I used to rely on taxi services when I was younger and living in a small city in NJ, because we didn’t own a car. You are absolutely correct about the difference between an Uber/Lyft and a taxi service. The taxi service needs to have proper approvals and licenses from the municipal government in order to establish a business. Their employees also need to be on the books and background checked with good driving history. When I relied on taxi services I knew most of the drivers that picked me up and I never felt unsafe. The dispatcher even knew our names. When I visit my old hood I still see a couple retired drivers because they lived where they worked.

There’s a reason cities do not want Uber/Lyft operating within their jurisdiction. Drivers are not background checked, drivers are also exploited by these companies and the gig economy which is complete bullshit.

I have told my neighbor to stop letting his teenage daughter take an Uber home, especially since I work in town and have the flexibility to pick up my kids, I could pick his up as well without any burden. I still see her coming in and out of the Uber and it terrifies me.

Ofc home audio does not equal Dolby digital sound system. I never said that. What i mean is that there hasn’t been a movie since rise of skywalker that has made us want to go to the movies. I thought mayyybe Avatar would be a good option because that should be seen in the big screen with amazing sound, but no. So if something like avatar can’t get us out to the movies, idk what would. And I’m not alone in that sentiment.

We almost went to American Dream because we were bored but then I had to run out to my tiny local mall and that was a mess so we decided against it. I think everyone had the same idea. It’s friggin’ cold and you just want to get out of the house for a couple hours. When my kids were little we used to hit up palisades a lot on Sundays in the winter because it was so big with lots to do. Good waste of time.

That’s the problem. We ARE movie people. But the allure of going out to the movies is just gone and I think that has a lot to do with the pandemic. We ended up upgrading our home theater since we were “stuck” at home so it’s hard to think about going out and sitting in sticky seats with a bunch of strangers, when I can sit in my comfy couch and marathon 3 movies. Sometimes I have to wait to see a movie like Wakanda, and that’s weird because I’ve been to every opening night marvel movie since I can remember. A lot of people have changed their movie viewing habits and drive-in are more of an experience based on nostalgia. Once you’ve experienced a drive-in you cross it off your list and move on to the next bucket list item.

The IDEA is great but there would be more drive ins if it was popular and profitable. My family doesn’t even enjoy going to the movie theater. I just asked the if they wanted to go see avatar and they looked at me like I told them to scrub the floors. We have been to Warwick for the experience but it’s not something we care to do more often.

All American auto pros in Dumont. They also have a mobile detailing/wash service and will come to you.

Raise a glass!

You live at home and received an offer of $73k out of college. The median household income in NJ for a family of 4 is $85k. You’ll be fine. You have no dependents, you have no mortgage. Just save as much money as you possibly can so you can afford a place to live without sacrificing too much when it’s time to move out.

As far as knowing if that’s a good salary, it depends on your degree. If you are a pharmacist you are getting hosed. If you graduated with a marketing degree it’s a good starting salary.

This is no big deal. The worst part are the winds because of the potential damage to property and power outages.

With that said, It’s a state requirement that anytime there’s a storm you have to stock up on bread, milk, and eggs- in case the desire for French toast hits, you are fully prepared. Don’t question why you need these items, Just go to your nearest store and wrestle the last wonder bread out of a child’s arms.

Other minor preparations include making a run to the liquor store, charging your phone, keeping batteries and flashlights ready, and filling up your car with gas. Then you just hunker down with Netflix and chill until the storm is over.

Hopefully your boss is not a douche and let’s you leave early or wfh. The state and county clean up road’s pretty quickly. It’s usually the towns that are slower to clean but they eventually do a decent job removing snow and de-icing.

Why not just donate them? There are so many organizations that can use those bags.

ETA: I didn’t answer the question. I had reusable bags long before the ban and I keep 4/5 in each of my cars. I use them regularly. They fold up super small so I can put them in my pocket when I go shopping.

I donate all my reusable bags i receive from shoprite from home to the food banks/pantries. They are so appreciative of the donations.

If you feel you are drowning in reusable bags, post it to your town’s facebook page and see if a resident or volunteer wants them. You can also call the town’s department of aging or your local church and ask if they need the bags.

There have been a lot of robberies and attempted abductions at BTC in recent years so I can see mall management hiring police to patrol the area during heightened shopping times. Its a really popular mall for parents with young kids and people do not feel safe. The close proximity to rt4 makes it an easy target-Unless you get stuck in traffic. Lol Same situation with GSP.

My polish friend from Bayonne moved to the area several years ago and she told me about this place. Once she found it she stopped making the trip to Bayonne. Funny enough I just found out at thanksgiving dinner my straight off the boat polish BIL also buys his kielbasa from the same spot.

Portuguese or Brazilian-either way 🤤

Not to mention how to eat clean, bro?

We have two running. Plus all the republicans on the municipal ticket are America first candidates. I am in Middlesex County.

My kids would love the beans. Haha! Baked, refried, black, pinto. They would look at you strangely but then ask if we can have it for dinner.