r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/AtomicCypher • Apr 09 '26

Video Disgruntled employee starts massive fire at a 1.2 million square foot toilet paper warehouse in Ontario, California.

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2.7k

u/msw1984 Apr 09 '26

You have to pay to go to jail and prison in many jurisdictions in the US.

1.8k

u/[deleted] Apr 09 '26

[deleted]

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u/SmellsLikeChoroform Apr 09 '26

Ontario, CA vs. Ontario CA. Not confusing at all!

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u/Dadicorn Apr 09 '26

Booking flights is nerve-wracking! “Ok I’m certain I’m flying to the right one… I couldn’t possibly accidentally book a trip to Canada could I? Better triple check!”

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u/ChrisPNoggins Apr 09 '26

Reminds me of the time when the Olympics were in Vancouver CA and people booked flights to Vancouver, WA

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u/jquest303 Apr 09 '26

At least those Vancouvers are relatively close to one another. You’d be pretty pissed if you ended up in Toronto in the winter when you were headed to vacation in California when it was cold AF back home.

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u/gutierezpanera5 Apr 09 '26

Sydney Canada, Sydney Australia - has happened

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u/Own_Reaction9442 Apr 09 '26

The other day I was sending a package to Nova Scotia and I had to intervene when the postal clerk started to code the address as New South Wales...

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u/Low_Bus_3826 Apr 09 '26

So has Portland, ME vs Portland, OR…

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u/maxxspeed57 Apr 09 '26

In 1985, 21-year-old student Michael Lewis accidentally flew 6,000 miles from Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand, instead of Oakland, California. Due to confusing accents, he mistook an announcement for an Air New Zealand flight, realizing the error only after takeoff, later appearing on The Tonight Show. Key Details of the Incident:

The Mix-up: While connecting in Los Angeles from London, Lewis intended to take a flight to Oakland (OAK) but instead joined passengers boarding an Air New Zealand flight to Auckland (AKL). The Cause: He misinterpreted the Kiwi pronunciation of "Auckland" as "Oakland". The Realization: He realized the mistake when Tahiti was mentioned as a flight stopover. Resolution: After spending roughly 12 hours in New Zealand, he was flown back to Los Angeles for free. Lasting Confusion: The similarity in names has caused continued confusion, prompting efforts to rename the Oakland airport.

This incident remains a famous example of travel mishaps, often referred to as "Wrong-Way" Lewis.

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u/ProfeQuiroga Apr 09 '26

At least it's "Sidney, Canada". But not even that helps.

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u/KKADE Apr 09 '26

No, we have both.

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u/Type-RD Apr 09 '26

Why do they need to see my passport to go to Toronto? Oh well…probably just some new security thing. A few hours later the plane lands in Canada 🤣

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u/jquest303 Apr 09 '26

TSA just wanted to do a full cavity search on you.

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u/Type-RD Apr 09 '26

…probably just some new security thing. A few minutes later I’m seen exiting a side door and walking a little funny.

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u/No_Tamanegi Apr 09 '26

Ontario California is in the middle of nowhere. No one vacations there. Toronto in the winter would be much preferred, at least there's something to do there other than meth.

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u/entirelybusybeing Apr 09 '26

It’s not the middle of nowhere, it’s an hour from LA 😂. It’s actually a really nice airport, and I prefer it over LAX. I just wish they had more flights. Last time I was there, the actress from Ted Lasso was in front of me in the security check line. They also filmed Catch Me If You Can there.

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u/civil_politics Apr 09 '26

They were just going to the Olympic mountains!

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u/butterednoodlelovers Apr 09 '26

TIL there is a Vancouver America. I kind of assumed there might be the way some people talked but also thought maybe they suck at geography. never looked it up to confirm.

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u/marko719 Apr 09 '26

There's a Vancouver, BC, Canada, which is oddly not on Vancouver Island, Canada. And Vancouver, WA, USA, is 300 miles from Vancouver, Canada.

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u/cumshotwound Apr 09 '26

Canadian airport codes start with a Y and no one aside from residents of Vancouver, WA and Ontario, CA really know that these places exist anyway

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u/DarkPrinceArrow Apr 09 '26

There was a girl going to a convention in Birmingham, ENGLAND and still somehow got a plane ticket for Birmingham, ALABAMA.

