Today, I am going to write about pet peeves. This will be a series of two columns. I really don’t have that many rants, although those who choose to listen to my repartee might disagree.
I just want it to be known that I am on to all those scoundrels that think I don’t know what they are up to.
I will start with my latest insight. That inspiration came when parking in my favorite parking lot at the Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek. I always shopped at David M. Brian because I thought it very gracious of them to provide shoppers with such a well-designed parking lot for free. Well, maybe I did not always shop there, but I did drop in even when they moved to smaller quarters. My suspicion began when they installed a marvelous system by which one could easily find a vacant spot. Red, green and blue lights hung over every stall. Because of the former policy of no charge, I believed this was done in the same spirit as the original offering. Then the policy changed and if you were in the lot for three hours there was no charge and after that fees were incurred. I know what is coming next, don’t you?
I have seen a trend over my 7-plus decades. If there is a way to charge for a service that was formally free one needs to gradually make inroads. A great example of that is bottled water. Who could believe that tap water would be downgraded to such a point that we purchase water? I actually still ask for tap water when in restaurants even though even the waiter thinks I am so déclassé.
Then the latest ruling was to purchase our formerly free grocery bags. Interesting that when those plastic bags were free, they were practically porous. Now those plastic bags which cost 10 cents are formidable and won’t disintegrate until the 25th century. I wouldn’t be so annoyed, as the reasoning is that we need to be environmentally appropriate. However, if you are like me and still forget to bring your bags into the store when you shop, you are still environmentally dangerous. I for one am punishing myself into remembering- no more nice guy. I won’t purchase a bag and thus am seen standing at my hatch back with my cart full of groceries bagging my own produce. Maybe seniors should be given cloth bags for free as we have problems with short term memory and have spent a lifetime with free bags. I think I have a reason to picket, as I believe I have a better chance of success than in marching for Planned Parenthood.
And how about our favorite valley? Remember when wine tasting was free? A few weeks ago, I bit the bullet and rode the gondola up to the Sterling winery in Calistoga for $30 where I had four thimble-sized tastes of terrible wine. I guess the wineries, are in trouble, and the billions they bring in each year is a hardship. That is the only explanation I have for their reneging on what was at one time a generous, neighborly offering.
Then there is the question of the pay toilet, which is no laughing matter. Even I cannot think of a way around slipping a coin into the slot while I do my potty dance.
So, yes I have a problem when companies, businesses go back on their public offerings and start to charge for something that was once free.
However, there is a light at the end of this tunnel. My alma mater, CCNY, CUNY, the City College of the City of New York has returned to its policy of no tuition for New York residents. I paid no tuition from 1958 to 1961 when I graduated. So there is hope that we won’t some day be charged for the air we breathe. Thank you, trees.

Ellen Blaufarb is a marriage family therapist.

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