Shipler gives us an idea of the situation of some in the United States who live on the edge of an economic cliff: “A run - down apartment can exacerbate a child’s asthma, which leads to a call for an ambulance, which generates a medical bill that cannot be paid, which ruins a credit record, which hikes the interest rate on an auto loan, which forces the purchase of an unreliable used car, which jeopardizes a mother’s punctuality at work, which limits her promotions and earning capacity, which confines her to poor housing. ”
Tāpēc māte spiesta pirkt nekvalitatīvu lietotu mašīnu, un līdz ar to viņai neizdodas vienmēr laikus ierasties darbā. Tas savukārt samazina viņas izredzes uz paaugstinājumu un lielāku algu, tāpēc viņa nevar atļauties pārcelties uz labāku dzīvokli. ”