Man's Inhumanity To Man

I was kind of funny today at coffee. We are just talking around and I mentioned that I was beginning to fill out my Christmas cards for the family. I very stonefaced indicated that I would fill out the cards then go to the credit union to see if I can get a loan for the stamps. I really didn't think it was that funny but the person next to me, Pat, nearly fell out of her chair laughing so hard. It's funny though it's kind of true. Last I'd thought about stamps they were $.48 apiece. I buy three or four flats at a time so I'd never really break it down since they never post the price of stamps anymore they just sell those “Forever” stamps. I used to think that was a great deal stamps one could use anytime after the purchase. The sucker punch of course is that you use the stamps and when they're gone you got a purchase more stamps but the prices gone up with the never had to print any more stamps because “forever” is forever regardless of the price. They got us.

In the same vein sometimes I get so angry at systems that I am almost beside myself. When I first started using the train, seriously I was also beginning to use a power chair seriously. First power chair ever really used – – I can't even remember the name of it or its number – – had a onboard charger. It seemed liked all the chairs at onboard Chargers which only made sense. My first chair was used and the batteries weren't super wonderful but they worked fairly well however there were a couple of times that I had not charge them correctly during the night or whatever and I was a little worried that I did not have enough power to get to the day. I did of dragging one of my Chargers to work and I would sit at my phones and computer and plugged my chair in and have the chair charge as I was working. Then I was ready to go to a meeting or into the city for lunch are just to make sure I was able to have the power to get home. There are a couple times when I was on the station platform coming home that us a bit worried and I used one of the open sockets on the platform to plug my chair into and get enough power to make sure I can get home. I figured this was a service of the transit authority – – sure I knew that they had various needs for power on the platform but the power was there for other folks I myself might need it. Then entered the cell phone. I was somewhat surprised how quickly people realize those open sockets were available and soon everywhere I go people were plugged in to these open electrical outlets getting a fast charge to their cell phone are charging a cell phone enough to finish a call are to make one. Seriously, how bad can that be?

Maybe it's just me but I think it's fairly petty that the transit authority one night or whenever made a decision they are not going to let people charge their cell phones any longer and I noticed there were covers screwed into electric outlets on the tracks platforms. Not only fashionable middle-class folks could no longer charge what they needed to all waiting for a train but even the down and out who are using cheap cell phones but their cell phones just the same and they need power too and maybe jacking up at a TraX platform was the only way to achieve the boost to make the call to stay connected. I don't think it really hurts the authority to lose what little bit of power everyone who is using their platform plugs. Utah transit Authority is just making a pointThe Authority is not going to be Mr. nice guy and help somebody out by giving up a few cents of power. It would be great if the Utah transit Authority would get “Scrooged” and become a better authority.