I figured I would go the cheap way out at least one night this past weekend. The cover charge for entrance to the local clubs was taking its toll on my wallet. Not to mention the additional dough I had to shell out to quench my thirst.with a non-alcoholic beverage, that is. My friends and I decided to go to Pentagon City to see “Thirteen Days” since it was filmed near Thurston Hall last year. My roommate and I decided we would rather get candy at the Sweet Factory than purchase it at the theater since snacks at the movies are notoriously overpriced. After we bought our tickets, I decided to get a bottle of water. I stepped up to the counter and placed my order with the man standing behind the register. A second employee, who had not taken my order, turned toward me and blurted out, “three-o-eight.”
Confused, I looked at him and responded quite jaggedly, “for a bottle of water?”
“Yes,” he responded matter-of-factly.
At this point I was completely dumbfounded. Sure, ticket prices have steadily increased over the years, and maybe an occasional inflation of popcorn and candy costs as well, but a bottle of water for three dollars and eight cents was absurd!
Was it magical water? Did it perform life-altering miracles? For that price, I wish it had. What is this world coming to when a bottle of water (NAYA water, nonetheless) costs three dollars and eight cents? I could get a meal at McDonald’s for less. A long distance phone call for up to 60 minutes costs less than $3.08. For just one dollar, people gained admission to the GW Athlete Auction, where they saw some skin and got much more bang for their buck.
After complaining about the cost I returned from my heightened level of excitement and took notice of the time. The movie was going to begin in approximately five minutes and a line had formed behind me at the concession counter. I opened up my wallet to find that I only had two one-dollar bills. I had to scrape together pennies to pay for this bottle. This was not the “cheap” night I had hoped for. To make matters worse, the bottle did not even fit in the cup holder inside the theater.
