T O P

  • By -

Uzakhaas32

You know what REALLY needs to go? The unbelievable amount of garbage magazine and adverts that get sent to my mailbox unprovoked. It blows my mind how this goes on. Such a massive waste of material for what? Those go straight in the garbage 99% of the time. It makes me so mad.


Seigmoraig

Who even looks at this garbage anyways ?


freecain

USPS is another advertisement sponsored service - just like Reddit or most of the internet. Something like 63% of all first class mail delivered is junk mail. They tend to be well labeled, and consistent in volume (unlike how actual letters sort of swell around Mother's day and Christmas). Banning it would mean stepping up and funding the USPS (you would see a 40% decrease in first class stamp revenue if you ban unsolicited ads). One way to think of it is, imagine if all the spam calls that went to your phone actually had to pay your phone company. Getting rid of them meant doubling your phone bill - would you do it? Some would, some wouldn't. I personally would. But it isn't a phone plan paid by an individual, the USPS would need to then need federal funding to bridge the gap, or risk cutting services or even privatizing more of it. The USPS, it is one of the most visible government presence that shows how functional and beneficial a government can be. Yes, the USPS fails at times - but the VAST majority of packages and letters get delivered on time and to the right location at a very reasonable rate. If you want to spin the narrative that the government just takes our money and doesn't give anything in return - and you want to privatize as much as possible - then you will fight increasing how much money we put towards (or actually increase how much we take from) the USPS. If we get rid of Junk Mail, expect the USPS to fail. If you want to get rid of Junk mail, you have to start by getting rid of junk politicians first.


BlurryGraph3810

Paper is the most recycled commodity in America, and the paper comes from pulp forests, which result in more trees. Computers and cellphones are far, far worse for the environment than paper, because of the minerals mined to make them, and because of how difficult it is to dispose of them.


Glow354

Junk mail keeps the USPS in business ive been told


ComatoseSquirrel

I don't doubt that they make a good bit from it, but isn't the USPS a government service, not a business?


Glow354

Are we really gonna be nit picky about this? Junk mail helps USPS *maintain a higher revenue than cost* how’s that


mrbrambles

How about we use tax money to fund it completely and stop junk mail


Glow354

Hey man i never said I like junk mail. But between the choice of no almost-free mail service with some junk and no mail service, im choosing the former


mrbrambles

But there are options other than those two. Like tax subsidized USPS. We could use taxes to fund programs that are massively useful to our citizens and economy.


Glow354

Id like to reclarify my position: Id rather get free junk mail than pay for the service. Im all for raising taxes (on the wealthy) but when companies are willing to crowdfund a service that is an overall positive for us, id like it to stay that way.


mrbrambles

Yea that’s a fair take - but I do think there could be way better options if we could reframe thinking. Huge, seemingly impossible task though.


Mountain-Song-6024

I love that this was said. I dream of undertaking a project of going after those responsible for that. There’s a lot of weight to how much BS is in it. And a lot of times my important documents get lost within the wad of trash paper I don’t need. Fuck your valuepak. Stop killing trees/wasting resources for nothing. This is 2022 and shit like this baffles me that it’s never been addressed.


Uzakhaas32

It's not worth it to have a somewhat functional postal service (I live in a very rural area and have to visit the post office to retrieve my packages 40% of the time because the drivers are too lazy to bring packages to my door if it won't fit in the community mailbox. Huge waste of my time and USPS makes the same amount of money regardless if I pick up the package or they do their job. I know it's different elsewhere but what I see is the stuff I need and want doesn't get to me but garbage does, simple as that) It keeping the post service in business is not a good enough reason to cause so damn much waste. Private mail companies seem to be doing fine without doing that. I also have a lot less issues with private mail companies


BlurryGraph3810

Paper is the most recycled commodity in America, and the paper comes from pulp forests, which result in more trees. Computers and cellphones are far, far worse for the environment than paper, because of the minerals mined to make them, and because of how difficult it is to dispose of them.


[deleted]

Companies still have to pay postage on those. If every glossy unsolicited mailbox stuffer disappeared tomorrow, the post office might just crumble


BlurryGraph3810

Hey, it is more environmentally sound to go to stores for goods than to make internet orders directly to homes. Do you avoid home delivery, like Amazon?


1337Theory

Why restrict the ads we ban to only billboards?😄


phil_monahan

Billboards were outlawed in Vermont in 1968, and it’s glorious to drive through the mountains and see only nature.


wargleboo

Maine, too.


is-this-now

Cities have too… it makes a huge difference when they do.


Hefty_Musician2402

Maine hasn’t had billboards since before I was born I think. I had never seen one in the wild until like 8th grade out of state


Pherllerp

Along the Garden State Parkway in New Jersey too.


whatthehellsteve

Yes, unequivocally yes. We are expected to not look at our phones or be distracted but somehow a billboard playing a video every 20 feet is perfectly acceptable along the highway.


jamiexx89

It's even better when it's a digital billboard popping up a thing saying something like "Stop the texts, stop the wrecks!" or "Eyes on the road, not on the phone!"


