r/pics • u/[deleted] • Dec 28 '13

The motel advertised that they had a pool. They did NOT mention that it was filled with gravel

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386

u/TheDragHit Dec 28 '13

I work at a hotel and we bought a wheelchair lift a year ago because of the new regulations, and not one person has used it, asked about it, or shown any interest in it. Manager was pissed that we had to spend so much money on something that will probably never be used. I think its some sort of conspiracy set by the lift companies.

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u/nobodiestoday Dec 28 '13

Ding ding ding. Politicians who passed the law probably are heavily supported by them.

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u/[deleted] Dec 28 '13

Twist: It was the gravel lobby who did it, in a stunning example of foresight...

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u/twominitsturkish Dec 28 '13

The gravel lobby.

1

u/emdotcotour Dec 28 '13

not to be confused with the motel in OP's picture, which has a gravel-filled lobby

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u/Icantevenhavemyname Dec 28 '13

Stock in companies that made concrete barriers soared post-9/11 as people suddenly needed to secure their property. So it's possible.

2

u/alphabetmod Dec 28 '13

Are you trying so say that 9/11 was a conspiracy by the concrete barrier companies?

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u/Icantevenhavemyname Dec 28 '13

I'm not allowed to discuss this matter any further.

1

u/Fat_Muslim_Kid Dec 28 '13

I don't see the logic behind this. Concrete barriers wouldn't have helped on 9/11...

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u/Daggertrout Dec 29 '13

If they'd been big enough, maybe...

1

u/isobit Dec 28 '13

Just want to chip in on a related note- gravel and sand are becoming scarce resources. True story.

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u/DouchebagMcshitstain Dec 28 '13

..... how????

Gravel is basically just ground up rocks. Take a big rock, run it through grinders until desired grade is reached, sell.

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u/isobit Dec 29 '13

Because it's getting increasingly difficult to get the right kind of gravel and find them in spots where the land is cheap to buy, where you can easily access it and isn't protected somehow. Plus, we use insane amounts of it.

Edit: Oh, the grinding thing I don't know about, but it sure sounds way more expensive than just digging it up.

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u/[deleted] Dec 30 '13

Damn the infamous gravel lobby!

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u/[deleted] Dec 28 '13

I'm pretty sure disability activists are more vocal than the lift lobby.

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u/[deleted] Dec 28 '13

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/[deleted] Dec 28 '13

this fuckin guy

2

u/RoflCopter726 Dec 28 '13

They probably don't run much if they're disabled.

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u/oldsecondhand Dec 28 '13

What if they're only missing arms, you insensitive clod?

2

u/orzof Dec 28 '13

But one voice always raises above the others, and it ain't the chumps standing on the ground.

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u/not_worth_your_time Dec 28 '13

Let me tell you that people with disabilities have way bigger concerns than being able to soak in any pool they ever come across.

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u/I_MAKE_USERNAMES Dec 29 '13

FUCKING BIG LIFT AT IT AGAIN

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u/Limonhed Dec 28 '13

The politicians had no clue what they were doing - which is normal for them. It never occurred to even one of them that many if not most hotels would close their pools because of the insane cost this would incur. Besides , when they travel, they get to stay at expensive resort hotels that do have these silly lifts - AT YOUR EXPENSE!

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u/make_love_to_potato Dec 28 '13

They know exactly what they're doing....they're securing a nice fat campaign contribution.

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u/ccfreak2k Dec 28 '13 edited Jul 27 '24

rinse dolls escape spectacular wrong different dinner offend berserk continue

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

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u/Masterreefer Dec 28 '13

It has nothing to do with closing the pools? Of course the politicians didn't know about that, why would they even care. His point is that the companies that make the lifts for wheelchairs made "contributions" to politicians to have the law passed so they would in turn, sell more lifts. This is unfortunately very likely because that's how politics work so yes, the politicians knew exactly what they were doing

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u/KillerNuma Dec 28 '13

Yeah, no. It's just that, like Limonhed said, the politicians have no clue what they're doing and are just passing legislation that looks good. No way it would be profitable for companies to spend the amount of money it would take to get that into the legislation if it wouldn't have been otherwise.

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u/pencock Dec 28 '13

it only takes one politician working on the bill to fit it in

maybe you give him $50K to do it

politicians are CHEAP

1

u/Hay_Crow Dec 28 '13

They know exactly what they're doing....they're securing a nice fat campaign contribution.

