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THE DINNER THAT
CHANGED THE WORLD
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Movements can begin in very inopportune places. For example, my
JUST SAY NO campaign began a few weeks ago in the sleepy little desert town
of Borrego Springs, California.
Years from now, when everyone has joined the movement and the
world is a better place, Borrego Springs will be known as the place where it
all started. It is where The Three Wise Men (me and two friends) sat down to
dinner at a local restaurant.
"THIRTY EIGHT DOLLARS FOR A SALMON CAESAR!" I cried
as I perused the menu. "THAT'S RIDICULOUS!"
My two fellow wise men were pointing out other atrocities. $59
for a six ounce steak, $21 for a Calamari appetizer, $16 for a mixed green
salad, $25 for a burger. THIS WAS BORREGO, NOT MONACO!
We looked at each other. None of us were penniless, but we all
felt fleeced. The waiter came over to take our order. And this is where I'm
taking credit for starting the movement.
"Just say no," I said quietly to my friends. "We
refuse to be gouged."
We knew we were taking a huge step. None of us had ever walked
out of a restaurant before. But the statement, and history, had to be made.
"Your prices are insane," I politely said to the
waiter. "We're saying 'No.'"
He shrugged, moving out of the way as we headed for the exit.
He'll be hearing that a lot in the next few months as the campaign gathers
steam. Assuming they stay open, which is doubtful unless the prices come
down.
We chanted "JUST SAY NO, JUST SAY NO," as we walked
to the car. Feeling powerful, we drove to another restaurant which I knew
had reasonable prices. The food sucked, but that's not the point.
The point is that we had made a statement. It seems there's a
lot of price gouging going on these days, more so than in the past. People
keep paying, so the gougers keep raising the price.
Take sporting events, for example. $300 for a Warriors
basketball ticket 55 rows up, $100 for parking, $11 for a pretzel, $16 for a
beer. It was always expensive, and people kept coming, so why not fleece
them some more?
My favorite example is a four bedroom bungalow on the ocean at
the Kona Village Resort on the Big Island in Hawaii. A wealthy friend of
mine used to rent it for about $1200 per night, which seemed exorbitant. He
just showed me a flyer with the latest rates: $19 THOUSAND PER NIGHT!!
"JUST SAY NO, JUST SAY NO!" I chanted when I looked
at the flyer.
"I've joined the movement," he replied, shoulders
squaring. "I refuse to be gouged."
Another convert. No longer would he pay $600 for a round of
golf at Pebble Beach (that's the current rate). No longer would he pay
$26 for a cocktail in a bar, no longer would he pay $2500 a night for a
standard room at The Four Seasons (yes, that's not uncommon). He is human,
hear him roar!
As more people join the campaign, no matter their wealth level,
we will overcome. There will be less and less pigeons for the gougers to
pick on. Restaurant tables, hotel rooms, airline seats, sporting stadiums
and parking lots will sit empty until they lower the prices to reasonable
levels.
There will be casualties, of course, for those that think they
can wait it out. Companies will go bankrupt, people will lose jobs,
foreclosures will be abundant. But that's a small price to pay to bring
prices back to reality.
It's surreal to think it all started by Three Wise Men walking
out of a restaurant in Borrego Springs. But then again, no one would have
guessed Bethlehem as the birthplace of Christianity, either.
So rise up, people! JUST SAY NO to grossly inflated prices.
JUST SAY NO to the greedy gas station owner, the greedy restaurateur, the
greedy hotel owner, the greedy landlord, the greedy team owner, the greedy
airlines, the greedy parking lot owner.
They will all be swamped by the movement that started in that
sleepy little desert town. Together, we will overcome.
And as an added bonus, I will finally get to play Pebble Beach.
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