Is It Really Gouging?
Recently I had to drive to a nearby large metro area for business. Now traveling across the USA frequently I am well aware of the disparity of gasoline prices at the pump based not just on state and town but even the stations location to major arteries or it’s corporate affiliation. That being said I was completely shocked when driving 79 miles from my home gas went down 30 cents a gallon!
I can understand a fluctuation of 10 cents for distribution costs but what 30 cents amounts to in my mind is gouging. If you are moving a fuel truck 80 miles with 9,000 gallons of gas (the average load) an additional 10 cents per gallon is $900 per load and with diesel at $4.00 per gallon that equates to 225 gallons of fuel. At 6 miles per gallon that is a driving range of 1,350 miles but we only need less than 200. My point is this is the math with a 10 cent premium. If we have a 30 cent premium as I saw yesterday then the company pockets over $2500 extra revenue in every shipment of 9,000 gallons of gas delivered to the pumps.
What is really bad is that this is not going in the pocket of my local store owner. The retailer makes on average after paying credit card fees about 5 cents per gallon and has to prepay for his fuel. Just one drive off who steals a tank full of gas from his pumps and he loses profit from maybe half the shipment he may have received (rarely does a station take all 9,000 gallons from a tanker at once, rather they keep there tanks at the optimal level of not empty!) So just where does this extra money go? If crude has dropped but in certain zones the price of fuel has not dropped to reflect it yet who gets the landfall?
Well I can’t answer that question but to me it just sounds like plain old corporate gouging! What about you?
The $80,000 Waitress
Recently while traveling I admired what was obviously a brand new jet black Cadillac sitting out side one of the many denny’s spotted around San Diego. It was while inside trying to have a cup of coffee that the story of the Cadillac came to life.
As you spend time traveling you learn that local eating establishments develop their own culture and cliques. The table next to me was a pair of retired sailors who obviously ate breakfast often at this location since they not only knew the waitress by name but they also knew some of the gossip of her life.
The latest story of interest was what new car her husband had just bought her and what she thought of it. Now I am not in the habit of eavesdropping in on conversations but she seemed to be making eye contact with several surrounding dinners as well as she related how her old car died and her husband bought her a brand new car, a white Cadillac. But, there was a problem. She didn’t want white so he took the car back and traded it on the black CTS V8 Special Edition! Now at this point I have to stop and ask my self why would any one who can afford to drive a 80K car work as a waitress in Denny’s?
Maybe that’s the answer. In order to afford the car she has to work…..but what about driving a car that’s 25% less? I don’t understand people and there desire to drive 4 miles to work in a luxury car. Is slopping coffee in La Mesa, CA really worth it? I wonder as I leave my tip and walk by the monstrous car in front of the restaurant. It is a first for me to meet a $80,000 waitress!
Dialog in the dark
Stumbling along, eyes wide open but nothing but pitch black darkness, I strained to use every other sense to try and determine where I was. No sense of direction, assaulted by smells of other bodies, textures and feelings that I have never felt before I just wanted to run, I wanted light, to see, but there was no where to run, I and my friends were trapped deep in the bowels of a maze with no sight!
Although it may sound like it, this is not the beginning of a horror story but rather an immerse learning experience in the world of the blind. Dialog in the dark is a one of a kind exhibit showing in Atlanta, GA along with one of the famous bodies exhibits. I personally found the Bodies exhibit fascinating, but the Dialog in the dark was mind shifting.
There is an old saying not to judge some one until you have walked a mile in there shoes and so is the truth with the blind. The definition of blind may vary. Some may have minimum vision but meet the guidelines for “legally” blind while others may suffer the most debilitating form of blindness and not be able to recognize light. It is into this world I, and a group of 9 others were cast.
As a young man in school I remember being taught what empathy was by having to spend a class in a wheel chair, or with a blind fold on. It was a good demonstration but I don’t think any thing can prepare you for when lights dim and dim until you are immersed in ink black darkness with your eyes wide open! No matter where you look there are no shadows, slivers of light, glows of electronics, it is all gone from your world. Now armed with just your cane you must traverse your way through different terrains and situation with your group.