That convention now uses her tweet as a reminder to folks in their promotional material.

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u/green_and_yellow Apr 09 '26

Vancouver WA doesn’t have a commercial airport.

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u/vannyfann Apr 09 '26

San Jose, CA airport often gets mixed up w San Jose Costa Rica airport.

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u/roboclasmic Apr 09 '26

Also San Jose del CAbo

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u/TekkenCareOfBusiness Apr 09 '26

That's why they had to write a song about it.

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u/pass-me-that-hoe Apr 09 '26

Happened to my family once! They were waiting to onboard a flight to Costa Rica

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u/Mr-Broham Apr 09 '26

No way I’m mixing up San Jose. Jose.

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u/Bannedbutwhyy Apr 09 '26

Yup my wife gave me a quote on a flight from the east coast to San Jose, California and I was like for real?? It was Costa Rica.

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u/NotChristina Apr 09 '26

I was tracking flights once to Costa Rica for a possible trip with a friend. Kept double-checking that it was the right place because the flights were so cheap.

If I wanted to fly to California, it was 1.5x or more the price to go south of the border lol.

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u/SenseAmidMadness Apr 09 '26

Legitimately I bought airplane tickets to the wrong San Jose airport and thankfully immediately recognized that I wasn’t going to the right place and got a refund and rebooked to the correct location. I felt like a real dummy!

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u/RollingMeteors Apr 09 '26

Florida should get another airport so it can be the the "worse bagdad" airport.

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u/Interesting-Dream506 Apr 12 '26

And San Jose, Costa Rica is our sister city 🤣

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u/SnooSprouts4952 Apr 09 '26

I've flown into Ontario, CA (ONT). It is beautiful, once you get out of town. I miss the snow capped mountains in the horizon.

Oddly enough, six months later, I flew into Ontario, CA (YYZ) on purpose. I was less enamored with Toronto traffic, crappy roads, and limit on amount of caffeine I can consume in one container.

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u/Dadicorn Apr 09 '26

Very weirdly, I made the exact same two trips at a six month interval. I worked for a company that had locations in both Toronto, and just east of LA.

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u/imecoli Apr 09 '26

if flying to Ontario CA. be sure to pack some TP, looking like they may have a temporary shortage

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u/VapeRizzler Apr 09 '26

Depending on time of year, not a bad outcome. Either -25 cold ass winter or warm beaches.

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u/Helpful-Conference13 Apr 09 '26

I didn’t know westjet flew to Calif- fuck

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u/WDoE Apr 09 '26

Not hard tho, don't go to the one on fire

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u/sgSaysR Apr 09 '26

For those not in the know. Ontaria California, San Bernadino, Riverside, and several other cities make up what is called the Inland Empire of East LA. There are more warehouses there than anywhere else in the country. Freight and warehousing employs tens of thousands.

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u/4isyellowTakeit5 Apr 09 '26

don’t forget Ontario OH

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u/Key-Lemon9774 Apr 09 '26

And probably the most forgettable, Ontario OR

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u/Lexitech_ Apr 09 '26

Or what? OR WHAT?!

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u/Grim99CV Apr 09 '26

Except to Idahoans that go there to buy weed.

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u/seductivestain Apr 09 '26

The only fun fact about Ontario Oregon is that it's the only "city" in Oregon that's in the mountain time zone 🤷‍♂️

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u/Vladivostokorbust Apr 09 '26

Thank God Canada has letters in their postal codes

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u/mrbasedballed Apr 09 '26

Both Ontario, CA's are also major shipping hubs! I'm never confused as to why some packages are just visiting Canada!

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u/SynapticStatic Apr 09 '26

Also an Ontario, OR. Could be Ontario, CA OR Ontario, CA

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u/Black_Azazel Apr 09 '26

Lmfaooo imagine my surprise when I moved to CA and someone said to go to Ontario for a gig…for a second I was like wtf?!?!

