jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why you deleted my posts in the junker car thread where I suggested a bike as an alternative if the commute is only 1.5 miles?

You did this twice.

It wasn't inflammatory. It wasn't even off-topic. OP is motivated to save money by selling her expensive car and downsize to a junker. Suggesting a bike commute for a 1.5 mile trip hardly seems out of bounds. I wasn't trying to derail the thread -- it was a valid suggestion made in good faith. A bike might cost $200. A junker car would be $2,000.

In two separate threads yesterday, you were the first responder and failed to address the topic. In the thread that you are referencing here, the OP was asking about junker cars and, as you mention here, you replied about bikes. That is not addressing the OP's post and, as the first response, was likely to immediately turn the thread off-topic.

In the second example, you twice replied as the first responder to a poster asking about a specific author to say that you had never heard of the author. What useful input could you possibly provide about an author of whom you had never heard? Why would you bother to reply to such a thread? Clearly, other posters have heard of the author and, rather than your posts setting a negative tone for the thread, were able to provide substantive responses


I am getting constant complaints about DCUM being mean and even the most mundane threads turning snarky and unhelpful. I am trying to change that trend, so expect more of this. If your posts are deleted, please don't repost saying, that you don't know why your post was deleted -- that will only be deleted as well. If you don't want your post to be deleted, post on-topic and helpful responses -- particularly if you are the first responder.

We're going to have to agree to disagree, then. The answer was completely germane. It wasn't mean by any stretch. It was intended as a helpful suggestion to someone who wanted to save money by downgrading her class of car. The point that a bike would suffice if all you need a car for is a 1.5 mile commute is completely on topic and responsive, even if it was thinking "outside the box." I think we can all agree that getting rid of a car costing $550 a month and using a bike for a short commute is even more cost-effective than buying a junker that needs to be maintained.

I don't even think it was the first response. You're wrong about that. It was like the third or fourth.

As for the kids, I did acknowledge I read past that in an immediate follow-up post (also deleted). As a pp here has pointed out, I see people biking with their kids in trailers all the time -- commuting even. It's 1.5 miles, for heaven's sake. Not 10.

Your posts were the first and second. When you posted a third time, that was maybe the third or forth. If you read the post about the junker car again, the poster has a 1.5 mile commute to the train station and then another 1.5 mile pickup and drop off with kids. So, that sounds twice as long as you seem to believe. I also think it is hard to believe that there is anyone who lives in the metropolitan area who wouldn't think about a bike without being prompted. Regardless, if your post had been the 20th instead of the 1st and 2nd, I would have left it. But, at least let threads get off to a good start.

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why you deleted my posts in the junker car thread where I suggested a bike as an alternative if the commute is only 1.5 miles?

You did this twice.

It wasn't inflammatory. It wasn't even off-topic. OP is motivated to save money by selling her expensive car and downsize to a junker. Suggesting a bike commute for a 1.5 mile trip hardly seems out of bounds. I wasn't trying to derail the thread -- it was a valid suggestion made in good faith. A bike might cost $200. A junker car would be $2,000.

In two separate threads yesterday, you were the first responder and failed to address the topic. In the thread that you are referencing here, the OP was asking about junker cars and, as you mention here, you replied about bikes. That is not addressing the OP's post and, as the first response, was likely to immediately turn the thread off-topic.

In the second example, you twice replied as the first responder to a poster asking about a specific author to say that you had never heard of the author. What useful input could you possibly provide about an author of whom you had never heard? Why would you bother to reply to such a thread? Clearly, other posters have heard of the author and, rather than your posts setting a negative tone for the thread, were able to provide substantive responses


I am getting constant complaints about DCUM being mean and even the most mundane threads turning snarky and unhelpful. I am trying to change that trend, so expect more of this. If your posts are deleted, please don't repost saying, that you don't know why your post was deleted -- that will only be deleted as well. If you don't want your post to be deleted, post on-topic and helpful responses -- particularly if you are the first responder.

We're going to have to agree to disagree, then. The answer was completely germane. It wasn't mean by any stretch. It was intended as a helpful suggestion to someone who wanted to save money by downgrading her class of car. The point that a bike would suffice if all you need a car for is a 1.5 mile commute is completely on topic and responsive, even if it was thinking "outside the box." I think we can all agree that getting rid of a car costing $550 a month and using a bike for a short commute is even more cost-effective than buying a junker that needs to be maintained.

I don't even think it was the first response. You're wrong about that. It was like the third or fourth.

As for the kids, I did acknowledge I read past that in an immediate follow-up post (also deleted). As a pp here has pointed out, I see people biking with their kids in trailers all the time -- commuting even. It's 1.5 miles, for heaven's sake. Not 10.

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why you deleted my posts in the junker car thread where I suggested a bike as an alternative if the commute is only 1.5 miles?

You did this twice.

It wasn't inflammatory. It wasn't even off-topic. OP is motivated to save money by selling her expensive car and downsize to a junker. Suggesting a bike commute for a 1.5 mile trip hardly seems out of bounds. I wasn't trying to derail the thread -- it was a valid suggestion made in good faith. A bike might cost $200. A junker car would be $2,000.

In two separate threads yesterday, you were the first responder and failed to address the topic. In the thread that you are referencing here, the OP was asking about junker cars and, as you mention here, you replied about bikes. That is not addressing the OP's post and, as the first response, was likely to immediately turn the thread off-topic.

In the second example, you twice replied as the first responder to a poster asking about a specific author to say that you had never heard of the author. What useful input could you possibly provide about an author of whom you had never heard? Why would you bother to reply to such a thread? Clearly, other posters have heard of the author and, rather than your posts setting a negative tone for the thread, were able to provide substantive responses


I am getting constant complaints about DCUM being mean and even the most mundane threads turning snarky and unhelpful. I am trying to change that trend, so expect more of this. If your posts are deleted, please don't repost saying, that you don't know why your post was deleted -- that will only be deleted as well. If you don't want your post to be deleted, post on-topic and helpful responses -- particularly if you are the first responder.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How would the OP do kids pick up and drop off?!!?

A bike? LOL

I regularly see people biking with a kid trailer on mornings in DC. Clearly doing kid pick up /drop off. It's definitely a viable option.

Anonymous wrote:Why you deleted my posts in the junker car thread where I suggested a bike as an alternative if the commute is only 1.5 miles?

You did this twice.

It wasn't inflammatory. It wasn't even off-topic. OP is motivated to save money by selling her expensive car and downsize to a junker. Suggesting a bike commute for a 1.5 mile trip hardly seems out of bounds. I wasn't trying to derail the thread -- it was a valid suggestion made in good faith. A bike might cost $200. A junker car would be $2,000.

Anonymous wrote:How would the OP do kids pick up and drop off?!!?

A bike? LOL