Our guide a blind person had to clap and ask us to walk, or try, to the sound of her voice to start the simplest navigation. Now I must tell you if you intend to go, do not read any more, just go and enjoy the experience because my relating what happened may ruin it for you.
Our first world found us on uneven terrain. Bubbling stream and singing birds told us we were out door and the slap of our canes on the ground helped us deduce we were on grass, dirt and gravel. Indeed, we were in the park, but there was no beauty to see, only senses to feed. In fact the park had all kind of obstacles that we had to identify and navigate around, such as flower beds, light posts, benches, trash cans, small bridges and other things. I can tell you it is a bit unnerving to grab a rail and starting to walk along it the whole time hoping you are on the right side of the rail.
Our next stop was to shop for groceries. Yes, bananas, acorn squash, green beans, and lettuce are fairly recognizable by their shape. But what about onion types, citrus, potatoes? Smell and other clues become so important to a blind person. It became obvious in the cans and boxes that no fully blind person could shop with out help. Have you ever offered help or just reasoned if a blind person can get around they can handle other tasks on their own.
From the grocery store we wandered into the street, residential on one side and commercial on the other. By this point I was so totally disoriented I was glad that the tour was so short because I don’t think I could handle more than 20 or 30 minutes of this. I wanted to rip off the blind fold, I wanted to open my eyes but in this world there was no cheating. By the time we were done I had totally lost track of time and we had been immersed in the dark for an hour!
There were other parts I will leave to your mind to imagine, but we ended up sitting in a jazz club at a table with our host in complete darkness with music and other normal back round noise we had to tune out so we could ask her questions on how a person can function in that world. The lesson I left with is that when we lose one sense others sharpen and if we pay attention to them we can learn a lot. Perfumes and colognes became the names in the dark as did heights and voices. In those crowded rooms no more was a casual bump of a hand in the dark against a persons rear an assault but it was an honest mistake we all made stumbling around in the dark. For a brief time I had pressed in my hand a small child’s hand who thought he had grabbed his dad. People barked out chirps of names and “here” like a never ending game of Marco Polo as my teenage kids said “dad” and I asked their names more than once.
We all needed reassurance, not out of fear but I think more due to helplessness. Perhaps we could pool our knowledge or senses and stand a better chance against this adversary of blindness. The only thing that topped the entire experience was walking out a series of curtains at the end of the programs toward increasing slivers of light till we were back with our sight. I am glad I had a glimpse into the world of the blind, but I feel sad they will not share now in the beauty of seeing the light as your sight returns when you make your way out of dialog in the dark.
Fuel Follies
I believe in the capitol enterprise and actually teach it as part of business profitability classes but even I have a limit to what I consider is a fair and reasonable profit!
The oil industry has made record profits the last few years at the backs of the consumers even during one of the worse recessions in the last 80 years and the common excuse is “we need the money to reinvest in exploration and technology.” While there may be some validity to this statement I still see clear evidence that distributors are gouging us at the pumps when they can.
Last week I had to travel about 80 miles across the State of Florida for business and was flabbergasted at fuel price disparity on this trip. My research on the web tells me that distribution is a small cost of fuel resale costs so why does fuel cost vary 8 cents across 30 miles and 25 cents across 80 miles in the same state?
Since the fuel delivery is several thousand gallons at a time if the charge to consumers is 25 cents per gallon more some one is raking in an additional $50,000 on 2,000 gallons of gas just because you are in a different city. There is NO reasonable explanation any one could give me that could substantiate that fuel delivery costs over 80 miles to just one location varies by $50,000!
What this looks like to me is nothing more than pure corporate greed! These fuel follies are a way for companies to pad their pockets where consumers have no choice but to pay the going rate because of price setting. I live in a rural area with the nearest town population of 1500 yet I pay 8 cents less than a nearby college town that is on the major interstate that dissects our State North to South. So whats the deal? Greed, just pure greed!
All for a lemon!
Nothing like stopping for a breakfast on a Saturday morning when you are traveling. In the Ocala State Forest there are not many places to stop for breakfast so when you get to Salt Springs on US 19 it is a welcome place to stop and catch a bite at the “Square Meal” a small diner in a plaza that backs up to a campground and faces out on the corner.
