It’s quiet today. There are plenty of people around. They just are not talking about any of the events of yesterday. Chas is still not answering his phone or door. I did see him coming back in this evening at the door by my apartment. He was alone. It is the least used door. I assume he didn’t want anyone to see him.
I did learn that there were conversations that sent him off. There was something Andrea said in the commons room and in spite of an earlier conversation with the manager; Liz moved his plants again yesterday. So he was on edge before he had words with Andrea. His emotions were crushed. He was in tears while tearing out his plants. A few tried to talk to him. He either ignored them of responded harshly. I doubt the head office knows anything about this yet.
The primary conversation of the day was about being nickel and dimed to death by anyone who thinks they can get away with it. A couple days ago Bank of America announced they were going to begin charging $8.95 each time a customer needed to talk to a teller. Don’t you love it? A completely automated world is coming. It won’t be long with all these wonderful communication tools that we will never have to talk to another human being for anything. Won’t life be grand? We can hardly wait for free checking to become a thing of the past. My own bank has announced that on August 15 they will begin charging $35 for each over date. If you pay a fee for over draft protection you will only be charged $25. Such a nice bank! Fee checking will be next. Use plastic or be charged extra. Use a machine to avoid paying the “talk to human being fee.” Checks are also on the way out. The cashless society is about to finally dawn.
The government is trying to crack down on deceptive airline pricing. Everything is now extra. This is not my main concern. I can no longer afford to fly anyway. The new rule of thumb is not to take any luggage on vacations or business trips. If you do, you are charged from $25 to $100 per bag, plus over weight fees. Don’t even take a carry on. That’s also $35 per item. They have already or will soon move all extra fees out of the cost of flying. All taxes will be extra as they are not part of what you are buying. Airplane fuel will be extra because that has nothing to do with the space you are consuming. Would you like a bottle of water, a soda, milk or anything else, try to take correct change? They will all be $2 a glass. Want the whole can or bottle — that’s five dollars. Peanut packs will be $2. Actual peanuts are extra. They will once again serve food on planes for, of course, a fee. A ham sandwich with fake cheese, wilted lettuce and a dead tomato will be $10. You can add a small bag of chips for $3. You will, of course, need exact change. Here you thought you got a great deal on the $150 flight to your favorite location. Look again — the total cost is $1,150 with other necessary additions.
The next thing you know extra will be added at the grocery store. In the produce aisle the plastic bags will be dispensed in a machine that only takes $1 bills. There will be a $10 charge for using a cashier. Use the3 self serve line. All vegetables will come individually packaged for your health protection. Yes, the price will be doubled to include a packaging fee. How many carrots would you like? Will that be one pea or a dozen? They will be packaged in lots of 2 dozen, but you can, of course, buy a single pea for an extra fee. Do you need help from someone in the store, pay the fee? Bagging items in plastic will be $1 dollar a bag, paper will be $2, and your own reusable bags must be sanitized in the sanitizing machine for a low, low fee of $5 a bag. Unsterilized bags will not be permitted in the store.
All of this will lead to home gardens; an increase in raising pigs and chickens inside the city limits and your neighbor may have his own milking cow. The city will permit that because each animal will be required to have a license tag around it’s neck. Gardens will be taxed separately from homes. They will be taxed as farms. The city needs its share as well.
The price on actual items will go down, but the extra taxes and fees will double the price of everything. It’s a great new world where we can finally afford everything — except the taxes and fees. Glory! It’s a bright new future. Nothing will be as it seems.
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