29 Things that used to be free
CamaroSSBoy346
08-21-2004, 03:13 PM
heh.
Food freebies that now cost you
"Doggie bones" at the butcher. "Once it was OK to ask for them and the butcher would wrap them up for you, but now they call them soup bones or soup starters and they are $1.69 to $1.89," says Spider, a semi-retired artist in Mesa, Ariz.
Extra cheese at the pizza parlor. Forget having a little more cheese, just because you're the customer and it's the restaurant's job to make you happy.
"Now everything is premeasured and instead of flipping an extra handful on the pie, they ring up another dollar and grumble about going to the refrigerator for it. Or worse, charge you for it, but 'forget' to put it on," adds Spider.
Butter. Expect to pay for it at Bruegger's Bagels, in the Midwest, and at many Dunkin' Donuts outlets on the East Coast. The cheaper the restaurant, the more likely you'll pay for butter.
Soup and salad. "They used to come with the meal in a restaurant," says Spider, who's 64 years young. "Now you have to pay through the nose or get the salad bar for the lukewarm soup and wilted lettuce."
Parsley. "It used to be available in bunches at no charge," says Glennis McNeal.
"It helped flavor the soup made from 'dog bones'-- also provided free by the butcher, who was kind enough not to ask for proof of dog ownership."
Beverages - Where's the generosity?
Coffee refills. The local diner may refill your cup for free, but don't expect the pricey coffee house to give you a second cup of java for free. At $3 or $4 a pop, Starbucks won't give up profits to be that generous.
Water. Sarah Courteau, who grew up in Arkansas, sometimes has to pay for a glass of water. She's not the only one complaining about that indignity. In fact, Arizona had to pass a law making it illegal to charge a parched customer for a little H2O.
Paper cups. In the old days, a deli might give you a paper cup to take a pill or split a soda can between two kids. But a sign in a funky Des Moines coffee shop spells out the hard modern truth -- "We don't give out paper cups."
Bottles. The bottle your beer is in will cost you. "Returnable bottle fees, returnable wet cell batteries, propane tanks. If you don't return them when you buy new ones, you get fined, right?" says Owen Duff, who lives in New Jersey.
Bags and gift wrap will cost you
Gift wrap. "Gift wrapping in many stores is an extra-cost item now and that used to be the bachelor's salvation," says Spider. "The people wrapping them seemed to care and they had some real skill.
"Now it's plain paper and a stick-on bow that won't," he says. "You're supposed to pay for a fancy bag to put the gift in since everybody is too busy to even unwrap what your hard-earned money went for."
Bags. Call 'em what you like -- sacks, bags, wraps -- they now cost money at many grocery stores. ALDI, a discount food chain with outlets in Illinois and Iowa, charges 10 cents a bag.
Supermarket carts. Remember when you could just take a cart and shop? At some chains, you now need to lend the store a quarter for the use of the cart. No quarter, and you'll be stuck carrying, not wheeling.
Shipping. Von Maur, a department store in the Midwest, will ship your merchandise for free. But that doesn't happen too often anymore.
Car service -- What service?
Maps for the lost. "Highway maps at gas stations used to be free," says Dave Bertollo, a computer scientist in Orangeburg, N.Y.
Full-service gas stations. You pretty much have to pump your own gas in nearly every state, except New Jersey. That isn't the way it used to be.
"Going to get gas for the car meant somebody would check your oil and clean your windows -- all of 'em. And mirrors," says Spider. "Now you pay extra for 'full service' and that just means some bored person will stand by the gas filler to make sure the tank overflows onto the paint."
Other gas-station freebies are gone, too.
"No windscreen cleaning, oil checking, radiator filling or tire-pressure checking," he says.
Air for the tires. Free air for your flat or water for the overheating radiator was common, according to several older drivers. In fact, they point out that someone usually came out to help -- and that was free, too.
Travel freebies -- gone, like childhood
Free national parks. Dave Bertollo remembers when camping used to be free at our nation's parks. Now, it's waiting lists and escalating costs.
Airport check-in. These days, you're your own check-in agent, says Sue Futrell, who lives and works in Iowa City. "At the airport now you have to print your own tickets, select your own seats, check yourself in ... supposedly more convenient but not when the airline agents are 10 times better at it than you are!" Futrell says.
