Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2008-09-26 18:44:15 - Graham Ellis
On one hand, a society should look after its young and old and give them preferential treatment - but on the other hand it's quite galling at times to feel in that expensive middle age when I am subsidising the extremes!
Researching this while I get over my jet-lag today (decent technical article tomorrow ;-) ) and I've come up with this listing showing how things get more expensive up your 26th Birthday ... then start to get cheaper again in your 50s. This list is all UK data, with the exception of the iHop which triggered it.
Free train travel ... up to 5th birthday
Free school milk (if on support payments) ... up to 7 years
Half price train travel ... up to 16th birthday
Free Dental treatment ... up to 18th Birthday
Young Person's Railcard ... up to 26th birthday
Saga Holidays ... 50+ years
iHop's Senior Meal Offer ... 55+ years
Bus Pass ... 60+ years
Old Age Pension ... 65+ years
Free TV License ... 75+ years
Higher Winter Fuel payments ... 80+ years
Telegram from the Queen ... 100 years
Knowing how most of our delegates are far, far younger that I am, I look forward (with a considerable feeling of guilt, I must admit) to being subsidised by you all in a few years time.
Why these thoughts today? Because, before we left the USA yesterday I spotted an offer in the International House of Pancakes that reminded me that I'll be on the slippery freebie slope very soon - had we visited this time next year, I would have been able to claim a free entrée for Lisa, mid afternoon (or any other person I dragged in there, but it's so much fun with Lisa!)