Boston crime thread - all posts go here. (employment, offices)

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by msRB311

And i get the feeling that people here are happy to see others living happy quiet lives have negative changes come into their lives. It's like there is some kind of sick of enjoyment people get out of seeing folks living in quiet towns get taken over by apt complexes/new construction and have to deal with more traffic. and yes people seem to be waiting for everyone to get called back to the office so they can be inconvenienced by traffic. Again it's kind of comical. It's like oh sorry no, you don't get to enjoy your town anymore, hahahahha. Sorry your view will now be ruined by that ugly building.

You don't think there's anything to solve here? Or that could be solved with possible solutions?

I don't know. That's what I'm asking. I don't know anything about your town or your work situation.

I get that there's a member on here who wants to move to your town (at a low cost). I also get that there's a member on here who wants a massive amount of new housing built all throughout the suburbs of Boston. And I get that there's a member on here who has been insisting for years that WFH will end soon.

I'm just not sure if any of that is realistic.

[msRB311]

Do you think I'm the only one on the south shore who might like a better commute ?

People often say the drive from Hingham to Boston is a breeze. I'm not sure what planet they live on but unless they are driving into Boston at midnight, it certainly isn't a breeze at all...

The commute from Milton to Boston during rush hour isn't even a breeze. Im shocked by the amount of traffic getting on the highway that backs up all the way past presidents golf course every morning.

Boston traffic is just a clusterf*ck. I guess it always will be. But people have tried to come up with solutions that seem to get shot down - have more people WFH is one. have offices be set up in places other than Boston and Cambridge - shot down, nope has to be a boston address.

People who live in suburbs also like to use the city for reasons besides work. There's you know, restaurants, museums, shopping, shows, sporting events, medical issues that people need access to the city for.

The thought of adding more people/low cost housing to the south shore suburbs just seems bewildering in that the infrastructure is already so bad. I could see wanting to live down here if you were retired or didn't have to commute..but moving to Plymouth or something and then needing to commute to boston everyday just seems bad. Many wonder why put more housing down here if the goal is to have people commuting to boston. Might as well move to the cape.

I personally don't see WFH going away but there will be more situations now that the pandemic is over where people may have to go in more often for meetings or events.

[GeePee]

One would figure by the amount of BLM flags, and the Hingham Diversity flags that the town hall gave out to residents that your town would welcome this? I guess in practice is always a different story than optics.

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by GeePee

One would figure by the amount of BLM flags, and the Hingham Diversity flags that the town hall gave out to residents that your town would welcome this? I guess in practice is always a different story than optics.

I don't live in Hingham. But yes I've seen people joke before about the flags and everyone welcome here signs when really the only people welcome there are the ones who can afford the uber expensive house prices. Hingham isn't as welcome as their town hall would like them to be.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Do you think I'm the only one on the south shore who might like a better commute ?

People often say the drive from Hingham to Boston is a breeze. I'm not sure what planet they live on but unless they are driving into Boston at midnight, it certainly isn't a breeze at all...

The commute from Milton to Boston during rush hour isn't even a breeze. Im shocked by the amount of traffic getting on the highway that backs up all the way past presidents golf course every morning.

Boston traffic is just a clusterf*ck. I guess it always will be. But people have tried to come up with solutions that seem to get shot down - have more people WFH is one. have offices be set up in places other than Boston and Cambridge - shot down, nope has to be a boston address.

People who live in suburbs also like to use the city for reasons besides work. There's you know, restaurants, museums, shopping, shows, sporting events, medical issues that people need access to the city for.

The thought of adding more people/low cost housing to the south shore suburbs just seems bewildering in that the infrastructure is already so bad. I could see wanting to live down here if you were retired or didn't have to commute..but moving to Plymouth or something and then needing to commute to boston everyday just seems bad. Many wonder why put more housing down here if the goal is to have people commuting to boston. Might as well move to the cape.

I personally don't see WFH going away but there will be more situations now that the pandemic is over where people may have to go in more often for meetings or events.

I understand all of that. My question is: Are there legitimate plans to add a lot of low cost housing to the south shore suburbs? Or is it just a few people on here needling you? I get the feeling that it's the latter.

But I'll say this about WFH...

Yesterday in RI, Lifespan eased up on their covid related policies. The hospitals in RI are no longer requiring masks for hospital staff, patients, or visitors. That's a major change, and it makes me think that a lot of companies may not allow WFH in the near future.

And as for widening Rt 3, I'll put this out there...

https://www.wired.com/2014/06/wuwt-t...nduced-demand/

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by redplum33

I understand all of that. My question is: Are there legitimate plans to add a lot of low cost housing to the south shore suburbs? Or is it just a few people on here needling you? I get the feeling that it's the latter.

But I'll say this about WFH...

Yesterday in RI, Lifespan eased up on their covid related policies. The hospitals in RI are no longer requiring masks for hospital staff, patients, and visitors. That's a major change, and it makes me think that a lot of companies may not allow WFH in the near future.

And as for widening Rt 3, I'll put this out there...

https://www.wired.com/2014/06/wuwt-t...nduced-demand/

I'm not sure why one company in RI would make a change for all companies in the area to not allow WFH.

[AtkinsonDan]

Originally Posted by redplum33

But I'll say this about WFH...

Yesterday in RI, Lifespan eased up on their covid related policies. The hospitals in RI are no longer requiring masks for hospital staff, patients, or visitors. That's a major change, and it makes me think that a lot of companies may not allow WFH in the near future.

Originally Posted by msRB311

I'm not sure why one company in RI would make a change for all companies in the area to not allow WFH.

Mask requirements and WFH are two distinct topics. Let's not draw links where none should exist. Hospitals also only have a fraction of jobs that are WFH capable. I don't see Lifespan as being comparable to a typical office employer.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by msRB311

I'm not sure why one company in RI would make a change for all companies in the area to not allow WFH.

It's the company that operates all of the hospitals.

When hospitals are no longer requiring masks, it sends a very strong message.

[AtkinsonDan]

Originally Posted by redplum33

It's the company that operates all of the hospitals.

When hospitals are no longer requiring masks, it sends a very strong message.

WFH is now about more than reducing infections. It is about cost savings for employers and a non-financial perk to attract employees, among other things. In 2020 I'd say that WFH was about preventing infections and public health but now in 2023 it is about so much more than that.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by redplum33

It's the company that operates all of the hospitals.

When hospitals are no longer requiring masks, it sends a very strong message.

Originally Posted by AtkinsonDan

WFH is now about more than reducing infections. It is about cost savings for employers and a non-financial perk to attract employees, among other things. In 2020 I'd say that WFH was about preventing infections and public health but now in 2023 it is about so much more than that.

Safety is the reason for WFH.