New York, NY – Rich New Yorkers Buy Plain Black Vans with Plush Interiors

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    Carmelo Umpierre, a driver, inside a customized luxury Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van, in New York, Nov. 10, 2011. Some of the richest New Yorkers have taken to driving around in vehicles that show neither wealth nor privilege, but on the inside, the vans can be decorated as lavishly as the private railroad cars owned by turn-of-the-century industrialists. (Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times)New York, NY – Rich New Yorkers are buying cargo vans that look plain on the outside but are lavishly furnished pleasure palaces on the inside. Some cost $500,000.

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    As the economy limps along and more attention is paid to the so-called 1 percent, some of the richest New Yorkers have taken to driving around in vehicles that ooze neither wealth nor privilege. But on the inside, the vans may be as lavishly decorated as the private railroad cars owned by turn-of-the-century industrialists.

    Some owners use them as mobile offices, outfitted with fine leather chairs and Persian rugs; vans may also double as a child’s playroom on wheels, complete with a built-in vacuum to clean what the children dirty.

    The most popular model is made by Mercedes: a stripped-down, basic version of the van, the Sprinter, starts at $41,315; Mr. Kantor’s version, which Mercedes-Benz Manhattan arranged to have customized, is fitted with satellite television, a Wi-Fi network and flat-screen monitors, and sells for $189,000. Even that is not quite enough for some New Yorkers, who employ designers to install even pricier custom details that easily drive up the total cost to $500,000.


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    42 Comments
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    HaNavon
    HaNavon
    12 years ago

    Disgusting. There are people starving and homeless who have masters degrees!
    While you can’t force them to redistribute wealth, you should not HAVE to force them! It’s pashut mentshlechkeit! They should think to themselves “why am I spending so much money? let me help out a poor yid!”

    kishmirvistvey
    kishmirvistvey
    12 years ago

    they can pashut do whatever they want with their money. does anyone tell you how to spend your money . please ….. minding your own business and thinking about your own spending should be your only concern

    shlomozalman
    shlomozalman
    12 years ago

    To #1 ,
    It would more effective if you became extremely wealthy and then gave all your money to poor people. Good luck.

    Yitzchok
    Yitzchok
    12 years ago

    To # 1. Who made you the decider on how people should spend their money? Does anyone tell you what to do?

    basmelech
    basmelech
    12 years ago

    A van has headroom and is more comfortable than a limo that has a low roof. I think it’s a good idea. And all those who try to tell the rich how to spend their money – why don’t you mind your own business? Maybe they already give a lot to charity. Anyway being rich is a nisayon as well as being poor. I am not rich by far, but, who knows what I’d do if I was.

    zooog
    zooog
    12 years ago

    I hope the REBBES dont find this out.They are going to outdo each other.

    SherryTheNoahide
    SherryTheNoahide
    12 years ago

    Also I might add… HaNavon you are correct in that it is disgusting how much money these people waste on nonsense. Pure & total nonsense!

    The 1st thing I thought when I saw this article was: Um, don’t these rich people ALREADY get driven around in fancy limos?? Those things already have tv’s, phones, expensive wine waiting on a crisper for you at the end of a “long working day of labor” (sarcasm intended), plus seats & every amenity you can think of!

    Why by this?!?!

    Because they can. It’s as simple as that. *shaking my head*

    These people don’t know what life here on earth is about. It is more important to them that they each have the “fanciest” thing on the block… meanwhile, ignoring the 8 homeless people who live on the block as well.

    It’s a sickness HaNavon. That’s all there is to it. Greed is a sickness. And so is jealousy. That’s why we should NEVER envy these people or their “stuff”- EVER.

    HaShem is more than likely paying them their reward in THIS life… because He will no doubt be ignoring them all together in the next. And these rich fools don’t even know that THEY are sealing their fate, every time they act the way they do! (lol)

    NEVER envy them!

    Benny
    Benny
    12 years ago

    To #1
    What difference does it make if the pour guy has a master degree or not?

    CommonSense
    CommonSense
    12 years ago

    What utter nonsense.

    The Torah says Kadesh Atzmecha B’mutter Loch. Just because you CAN doesn’t mean that you should.
    It has nothing to do with envy, it has to do with extolling a life of austerity and true happiness and inner peace instead of encouraging a society that runs after every luxury and has 10% of its population on prozac.

    yossik
    yossik
    12 years ago

    Regardless of this argument, I always wondered how you can say you shouldn’t give more than 20% so you shouldn’t be impoverished. If someone makes $75,000 and he gives away $15,000 (20%) he’s left with $60,000; but if someone earns $500,000 and gives away $100,000 (20%) he’s still left with $400,000, way more than the 80% of the $75,000 earner. How can you categorize by %? The only answer I have is that the richer you are, the higher your living expenses are, so if you will be left with less than 80% of your income, you will eventually spend more than you can afford with the money you’re left.

    Am I wrong on this?

    Aryeh
    Aryeh
    12 years ago

    Before everyone starts storming the homes of wealthy people with torches, remember this: according to the hilchut ma’aser it is an issur to give away more than 20% of your income to charity, and a requirement to give 10%.

    puppydogs
    puppydogs
    12 years ago

    Why do I have a feeling that George Soros & Michael Moore (uber liberals) each have one of those vans hmmmm???

    confusedmom
    confusedmom
    12 years ago

    I guess I understood this article differently then most of you. To me it seemed that the rich people are actually trying to live in a way that doesn’t make others envious. On the outside these vans look like simple vehicles. Whatever is inside is nobodies business. I thought it was actually a virtue.

    HaNavon
    HaNavon
    12 years ago

    #’s 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,13,16…

    I grew up as an american prince. We has a 100 foot yacht, 30,000 sq ft home, with 12 bedrooms and a guest house, 20,000 sq ft summer home on 8 acres…we had chefs, servants, drivers and body guards. My father, my grandfather and my great grandfather were bigger than Trump. At 18 I left home and went to yeshiva with nothing at all. I’ve lived my life as an ascetic with very few possessions, and I’ve been learning Torah ever since.

    My words on this matter are the true Torah hashkafah!