I Know These Are First-World Problems

Hold on a minute while I climb on my soapbox. It might take awhile for me to get up here because it's the Sunday night after a long weekend, and I'm not feeling awesome.

Last Monday, post-Texas trip, I had told myself I was going to take it easy. That was not the case, but it was all worth it. Between going out with girl friends, almost killing myself moving a super heavy window AC unit with The BFF, playing tennis for the first time in years, it's been fun.

Anyway, after an incident wherein The BFF and I spent FIFTEEN dollhairs on two ice coffees (and one tiny bottle of Pellegrino), I've decided it's time to air some grievances with the current state of our world.

And, before you even say it, yes, I get these are white girl problems.

First, let's start with the ice coffee. Can you please explain to me why it costs - on average - $2 extra for a cup of coffee with ice cubes? The BFF spent $6 on one iced latte!? For some coffee, milk and ice cubes, six dollars.

Seriously?! That is egregious.

So, out of principle, I no longer am buying ice coffee. I will get hot coffee, wait for it to cool and mix it with my own 'cubes. Take that.

Of course my moral stand against over priced, chilled caffeination has started at the super inconvenient brink of summer time, I get that. But I will stay strong.

Okay, what else can I complain about?

Oh yeah, "convenience" service charge fees. Ticketmaster, I'm looking at you. You're seriously going to charge me $2 extra so I can print my ticket at home? Yet, for you to ship them to me - a service that costs postage money, material expenses e.g. the ticket, and man power to stuff said materials - is free?

Riddle me that.

I was ranting about this last night post ice coffee incident and The BFF asked what show I was going to see. No, I told her, this is just one of my biggest pet peeves of all time, not a recent issue.

Sorry, I'm just all riled up so let's end this on a good note.

My biggest complaint of all: Ye Ol' Checked Bag Fee.

Worst.idea.ever.

I get that airlines want to find other ways to save/make money. I get that you want me to die of starvation mid-air, forcing me to eat Auntie Anne's pretzels for no reason during my layover because of my lack of snackage fears later on. I get that my half drank terrorist coffee you tricked me into buying before the security line is a totally legit danger and I will chug it immediately. Who doesn't love burning their mouth for no reason, thanks, Al Queda.

But the bag fee is ridic. Almost everyone has at least some form of luggage when they travel. And, if you're like me and always trying to beat The Man at his own game, you refuse to buy into the $25 bag babysitting bullshit. (The only time in the past year when I checked a bag was when I got stuck in Detroit, of course my toiletries were in that bag, FML).

Clearly I'm not the only genius who carries everything on, so obviously there is rarely enough room on the plane for everyone's possessions. This, of course, forces everyone to wait while they stow additional items below.

For free.

Like how it was during the time when lugage fees wasn't an issue we had to worry about in our lives. A little time I like to call The Good Ol' Days.

Oh, Corporate America, stop trying to screw us over. You know I am capable of wasting plenty of money on my own without your forced non-sensical taxes.


Thanks,

Your slave, Rachel