more on frequent fliers

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Joyce <jmmurphy () mindspring com>
Date: September 30, 2005 12:10:29 AM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: Richard Wiggins <richard.wiggins () gmail com>
Subject: Re: [IP] more on frequent fliers


Rich/

I didn't write that we shouldn't have programs for frequent fliers.
I was making the observation that people who can exempt
themselves from the the problems the rest of us face negotiating
the complexities of life have no reason to try to fix it.
Since they may be the ones who truly know how screwed
up a situation is (especially in the case of something like
airport security), they are the public's best inputs, as well as
the most influential ones. When they are able to remove
themselves the same screwed up situations tend to continue.

Some of the best publicity for the mess at the airports
came from politicians and others who have name recognition
and a bully pulpit. They will no doubt get on the pre-screening
list and solve their immediate problem. Meanwhile, security at the
airport remains a pain in the rear since no one with clout gets
upset.

My point was not really about airport security. It just got me
thinking about life in an egalitarian society versus a stratified
one and how we are more and more resembling a stratified one.
You know, inherited wealth leading to inherited titles, one set
of rules for commoners, another for nobility. The whole let them
eat cake state of mind.

Joyce

On Thursday, September 29, 2005, at 09:14 PM, Richard Wiggins wrote:


> Oh good grief.  When was the last time you flew on a commercial
> airline?  Folks who fly in First Class board the plane first, sit in
> much more comfortable seats, eat better meals, enjoy free drinks, have
> their coats hung up during the flight, exit first, and have their
> luggage prioritized for delivery on the carousel.
>
> This is a minor perk by comparison.  You pay a fee, and you reveal
> some biographical and biological information.   Then the TSA knows who
> you are, and they waste less time screening you, freeing their scarce
> resources for screening folks they know less about.
>
> Look, I fly about a dozen times a year, and it's not worth it for me
> to pay the price to join the pre-screened club.  My best friend flies
> 200 times a year, and it is probably worth it for him to pay the fee
> and the price in lost liberty.  We each make our choices.   He'd pay
> the fee, to save 100 or more hours of his time, valued at $100 to $200
> per hour.  My hourly value is less than his.  :-)
>
> To be shocked, shocked that people who pay more get better treatment
> is, well, silly.  Should we abolish First Class on airlines?  On
> cruise ships?  The airline clubs at airports worldwide? The best seats
> at Lincoln Center?
>
> This is a tempest in a teapot.
>
> /rich
>
> On 9/29/05, David Farber <dave () farber net> wrote:
>
> > Begin forwarded message:
> >
> > From: Joyce <jmmurphy () mindspring com>
> > Date: September 29, 2005 12:53:34 PM EDT
> > To: dave () farber net
> > Subject: Re: [IP] more on frequent fliers
> >
> >
> > "Catering to an elite" is a social/political development that has
> > been rapidly expanding throughout our culture. Don't want to stand in
> > line with the general public? Buy special tickets that allow you to
> > go to the front of the line. Have no time to wait on a physician? Pay
> > a "retainer" and go to a concierge doctor who will be available 24/7.
> > Buy your own security to keep you safe. Send your kids to private
> > school. Go the the VIP lounge in clubs. Shop and play after hours.
> > Heck, buy your own island. Your very own kingdom.
> >
> > As our country becomes more stratified and as wealth and resources
> > become more concentrated in the hands of an elite, these special
> > people expect not to have to put up with the inconveniences the rest
> > of us see as part of our daily life. They truly become privileged and
> > live in a totally separate world.
> >
> > One part of me says they should go for it. What is the use of wealth
> > and power if you cannot buy with it the luxuries that make your life
> > easier? The other part of me says, "Wait a minute. When the people
> > who have influence don't have to put up with the mess the other 98
> > percent of us put up with, they don't become involved in solving the
> > problem."
> >
> > This is supposed to be a republic. We are all supposed to be in this
> > together. I'm not naive. I know that there have always been
> > privileged people. I just hate to see it institutionalized in so many
> > ways and at an increasing pace. It is en the end dysfunctional and
> > creates more problems.
> >
> > Joyce Murphy
> >  . . . just an interested person
> >
> >
> > > >
> >
> >
> >
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