Ask Lemmy
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Energy, public transport, postal service We're never going to have progress if they have a stake in not doing that
Grocery stores
They shouldn't be stores at all since that's putting prices on necessary food for living.
I work at one and am constantly appalled at the prices for basic food items like canned tuna or pasta (not even the "good" stuff, just the run of the mill "well, it's ____")
Funny mentioning the mail thing in the US... I've never had a singular mailbox and I've lived in California my whole life. Always had a communal mailbox somewhere in the neighborhood (or my apartment now) where everyone's mailbox is in like a big bank of boxes.
I kinda hate it. Mostly because the neighborhood Karen would always be at the thing and always had some shit to say to me, even when I was a little-ass kid.
I always wished we had community baths though. Seems like everywhere else in the world does that except us. Definitely would be cooler to normalize being naked around strangers.
Cooking. 5 people working together can cook for 100 people easier, cheaper, and less wastefully than 100 people can cook for themselves/their families.
Unfortunately the current restaurant system in the US is incredibly wasteful, expensive, and pays fuckall.
Verified: group cooking is the way.
I have friends and family who live in a cohousing building. About 50 people in 30 units. Each apartment is complete but the kitchens are slightly smaller than typical.
Cohousing is mutual ownership of the building. About 20% of the building is common areas, like widened hallways with couches and bookshelves, or a games nook, music room, workshop, laundry, etc. It's basically a tall village, and they are like roommates with privacy.
The giant kitchen and dining room is used six nights a week. One person is chef with a small crew, and dinner is for around 30 people. It costs $5 CDN per meal, though if you raid the leftovers later it's pay what you want, usually $2. The cooking volunteer roster is optional and organized by a Slack channel. Food is usually awesome and everyone wins.
If you want you hardly ever have to cook dinner for yourself.
Amazing. May I ask what region of the world you're describing?
Taste differences make cooking specially messy to communalise. Not impossible though.
This makes me think of the Sikh community's charity/giving (can't remember the term) food giving that happens in most towns globally where there a Gurdwara.
There has to be a better way than waves hands everything, really.
Owning tools and equipment. I wish my neighborhood or town had a tool library.
You've got a couple options here, depending on tools needed (though this is all mostly US based).
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Local libraries can have libraries of things where you can check out all kinds of stuff, as another user pointed out. Tools, fishing poles, cooking equipment, etc.
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Home Depot/Lowes/Ace Hardware will rent a lot of tools at decent rates, from hand tools to power tools to floor sanders and carpet cleaners and lawn and everything, haha.
But, auto parts stores like Auto Zone will also usually let you borrow tools for free after paying a returnable deposit. If you work on your car and say, want to raise/lower it, go to AutoZone, pay the $20 deposit for the proper spring clamps, use them, and return them and get your $20 back.
- Makerspaces. These are more often found in cities, but they're places for people to go and, well, make stuff. You usually have to either pay for your time there, or get a membership, but they usually allow access to stuff other places won't: CNC/laser engraving machines, welding/metalworking/blacksmithing equipment, glassblowing facilities, woodworking shops, sewing shops, etc. And some of them offer 24/7 access, so you can go use the facilities any time you'd like, as well as classes to learn how to safely use the equipment, or projects/techniques.
This option is great for folks who have disposable income, but not the space for the equipment they may want or need. I'd love a CNC machine, but I'm poor, and it would not fit in my 800sqft house 😭😂
- Honestly, call local small businesses/shops/etc. Some may let you rent time in their facility, or charge you to use some of their equipment. My boss lets people bring their wide slabs of wood in to be planed/sanded in our industrial equipment for pretty reasonable rates, they just have to call and ask first.
Especially gardening tools.
Why does every fucking house in our neighborhood need its own lawnmower, weedwacker, and hedge trimmer? You only need it for an hour or two every month.
If you are in the US, and maybe other places, check your local library. Ours has a library of things. It includes tools, board games, musical instruments, electronics, cooking gear, toys and tons of other stuff. Otherwise, the local home depot rents things like chainsaws at a reasonable price.
I use a chainsaw maybe two hours a year. Same with my neighbors, yet each of us owns a chainsaw.
Google your city name and “maker space” to see if there’s any near you. Not only does my local library district have them, there’s another local option with a monthly membership fee. They have large equipment like laser engravers, CNCs, drill presses, etc. They usually also have small stuff like drills that you can check out and bring home. Also a great way to meet other makers in your community
We should be using neighbourhood food co-ops to purchase and distribute food from farmers and wholesalers rather than from retailers.
Re: internet only available at the public library.
Hell no. That would really fuck over disabled people.
Management and operations of any apartment buildings.
Make em all co ops.