I was talking to a friend of mine who is a bellman at a hotel in Chicago. He and his co-workers are bored at work.
Fuel prices have been "killing" potential travelers at the gas pump, so fewer people are taking "road-trip" vacations. Airline fuel prices and economic conditions have been pushing up the price of tickets so much that those who can afford to travel are packing light in order to avoid surcharges for baggage. I need not mention the effect that the financial crisis has had on everyone from "Wall Street to Main Street" (sorry to use that phrase--something about it is grating...).
My point is that my friend has no bags to lift, so he has less to do, and he gets fewer tips. His story was a clarifying moment for me that brought the ripple effect to my attention. Huge events are having an immediate affect on the average working person. I have known this to be the case, but it somehow came as a striking revelation when my friend so clearly explained the issues and how they have affected his life.
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