On saturday night, one of the Brazilian girls was celebrating her birthday at this super upscale restaurant/dance club in Paris.
The food was excellent, the atmosphere amazing, and at midnight they turned the restaurant into a dance club.
At some point though, I went to the bar and asked for 4 bottles of water. The bartender handed me 4 bottles of 500ml water (nothing special) and asked me for 52 euros!
Ack. That's close to $80!!!
My god ..... the question is, what is the value of water?
Ah the economics of a monopoly market.....
Aren't you doing an MBA? You should know the answer: "Whatever people will pay for it."
But in reality, the issue is threefold:
1) Europe has had some fairly significant water supply issues over the last decade which has led to big prices. In fact, the largest water companies in the world (created to solve these problems, despite limited success) are French (Suez, Azurix, etc.).
2) From what I understand, bottled water has an pretty huge premium over tapwater over there. Fluoride free! Pay more for cavities!
3) You were in a bar. Things are very expensive in bars.
4) It was probably obvious that you weren't a local. And people love screwing tourists.
That's my guess, at least.
Posted by: sav on February 4, 2003 12:24 AMI hope _you're not doing an MBA sav, cause that looks like a fourfold issue to me..
Posted by: r. on February 5, 2003 12:04 AMDammit. Me speak math badly.
It was originally a threefold issue... but then I thought of point four. It's not the counting, but the addition. I shoulda used a calculator.
Posted by: sav on February 5, 2003 02:31 AM"Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... I'll come in again."
Posted by: ben on February 5, 2003 02:46 AM