Not a Two Way Street

It's always kind of bothered me that various businesses and professionals felt it was ok to charge "missed appointment", "flight change" and other types of fees for things I did or failed to do yet, they could do the exact same thing and I was due nothing in return.

Today, I received a semi-intelligible automated phone call from the US Airways flight reservations/notification system. I'm going on a cruise in December and some of the flights I'd scheduled have had their numbers and times changed. Had I initiated such a change, it would have cost me $150. Yet, the airline can do whatever the hell it wants and I'm not due any flight-change refunds or the like.

Oh well. In the end, the changes weren't more than a few minutes on either end. It's just the principal.

Negative Impacts On Shopping Districts?

If your on-street parking rates are so steep I need a credit card to use them, I don't need to shop in your city.

Seriously, it really makes me wonder what municipalities are thinking when they jack parking rates in retail enclaves. At the end of the day, I've got a bajillion options for spending my money. Even if I actually liked the shopping experience (I don't), I can get it elsewhere if you give me cause. I can go to another shopping center or district that has cheaper or free parking. I can go online and not even have to get out of my PJs.