Now I have eaten here before and I won’t give the place accolades nor would I condemn it. Just like many mom and pa greasy spoons across the country watered down coffee is met with slow service and overdone eggs and hash browns. But as is the case when on the road fine dinning is not the concern. It is the company of the friend you are with and the comfort of the food you eat so all is forgiven if it is not 5 star, but this experience was unique!
Of course like most long trips the first order of business after a morning of drinking coffee on the road is a visit to the bathroom while my breakfast partners are seated. On my arrival at the table the have menus and water with lemons. I asked where the extra menu was for me and my friend replied when he told the waitress they had three to eat she snidely responded that “I only see two” and thus left only two menus. She saw me at the table and walked away so I borrowed a friends menu only to be blown away by the fact that a glass of tap water with a slice of lemon was $.75
Now my ire was up….I have eaten at some of the finest restaurants in the country and you want to charge me for a glass of water that is so chlorinated I add lemon only to mask the taste. Now this is not Evian or Fiji water here but TAP WATER! Come on people, you are going to charge me?
Yes I was on a tirade and no I did not want any more coffee at this point of any sugary soft drink so in effect I was being told if I wanted water I needed to drink it as served and not bother them for a slice of lemon because this was egregious to their cost of operation.
So finally here comes the waitress and asks if I want water like my friends and I reply, “Not if you are charging $.75 for it, that’s ridiculous!” and she just turned and walked away. She did not ask if I wanted any other drink, coffee, OJ, or milk, she just walked away and didn’t even ask if we wanted to place an order.
So I did what any self respecting person who pays for service does. Realizing I was not getting any service I got up and left and right behind me the rest of my table left as well. No this business decision to charge for water with lemon not only cost the owner this meal but all future business from me and friends, a scathing review on Urban Spoon, now a blog comment that is not too favorable.
Customer service these days is crucial. There is another way to skin this cat and actually make more money because I am sure that I am not the only person who would refuse to pay for water with a slice. The owner could count the total volume of lemons he goes through in a year. Triple his cost and spread that across the charges for his other beverage and no one knows the difference.
But instead because some owner felt greedy or got a wild hair up his but that he was tired of slicing lemons or stocking them he is creating a customer relation problem. Kind of makes you think doesn’t it? So my advice is if you are on US 19 in the Ocala National Forest and decide on a meal in Salt Springs Florida either wait a little longer or eat and the Square Meal and be prepared for a Square Screw!
A Peaceful Time
Everyday you here some one wish they had a little bit of peace in their hectic life. For me peace is just a boat ride away be it on a lake or the ocean. Ever since I was a small boy the water has had a calming effect on me, but not to look or stand at the edge but to be on it.
Last week after a stressful week a friend and I went on lake Lockloosa in Florida for a little late afternoon fishing. It seemed every other fisherman in the State had the same idea and the boat ramp was a zoo and even more aggravating than normal, but once on the water it was as if I shed a coat of stress and worry.
No fish were caught that weekend evening but the sunset was magnificent, the water was like glass, the wildlife was surreal, and the highlight was watching not one, but three American bald eagles play in the water and along the shore even running off an osprey that dared to drift in their territory.
As the day ended and I rode home from the lake I realize that no alcohol, drug or vacation can induce a peaceful feeling I get when I am calm on the water. Nothing can replace the simple feeling of freedom I get on the water watching nature and seeing the natural beauty of what surrounds us and we ignore daily in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives.
Days will pass and so will nights but days on the lake will be the treasures I remember forever and will continue to bring me peace. Can you say the same about a place in your life?
Parent Job Description
POSITION :
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma, Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop
JOB DESCRIPTION :
Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment.
Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.
Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities!
Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.
RESPONSIBILITIES :
The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.
POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :
None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :
None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.
WAGES AND COMPENSATION :
Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses.
A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.
BENEFITS :
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered , this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.
Forward this on to all the parents you know in appreciation for everything they do on a daily basis, letting them know they are appreciated
for the fabulous job they do… or forward with love to anyone thinking of applying for the job.
