Anyone using the Mexico City Metro recently may have spotted an … odd seat on the train, a seat quite unlike the rest.
Instead of a back, the seat’s plastic was molded into a person’s protruding torso. And instead of a flat bottom for sitting, the seat took on the form of that person’s thighs and penis.
Obviously, it wasn’t the most comfortable — or preferred — seat on the train for riders.
Above the seat was a sign declaring the seat “for men only.”
Another sign on the floor, legible once a person was sitting in the chair, reads (translated from Spanish): “It’s annoying to sit here, but doesn’t compare to the sexual violence women suffer on their daily trips.”
Watch a video of confused, amused, and offended passengers experiencing the seat below:
The campaign, #NoEsDeHombres, was launched by U.N. Women and authorities in Mexico City to educate men on the seriousness of sexual assault on public transit.
Mexico’s capital has a bad reputation when it comes to women’s safety, the BBC reported. A global 2014 study found Mexico City was the worst in the world in terms of verbal and physical harassment experienced on public transit.
But harassment is a problem on virtually every major city transit system — including in the U.S. Last year, a survey of Washington, D.C., transit riders found 1 in 5 users had experienced sexual harassment during their commutes, with 28% of that figure reporting having been inappropriately touched or assaulted. As you could have guessed, women were nearly three times as likely as men to experience harassment, the survey found.
Maybe a seat like this for men should be on every city train from here on out.
As their name suggests, anti-homeless spikes are intended to keep homeless people away.
They’ll usually crop up in areas where a homeless person might find some quiet away from the hustle and bustle, or a spot that’s relatively well-sheltered from the elements.
In January 2017, spikes like these appeared outside the Pall Mall Court in Manchester, England. And many people were not happy about it.
u201cOutrage as metal spikes appear outside Manchester building to u2018stop homeless people sleeping roughu2019 https://t.co/bRWlnHazuBu201d
“This is not the answer to rough sleeping,” Pat Karney, Manchester council spokesman, told the Manchester Evening News of the spikes. “It’s demeaning in that way.”
One of those unhappy people was a local woman named Jennie Platt. The Manchester mom — who called the spikes “a Scroogey thing to do” — wasn’t about to let the heartless act fly.
As Mashable reported, Platt and her kids decided to give the spikes a more comfortable upgrade.
Platt — with help from her 10- and 11-year-old sons, along with a few of their rugby teammates — covered the spikes with cushions and pillows.
“The building owners are treating human beings like pigeons,” Platt told the BBC, noting she woke up “with a right bee in [her] bonnet” after learning the news and decided she needed to do something.
Link to Twitter where what Platt and her sons did can be seen below:
u201cWe’ll cover your spikes with cushions n& pillows & throws & sheetsncos your spikes don’t fix the problemnfor those forced on the streetsu201d
“It’s a spot where people can keep warm and sheltered,” explained Platt. “People don’t need to be that mean.”
The spikes are right outside Pall Mall Medical, a healthcare facility that rents out a space in the court, which said it had nothing to do with their installment. GVA, the company that manages the building, declined to comment to the Manchester Evening News.
Update Feb. 7, 2017: The spikes have been removed by the building’s owner after public outcry, the Manchester Evening News reported.
Unfortunately, the anti-homeless renovation in Manchester is indicative of a larger issue that doesn’t stop at spikes.
Governments and businesses alike have sneakily built up anti-homeless infrastructure in urban spaces all around the world.
If you’ve been to Tokyo, you may have noticed “dangerously slippery” benches designed specifically to be uncomfortable, warding off anyone who wants to rest more than a few moments.
In places like Salt Lake City and Lincoln, Nebraska, you might come across benches with vertical slats between the seats, made to deter anyone from lying down.
A man saws at an armrest in Toulouse, France, in 2006 in protest of the mistreatment of homeless people.
THIS IMAGE IF YOU’D LIKE TO ADD TO THE STORY CAN BE FOUND ON THE GETTY IMAGES!!!!!!!!!!
This type of urban planning pushes the problem of chronic homelessness aside without helping to provide a solution.
Shooing away homeless people by building slippery benches, installing excessive armrests, and adding spikes to sidewalks doesn’t mean homeless people disappear. It means the most vulnerable among us — many who struggle with mental illness or are living on the street because they can’t stay at a shelter — are left unwelcome in larger and larger spaces within our communities. This type of heartless infrastructure only exacerbates the problem.
Instead of hoping homeless people disappear, we should focus our attention on ideas that help them in the long run.
