Social incentives

It is crazily hot and humid here. I went out to run some errands. Surprisingly, I enjoyed having enough time to do some mundane tasks at leisure: get battery for my watch, buy tooth paste, water, other ordinary house stuff, and most importantly pay a visit to the local library! I realized how much I had missed it. After having listened to an audio book last week during my commute to work and back ( which I will write about later), I decided I should go back to library and check out and read one audio book a week at least this way. That is the only way my commute time will be spent well, other than the usual listening to NPR or catching up with friends on the phone (Disclaimer: hands free with speakers, if you think this is a good idea and want to do the same ;-) ). Plus, who was I kidding? Why was I so stubborn wanting to read paper books that are collecting dust in my shelves and I can hardly find the time to open (I still have hope for travel time on planes though). Anyways, I am digressing. On my way out, in my neighborhood's shopping center I saw a couple of men at intersections holding signs, which were ads for two close by shops. I thought how inhumane it was to have them do this. Stand in such a hot weather in middle of traffic to advertise there is such and such store in the corner? Could not they post the signs on a pole or board?  I passed them by and went to my destinations and hours later when I was coming back, they were still there. I dread walking to and from my car for that short distance. Do they get water or  ice? Are not there labor laws for some minimum working conditions? Are they being paid off the record and is what those stores are doing illegal? Worse, even if someone complains, would not this deprive those workers of probably the only job and income they could get? I mean, who wants to do this?  They really must need the money and have no other means of income.

I come home with these thoughts fresh in my mind.  I turn on the TV to catch up with some news.  A bunch of commentators and lawyers are discussing conditions of prisoners in some jail in Texas.  Apparently, due to lack of power and extreme heat there, the temperature in jails there had become above 100F.  They were discussing whether that condition established unnecessary hardship or some sort of torture and inhumane and illegal way of dealing with prisoners.  I could not help thinking that those prisoners were in a better condition than those workers in my neighborhood.  They had a roof above their head, which they did not have to pay for, they were being fed, and more importantly, they were under the roof's shade and had lawyers making a case for them.  Those workers were under direct hot sun in humid weather, with no one speaking up on their behalf, in the middle of the street, without water, food, or toilet.  Something was wrong with this picture.  There was more incentive to be in jail than to earn an honest living through hard work!

As if this was not enough, I went to a friend's house for a dinner gathering later that night.  People were sharing how they survived last week's storm, whether or not they lost power and for how long, etc.  Someone said in her neighborhood there was an animal shelter that did not have power for days.  They asked people in neighborhood if they could each sponsor a cat or a dog during the power outage due to extreme heat.  Cats and dogs in the shelter were also protected against extreme heat (which is a good thing by the way).

I could not stop thinking "something is wrong with this picture"!