How often in our lives does it feel like everyone in the world wants money from us? This would be in addition to the daily struggle we face to not be completely torn apart in every direction. Perhaps my awareness of everyone wanting and expecting money from me is heightened solely because of the non-recession recession that we are in at the moment.
On top of all the usual suspects, I have noticed in the last week alone three requests for donations to various causes (very noble causes, I might add!), the hotel van drivers being more expectant than usual for their dollar tip (one actually started following me to make sure I gave it to him), as well as various other union and legal causes all wanting donations too. There are more, but thinking about them is too daunting!
What do we do- what do you do when you feel like the world is grabbing at your pocketbook?
Yesterday, the airlines began charging for everything. The nickel and diming continues! First, it was the second checked bag, then it was ANY checked bags, and don’t forget paying a small fee to have a better seat. By better seat, we’re not talking first class, oh no, apparently there are actually better seats in coach class! Who knew? It seems that the first few rows in the beginning of coach class are actually better seats and worth a premium price. Now, I get the idea of slapping down the Visa for an aisle or window seat. I think all of us have a story or ten about the time when you were stuck in the dreaded middle seat between two people who fought you the entire flight for an inch of the armrest. Or those times when you’re in between two people who definitely didn’t bother to shower that morning, or possibly any other morning in the previous week. So, on that note, I actually do encourage everyone to purchase a premium aisle or window seat- money well spent!
Now that the flying public has just started getting used to paying extra for “premium” seats and checked bags, the airlines also started charging for every type of beverage on board the airplane- the soda, water, coffee, juice, and of course alcohol (ok, they always charged for that in coach class, but now it’s even more!). Ever since the new charges have been announced to the public, it seems that everywhere I go, I get asked “Why don’t they just raise the fares?”. Ahhhhhh, excellent question, I will have to get back to that one another time. What has been surprising to me in the past couple of days is how I have not heard a single complaint from the passengers. The passengers appear to be content with the situation.
Where IS my coffee? It is a well know fact (at least to me anyway) that I refuse to drink airplane coffee. If you happen to run into me while I am at work, nine times out of ten you will see me dragging my suitcase behind me with one hand (usually the left), and holding my Starbucks in my other hand. I was in complete shock the day that Starbucks announced it was closing 600 stores. Oh my God….600 stores! I still can’t believe it. I certainly have been doing my part over the years to make sure that Starbucks is a healthy, viable company. Am I the only one?
As I sit here in my airplane anguishing over the close of these particular coffee shops (are they called coffee shops anymore?), I realize that I was not able to do my part this time. I am one hour fifteen minutes into my four hour eighteen minute flight from Phoenix to Boston- the red eye, no less, and I have no Starbucks to keep me company or, more importantly, keep me awake.
At two hours, fifty three minutes into the flight, my eyelids start to have a mind of their own. Open. Close. One open. Nope, now we’re closed. Where is my precious, frothy Starbucks double frou frou?
Who am I kidding? I can’t really blame my eyelid problem on my lack of Starbucks. My precious beverage would have been long gone by now, in fact, I probably would have finished it even before we got off the ground. However, in my delirium that can only be attributed to flying the all night flights, I have convinced myself that Starbucks is the only thing that will get me through.