reply back and put my head down as if hiding.
I never actually steal and haven’t ever shoplifted anything.
I have been kicked out stores many times for abnormal behavior, but never while stealing.
…how does that help anyone at all?
If you ever see someone stealing food.
No you didn’t.I’ve seen shoplifters stealing granola bars or chips before. Not said a word.
Stealing electronics? Fuck that person.
The distinction you’re trying to make is stealing luxuries vs stealing necessities. Sure, we could argue basically “fuck megacorps” and that’s debatable to steal whatever, but this is about us.
If someone’s stealing the basic necessities like food, nobody saw shit.
If you’re stealing a TV, that just makes you a thief.
There’s also people stealing (even reselling) necessities like toothpaste, deodorant and laundry detergent.
They’ll likely steal in bulk if that’s the case. If they do it over time, snitching on everyone hurts the people who are stealing for necessity. Be the good for people. Kindly, compassionately, and in a non-derogatory way let them know where they can get food, essentials, and services for free from a resource center. Don’t take their dignity.
If you’re stealing a TV, that just makes you a thief.
I can steal and sell TV and not be stealing food for the next two weeks or so. While stealing food is everyday effort
Look, I don’t get this need to cite exceptions to make oneself right. I can’t engage in pedantry or add endless footnotes to a general concept of what constitutes thievery or what every individual’s plan is for whatever they steal. It’s ridiculous to waste that time. You can steal a steak and sell it. You can steal a TV and watch it.
The spirit of the discussion is the direct intent of theft is either for an immediate need of a basic necessity of food, or the non-necessity of a luxury like a tv. Leave it at that concept.
My kids accidentally stopped a shoplifter. We stopped at a Walmart on a road trip to use the bathroom. As we were leaving, for some reason all three of them decided to tie their shoes in the vestibule, blocking most of the doorway. There was a very agitated lady behind them, and I tried to move my kids given that I was aware how obnoxious a place they had chosen for shoe tying — I assumed she just wanted to leave the store. But as she tried to get around them, she dropped a pile of phone charging cables and cases and was caught by a security guard chasing her
Imagine if like 5% or so of people in a Grocery store acted like he does. Would be so much easier to actually steal something with security being busy all the time with the non-stealers
i’v never seen security care about theft outside of the egregious electronics and stuff like that, those guys don’t get paid enough to care about slippage
Do you live in an area with poor people and lots of shoplifting? Do you work in grocery store security surveillance? Do you work as a 711 clerk? Is this an area of expertise or are you just guessing?
chicago, plenty of places have guards but it’s all for showt/insurance (presumably). nearly all security you can see is performative, to make normies feel safe
It increases the noise to signal ratio in their attempts to look for food thieves.
Lol, I used to do this as a kid. Didn’t steal anything, but I deliberately acted shady just to see what would happen. Nothing ever did.
deleted by creator
deleted by creator
If you are working as a contractor and make above a certain wage it can be worth it to setup your own LLC/S-corp. I did it one year at the advice of my CPA and it immediately knocked off 30% of my AGI. Lowered my pass thru income and tax liability. Saved me many thousands over 20 years. Its what every corporation in America does.
What did you do just pay yourself in options and drive the stock price up with buy backs? I guess you could buy your competition and load them up with all of your debt while paying you and your friends bonuses.
I’m pretty sure that doesn’t work for small corporations where no one else even knows you exist. The share value is likely just going to be the company’s net asset value.
Tell the truth all the time, be the most honest person everyone knows. That way when you really fuck something up they’ll believe you when you say it wasn’t you
No, it’ll backfire spectacularly, and I’ve lived it. When someone’s a habitual liar, people will get accustomed to them and nobody bats an eye. But if you’re always honest and one day you fuck up and they find out, word will spread, the rumor will grow, and it’ll create a bigger ripple. You’d have broken a realiance where people will feel the need to adjust their views on you.
This isn’t really unethical tho
Until it’s discovered and pinned on the regular fuckups that you’re just that much more methodical and that makes you much worse if not the main dangerous sociopath of the friend group.
Fake stupidity or ignorance, just a little. Otherwise, you risk getting people on their defensive sides (e.g., doctors, lawyers, architects).
I learned way too late in life that no one likes a know it all. Pretending you don’t know stuff makes people more willing to help you.
I gave up telling stuff to my co-workers. 90% of the time I’m actually dumb, so people now expect me to ALWAYS be wrong. So I made a habbit of just watching co-workers struggle when I know the solution.
If you want a free quarter, make an online order at Aldi that is large enough for them to load into a cart and also justify you taking the cart out to your car. Return said cart to the cart line and boom free quarter.
I’m about to be so rich.