Beyond supporting your local homeless shelter by volunteering and donating, you can rally your representatives to join the fight. For example, Housing First — a strategy that provides people with a home quickly and unconditionally, then gives them the resources they need to stand on their own (like help with addiction or career services) — is a model that’s been proven to work in several cities and states. Make sure the leaders in your area know you care about this issue and want funding for local initiatives, like Housing First, that make a big difference.
Platt realizes her efforts may be short-lived. But as more people notice her deed, she hopes it will change hearts and minds.
“I know [the cushions] won’t last and I know they’ll get wet,” she said. “But the people who manage that building need to know how to treat people.”
Early season college basketball is wildly unpredictable, and as such we get to see some incredible upsets as top teams are still getting their bearings in the first month of the season. On Thursday, No. 3 Kansas appeared as though they might be the latest highly ranked casualty of the early college hoops season until Bobby Pettiford saved the day in the final second of overtime.
Trailing 68-67, Kansas was struggling to get a decent shot off so Zach Clemence just threw up a deep three that went begging, with the rebound being tipped up in the air and Pettiford somehow able to corral the ball and throw up a scooping layup on the fly to beat the buzzer for a game-winner and keep Kansas undefeated on the early season.
It’s a brutal way to lose for Wisconsin, which saw a Kansas three force overtime at the end of regulation and then again couldn’t get the stop they needed in OT to beat the Jayhawks. For Kansas, it’s a gutty win and Pettiford gets to be the hero in the Bahamas, as years of training playing 21 on the playground with tips pays off in a huge moment for the Jayhawks, as his acrobatic finish off a loose rebound got them to the Battle 4 Atlantis final.
After spending years in the New Orleans DIY scene, four-piece collective Special Interest are back with a newly inked deal with Rough Trade and a message of endurance we all need to hear at the moment. On their third studio album Endure, the band manage to translate the feeling of a connection and rough and sweaty mosh pit into sound. With tracks like the dark and moody “Herman’s House” and the euphoric club banger “Midnight Legend,” the band expertly blend art-rock, house, and hardcore influences to create a unique and enthralling sound.
To celebrate the release of Endure and their ongoing tour, band members Alli Logout, Maria Elena, Nathan Cassiani, and Ruth Mascelli sat down with Uproxx to talk Liz Phair, a rock ‘n roll animal sanctuary, and making a mean carbonara dish in our latest Q&A.
What are four words you would use to describe your music?
Mascelli: Urgent, heartfelt, noisey, groovy.
It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
Logout: Those influential f*ggots from the swamp that made music to move me through the exact social and ecological circumstances we are experiencing right now.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?
Cassiani: Barcelona. An equal balance of how good our set was and how much I love the city.
Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?
Logout: Friends. Everyone just needs someone to support and listen to them. We would have stopped years ago if our friends weren’t by our side
Where did you eat the best meal of your life?
Cassiani: As a band? Maybe when the label took us to our first Michelin-starred restaurant in San Francisco.
What album do you know every word to?
Mascelli:Exile In Guyville.
What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?
Logout: ESG At San Francisco pride in like 2014 or something.
What is the best outfit for performing and why?
Elena: The key is maximum impact and minimal space taken in luggage — so i go latex or leather bra.
Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?
Cassiani:Amanda Lear has a great Insta. She’s a real renaissance woman.
What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?
Elena: “Malibu” by Hole.
What’s the last thing you Googled?
Elena: Info about the Carolee Schneemann exhibit in London… which we missed. Here’s the info so you don’t:
Carolee Schneemann: Body Politics
Barbican Art Gallery, London, UK
8 September 2022 – 8 January 2023
What album makes for the perfect gift?
Elena: Any album that is meaningful to your relationship with someone! So if I was getting an album for my bandmates it would be William Basinski’s Disintegration Loops because we saw 15 minutes of his set at Pitchfork London before we had to go sound check and we all ascended and were heartbroken we had to leave. If I was getting a record for someone I didn’t know well I’d go for a mood-setting soundtrack or compilation — I’m really into the Dark Entries compilation Back Up: Mexican Techno Pop 1980-1989. And there’s always Endure…
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?
Elena: A rock ‘n roll animal sanctuary in Idaho.
What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?
Cassiani: I have a cute tiger that Sue Jeiven gave me about 10 years ago in NYC. It’s not that deep, I just always wanted a tattoo from her! And I don’t regret it like I regret a lot of my tattoos…
What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?
Mascelli: George Michael, Donna Summer, Lipps Inc. Also love when a nasty classic rock station hits its stride.
What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
Mascelli: I can’t pick just one thing but I’m pretty fearful of asking for help in geney and am consistently surprised by how my friends come through when I really need something.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Mascelli: Whatever it is my 18-year-old self wouldn’t have listened to it anyways.
What’s the last show you went to?
Mascelli: Just saw Crack Cloud tear it up in Belgium.