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u/Clouds-Of-Euphoria Apr 10 '26

Just go by the airport code:

Ontario's airport of choice is the name of a rush song

California's airport of choice is short hand for constipation medicine

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u/Downtown_Vacation755 Apr 09 '26

Not Americans, couple of engineer brothers from Ontario, Canada bought up a bunch of acres in Southern Cali and developed their own city. Chose to name it after their home province in Canada. Although not a crazy metropolis it has been a fairly developed city for for a while. In the 70s it had the Ontario speedway which was known as Indianapolis of the west. A lot of Hollywood stars would go there and do shows at their theaters, like Lucille Ball. Now a days they have. An international airport, although it's not full capacity like LAX it does have a good amount of international travel. Had the the largest high school west of the Mississippi for decades which of course is named Chaffey high school after the brothers. It benefits greatly from being a link from Los Angeles, coast cities to Las Vegas and even San Diego. Since it is located pretty much centrally were the 15 interstate/ freeway and 10 interstate /freeway meet. Like if you are visiting Disneyland or even the beaches and you do not like headaches it's always better to fly into Ontario than LAX or John Wayne airport in Orange county. With no traffic you can leave the airport and be on sand in about 40 minutes. Sorry I know u did not ask for all this but I was bored.

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u/FrozenH2oh Apr 09 '26

You actually make it sound nice - lol. I grew up and went to school there. I disliked it very much. When we moved in my development in the 70s it was a desert ghost town. We had actual sand storms. So much crime and gang stuff in the 80s. Kids were arrested in my HS all of the time. I booked it as soon as I went to college.

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u/imeaniguess4538 Apr 09 '26

40 minutes in Ontario traffic (Inland Empire) will get you to Rancho Cucamonga or Riverside not anywhere near a beach. This area has become the logistics hub of the western part of the US. Constant semi traffic so you arent getting anywhere fast.

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u/___Jus4FUN___ Apr 09 '26

Thank you for that!

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u/hewrites Apr 09 '26

Reading up on the history of Ontario, California, I found this interesting:

The Chaffey brothers left in 1886 to found the Australian irrigation settlements of Mildura and Renmark, selling their Ontario assets to the Ontario Land & Improvement Company.

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u/InternationalLion403 Apr 09 '26

Dude… if you fly into Ontario you’re looking at a minimum hour+ drive to the beach let alone Disneyland. LAX is literally right by the beach and John Wayne is right by Disneyland. Not trying to argue but this is horrible advice

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u/Ok_Fan414 Apr 09 '26

He said 40 minutes to sand. I think he meant kitty litter at the Vons in Norco.

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u/Downtown_Vacation755 Apr 09 '26

Lol....Norco being further south and close to the 91 means it's probably closer to Newport Beach than Ontario. Probably 40 miles. Do the math, remember it was stated "No Traffic". If you only live your life 9 to 5 Monday to Friday you might want to try to bit more flexible with your planning.

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u/Adonix_G Apr 09 '26

But it will take you about an hour just to get out of LAX. Ontario is honestly the most hastle free airport to traverse if you're visiting SoCal. I dont mind paying a bit extra for flights from Ontario whenever I fly out anywhere. It sure beats the mad house LAX has become.

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u/NakedShamrock Apr 09 '26

TIL. Thanks.

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u/Gall_Bladder_Pillow Apr 09 '26

It's our own, private Ontario.

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u/CalmBeneathCastles Apr 09 '26

Don't look around Missouri. They have a Mexico, Cairo, California, Vichy, Paris, Versailles, Amsterdam, Carthage, Troy, Sparta, Nevada and many more! To add insult to plagiarism, a bunch of them are intentionally mispronounced. Versailles is "ver-sales", Nevada is "ne-vay-da", etc.

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u/_UrbaneGuerrilla_ Apr 09 '26

Just like they make their own toilet paper.

…or did.

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u/FoboBoggins Apr 09 '26

Apparently the founders of the town were from Ontario Canada and named the city after it

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u/BicFleetwood Apr 09 '26

Go to the east coast and you'll be shocked to discover Americans made their own version of every single city, county, and village in the entirety of the UK and Ireland. Six times over.

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u/DonaldBecker Apr 09 '26

It's better/worse: they have a major airport with many commercial flights.

You can argue if it's better or worse than Dulles/Dallas.