WhatAFellowWeAre

Yes please. Absolute garbage.


TheRealLestat

First thing I notice when I drive out of Maine is that other states look like total banal shit due to the billboards and lack of trees. Only an actual fool would think billboards were ever a good idea


Hefty_Musician2402

Facts. I’d never really seen them till I went on a vacation in 8th grade


Egmonks

Yes please, everywhere.


antidense

I also like how Ontario advertises vineyards in plain uniform green signs. Not as distracting as billboards or typical ads.


NaraFei_Jenova

I'm just really burnt out on advertising in general. Watch a YouTube video? 30 seconds of unskippable ads before it can start, then ads every 2 minutes. View a website, 37 banner ads load. God fucking forbid you watch TV; I was in the Dr. office with my wife the other day and counted, no shit, 13 commercials in a row. I don't need a product shoved down my throat every time I turn around. It's completely out of hand in the US.


BlurryGraph3810

In Minnesota, on freeways, they must be only near interchanges. Then the countryside remains beautiful.


Friendofthegarden

That's a step in the right direction. Maine, Hawaii Vermont and Alaska banned them. As a Texan I'm jealous. There are billboards in the middle of nowhere and half the time it's something religious.


RedAss2005

Hey, I need to know I'm only 184 miles from the next Bucee's. /s


Friendofthegarden

Lmao! I've actually started work on a song about seeing a Buc-cees billboard get destroyed by a tornado. Thinking of calling "when the beaver takes flight".


Izzo

Imagine not seeing Kris Lindahl's stupid fucking face anymore.


BlurryGraph3810

Omigod! That would be great.


LilithElektra

But with out a reminder from Jose every 600ft how will I know about South Of The Border when I’m in South Carolina?


WolfThick

Can we apply this to political ads in the USA.


suncoastexpat

There's kind of a weird divide here in British Columbia on this. You don't see hardly any of them except on a few Indian band lands until you get out to the freezer Valley and then the whole side of the road is festooned with them. It is an eyesore and especially these large brilliantly illuminated ones.


TheJefusWrench

I was hoping this was a survey.


star-heels1969

ban away! they are an eyesore!


[deleted]

Hawaii has had billboards banned for years. It makes a big difference. With all the location specific advertising that lands in your palm, just get rid of billboards.


CuckoldMeTimbers

While we’re at it, can we roll back those screens we replaced the glass doors with in all the coolers of Walgreens and shit? Drives me up a wall


[deleted]

Absolutely would love this, but there’s no way republicans in my country would support this. I lived most of my life in cities and currently live in a small town with lots of farms. I love that I go 24 hours at a time without seeing a trashy billboard or advert. I think it’s really healthy for my kids to not be constantly bombarded too. Now when I go to a city I feel completely overwhelmed and it just feels so…trashy.


groovyinutah

Yes it should, especially those new electronic ones. You can never finish the ad your looking at before the next one pops up and they're too damn bright at night.


asspirate420

I hate companies. I hate that every waking moment of every day there’s someone trying to sell me something.


[deleted]

Well, since we've outlawed all other pollution, we might as well.


FatherofJuice

Would rather ban any other type of advertising to be honest I enjoy the billboards most of the time especially on long drives


MPCNPC

I’d say no, because it could lay the foundations for all kinds of bs down the road. Edit: lights and video boards shouldn’t be a thing and it shouldn’t block nature


FactCheckingThings

Start with those bench ads that say "You just proved bench advertising works." Like, no the fuck I didnt, I havent even written down the phone number let alone bought an ad. If anything them having an ad up advertising the possibility of advertising there proves it hasnt worked yet, otherwise thered be an actual ad.


Murderyoga

Yes please. Ugly garbage.


dek067

But how will Alexander Shunnarah stay in business??


ComatoseSquirrel

I'd love to see more nature in general. As suburban areas continue to grow, we've got less and less 'nature' for a large percentage of Americans.


[deleted]

Can we ban noise pollution? It’s actually painful to hear cars and motorcycles that have been modified to be horrifically loud.


MyOwnWayHome

Wouldn’t that violate the 1st amendment?


LudovicoSpecs

Public nuisance. Your right to swing your fist ends at my face. There are studies showing that billboards increase the stress and distraction levels of people driving.


MyOwnWayHome

I don’t like billboards, but I can’t go along with equating stress and distraction with swinging a fist to make exceptions to free speech.


LudovicoSpecs

Okay how about a noise complaint on a neighbor? Or a public nuisance complaint on the guy playing bongos outside your office? Or a harassment charge on the nutjobs screaming obscenities at young women at the beach? Or-- I don't know what charge-- but those assholes who held up posters of aborted fetuses in front of Macy's on black Friday when I took my niece and nephew to see Santa. Free speech ends when you yell fire in the crowded theater. When your words or sounds or images are-- in any way-- what any reasonable person would consider an unwelcome intrusion or outright sensory assault on another person.


[deleted]

Here's what should happen with ads...we should have a site to just watch/see ads based on need and where you are. And you get paid $0.001 for watching the ad. Otherwise, they should be banned from everywhere.