Travel info -- like your ticket. "Information that used to come to you in the mail now comes in e-mail, so you have to print it out yourself," Futrell says. "None of these services has gone down in price but consumers now do more and more of the work themselves."
Schoolhouse freebies no more
School supplies. Kris Jones, a health economist in Orangeburg, N.Y., remembers free rulers and pencils. No more.
Copies for college students. The cost of copies used to be included in tuition. "Printing and copying at university libraries used to be free," says Brian Martin, who recently graduated from George Washington University in Washington, DC. "It's eight cents a page at GW now."
And at the famed University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, a $12 "copy fee" is tacked on for many courses.
Gym facilities for undergraduates. Despite all the flak about overweight Americans, some colleges now charge students for using the gym.
Financial freebies…remember when?
Cashing a check. "Banks are supposed to cash checks written by persons who have accounts with them," says Don Baumgart, a writer in Nevada City, Calif. "A free service, right? Wrong.
"A recent story aired by KCRA TV in Sacramento told the story of two workers who don't have checking accounts who (took) their paychecks to the issuing banks to cash them," Baumgart says. "And they were charged $5 because they were not customers of that particular bank."
Don't get consumers started about stingy banks.
ATM use. "There used to be a state law in Iowa prohibiting ATM fees," says Laura Crossett, an Iowa native who now lives near Chicago. "Obviously, that's a thing of the past. I no longer have an ATM card, as a protest."
Your balance. Go to an ATM and try to find out your balance, and you might be charged a buck for the privilege.
Talking to a teller. Yup, that pleasure will sometimes cost you. Skip the conversation and use the window, and it might be free.
Free checking accounts. They're harder and harder to find. (For more information, read "Ditch all fees for online banking services" and "Tips for cutting the high cost of banking.")
Technology freebies … gone like the gold rush
Telephone info. Remember when you could call the operator -- and get a human operator, not a computer -- to give you a phone number, free of charge?
Free Internet. "NetZero used to provide free Internet service and now they charge; a similar free Internet service is long gone," says Yiyun Li, a writer in Iowa City.
Food freebies that now cost you
"Doggie bones" at the butcher. "Once it was OK to ask for them and the butcher would wrap them up for you, but now they call them soup bones or soup starters and they are $1.69 to $1.89," says Spider, a semi-retired artist in Mesa, Ariz.
Extra cheese at the pizza parlor. Forget having a little more cheese, just because you're the customer and it's the restaurant's job to make you happy.
"Now everything is premeasured and instead of flipping an extra handful on the pie, they ring up another dollar and grumble about going to the refrigerator for it. Or worse, charge you for it, but 'forget' to put it on," adds Spider.
Butter. Expect to pay for it at Bruegger's Bagels, in the Midwest, and at many Dunkin' Donuts outlets on the East Coast. The cheaper the restaurant, the more likely you'll pay for butter.
Soup and salad. "They used to come with the meal in a restaurant," says Spider, who's 64 years young. "Now you have to pay through the nose or get the salad bar for the lukewarm soup and wilted lettuce."
Parsley. "It used to be available in bunches at no charge," says Glennis McNeal.
"It helped flavor the soup made from 'dog bones'-- also provided free by the butcher, who was kind enough not to ask for proof of dog ownership."
Beverages - Where's the generosity?
Coffee refills. The local diner may refill your cup for free, but don't expect the pricey coffee house to give you a second cup of java for free. At $3 or $4 a pop, Starbucks won't give up profits to be that generous.
Water. Sarah Courteau, who grew up in Arkansas, sometimes has to pay for a glass of water. She's not the only one complaining about that indignity. In fact, Arizona had to pass a law making it illegal to charge a parched customer for a little H2O.
Paper cups. In the old days, a deli might give you a paper cup to take a pill or split a soda can between two kids. But a sign in a funky Des Moines coffee shop spells out the hard modern truth -- "We don't give out paper cups."
Bottles. The bottle your beer is in will cost you. "Returnable bottle fees, returnable wet cell batteries, propane tanks. If you don't return them when you buy new ones, you get fined, right?" says Owen Duff, who lives in New Jersey.