What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?
The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to be one of the NBA’s biggest surprises this season, thanks in large part to a leap from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into superstardom.
The fifth-year guard is averaging 31.1 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting more than 50 percent from the field, as he’s cemented his status as one of the league’s best young players. Despite the Thunder not having No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren and a roster with few household names, Gilgeous-Alexander gives them a chance just about every night because, even though defenses know he’s the engine, they just can’t stop him from getting to his spots.
His stepback jumper has become one of the most lethal in the NBA this season, as his long strides allow him to create tons of space and his continued improvement shooting from distance makes him a threat from the midrange out well beyond the three-point arc. On Wednesday night, Nuggets reserve Davon Reed learned just how filthy SGA’s handles are, when the star stopped on a dime while driving and pulled the string on a behind the back move that made Reed take a seat on the floor while Gilgeous-Alexander calmly drilled the jumper.
We see players go to the ground a fair bit in the NBA, but there’s often some contact with an off arm or a trip that helps drop the defender. This, however, is as clean as you’ll see, as Reed just simply can’t deal with the quick deceleration from SGA and gets caught going over his feet as he tries to recover. As always, the most important part of any move like this is making the shot to complete the highlight, and Gilgeous-Alexander did just that on his way to another big night against Denver.
It was fairly cold in Toronto on Wednesday night as the Raptors played host to the Nets, which naturally meant that Drake rolled up in a giant teddy bear fur coat to watch the game from his customary courtside seat.
He had the coat on the scorers table next to his seat, which is close to the Raptors’ TV broadcast crew of Matt Devlin and Jack Armstrong, and for the first half Armstrong decided to wear Drake’s coat, which led to some hilarity on the Raptors broadcast. Drake threw on a headset and joined the guys as they joked about how the teddy fur was “changing” Jack, with Drake saying he had turned into a walking meme of “listens to ‘Her Loss’ once.”
Jack Armstrong stole Drake’s coat and Drake took over the Raptors broadcast. What a night in Toronto! pic.twitter.com/aVSNDSdTCM
The best part is, Armstrong didn’t just have the coat on briefly as a bit, he sat there in the giant fur throughout the first half, which made for an incredible visual every time the two teams went down to that end of the floor, as he was unmissable at the scorers table in Drake’s coat. I hope Drake just lets him keep it, because he is really pulling it off and I’m sure Drake can afford to get himself another fur.
Being an Amazon delivery driver is no easy task. You have to deliver the packages on time, to the right address while keeping them away from porch pirates. But a driver in the southern Chicago suburbs really had his work cut out for him when he unexpectedly had to deal with a wandering chicken.
The driver opened a garage to deliver a package when a chicken named Fancy started walking through the door. He dropped off the package and then placed the chicken safely back in the garage. But it wasn’t going to be that easy.
The driver had to pick up the chicken and place it in the garage three times before he knew it would be safe and he could leave.
The video was caught on a Ring camera in the garage by the chicken’s owners. They told ViralHog that Fancy “loves human interaction” and was living in the garage because she was injured and needed to be kept away from the other chickens. “So she is very used to people coming in and out,” the homeowner told ViralHog.
Some people may be wondering how the homeowners were able to get their packages delivered to their garages. Amazon Prime members with compatible smart garages can set up Amazon Key In-Garage Delivery where their packages and groceries are delivered into their garages free of charge. In-Garage Delivery is a great way to beat porch pirates. But, for extra protection, there’s nothing wrong with having a security chicken on duty, too.
Sometimes you meet a friend that becomes the second part of your name. You know the friend. The Ethel to your Lucy or the Sookie to your Lorelai. You go together like all of the cliche things that complement each other. A duo in California now have more things to add to their close relationship, their kidneys.
Chris Morales and Debbie Thompson have done everything together since they were teens, even moving into their first apartment together at 18. It shouldn’t be surprising, then, that when Thompson found out in 2015 that Morales needed a kidney, she immediately offered it to her.
The twist came several years later when Morales’ husband, Ron, also found himself in need of a new kidney. That’s when Debbie’s husband Brad stepped up to be a donor for his friend. Ron told Good Morning America, “He called me up on the phone and was like, ‘Hey I hear you need some extra body parts.'”
Brad did have a couple of stipulations, “I said you can’t call it little Brad. You can’t bring me flowers every year on the anniversary like Chris does,” he told GMA. Amazingly both Thompsons were a match, though Ron had to receive multiple blood transfusions before the transplant to decrease the likelihood of rejection due to the men having different blood types.
The two couples now share four kidneys between them and have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. It’s the gift of friendship that will last a lifetime. Watch the interview below:
Amazon delivery drivers don’t have the easiest job in the world. Sitting through traffic, working in extreme temperatures, hauling boxes … not exactly a fun time. So when a driver goes out of their way to be extra considerate—people notice.
