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Comment by binaryapparatus | Hacker News Reader

Non-American here so I may not fully understand mindset causing this. Simplistic question but why stay in that area then? Why not move somewhere where house can be afforded and which doesn't require 'three hours of sleep'.

Nobody can work on three hours per day sleep pattern so this story can't be entirely true.

If I am working 18 hours per day, no matter how much money I make (enough or not) having no life at all makes it all irrelevant.

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Great question. A few reasons I've heard are:

1) Have many family members nearby. Besides wanting to be near them it also is a support network they would lose.

2) If your not skilled it's not easy to find decent jobs, especially remotely. There are no recruiters calling.

3) It cost money to pick up and relocate. Even if it's only hundreds dollars that is an obstacle when you have zero disposable income,

Still, it seems like it could be good idea when there is no chance of ever prospering in SV.

Why did you only cite reasons that seem innocent? Why not cite selfish reasons as well?

Because none came to mind. Why would people selfishly want to live in a vehicle with towels on the windows?

That isn't their goal, it's a side effect of prioritizing other values, some of which are selfish.

This is what I did. I lived in the Bay Area (Mountain View) and thought the cost of living there long-term was unaffordable. So I moved to Chicago and now I'm debt free and have a 3-minute-walk commute to work. I wish more people seriously considered this option. Yes, the winters are cold, but no place is perfect. A thick winter coat, gloves, and a hat are a lot cheaper than a Mountain View rent or mortgage. (This is a very privileged opinion though, and I wish everyone had the option of being able to leave if they wanted to.)

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