Bags and gift wrap will cost you
Gift wrap. "Gift wrapping in many stores is an extra-cost item now and that used to be the bachelor's salvation," says Spider. "The people wrapping them seemed to care and they had some real skill.
"Now it's plain paper and a stick-on bow that won't," he says. "You're supposed to pay for a fancy bag to put the gift in since everybody is too busy to even unwrap what your hard-earned money went for."
Bags. Call 'em what you like -- sacks, bags, wraps -- they now cost money at many grocery stores. ALDI, a discount food chain with outlets in Illinois and Iowa, charges 10 cents a bag.
Supermarket carts. Remember when you could just take a cart and shop? At some chains, you now need to lend the store a quarter for the use of the cart. No quarter, and you'll be stuck carrying, not wheeling.
Shipping. Von Maur, a department store in the Midwest, will ship your merchandise for free. But that doesn't happen too often anymore.
Car service -- What service?
Maps for the lost. "Highway maps at gas stations used to be free," says Dave Bertollo, a computer scientist in Orangeburg, N.Y.
Full-service gas stations. You pretty much have to pump your own gas in nearly every state, except New Jersey. That isn't the way it used to be.
"Going to get gas for the car meant somebody would check your oil and clean your windows -- all of 'em. And mirrors," says Spider. "Now you pay extra for 'full service' and that just means some bored person will stand by the gas filler to make sure the tank overflows onto the paint."
Other gas-station freebies are gone, too.
"No windscreen cleaning, oil checking, radiator filling or tire-pressure checking," he says.
Air for the tires. Free air for your flat or water for the overheating radiator was common, according to several older drivers. In fact, they point out that someone usually came out to help -- and that was free, too.
Travel freebies -- gone, like childhood
Free national parks. Dave Bertollo remembers when camping used to be free at our nation's parks. Now, it's waiting lists and escalating costs.
Airport check-in. These days, you're your own check-in agent, says Sue Futrell, who lives and works in Iowa City. "At the airport now you have to print your own tickets, select your own seats, check yourself in ... supposedly more convenient but not when the airline agents are 10 times better at it than you are!" Futrell says.
Travel info -- like your ticket. "Information that used to come to you in the mail now comes in e-mail, so you have to print it out yourself," Futrell says. "None of these services has gone down in price but consumers now do more and more of the work themselves."
Schoolhouse freebies no more
School supplies. Kris Jones, a health economist in Orangeburg, N.Y., remembers free rulers and pencils. No more.
Copies for college students. The cost of copies used to be included in tuition. "Printing and copying at university libraries used to be free," says Brian Martin, who recently graduated from George Washington University in Washington, DC. "It's eight cents a page at GW now."
And at the famed University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, a $12 "copy fee" is tacked on for many courses.
Gym facilities for undergraduates. Despite all the flak about overweight Americans, some colleges now charge students for using the gym.
Financial freebies…remember when?
Cashing a check. "Banks are supposed to cash checks written by persons who have accounts with them," says Don Baumgart, a writer in Nevada City, Calif. "A free service, right? Wrong.
"A recent story aired by KCRA TV in Sacramento told the story of two workers who don't have checking accounts who (took) their paychecks to the issuing banks to cash them," Baumgart says. "And they were charged $5 because they were not customers of that particular bank."
Don't get consumers started about stingy banks.
ATM use. "There used to be a state law in Iowa prohibiting ATM fees," says Laura Crossett, an Iowa native who now lives near Chicago. "Obviously, that's a thing of the past. I no longer have an ATM card, as a protest."
Your balance. Go to an ATM and try to find out your balance, and you might be charged a buck for the privilege.
Talking to a teller. Yup, that pleasure will sometimes cost you. Skip the conversation and use the window, and it might be free.
Free checking accounts. They're harder and harder to find. (For more information, read "Ditch all fees for online banking services" and "Tips for cutting the high cost of banking.")
Technology freebies … gone like the gold rush
Telephone info. Remember when you could call the operator -- and get a human operator, not a computer -- to give you a phone number, free of charge?
Free Internet. "NetZero used to provide free Internet service and now they charge; a similar free Internet service is long gone," says Yiyun Li, a writer in Iowa City.
