ONCE UPON A TIME, perhaps fifty years ago, it was cheaper to get scissors sharpened rather than to buy new scissors. At Ferguson’s Hardware in Raleigh around 2000, it cost $10 to get scissors sharpened.
Nowadays, due to all the Amazing Things that capitalism has brought us, it’s cheaper to buy new scissors. They cost like $5.
I think one of the big measurements of an economy is whether it’s cheaper to reuse or to buy replacements.
I’ve thought in the past that the bus can be a symbol of independence, because it can free you from your car. I mean, a car can cost you several years’ pay (after taxes)… just so you can get to work!
However, taking the bus last week, I decided that the bus is instead a symbol of dependence. Someone decides when you can ride the bus: when it comes, and how often. If people wanted to find you (for example because they saw you leave work early one day on the bus), they’d just have to wait a few more days and watch for you riding. The government could easily find you too just by alerting all bus drivers.