** AND A FOOTNOTE “THERE IS NO RETIREMENT” – EVER!
My Painting
The Cat and the Can
After several weeks with no refrigerator due to a delay on parts the repairman finally came and I had to put the fur hounds up so they didn’t lick him to death. As he patiently waited outside I put up the dogs and headed to the kitchen door only to hear this howling and banging in the laundry room. It sounded as if a drunken brawl was taken place between two pole cats.
Having a five month old kitten I stopped to open the door thinking perhaps his cat door had stuck. I was quite amazed to see my cat with his head stuck in a can flailing about, doing flips and scratching anything in sight in a useless attempt to extract himself from the can stuck on his head.
I am sure the repair man was not expecting me to come to the door with a wild, howling cat with a can firmly stuck on it’s head and me grasping it by the scruff of the neck trying, vainly I might add, to keep from being ripped to shreds. But he seemed to be un-phased and went to work on the refrigerator and I went to the sink and to work on the kitten. 15 minutes later after copious amounts of dish detergent (I now have another use for Dawn) the cat was extracted and the bath ensued to remove the spaghetti sauce that stained his white mane an unnatural orange.
The trying event left kitty traumatized and I am sure afraid of cans for the rest of his life and shame on me for not closing the garbage lid but it started me to think. The can was a pop top lid, you know the type, the one with the small metal lip inside the can that you furiously shake the contents over when the can is finally open. Well in our haste for pop top convenience I wonder how many animals we have condemned to a slow and agonizing death with their head stuck in one of these death traps?
We dispose of such items and do not think much of what happens to them, but in dumps and landfills animals just like my kitty find such food left in the bottom of the can irresistable and may very well end up trapped with no rescue to come.
Now I am no bleeding animal rights person, but I do believe strongly about safety to living things so please take a moment and think about these type of cans. It only takes a second to smash the top to a point that no animal can get it’s head stuck in the can. So next time you use a pop top can, CRUSH THE TOP!
Dealing with those different than us
Suffering a life altering accident resulting in paralysis is not a laughing matter. This is a humorous poke at paralysis to help us who are mobile perhaps understand just how ironic we may sometimes appear to those who are simply trapped in a body that no longer functions as it once did. Should you actualy treat any one like this, may the fleas of a thousand camels infest your arm pits!
- Approach the caregiver (who is standing next to the person seated in a wheelchair) slowly, take her hand between your own and in your most sympathetic voice, asked softly “how is he doing?”
- When a quadriplegic in a wheelchair approaches the door to a building, watch them intently to make sure they don’t injure themselves. Do not initiate an attempt to open the door however, as these people want to remain as independent as possible.
- When you do speak directly to a quadriplegic, do so slowly and clearly, making sure to enunciate your words in order to be certain they understand you.
- When accompanying the power wheelchair bound person in public, make sure to walk directly in front of them at a slow pace, in order to make sure they don’t get lost. It is extra helpful if you stop every 5 to 10 steps and turnaround to make sure they are still with you.
- While the person is in a wheelchair, feel free to press all of the different buttons on the display unit in order to see what they do. Once you find a sequence that particularly interests you, push those buttons again and again while exclaiming, “That’s really cool!”
- Make sure to continue assisting the individual in the wheelchair after they have thanked you for doing so, because you just know they want your ongoing help but are afraid to ask for what they really need.
- Be generous with congratulations to people in wheelchairs for remarkable accomplishments such as successfully driving their wheelchair across a parking lot, being able to control their wheelchair in 90° turns, making it up a ramp without driving off the edge of it etc.
- Pat the head/face of the stranger in a wheelchair after engaging them in conversation. They really like that.
- Walk up to a stranger in a wheelchair, ask them what happened, then regale them with stories about when you were on crutches or about your aunt/grandmother/other older relative who is also in a wheelchair.
- When feeding someone in a wheelchair, feel free to add humor to the experience by making airplane noises and moving the spoon around in the air. They think that is funny too.
Thanks to the Joe Groh foundation for this look at the challenges that quadriplegics face everyday from those of us who are “different”!