Hyatus
08-21-2004, 06:02 PM
"Your balance. Go to an ATM and try to find out your balance, and you might be charged a buck for the privilege."
go online and check it.
"Cashing a check. "Banks are supposed to cash checks written by persons who have accounts with them," says Don Baumgart, a writer in Nevada City, Calif. "A free service, right? Wrong."
its free at my bank.
go online and check it.
"Cashing a check. "Banks are supposed to cash checks written by persons who have accounts with them," says Don Baumgart, a writer in Nevada City, Calif. "A free service, right? Wrong."
its free at my bank.
Hobbes
08-21-2004, 06:28 PM
Supermarket carts. Remember when you could just take a cart and shop? At some chains, you now need to lend the store a quarter for the use of the cart. No quarter, and you'll be stuck carrying, not wheeling.
Air for the tires. Free air for your flat or water for the overheating radiator was common, according to several older drivers. In fact, they point out that someone usually came out to help -- and that was free, too.
Free Internet. "NetZero used to provide free Internet service and now they charge; a similar free Internet service is long gone," says Yiyun Li, a writer in Iowa City.
Had all of them when I was in Tennessee.
There was a little dispenser at the cart where you put in a quarter to use it and you get it back when you return it.
My uncle used NetZero when it was free...
Air for the tires. Free air for your flat or water for the overheating radiator was common, according to several older drivers. In fact, they point out that someone usually came out to help -- and that was free, too.
Free Internet. "NetZero used to provide free Internet service and now they charge; a similar free Internet service is long gone," says Yiyun Li, a writer in Iowa City.
Had all of them when I was in Tennessee.
There was a little dispenser at the cart where you put in a quarter to use it and you get it back when you return it.
My uncle used NetZero when it was free...
ec437
08-21-2004, 07:20 PM
it used to be juno, and it used to just email, and it used to be free. I used it then. But now I don't.
SeXy_AnGeL
08-22-2004, 12:57 AM
Full-service gas stations. You pretty much have to pump your own gas in nearly every state, except New Jersey. That isn't the way it used to be.
See, growing up in NJ, I was spoiled. You pull up to the thing, roll down the window tell the little middle eastern man who doesn't speak english that you want to fill'er up with premium then sit in the car and wait. There is no getting out of the car to try to figure out how to work the pump. Sliding your card in and out while they sit in their little building and talk about you in their language. NO! In NJ we have none of that. You dont have to get out in the snow/rain/cold, ect to pay the attendant or to pump the gas. You just sit, peacefully in the car, all cozy warm.
See, growing up in NJ, I was spoiled. You pull up to the thing, roll down the window tell the little middle eastern man who doesn't speak english that you want to fill'er up with premium then sit in the car and wait. There is no getting out of the car to try to figure out how to work the pump. Sliding your card in and out while they sit in their little building and talk about you in their language. NO! In NJ we have none of that. You dont have to get out in the snow/rain/cold, ect to pay the attendant or to pump the gas. You just sit, peacefully in the car, all cozy warm.
Fritz The Cat
08-22-2004, 10:07 AM
Cashing a check. "Banks are supposed to cash checks written by persons who have accounts with them," says Don Baumgart, a writer in Nevada City, Calif. "A free service, right? Wrong.
"A recent story aired by KCRA TV in Sacramento told the story of two workers who don't have checking accounts who (took) their paychecks to the issuing banks to cash them," Baumgart says. "And they were charged $5 because they were not customers of that particular bank."
I took a check my insurance company gave me to the bank that the insurance company has their account with, and they flat refused to cash it!
"A recent story aired by KCRA TV in Sacramento told the story of two workers who don't have checking accounts who (took) their paychecks to the issuing banks to cash them," Baumgart says. "And they were charged $5 because they were not customers of that particular bank."
I took a check my insurance company gave me to the bank that the insurance company has their account with, and they flat refused to cash it!