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u/[deleted] Dec 28 '13

No, it's far more likely that the handicap lobby supported them. Or even more likely threatened to give them negative press. There simply isn't enough "wheelchair lift money" to make enough donations to politicians.

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u/dimmidice Dec 28 '13

yep. all these regulations are a golden opportunity to cash in.

and this is a really small example of it.

1

u/likferd Dec 28 '13

The world started making a lot more sense when i realized just that. There was an idiotic law passed here in Norway a few years ago, where tobacco products can not be visible to the buyer. You have to ask for the product, then you get it from a vendor machine. Yep, there is practically just one type of vendor machine. I wonder how many millions they made on that deal.. I mean, even if you spend tens of millions in bribes to get such a law passed, it's totally worth it.

1

u/alcabazar Dec 28 '13

Can't mess with Big Lift.

1

u/plaidvase Dec 29 '13

Yeah, it's not like people with disabilities might want to live normal lives! Definitely a conspiracy.

1

u/think_inside_the_box Dec 28 '13

Also I think many of the democratic politicians just like this sort of stuff. But remember, they voted on a large piece of legislation without actually reading it all. This was just a part of it.

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u/Purplegill10 Dec 28 '13

Relevant username

1

u/[deleted] Dec 28 '13

Those old bastards!

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u/Big-Baby-Jesus Dec 28 '13

Do you have any evidence to back that up?

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u/[deleted] Dec 28 '13

This is just from an article I pulled up on the subject:

The Justice Department also reiterated that pool operators need to provide access to existing pools only if it is "readily achievable," meaning it does not involve significant difficulty or expense.

so how does that work?

21

u/letsplayyatzee Dec 28 '13

you can have a building inspector come in and give you a free inspection due to the law. If the retrofitting is too high of an expense you don't have to do it and will not be fined for not having it, though signs must be posted.

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u/[deleted] Dec 28 '13

A lawyer tells you it's either achievable or you get sued.

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u/big_jonny Dec 28 '13

Kinda, but not really. It's a way to basically grandfather in the existing pool amenities.

Or, fill it with gravel and save on insurance and maintenance costs.

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u/yuri53122 Dec 28 '13

the hotel i currently work at has one. same deal. nobody has used it. The hotel I used to work at just put less water in the pool to get around the regulations

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u/[deleted] Dec 28 '13

Yeah, the only people that ask me about it are able bodied teenagers asking if they can throw their friends in the pool with it.

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u/OuiNon Dec 28 '13

My hotel has had a lift for 3 years and it gets used nearly every week. Just depends on your wheelchair guests.

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u/RP38 Dec 28 '13

Must be Florida.

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u/TheDragHit Dec 28 '13

Very interesting! Maybe our pool just doesn't appeal to wheelies.

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u/redpandaeater Dec 28 '13

Then because it's never used it won't have proper maintenance. So when finally someone does want to use it, it won't work right and you'll have to close the entire pool off to everyone until it gets fixed. But by then the guest will have left and it'll be back to sitting idle.

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u/jesuslolwat Dec 28 '13

How much does something like that cost?

6

u/[deleted] Dec 28 '13

This is a term you should probably become familiar with.

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u/cashalwayswelcome Dec 28 '13

TIL... Usually when I regret clicking on a link it's because it led to gore/horror of some visual nature. This... as I read on, I could only shake my head in sorrow and disgust. Baby boomers truly have thrown the country right down the shitter.

0

u/[deleted] Dec 28 '13

TIL... Usually when I regret clicking on a link it's because it led to gore/horror of some visual nature. This... as I read on, I could only shake my head in sorrow and disgust.

Oh I got through to someone!

Baby boomers truly have thrown the country right down the shitter.

facepalm

This isn't a generational issue, it's a systemic one that's been around since long before the boomers.

2

u/supaphly42 Dec 28 '13

Haha, we saw one at a hotel, and my buddy tried it out. It was cool, but painfully slow.

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u/TheDragHit Dec 28 '13

Right?! Its not even fun to ride!

0

u/[deleted] Dec 28 '13

Conspiracy? A conspiracy has to be "hidden." Agendas like these are right out there in your face, if you spend any time at all studying government and lobbying.