All these lists of what we have and haven't seen are merely anecdotal. That Tim Bray (and others in the last thread) has not seen it does not mean it never happens.
Conversely, while I have seen people crying and get a superficial 7-day PIP so the boss can rapid-fire someone litigation-free, I know that doesn't mean it happens everywhere. Likely all this has happened at MS/Goog/FB as well.
So is the culture toxicity level here above industry average? I think it is slightly, but it's not a huge deal if you're competent; those who are mediocre performers will be impacted most.
The "frugality" is annoying though. Total comp is comparatively low, we pay our own parking $250/mo (and you still might not have a spot!), no free snacks or even soda, and until last year, we had to steal a monitor from ex-employees just to have a 2nd.