It's High Time America Did Away With Senior Discounts

Business Insider ^ | 5-29-2013 | Alex Mayyasi, Priceonomics Blog

[rockrr]

Bump - saving that...for a friend ;-)

[bfree]

I guess your parents never taught you that life isn't fair. Quit whining that seniors get something that you don't. You will love obamacare where the rates for the young will be higher than for seniors.

[goodnesswins]

YES...or helped put them thru college, or paid for something extra???? EXACTLY!

[goodnesswins]

HA...my Mother In Law tried to retrieve the “handicapped” permit for her deceased husband from us....my husband threw it away, and didn’t tell her!

[publius911]

Gee I enjoy my senior coffee at Mcdonald’s. What a deal.

You foul hypocrical conservative you!!
< /sarc >

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Most live on fixed income and still have to pay income tax on our Social Security payments.

As the article that spawned this thread pointed out, seniors are the richest age segment in the nation. And the children of those receiving their Social Security payments are being taxed to pay for those Social Security benefits - and many will never see a dime back from Social Security.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Furthermore, our generation didn't piss away our money like you thankless little shits.

Thanks for the laughs. Not only did the Baby Boom generation piss away it's own money, it pissed away the money of it's children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and on and on. That astronomical national debt didn't just grow during the lifespan of the Baby Boom generation because of some mysterious coincidence.

[ansel12]

1968 was the first presidential election that picked up some of the first boomers.

In 1968 the democrats won 47% of the under 30 vote, in 1972 with the war raging and the draft on, and the voting age having been lowered to 18, the democrats won 46% of the under 30 vote.

The first presidential election that all boomers were old enough to vote in was in 1984, that year the democrats won 40% of the under 30 vote, there was no presidential election in 1982.

[ansel12]

Amazon has the Kindle version of Infantry Aces for free (temporarily), it can be read on your computer.

Infantry Aces: The German Soldier in Combat in WWII (Stackpole Military History Series) [Kindle Edition]

http://www.amazon.com/Infantry-Aces-Stackpole-Military-ebook/dp/B004BJ11E0

[ansel12]

As far as city owned buses? Senior discounts should stop... most city bus services should stop too. But that's another story.

As much as we despise the rich seniors using discounts to ride urban buses when the limo is in the shop, epic bearded man would never have introduced Amber Lamps to the world without it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDD9FmdmUN4

[ansel12]

I don't remember many discounts for seniors before the mid '90s.

Retailers ramp up 'senior discounts' By Laura Gunderson, The Oregonian on January 16, 2010
"Although no one can point to it in a history book, collective wisdom says senior discounts originated around 60 years ago, when the AARP began soliciting age-based discounts from insurance companies and hotels. Retailers were quick to sign on."

[Tymesup]

“Does the author even consider that perhaps senior discounts are not at attempt at charity but, rather, an attempt to secure the business of a demographic that otherwise would stay home?
You have perfectly described the heart of the matter. In the realm of managerial economics, the term is “price discrimination”, where a firm maximizes its revenues by charging a lower price to the demographic which otherwise would not purchase. It’s obvious the writer of the piece has a meager education in economics.”

Bears repeating.

Note the price differential also increases utility for the purchasers. With one price for all, some non-seniors get a price break that increases their utility a little bit. Some seniors pay more, decreasing their utility a bit more, and some seniors don’t get to purchase at all, decreasing their utility quite a bit.

The market finds a good equilibrium, and Alex thinks he can improve things. Why not open a store and test your theory, Alex?

[mmichaels1970]

I guess your parents never taught you that life isn't fair.

My parents taught me respect. Apparently yours didn't.

Quit whining that seniors get something that you don't.

Never whined once. I also never once said a senior shouldn't receive discounts. Tax expenditures are worth discussing without ridicule and emotional reactions.

It appears that any time you try to have a discussion about senior benefits, the long knives come out.

Take a breath. Every tax dollar spent is worth discussion at this point in time. Some should stay, some should go.

Belittling people who are interested in hearing both sides does nothing to strengthen your argument.

[Squantos]

Got it ...grateful. Friend.......

Looks like a great read ....

Stay safe !

[catfish1957]

Thanks for the laughs. Not only did the Baby Boom generation piss away it's own money,

I retired comfortably at age 55. Your point?????

[GOPJ]

As much as we despise the rich seniors using discounts to ride urban buses when the limo is in the shop, epic bearded man would never have introduced Amber Lamps to the world without it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDD9FmdmUN4

In my city the buses are run for the 'appearance' of having public transportation...

Grant money is involved, city jobs are involved, fiefdoms come into play - everything except thought that might make public transportation useful to citizens. My city has buses running that could hold (in a pinch) 80 citizens - large lumbering behemoths... with poorly thought out routes and maybe 6 people per bus.

For what the city is paying it would be cheaper to hire a fancy limo service to pick these people up at their doors and deliver them to their destinations. I'm not against throwing money away for the elderly and/or Amber Lamps - just wish we could throw it away and get a tad more service for these people.

(Ever notice how airport shuttles don't show up at your door with vehicles that will hold 80 people when there's only 6 going to the airport?)

[bfree]

I’m breathing just fine, you seem to be the one all worked up over a very small matter.