• 420blazeit69 [he/him]@hexbear.net
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    1 year ago

    I have seen homeless who buy bottled water on SNAP only to dump and resell the bottles so they could get cash for their addictions.

    If you’re going to lie, why make up the most nonsensical lie imaginable?

      • 420blazeit69 [he/him]@hexbear.net
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        1 year ago

        You can return empty bottles in some states, but it’s for 5 cents. The guy I spoke to last Thursday about his fentanyl addiction told me he needed about $100 to get his fix for the day back when he used. It’s just absurd.

    • Sinonatrix [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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      1 year ago

      I’ve seen this first hand a good few times - believe me or not because I don’t want to be too specific about my experience. You’ve got to be super desperate to pour out a 40 count of bottled water for $2-4, but people with nothing else but SNAP/EBT/etc funds will do it.

      It’s sad and wasteful, but it’s also such a marginal thing compared to the Sacklers making the opium wars look like a prank that I don’t see how it can even brought up in the same conversation - except as deflection.

      • GarbageShoot [he/him]@hexbear.net
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        1 year ago

        I’ve seen no shortage of people reselling water bottles with water in them (common especially in places with lots of tourists) but just selling the fucking bottles?

        • Sinonatrix [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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          1 year ago

          If you live in a state with a bottle deposit. The $0.05-0.10 is paid with the government aid, but returned as cash to the redeemer. It’s a poor and laborious return on investment, but doesn’t require actually hustling to sell water like that to tourists.

      • 420blazeit69 [he/him]@hexbear.net
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        1 year ago

        [Removed a bit too much hostility.]

        I work with homeless people, many of whom have substance abuse issues. I’ve heard of all sorts of ways to get money for drugs (by the way, $2-4 isn’t going to get that done, not even close) and have never heard of anything close to this ridiculous.

        It’s unbelievable. As someone else pointed out, with selling them you’re looking at $40, not $2-4, for standing at an intersection or in a park. And you don’t need to do it 30-40 times to get your fix.