Something for Nothing — How Long can it Last?
These days, it strikes me that almost everybody seems to be "selling air" in some way, or at least trying to.
And frankly, it annoys me... and, as fate would have it, I end up surprised at how often it annoys other people that it annoys me... Like I am just supposed to embrace that this is how things work.
What is AIR, anyway?
"Air" is many things... here are just a few examples:
"Get the secret to long life, only $39.95!"
Well, actually....
For $39.95, you get a link to a web site that talks about how to find the secret of long life, and if you enroll in their $5,000 two-year program you might get longer life. The $39.95 is just "air," with no value of its own.
It's like those arts and crafts shows where they charge $10.00 admission so you can get inside a building where you can spend more money. More air.
"Get rich on the Internet — secret plan revealed, just $49.95!"
Of course, this "secret plan" isn't actually a plan, it's the process persuading others to plop down $49.95 of their hard earned cash for the right to persuade yet others that they can have "the plan" for just $49.95. There actually is no real THING there, just a circle jerk of empty promises.
Many airlines charge for checked bags, now... even though luggage on airplanes is not a new concept.
Banks charge for paper bank statements, and for even HAVING bank accounts. Some banks even charge customers for counting cash. I "fired" Chase Bank's predecessor (Bank One) for trying to apply that policy to me.
Here's one: Stock brokers and investment advisors charge both IN-activity fees AND activity fees!
One of the most offensive cases of "charging for air" I have encountered in recent times was a bill from our propane provider. It was a $299.00 charge assessed because we didn't get the tank filled, during the previous year.
WTF, over?
The world is all concerned about rising energy costs, conserving resources, green energy, low consumption appliances and zero emissions... and now you want to charge me for not using the gas you're actively encouraging me to not use?
Needless to say, an "unpleasant" conversation with customer service followed, in which I hinted that the local ABC TV affiliate's "troubleshooters" team would have a field day with this charge.
The charge mysteriously vanished from my next statement...
Much of it seems to take the format of simple repackaging what was normal business practices with bullshit and calling it a "service."
So I got to thinking: Somehow, it has become de-rigueur for organizations to charge for what once was simply considered part of "the cost of doing business." And it is just another layer of "air."
Some would argue that the proliferation of "air" is simply a sign of the times, and simply a matter of moving around something that has always been there... usually in service of being able to lower prices. For example, airlines charge $50 to handle my suitcase, so I can fly to Los Angeles for "$199" instead of "$250."
The Universal Bank of Asshats charges me $6.95 a month to send me a statement, so they can offer "interest bearing checking," they take my $6.95 and give me back 50 cents and call it "interest."
My $29.95 garden clippers (As Seen On TV) in reality cost the company $9.00 to ship to me, but the "shipping and handling" charge is $14.95.
Some might argue that this has always been part of the world, but I'd submit that it has gotten worse and worse as more and more aspects of our economical world struggles to maintain the growth demanded by the se-called "investor class" (Private Equity) and the actual rate at which we need/consume things.
Maybe I'm misreading the whole thing... but it seems very much like a balloon, and at some point it's going to burst and all the air will go, because people simply can't afford to buy any more air...
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great rest of your week!
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Created at 2025.06.27 01:10 PDT
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