Groupoff

I understand that it might be difficult to believe, but the economy is eventually going to get better, and when it does, the Groupons of the world are going to take a devastating hit. The bottom line is as follows ... A business can't give-away a ridiculous 50 to 90% and still be viable. Restaurants represent the real essence of the Groupon craze and at 50% off (which really amounts to 75% off after they pay Groupon), the numbers simply don't work. You just can't continue to give-away money and expect to keep the doors open.

The owner of Groupon recently walked away from some Six Billion dollars from none-other than Google, and this man is out of his mind. It's going to crash, and it's only a matter of time.

When you add Groupon and an unending list of copycats (and throw in the ever-present Restaurant Weeks), the entire business has evolved into one gigantic discount. Something has to give, and either the discounting ends (as we now know it), or we are going to be witnessing thousands upon thousands of restaurant closings.

This Spot is Not to be Confused For the Union League...

The spot in question is 913 Filbert Street in beautiful downtown Philadelphia. It's the Philadelphia Parking Authority, and I was there on business. Actually, it was the final day to pay my $26 ticket and I wanted to do it in person. If you pay by credit card over the web, they charge you an extra $2.50. It was an amazing experience (and it only cost me $26.00).

When I arrived there were approximately seventy people in line to pay their tickets. I asked the guy in charge how long it would take to pay my ticket and for whatever reason, he was not all that receptive. His answer was a tad unfriendly..."Hey pal, how the hell would I know that. Get in line or just get out".

You do go through the metal detector which is probably a good thing, and the crowd is
a bit tense. This is not a party and I don't think the Phillie Fanatic could help these people. These folks are basically pissed off, and one guy was almost out of control. He did a ten-minute stand-up on the evils of the Parking Authority. I was the only one laughing and I must mention this... I was the only one wearing a tie. This is not the crowd from the Radnor Hunt Club, and for whatever reason, I didn't feel all that welcome.

I believe everyone should share this experience at least once in your life. It's another world, and almost a reminder of the State Stores of the 1970's before the beautification process. You can stand in line and not even have a ticket. You will see the Parking Authority for what it is... A license to steal. By the way, the Flower Show just opened and my guess is that this particular crowd will pay the extra two-fifty.