-Jayson-
08-22-2004, 11:41 AM
[quote]Extra cheese at the pizza parlor. Forget having a little more cheese, just because you're the customer and it's the restaurant's job to make you happy. [\quote]
umm cheese has become really expensive, i know i manage a pizza resturant So its not really business friendly to be giving it away. . .
umm cheese has become really expensive, i know i manage a pizza resturant So its not really business friendly to be giving it away. . .
publicenemy137
08-22-2004, 01:17 PM
you know one time my friend was at a restaurant (pho place) and he got water, asked for some lime. Waiter gave him lime, and what he did was sqeeze the lime in his water, got some sugar that was on the table, and made sort of a lemonade mix. The cashier saw this and she said "Hey you can't do that! You have to pay!" :grinyes: So my friend is like "No I don't, I just used free things, I shouldn't have to pay." Cashier actually tried to charge my friend for his lil lemonade fix, cheap ass bastards. :nono:
CamaroSSBoy346
08-22-2004, 02:44 PM
you know one time my friend was at a restaurant (pho place) and he got water, asked for some lime. Waiter gave him lime, and what he did was sqeeze the lime in his water, got some sugar that was on the table, and made sort of a lemonade mix. The cashier saw this and she said "Hey you can't do that! You have to pay!" So my friend is like "No I don't, I just used free things, I shouldn't have to pay." Cashier actually tried to charge my friend for his lil lemonade fix, cheap ass bastards.
:lol2:
See, growing up in NJ, I was spoiled. You pull up to the thing, roll down the window tell the little middle eastern man who doesn't speak english that you want to fill'er up with premium then sit in the car and wait. There is no getting out of the car to try to figure out how to work the pump. Sliding your card in and out while they sit in their little building and talk about you in their language. NO! In NJ we have none of that. You dont have to get out in the snow/rain/cold, ect to pay the attendant or to pump the gas. You just sit, peacefully in the car, all cozy warm.
sometimes i find my self cursing at the damn pump for giving me any frustration..
:lol2:
See, growing up in NJ, I was spoiled. You pull up to the thing, roll down the window tell the little middle eastern man who doesn't speak english that you want to fill'er up with premium then sit in the car and wait. There is no getting out of the car to try to figure out how to work the pump. Sliding your card in and out while they sit in their little building and talk about you in their language. NO! In NJ we have none of that. You dont have to get out in the snow/rain/cold, ect to pay the attendant or to pump the gas. You just sit, peacefully in the car, all cozy warm.
sometimes i find my self cursing at the damn pump for giving me any frustration..
taranaki
08-22-2004, 03:42 PM
I'd rather pump my own gas,thanks.That way, I know that if I drive off without putting the cap back on,or scratch the paint with the end of the nozzle because I'm in a hurry,or fill the car with the wrong fuel, it's nobody's fault but my own.
Jimster
08-23-2004, 10:11 AM
On the bright side, a Lada once cost about US$5000, they're free these days :lol:
ghostguy6
08-23-2004, 12:51 PM
See, growing up in NJ, I was spoiled. You pull up to the thing, roll down the window tell the little middle eastern man who doesn't speak english that you want to fill'er up with premium then sit in the car and wait. There is no getting out of the car to try to figure out how to work the pump. Sliding your card in and out while they sit in their little building and talk about you in their language. NO! In NJ we have none of that. You dont have to get out in the snow/rain/cold, ect to pay the attendant or to pump the gas. You just sit, peacefully in the car, all cozy warm.
When you come pay me a visit I think Ill have you fill up my car, Its not like that at all here! I would kill to have that when it gets to - 40*C here :disappoin
When you come pay me a visit I think Ill have you fill up my car, Its not like that at all here! I would kill to have that when it gets to - 40*C here :disappoin
boingo82
08-26-2004, 11:55 AM
In Oregon it's actually THE LAW that you can't pump your own gas, and the station attendants have to be licensed or something.
280zxguy
08-26-2004, 12:07 PM
it was bad enough when thry started charging .25 for air...now i go to the conv. store and now its .50 goog god they are makin a killing... oh and hope more than one tire doesnt need air..then you might be out a buck or more...
ac427cpe
08-26-2004, 01:22 PM
wow
i'm glad it doesn't suck that much here!
full service is an option, bags are free, water is free, and banks aren't that bad...
i'm glad it doesn't suck that much here!
full service is an option, bags are free, water is free, and banks aren't that bad...
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