One delivery driver has gone viral for the way she delivered a little bit of safety education, along with some lighthearted advice. The TikTok video of the encounter, which now has more than 4 million views, was shared by Jessica Huseman, who had only recently moved into her new house.
The clip shows the doorbell cam recording of the driver approaching the house. As the delivery driver makes it to the front door, she sings, ”Hello … I hope your Monday’s going well. You have no markers on your house that says what number you are.”
From there, the driver’s song quickly changes tune, going from funny jest to helpful PSA.
“And that is hard to find your house my dude, and it’s unsafe, honestly,” the driver continues, adding, “what if you needed medical assistance and the paramedics didn’t know your town well? Come on.”
“Have a great day!” she says happily before walking off.
Huseman added the caption: “We just moved in and this happened today… she’s not wrong though. Guess I need to get some house numbers.”
The driver’s observation was clearly on point. Several medical pros commented to back her up.
“As someone who works in EMS I can verify house numbers are necessary! BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THEY ARE EASILY VISIBLE FROM THE STREET AT NIGHT,” wrote one person.
Another replied, ”yes! Medic here, we’ve had to call dispatch and ask for them to get [the] caller back on the phone and get [the] description of [the] house because there [are] no numbers.”
Besides her information being vital, people were mostly in love with the driver’s friendly attitude. Here are just a few of the compliments:
“Honestly, give them a raise. That’s awesome vibes right there.”
“She’s a whole friken mood, I love her she gives me pink vibes.”
“I need to meet this Amazon driver!!!! I love her!!”
The delivery driver (named Kelsey) eventually saw her viral video and decided to do a follow-up, where she added other unsafe things she’s seen on the job—primarily unclear entrances and exits—along with an additional sweet message:
“Crisis management and prevention education is essential and literally a part of my soul. So anytime I do go out and deliver packages … if I see something, I say something. Cause that’s how bystander intervention works. But keeping in mind that it’s more than that. It is about reminding each other that we are enough, and being there for one another.”
Whether it’s packages or something to smile about, Kelsey is a master of delivery.
Thanksgiving is a great day to be a dog if you’re looking for some tasty food scraps. There’s a lot of activity in the kitchen, folks are walking around with plates dropping food and there’s always someone who had too much wine that loves to give a few treats to the dog.
However, your dog’s innocent Thanksgiving snacking can be hazardous for its health.
The Pet Poison Helpline (PPH) shared a story from Tennessee that’s a great reminder to be careful of what your dogs eat, especially during the hectic holiday season.
Last Thanksgiving, Pippa, a playful golden retriever from Knoxville, had a scare after eating six unbaked rolls and had to go to the emergency room.
“I had left a dozen unbaked bread rolls on the kitchen counter to rise, covering them with a towel,” Rebecca Collins, Pippa’s pet parent, said in a statement shared by PPH. “When I went to put them in the oven, I found that half of them were gone. I knew I didn’t eat them, but it took me a while to figure out what happened. It didn’t occur to me Pippa would be interested in bread dough.”
“I noticed that Pippa was acting sleepy, which is very unusual for her. Normally, she’s running around when company is over. Once I figured out that she must have eaten the rolls, I called the Pet Poison Helpline. We discussed what and how much Pippa had eaten, and they instructed me to take her to the veterinary hospital.”
After calling PPH, Collins took Pippa to the local veterinary emergency hospital. They found that Pippa’s belly was distended, meaning the dough had expanded. The vet tried to prevent the unbaked rolls from rising any further by feeding Pippa ice chips to lower the temperature in her stomach.
If the rolls continued to rise they could cause a fatal stomach torsion.
“What would be occurring sitting on your kitchen counter ends up occurring in your pet’s stomach,” Dr. Renee Schmid, a board-certified veterinary toxicologist at Pet Poison Helpline told TODAY. “That dough rises and causes a stretching of the stomach, or a distention. And then that yeast as it ferments produces ethanol, an alcohol. So these animals can develop alcohol poisoning.”
The good news is that Pippa was able to expel the rolls herself without requiring any surgery. “Luckily, it didn’t come to surgery,” added Collins. “It was a very expensive Thanksgiving Day at the dog ER, but she’s back to full health now.”
This year, Pippa and her mom are sharing their story so dogs everywhere can have a safe and happy Thanksgiving. For Collins, it’s a lesson that she won’t forget while cooking this year’s meal.
“If I bake bread, I let it rise on the top of the refrigerator now,” Collins said. “But this Thanksgiving, I think I’m going to let someone else bring the rolls.”
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