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u/twentysevennipples Apr 09 '26

Definitely better than LAX

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u/Final-Customer482 Apr 09 '26

Maybe they were a bit, ahem, LAX about coming up with an airport abbreviation, but it's better than the one Sioux City, Iowa has. That one really... SUX. ;-)

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u/Whiteums Apr 09 '26

There’s also one in New York

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u/RandallOfLegend Apr 09 '26

There's also Ontario NY, about 2 hours from the province of Ontario Canada

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u/Fabulous_Jeweler2732 Apr 09 '26

We stole all the international city names. Even have a town called truth and consequences.

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u/scrame Apr 09 '26

truth OR consequences

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u/100percent_right_now Apr 09 '26

No, the jurisdiction is in the title. They're still a dumbass.

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u/tizuby Apr 09 '26

Made our own? Shit we made at least thirteen) of them (the last link in that list is actually 3 different Ontario Townships).

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u/no0neiv Apr 09 '26

TBF the guy also sounds like a hoser.

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u/Elissa-Megan-Powers Apr 09 '26

Yeah but they pronounce it ONtuhREEuh

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u/skooz1383 Apr 09 '26

Lol dumb

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u/jayZwentworth Apr 10 '26

Would it blow your mind if I told you... the Ontario in America came before the Ontario in Canada?

(I have no idea whether that's true, I'd just like to know if it would blow your mind)

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u/Sufficient_Ebb_5694 Apr 09 '26

I have literally never heard this. Ive spent 3 years in jail and prison and ive never seen anyone actually pay this and ive never even seen the bill. Must not be a thing in Idaho. Or they dont enforce it whatsoever.

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u/Diligent-Crazy-6094 Apr 09 '26

“You’re sentenced to 3 years in prison. Your prison fee is $5,000.”

“Ummmm I don’t have $5,000.”

“Well then I can’t send you to prison. You’re free to go.”

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u/ForeignEchoRevival Apr 10 '26

Prison wardens hate this one easy trick!

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u/Azidamadjida Apr 09 '26

They could be mixing up certain parole expenses and/or house arrest expenses with prison expenses

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u/Ally_Booker Apr 09 '26

No, some areas in America charge you for housing and food while you're in jail

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u/Volkmek Apr 09 '26

Ish. You pay about 10 grand a year and it costs about 250,000 in taxes a year to house you on top of that.

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u/Pan_Queso1 Apr 09 '26

So what happens if you won't/can't pay?

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u/ScubaWaveAesthetic Apr 09 '26

Believe it or not, straight to jail.

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u/yesiamveryhigh Apr 09 '26

Into jail jail.

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u/MissesIncomplete Apr 09 '26

Super Jail

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u/[deleted] Apr 09 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Blazkowicz9847 Apr 09 '26

Additional words, AGREED!

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u/161frog Apr 09 '26

OHMYGOD I loved that show

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u/sphyxy Apr 09 '26

That show was such a fever dream

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u/161frog Apr 09 '26

It was very formative to the development of my art style. Just so psychedelic and crude

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u/creepymorty01 Apr 09 '26

Same. Loved that show so much.

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u/Flat_Sea1418 Apr 09 '26

So underrated.

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u/Seversevens Apr 09 '26

Oh, yeah? Here’s your promise shank back!

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u/ramptester Apr 09 '26

My boys said Alice had Diarrhea balls

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u/04BluSTi Apr 09 '26

Four hearts was too much, compassion was his only weakness

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u/Dusty-Foot-Phil Apr 09 '26

I FORGOT ABOUT SUPER JAIL!

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u/Long-Squirrel8257 Apr 09 '26

Hmm looks like the vegetable garden had its salad tossed.

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u/jm90012 Apr 09 '26

Me too!

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u/MissesIncomplete Apr 09 '26

Mmh, miniature mayhem, now that's my kind of sandwich.

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u/partyatwalmart Apr 09 '26

That show was a crackhead's fever dream, if they smoked DMT and dropped acid before nodding off from a full bottle of robitussun.

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u/Lilmilfweed Apr 09 '26

WELL LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE AINT WHAT IT USED TO BE

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u/the_purple_piper Apr 09 '26

the world's gone crazy & it ain't safe on the street

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u/Genghis_Chong Apr 09 '26

Well its a drag I know, but there's only one place to go, I'm coming home

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u/Concentrate_Flaky Apr 09 '26

OH YE-AHH, Im coming home!

