zzrmark

The Tundra isn't quite as nice or as responsive as my old 5.4l F150 but that V8 used to get 21mpg at a constant 80 mph on long runs.

civilservant

Honestly I've hardly driven a V8 at all, I don't tow all that much and even when doing so the 3.5L turbo gives more torque than a V8 at lower speeds anyway - plus the fuel economy. V8s just seem so 1990s

dj6372

Lucky it hasn't hit the top loader, front loader discussion yet!

lizzyq

Can you get a V8 option?

zzrmark

Nah, they were outlawed when it was discovered to be the reason for the ladies of the house letting the housework slide.

dj6372

Not yet but I understand Whirlpool are looking at it

tom169

I think we all know the answer of which is better for a washer and which is better for a dryer.

zzrmark

Right, rolls up sleeves, I'm going there....
Any answer that isn't front loader is clearly wrong.

carcajou

International media love to play up the gun angle, that and of course people dropping dead in the streets due to no health care. Remember the old media adage: "If it bleeds, it ledes . . ."

Boiler made a terrific and highly relevant point in his post.

The US murder rate is at a 50 year low, and the crime rate is at a 100 year low.

Qualitatively, there is noticeable improvement just walking the streets and neighbourhoods compared to 20 years ago.

Gun crime is not something I worry about at all whenever I go back there.

It is perfectly normal to feel unsettled before a major life change. However, I wouldn't let some screaming parrot on cable news scare you out of making the move.

There is a safety net but it is poorly understood by most foreigners. Whether or not a person qualifies can be complex, and it does vary from state-to-state.

civilservant

carcajou

Oh, OK. So things like Medicaid, Pell Grants, Social Security, HUD etc are just made up imaginary things that don't exist?

Many American university students now pay less than their British counterparts due to the safety net you claim doesn't exist.

I also have a relative in Medicaid which substantially limits any out-of-pocket expenses.

The US safety net is certainly different from the British one, with different eligibility criteria, rules, and differences from state to state, and someone may be eligible for something in one country but not the other. But to claim that the US suffers from a "lack of a safety net" is demonstrably false.

civilservant

Medicaid - Highly state dependent. In GA if you are of working age and are not disabled/pregnant you aren't entitled. Period.

Pell Grant - irrelevant for someone not studying.

Social Security - Irrelevant for a new immigrant, or someone intending a temporary stay. In fact it will cost them money, since they will be paying RSDI taxes.

HUD - Not quite sure how you think is going to help?

Without speaking for someone else on the forum, when I say lack of safety net I am referring to working age benefits that are available in the UK that are not in the US. I would love you to come down to some of the poorer areas of the South (such as some of the NE GA counties around where I live) where the State did not expand Medicaid under the ACA and show me how successful your 'safety net' is because in my experience it isn't.

I am simply glad that I can support myself and my family

scrubbedexpat091

The US has a safety net, it just kind of sucks and leaves out a lot of people.

TexanScot

For those of us on work visas they may well be imaginary, although unfortunately the deductions from our paychecks aren't imaginary!

zzrmark

There are also restrictions on what a PR can claim.