news about my pants
I have to brag about this pair of chinos I bought for $2.99. They were in perfect condition and, unlike most second hand clothes, long enough for me. Just like my pal who won’t tell me where he caught the 48 pound muskie this summer, I’m not going to reveal where I bought these. Let’s just say there were a lot of white floor tiles and fluorescent lights. They were nothing like the North Dakota Pirate Pants that Matt found, though.
A long time ago I worked with a Hmong guy who had 7 kids. I asked him if he ever shopped at thrift stores. No way. He didn’t survive the camps in Laos and endure the rendering of his language in phonetic block letters so he could wear someone else’s old clothes.
An even longer time ago, I mentioned to some acquaintances of mine that the basketball sneakers I was wearing were from a lost and found. One of them was just outraged to the point of derision.
Last night, at the airport while waiting for my luggage at the baggage claim (what is the difference between luggage and baggage?) I overheard a guy telling a woman about the light rail that would drop her off right by her hotel for $1.50. Again, No Way. A $20.00 cab ride is much preferable. I actually took the light rail home, and transfered to a bus that let me off two blocks from my house. I had to lie about my plan to do this to several people because they would try to dissuade me from this.
I see both sides of this issue. $20.00 for a cab ride looks a lot like zero for most business travelers. A brand new pair of pants is pretty nice. On the other hand, Americans are crazy for saving money, to the point that we get monstrosities of scale, goods from China, and cheap-ass ugly architecture. As cost conscious as we are, we don’t wish to save money in a way that impacts our status. Taking the bus and shopping in a second hand store violates our sense of entitlement. I feel that sense pulling at me all the time.
July 25th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
You should use your influence to start a group of like-minded individuals. Within the group, status will be conferred based on the ability of each respective member to find both a good deal and choose an environmentally/energetically preferable alternative (e.g. second-hand clothes instead of new stuff or a bus ride instead of a limo ride).
July 26th, 2007 at 8:40 am
I just bought a train ticket to go all the way across India (Vadodara to Gorahkpur) for less than $20.
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Also, pretty much the entire country here is covered with identical cheap-ass ugly architecture, next to which a Wall-Mart would look like a miraculously stunning building achievment.
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July 26th, 2007 at 8:49 am
Well, maybe not the whole country but certainly a very large percentage of it.
July 26th, 2007 at 9:55 am
I just went to Munich to visit Julia… using my car. Not because its good for the environment but because it was cheaper!!! And we pay 1.35 Euros for only 1 Liter of gas at the moment!
As long as you do not know exactly your travelplans a month or longer in advance you pay very high prices going somewhere by train.
July 26th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Jim, I’m pretty sure they’re called hippies.
July 26th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
I thought they were called Kate
July 26th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
Its like someone told me a one-eyed biologist had said. We are so past the point of survival motivating our actions that there are no landmarks to guide us. We are overwhelmed by freedom and act like toddlers demanding more toys. These big brains turn out to have little practical value.
July 27th, 2007 at 11:38 am
On further thought, I don’t think anyone would be impressed by the architectual design of a Wall-Mart. In reference to the poor of India, if they were to come to USA and see a Wall-Mart, maybe they would be impressed by the size & the quality of building materials. However, my theory is that the thing that would be most impressive, by far, is the promise of material comforts that such a place represents. That would override any other thought, in regards to the Wall-Mart.
But malls are popping up here everywhere now. It’s becoming more and more just like America/The West at a lightspeed pace (malls, TV/media, internet, fashion, etc.). At least for the middle-to-upper classes, that is.
July 27th, 2007 at 11:45 am
If they build the malls well, they could be used as a dry place to store grain after the oil runs out.
July 30th, 2007 at 3:44 am
I got a nice pair of army pants at a thrift a couple of weeks back for $3. They caught my eye because they have a reinforced seat and knees, so they’re pretty good for cycling. They’re short on me, but easily knickerable. On the same trip i found a pair of nice cargo pants that were actually long enough for me (36″) and i bought those too, even though they were double the price.
I’ll even spill the source - it was Savers, where unlike Goodwill, the clothes are actually sorted by gender AND size.
July 31st, 2007 at 12:04 am
I like the Goodwill in Roseville that sorts clothes by color. All the reds are together, all the greens are together, etc.
It’s worth a trip just to see the spectacle.