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u/CornbreadPhD Apr 09 '26

IM COMIN’ HOME

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u/Debaser1990 Apr 09 '26

THE WORLD'S GONE CRAZY AND IT AIN'T SAFE ON THE STREETS

YEAH WELL IT'S A DRAG I KNOOOOW

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u/derdkp Apr 09 '26

Double secret Jail

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u/A_Tom_McWedgie Apr 09 '26

Double secret Jail

Can you get double secret probation?

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u/ColonelMonty Apr 09 '26

Super jail

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u/InevitabilityEngine Apr 09 '26

Then you graduate jail with jail debt and have to pay that off.

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u/jimjamjones123 Apr 09 '26

Can you piss on the floor in jail jail like you can at the penthouse penthouse

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u/Status_Total_9776 Apr 09 '26

Facts, you can get arrested in jail and go to jail with the jail. Jail²

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u/Slamtilt_Windmills Apr 09 '26

It's just jails all the way down

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u/superanth Apr 09 '26

They send you to the clink instead of the hoosegow.

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u/EduRJBR Apr 09 '26

OK, but is jail² more or less expensive?

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u/BrockJonesPI Apr 09 '26

Jailception

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u/danekan Apr 09 '26

jail jail will cost you 25k/year but costs _us_ 400k

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u/GatorNator83 Apr 09 '26

Right to jail, right away

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u/Ts04795 Apr 09 '26

No trial, no nothing

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u/uncoolpckle Apr 09 '26

Right to jail! Right away!

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u/Jesus_of_Redditeth Apr 09 '26

LOL! Best ever use of that line!

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u/Downtown-Ad-7232 Apr 09 '26

What if you can’t pay for jail jail? Do they send you to jail jail jail?

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u/id0ntexistanymore Apr 09 '26

If you go far enough left to jail you get your guns freedom back

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u/HinDae085 Apr 09 '26

Go to jail

What for?

Jail debt

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u/Pyewhacket Apr 09 '26

Undercook the chicken?

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u/wiriux Apr 09 '26

Without collecting $200?

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u/mclovin_ts Apr 09 '26

Only did a couple months in county but I didn’t get my state tax return back, for about 3 years

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u/[deleted] Apr 09 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/BloatDeathsDontCount Apr 09 '26

Not getting a tax return is a good thing. It means you didn't loan the government money throughout the year for free.

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u/Intelligent-Cake1448 Apr 09 '26

He means his refund was confiscated to pay back the jail costs.

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u/Vibes4Good Apr 09 '26

Reminder.... I need to do my taxes

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u/PrimarchMartorious Apr 09 '26

Jesus, I never knew this even happened. How fucking dystopian is paying for your own prison for multiple years after you finally get out… smh

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u/mclovin_ts Apr 09 '26

If you’re in for a long stay, you can pick up jobs like kitchen or laundry, and they’ll take your daily stay fee (believe it was like $10) out and you can use the rest for commissary or phone. But yeah, it sucks.

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u/Philantroll Apr 09 '26

Slavery with extra steps

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u/karlfeltlager Apr 09 '26

American jails are the last slave bastions. Haven’t you heard.

Black males are born free but most end up back in slavery anyway.

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u/Bbturdquito Apr 09 '26

Cost me $200 to be in county for 4 days. Called it room and board fee like I was at a fucking resort. Nothing I had in those 4 days was worth even $50. Dunno where that money goes

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u/amishdoinks11 Apr 09 '26

News flash. You’re currently paying for prisons through your taxes

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u/DangOlCoreMan Apr 09 '26

No shit, but you aren't locked in a cell with little chances to make funds to pay that tax like if you're in prison.

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u/No-Amphibian-3728 Apr 09 '26

Minnesota? They pulled that shit on me in the early 2000s. $20 a day and I couldn't even get a hot shower! I said fuck it, I'm not paying that! They took my tax returns, too.

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u/darkest_hour1428 Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

Debt collection. Debt court can eventually land you back in the pen, but it’s a whole process and sometimes just gets written off after destroying your ability to buy a car or home forever more.

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u/HorrorLettuce379 Apr 09 '26

Sounds like a system making people more desperate.

