Used to be Free... no more

[sheehs1]

As far as I know, a glass of water at a restaurant is still free. At least for now. Books, magazines and movies at local libraries are still "free". Sort of unless you count your tax dollars.

 

[braumeister]

As far as I know, a glass of water at a restaurant is still free. At least for now. Books, magazines and movies at local libraries are still "free". Sort of unless you count your tax dollars.

Way better than free!
The library component of our property taxes is a little over $90 a year. DW and I are avid library users, and we get many times that much value out of it, so I consider this one of the best possible uses of our tax money.

 

[RonBoyd]

Way better than free!
The library component of our property taxes is a little over $90 a year. DW and I are avid library users, and we get many times that much value out of it, so I consider this one of the best possible uses of our tax money.

Which makes the point exactly. As soon as the anti-tax people hear your "shouting from the rooftop," they will start whining about paying for your use of the Library. Taxes will go down and your usage fee will sky rocket... or we will be be reminising about the Libraries of yesteryear.

(On the side: Libraries are kinda obsoleted by, among other things, the Internet aren't they? I haven't been in one for about ten years). Prior to that it was at least weekly.)

 

[ziggy29]

Anyone under the age of 40 won't relate to this one:

Free "tube testers".

 

[Alan]

(On the side: Libraries are kinda obsoleted by, among other things, the Internet aren't they? I haven't been in one for about ten years). Prior to that it was at least weekly.)

Both the library where we used to live in Louisiana and the one where we live now in Texas have an online "free" service where you can borrow e-books you can download to a Kindle or similar, and also audio books you can download to an mp3 player.

 

[marko]

That's because of the need to use credit card or PayPal to pay online. Those services charge a fee, which would get passed on to everybody in your municipality (including you) through higher taxes.

Amethyst

I was aware of that! In our town it is a fee on top of that transaction fee. It is called a 'convenience fee' and the reasoning is that you don't have to put a stamp on it or bring it to town hall.

It's just another way to get a few bucks out of people.

 

[meierlde]

Here in Mass, not only is nothing free, it's damn expensive sometimes!

There's a fee/charge/tax on just about everything except hot air. There's even a charge to pay our property taxes online.

In Tx if you pay by credit card for property taxes or auto reg there is a fee since the state wants the full amount, and will not accept the fee, so you get to pay. Note that in the early 1980s in Harris County you had to buy license tags with currency, no checks were accepted, so progress has been made.

 

[NW-Bound]

Anyone under the age of 40 won't relate to this one:

Free "tube testers".

Oh boy! Yes! I think the last time I saw and used one at a Radio Shack was in 1975 or 76. How late did anyone see or use a tube tester in stores?

 

[RonBoyd]

I was aware of that! In our town it is a fee on top of that fee. It is called a 'convenience fee' and the reasoning is that you don't have to put a stamp on it or bring it to town hall.

Yes, we have that also in Colorado.

 

[rbmrtn]

There's a fee/charge/tax on just about everything except hot air. There's even a charge to pay our property taxes online.

There is fee to pay online here, handled by a third party. If I go to the courthouse I can pay with CC no extra fee and I get my cash back reward.

 

[Alan]

In Tx if you pay by credit card for property taxes or auto reg there is a fee since the state wants the full amount, and will not accept the fee, so you get to pay. Note that in the early 1980s in Harris County you had to buy license tags with currency, no checks were accepted, so progress has been made.

It was very similar to this when we moved to Houston in 2004 in that no out of State checks were accepted and I believe that is still the case now. In 2004 we had to turn up with cash, and today we renew on-line each year and pay the fee rather than draw cash and drive to the building to renew the car licence. (we still don't have a Texas bank account).

 

[Amethyst]

Not where I live. They'll slap that CC fee on top of your payment with you standing right there watching. It is one of the few times during the year that I pull out the old checkbook.

If I go to the courthouse I can pay with CC no extra fee and I get my cash back reward.

 

[GrayHare]

Last tube tester visit was probably mid '70s. The tester unit was at a pharmacy, which still seems an odd place for electronics. The same pentode on our Zenith became weak so often I can still recall its 6BZ6 code.

 

[ziggy29]

Oh boy! Yes! I think the last time I saw and used one at a Radio Shack was in 1975 or 76. How late did anyone see or use a tube tester in stores?

I'd say that was about the last time for me, too. I'd guess I was about 10-12 when I saw them for the last time, and I was born in 1965 so you can do the math on that one.

 

[sheehs1]

Which makes the point exactly. As soon as the anti-tax people hear your "shouting from the rooftop," they will start whining about paying for your use of the Library. Taxes will go down and your usage fee will sky rocket... or we will be be reminising about the Libraries of yesteryear.

(On the side: Libraries are kinda obsoleted by, among other things, the Internet aren't they? I haven't been in one for about ten years). Prior to that it was at least weekly.)

