# Letting the House Burn Down: Our Fee-For-Service Future?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letting-the-house-burn-down-our-fee-for-service-future/344942>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 17, 2006, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letting-the-house-burn-down-our-fee-for-service-future/344942 "2006-02-17T13:49:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2006, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letting-the-house-burn-down-our-fee-for-service-future/344942/41 "2006-02-23T20:58:41Z")

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> [@Metacom](#):
>
> Uh, I live in a rural area, and I’m unsure enough that this story is making me want to call up the county and ask if I have to pay anyone.
> 
> I know my insurance is much higher then a place in the 'burbs, largely because the nearest fire hydrant is many miles away.

This sort of thing really surprises me. When I moved into my present neighborhood, I interviewed the neighbors and asked all about police/ambulance/fire services’ response times in this area. For me, it was as automatic as learning which day was “trash day.” I’ve done the same when I lived in rural areas-- if not the neighbors, I’d talk to someone else who lived in the town.

Maybe I’m just weird-- I dunno, but I always want to know as much as I can about how my new community works.

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