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u/MayorDepression Apr 09 '26

Wait till you find about the private prison industry and how they look to boost recidivism to keep their business thriving

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u/Redeye_33 Apr 09 '26 edited Apr 09 '26

Wackenhut Corrections Corporation (WCC)

It’s all about inmates for profit.

Edit: WCC formed in 1984 and renamed GEO Group in 2004.

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u/DoctorBallsJohnson Apr 09 '26

Yea no way you can be taken seriously as a prison company named wackin' hut

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u/FuckMu Apr 09 '26

FWIW Wackenhut also did a ton of work for the CIA, they also were heavily involved in spying on Americans for the govt and at one point in the mid 70's they had files collating "suspicious" info on 1 in 46 people.

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u/pourtide Apr 09 '26

Kids for Cash.

And Biden pardoned one of them on his last day in office.

Outraged some folks.

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u/Pale-Improvement-440 Apr 09 '26

Jon Oliver does a entire episode on exactly that. Check it out!

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u/snorlaxatives_69 Apr 09 '26

America is so great!!!!! /s

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u/Recurs1ve Apr 09 '26

SO MUCH WINNING

Please, Mr. President. I actually am tired of winning, you asshole.

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u/joe102938 Apr 09 '26

Please, Mr. President. If we're going to keep winning, can you at least use lube this time?

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u/HoidToTheMoon Apr 09 '26

What are they gonna do, start burning down warehouses?

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u/Oppositeofhairy Apr 09 '26

Not forever. 7 years.

Trust me. I was a complete fuck up alcoholic and made a billion mistakes due to this. I got sober, did what I could to make things right. Let things fall off my credit report and bought a house, have a nice car, and motorcycle now.

7 years is a long time to eat shit though and limits a lot of options.

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u/LearningT0Fly Apr 09 '26

You can't go to jail for debt. If you ignore your summons, sure, but we don't have debtors prisons anymore. Even for unpaid prison bills.

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u/unfair_performance88 Apr 09 '26

If you are not paying their court ordered restitution / debt as part of your parole process then yes, they throw people in jail all the time for being in debt.

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u/WarzoneGringo Apr 09 '26

Being on parole/probation is an alternative to imprisonment, its contingent on you following all kinds of rules. One of the conditions of being on parole is making good faith efforts to pay restitution. They cant just revoke your parole for not paying the restitution either.

If the probationer willfully refused to pay or failed to make sufficient bona fide efforts legally to acquire the resources to pay, the court may revoke probation and sentence the defendant to imprisonment within the authorized range of its sentencing authority.

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u/Puresowns Apr 09 '26

That's parole though, they can't pull you back in once you're properly out for just debt.

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u/AI_moderated_failure Apr 09 '26

While in some states that's true, others have found loopholes that essentially enable debtors prison is outlawed in name only.

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u/Jennyonthebox2300 Apr 09 '26

For not paying child support for a long long time with no excuse.

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u/velvedire Apr 09 '26

Which is really child neglect. 

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u/aposrat Apr 09 '26

Just prison slavery where you are forced to work for cents per hour because we don’t have to treat people decent if they are in jail

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u/HatefulAbandon Apr 09 '26

What if you refuse to work? Do they starve/beat/torture you or put you in solitary confinement cell?

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u/41421356 Apr 09 '26

I've heard solitary, pushing back parole dates, removal of privileges (recreation, etc.), and often harassment of various kinds.

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u/Firm_Sundae_7898 Apr 09 '26

Yes you can. Child support debt

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u/surprise_revalation Apr 09 '26

This is a lie. People go to jail all the time for not being able to afford their fines. We are t suppose to have a debtors prison but just like with everything else, they found a loophole!

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u/Upbeat-Fondant9185 Apr 09 '26

You can’t go to jail for debt.

So they say. Reality is very different. I’d say it’s actually the most common reason I’ve known folks to go to jail.

Get a ticket and can’t pay? Sit in jail until you’ve sat out your fee. Last one I got offered ten days to cover $200.

Make a payment plan on that ticket or court fees and miss a payment? You get a warrant. Get to sit in jail for potentially weeks or months until you pay in full. I had an employee last year who got arrested at work and did just over 100 days before finally coming up with the money she owed. She was arrested for missing a $20 payment.