Obsolete or not, I still use it and will continue to do so until they are no longer funded or available. I still enjoy getting free "reads".

If I traveled more I might have to use that Kindle my kids gave me for Christmas two years ago but so far I haven't used it. I still love turning pages of a real book.

 

[RonBoyd]

I still love turning pages of a real book.

Me too. (I haver mentioned before -- albeit a long time ago -- that my personal libray has over 16,000 books.)

But don't get me wrong. I am not cheering on the demise of libraries (as we know them). I am merely the messenger.

 

[FIREd]

Shopping bags in San Francisco cost 10 cents each. And not just at the grocery store.

 

[Dimsumkid]

Wheel alignment checks were free at many auto shops until they realized they were losing billable hours

Still free items that I've found:

- Checks and safe deposit boxes at several banks this year when I hit 50 and will qualify for senior benefits.

- 411.com still gives out free phone and reverse phone information, but I'm sure if the info is private/unlisted, you'll need to pay for it.

- Many auto parts stores and repair places offer free on board diagnostics for your car now that you can buy a cheap reader. Before the readers were available, you had to pay the mechanic to do this.

-Air is still free at Costco and Sam's clubs, but you have to ask to use it.

-Sam's Club had a recent policy change, they will repair your flat tire even if you DIDN'T buy the tire from Sam's Club. They will also test your car battery too.

 

[RonBoyd]

Advice is still free on this Forum... and worth every penny.

 

[NW-Bound]

(On the side: Libraries are kinda obsoleted by, among other things, the Internet aren't they? I haven't been in one for about ten years). Prior to that it was at least weekly.)

Obsolete or not, I still use it and will continue to do so until they are no longer funded or available. I still enjoy getting free "reads".

If I traveled more I might have to use that Kindle my kids gave me for Christmas two years ago but so far I haven't used it. I still love turning pages of a real book.

No Kindle nor iPad for me yet. I never really care to read books on a computer screen, although I will admit that searching for specific items in a long technical report is great with a pdf file, compared to a printed book. Additionally, archiving and storing them would be a daunting task for a person as sloppy as myself, as well as taking way too much room.

But when it comes to reading a literary work, there's nothing like thumbing through a printed book. We go to the local library often to check out books, and I often bring back home some books that are donated to the library and on sale for $1 or 50c each. Long live books!

I am glad that there are still book lovers like myself, judging from the traffic at the local library.

 

[fh2000]

It is now $1 to pump air in our area in LA suburb. I normally go in to tell the clerk that I will borrow the air pump after I fill up my SUV. I get free air that way.

It is no longer tax free to order from Amazon.dom in California.

 

[ziggy29]

Advice is still free on this Forum... and worth every penny.

At least you didn't overpay...

 

[scrabbler1]

I like reading actual books and flipping pages, too. My local library provides me nearly all of the books on my reading list, either in their own circulation of through another of the many libraries in our county's library system which are linked electronically. I can look for the books right from home and put reserves on them, even renew books without bringing them to the library first.

 

[Nords]

As far as I know, a glass of water at a restaurant is still free. At least for now.

Here's a thought experiment.

What would happen if you go to a nice restaurant, get seated by the host/hostess, peruse the menu, ask the waiter for a glass of water, consume it over the next five minutes while checking the menu, and then tell the waiter "I've decided to dine elsewhere today. But thanks for the free water!"

Maybe their response depends on whether you've unfolded the napkin or not. But I've run that experiment several times (accompanied by a fussy baby/toddler), and in just about every case I felt obligated to leave a few bucks to tip the staff for their time/effort.

Last tube tester visit was probably mid '70s. The tester unit was at a pharmacy, which still seems an odd place for electronics.

I wonder if they're at pharmacies because they also sold cigarettes. That's what I seem to recall doing on many a Saturday morning-- playing with our latest electronic project on the tube tester while my Dad was picking out a carton.

 

[marko]

Here's a thought experiment.

What would happen if you go to a nice restaurant, get seated by the host/hostess, peruse the menu, ask the waiter for a glass of water, consume it over the next five minutes while checking the menu, and then tell the waiter "I've decided to dine elsewhere today. But thanks for the free water!"

Maybe their response depends on whether you've unfolded the napkin or not. But I've run that experiment several times (accompanied by a fussy baby/toddler), and in just about every case I felt obligated to leave a few bucks to tip the staff for their time/effort.

.

My friend owns a restaurant. This happens just about everyday but mostly because his prices are high; people read the menu and walk out after 5 minutes. You can likely go to a restaurant bar and ask for water and get it no problem if the bartender is a good guy.

One lady asked recently if "refills on the Pepsi are free" with her meal. When told 'yes', she said "ok, I'll have a Pepsi".