[usui]

Exactly, what's with the critical and defensive reactionary response here? This story is hilarious! And the amount of effort it took to execute and maintain it. And to keep full track of commute time and expenses on a spreadsheet no less? Bravo.

[freetime2]

It's a "critical" response for sure, but "defensive"? What makes it defensive (or "emotional" or "indignant", as others have characterized the response)?

I enjoyed the article, and I applaud the author for comitting to the bit. But on the other hand, I completely agree with the parent: the headline is somewhat misleading, and it's an absurdly impractical way to commute to school. Sure it might do the parent some good to lighten up a bit, but it's completely understandable that a person would have this reaction when reading the article. And for me, reading peoples' 100%-justifiably-negative reactions only ehances the absurdity and comedy of it all.

[uoaei]

It's also a grand waste of resources, not to mention quite a tasteless flaunt of the enjoyment of a level of privilege that very few have access to.

If you saw an article about how Bezos bragged openly on the internet about how much he spent a day on gourmet food flown in on private jets from faraway countries, do you think you'd respond any differently? Why or why not?

[khazhoux]

Yes, the elite, priviledged lifestyle of waking up at 3:30 three days a week, to spend 8-10 hours on a plane and public transport, because you can’t afford housing on campus.

Just rich kid things!

[uoaei]

Clearly they could have afforded housing on campus if they just saved all the money they had spent on that credit card.

The luxury of affording your credit card bill every month as a college student, and living a lush life on all the things that money affords, then attending a prestigious school with a near guarantee of stable high income in perpetuity, is not a chance many get. By definition, privilege is the enjoyment of things that many others cannot enjoy.

Do you have a point to make or is this just a kneejerk reaction from a "temporarily embarrassed millionaire"?

[khazhoux]

> Do you have a point to make

Yes. It's ridiculous to accuse somehow who put themselves through this insane, sleep-depriving, patience-punishing, tarmac-sitting schedule, of flaunting their privilege. He has more money than many, but (evidently) not enough to live in the same city as his classmates.

Just enjoy a crazy-hilarious story, man.

[uoaei]

That's exactly it. He put himself through it. It was completely unnecessary and it was his choice to do it this way. That doesn't justify any of what he did, if anything, it points out the absurdity of your response. If someone had no choice but to do this your defense would make more sense, but this dude just planned his life poorly and used capital to make up for his mistakes. Rent is free, that means he has parents who own a home and let him live there after reaching adulthood. He has a good credit card, that means he had parents who helped him with financial literacy and likely paid his bills for the first few years to help him build his credit score. Exploiting the people and resources (especially carbon emissions) around you for such cockamammie plans is dumb and antisocial and this person deserves to be ridiculed.

Remarkable, the sycophancy on this site. In what world is wasting a massive amount of other people's resources to save a couple thousand dollars in your pocket anywhere related to the "hacker spirit"?

[refurb]

What do you mean "very few have". They are a Berkeley student, that's 45,000 students who can afford to live in Berkeley which is more expensive than what this guy did.

Seems the opposite of "privilege few have".

Get off your high horse.

[uoaei]

You are aware, of course, that the human population is larger than 90k people, right?

[refurb]

You are aware that Berkeley isn’t the only college in the US right?

Saying a 20-something college student is among the “very few” is just silly.