"Oh well then you're not poor"

[bainsidhe]

I think part of the problem is that the definition of poor has changed over time, and things that were once considered a luxury are now accessible and necessary. This doesn't stop people from thinking of cell phones and internet as a luxury, however.

[s_stabeler]

It's more that the basic viewpoint seems to be that if you don't save every little penny possible- and/or sell anything not an immediate necessity for survival- you aren't really poor, just lazy. It's...not a viewpoint I can agree with, especially since it's the viewpoint that gave rise to Workhouses.

[protege]

This doesn't stop people from thinking of cell phones and internet as a luxury, however.

There's a huge difference between having a cell phone/internet...and dropping nearly a grand on the newest iCrap, and then whining about not having cash to eat. It's nice to have nice things. But, if you can barely afford a packet of ramen noodles to pay for it, there's a problem. People don't want to hear that they'll have to cut back.

As for the car thing, remember that not everyone lives in an area with adequate public transit. Sure, I live outside Pittsburgh. But, after decades of financial mismanagement, the Port Authority has cut back service to the 'burbs. I live and work on opposite sides of town (and no, moving closer to work isn't happening--it's too expensive over there), and there's no direct service. I'd have to take 3 buses to get to work. With the cutbacks, I'd end up missing the transfers. No thanks, I'll drive instead. Along that line, just getting around is painful--42 years old, and I have arthritis in my knees. Steps are not my friends, and walking to the bus stop when it's cold isn't happening either.

I grew up being poor. My dad was out of constantly out of work. He couldn't (or wouldn't) hold down a job. While there was a roof over our heads, the lights on, and food on the table, trust me...it sucked. Never knowing if the furnace would break down in the winter, if one of the cars would break down again, if we'd lose the house, or one medical bill would bankrupt my parents. Yet, because we lived in the 'burbs, we weren't considered poor. Apparently, poverty only exists inside the city limits