What's the official inflation rate these days? 2.9%? And they wonder why ordinary people don't believe the government anymore. I looked twice because I was so shocked. The washer was a large one; it should have cost $5 or so.
There weren't any customers there. And I left too. There was an old-fashioned laundromat a few blocks anyway that had good machines and reasonable prices.
A long-suffering reader probably thinks, "Why should we listen to you? You are just an old cheap-skate." But actually, I happily spend a little more at laundromats that have an attendant who keeps things clean and orderly. I don't mind spending a little more if it is going to a real person.
But the laundromat with the $11 washer had been redesigned to look like a Starbucks or something. Let me guess: some giant Wall Street firm like Blackrock is buying up small, modestly priced, old-fashioned laundromats across American, and then "upscaling" them. That means they won't accept quarters anymore. You need to download an app, fumble around with the apps's menu system for a half hour, and then they try to lock you into a $29.99/month laundry subscription service.
But the special pricing is temporary, so act fast! It includes clothing discounts at the trendy retailer of the moment, free upgrades to your app, gourmet low-calorie drinks, and a high speed streaming service for Disney+, while you wait. What else you get: a chic decore in the laundromat; smooth sophisticated jazz music playing on the speakers; and low water usage washers. The dryers operate at room temperature to fight global warming.
This shouldn't surprise anyone. Trump is a soft-money, high-leverage sort of guy. If he had his way, the Federal Reserve would lower interest rates to negative 5 per cent. Then we could all take out giant loans and invest the money in new casinos and hotels on the Gaza Riviera.
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