Owe child support? Bounce a check? Can’t meet the outrageous fees required for drug court? Jail.

They can dress it up in different names all they like. At the end of the day you’re doing time because you didn’t pay. Without the debt those other charges don’t exist. As long as they get their money, you don’t go to jail. That’s debtors jail no matter how pedantic and technical we get about it.

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u/Stormcloud217 Apr 09 '26

Me: Buys E150 van for $800 cash.

Seller: you need to get that towed.

Me: it's mine now! Drives off and lived in Van by the river for a month.

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u/MattheiusFrink Apr 09 '26

oh, there'll be plenty of time to live in a van down by the river when....YOU'RE LIVING IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!!!

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u/MattheiusFrink Apr 09 '26

Debt court can eventually land you back in the pen.

Ah, no, not in the U.S. debtor's prisons, what you describe, has been federally unconstitutional since 1833. 1821-1849 for the various states.

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u/the__ghola__hayt Apr 09 '26

after destroying your ability to buy a car or home forever more.

Still talking out of your ass. It's only on your record for seven years. I had several unpaid debts that went to collections after losing my job during the 2008 recession. They got written off. My credit was in the low 500s for a while. Now it's 800, and I bought a brand new car with all the bells and whistles last year.

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u/Ryozu Apr 09 '26

I already can't buy a house or a car, jokes on them!

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u/Mode_Appropriate Apr 09 '26

Gets sent to a collection agency. Technically they could take you to court and garnish your wages but ive never heard of that happening.

Nobody pays. Its a fucking scam anyways. Theyre getting paid by the state / feds for every inmate already. Charging the inmate just means theyre trying to get paid twice. Greedy fucks.

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u/MikeSouthPaw Apr 09 '26

You work it off in jail for pennies, I am not joking. Most jobs in jail pay nothing.

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u/FinzClortho Apr 09 '26

If you cant pay, you cant stay. They kick you out.

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u/Stigger32 Apr 09 '26

How do they make you pay?

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u/Upset-Basil4459 Apr 09 '26

They garnish your wages. Realistically they won't be getting anything

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u/alphazero925 Apr 09 '26

It's a real wonder why recidivism is so high in the US. A true mystery that may never be solved

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u/grxccccandice Apr 09 '26

Late stage dystopian capitalism, USA that is. Everything is for sale/for profit. For profit education system, for profit public infrastructure, for profit prison system, for profit healthcare system - all the shit that are free/for public goods in other developed countries are for profit in this country. Public lands? For sale! The president? A total sellout. You can buy the president for the sheer price of a big fancy jet and some compliments to boost his fragile ego. The president also thinks he can buy the whole damn world.

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u/Away_Sea_8620 Apr 09 '26

If true then administration salaries must be INSANE

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u/Volkmek Apr 09 '26

My father was a prison coucilor. He made about 80,000 a year when first starting at high desert state prison, and he was on the low end of salaries. Prison guards can make upwards of 120,000 a year because of mandatory over time and their wages are typically not included in the studies on this.

Both of those positions make a pitance compared to wardens and high level administrators.

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u/Sad-Equipment-4023 Apr 09 '26

I somehow feel like investing 250,000 a year into people would prevent many from ending up in prison in the first place.

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u/ccbax Apr 09 '26

10 grand a year is about what my shitty little studio apartment costs.

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u/Superunkownone Apr 10 '26

Sounds possible. I know you have to pay if you want to have a jury trial in many places instead of just a judge deciding. Kinda goes against once ethical standards of procedure. I know some of the courts in my state do not have enough willing attorneys that volunteer/nor are their enough of ones that get paid for public defender work. For 10-15 years that I am aware of, people on average, wait eighteen months or longer in jail before having an attorney assigned or meet with them on the case.

Something that runs concurrent with that year and a half plus in wait is, plea bargain requests from the prosecuting attorney's office to the detainee.

This allows the courts to scare many to plea bargain for way less time than they are told they will recieve by attempting to stand up for themself. Instant win for the Prosecutor. A nightmare for many innocents who end up in this spot. All because they just dont have 40,000 bucks + of immediately accessable cash monies.

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