New Rip off republic TV Show tickets available

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Just to share my experiences of restaurants in the 'Land of the Free' (West coast);

1) Expensive restaurant at the top of a skyscraper - No 'table for 1' available in restaurant, but I was allowed eat in the bar (where of course I had to endure the amazingly primitive environment of cigarette smoke drifting over my food) - waitress was in her 50's and dressed like an 18-year-old - had the disconcerting habit of leaning down to my table to review the menu with me - after a long delay, my main course arrived but no sign of my starter! - Bill was close to $100 for one (inc. half-bottle of local wine)
2) Cheesecake factory (US steakhouse chain, slightly up-market from TGI's) - got a table for 2 after a 20 minute wait - were unable to put bar drinks onto dinner bill - got seated and notice sideplate had an ant running across it - cutlery was noticeable sticky to touch and had to be changed - my request for fries instead of mash was ignored and the mash arrived.

Dinner on the other evening was as part of a large group and service was fine.

Not exactly 'top notch' service or great value all round.
 
daltonr said:
Yes the waiter in the states was probably on minimum wage, but the saving was passed on to me and I passed it on to the waiter.

-Rd
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Yes, but there is a big difference between the minimum wage in Ireland and in the US. When I waited tables in Boston, I think my wages came to around $100 a week (after taxes and social security) for a 60-70 hour week. That's quite a gap vs. the €7.65 Irish waiters are making. It would take quite a shift in culture/attitudes/legislation/whatever for waiting staff to get paid around €2 per hour and punters (not necessarily Irish, but European tourists as well) to give tips of 15-20%.
 
Petrol
105.9 for unleaded in a petrol station in my home by the lee.
Around the corner - less than 1 minute walk - not even 10 sec's in the car.
115.2 for the same Esso petrol. The 2 shops are owned by brothers.
And people go to the 115.2 shop - but it has new furnishings, minimalistic shelves and you pull your own petrol.
105.9 shop has an old timely feel to it. The shop has everything. And a 12 year old (give or take) boy/girl will fill the tank for you and make the transaction for you. its worth asking for the €34.00 and letting them keep the €1 - but you dont have to.

As the 115.2 shop is on a major road - they get the business customers who dont care how much the company is paying to fill there tank. Oh and the people that like shiny things.
 
> Just to share my experiences of restaurants in the 'Land of the Free' (West coast);

Thanks for proving the point. America has everything, including bad over priced restaurants. My only point is that it's much easier in America to find excellent service at a good price than it is to find the same in Ireland.

I'm posting fom Malaysia this evening and everything is incredibly cheap, but I've just spent nearly an hour trying to sort out a mixed up Room Service order. For those who think I'm only out for value for money, I couldn't live in Malaysia regardless of value for money.

I don't know whether it's the open sewers or the lunatic drivers, but I've found a country I'd be less inclined to live in than Ireland. Great place for a holiday though. And another years worth of clothes is taken care of.

-Rd
 
Any idea how much the local workforce are paid to produce the 'years worth of clothes' ?
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I'm getting some custom tailored shirts for about €10 so in that case I can say that the workforce (the tailor) get's about €10 per shirt.

As for the rest....since they are the same clothes I'd be buying if I were at home (Shirts, Trousers, Levi's, T-Shirts, Socks etc. Same brands by and large as Dublin) I presume they are paid the same they would be paid if I paid 3 or 4 times the price in Dublin.

Is the point of your question to suggest that If I paid more for the clothes by shopping in Dublin I'd be somehow helping sweat shop workers in Viet Nam or China?

I can assure you the premium you pay for clothes in Dublin goes straight into shiny department store displays, higher rents and rates, high VAT, TV Commercials, etc, etc, etc.

If you've found a way to cloth yourself exclusively in clothes made by people paid an excellent wage, and under good work conditions then let me know. It's certainly something that I'd be interested in.

-Rd
 
daltonr said:
Anyone care to tell me where I can get the following cheaper:

Electricity
TV Licence
Health Insurance
Prescription Drugs
Cinema Tickets
Tickets to a Concert
Bin Charges
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Electricity - You are right nowhere, unless you are a commercial user.
TV Licence - I think of this as more of a tax anyway.
Health Insurance - Don't BUPA charge less than VHI? And there is now a new one VIVAS or somesuch.
Prescription Drugs - Do all pharmacys charge a standard price? I am guessing maybe they do, isn't the Competition Authority taking a look at them.
Cinema Tickets - There are numerous cinemas in Dublin (OK maybe not in smaller towns) do they all charge the same?
Tickets to a concert - Ticketmaster have been taking the piss here. It is possible to go to non ticketmaster promoted events though you may not get to see a band you like.
Bin charges - Not much choice
 
TV Licence - I think of this as more of a tax anyway.
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Government style competition. You might not want the Irish State Broadcaster. You may be willing to pay more to watch competing channels, but we'll charge you for our channel anyway.

I don't actually mind the TV Licence so much. Through show's like Prime Time and Rip Off Republic (How's that for a segwey back to the topic) everyone benefits from RTE even if they don't watch it. But you're right, it's a tax and like all the other regressive taxes (Bin Tax, Stamp Duty, VRT, etc.) it hits the less well off harder than the comfortably rich.

Cinema Tickets - There are numerous cinemas in Dublin (OK maybe not in smaller towns) do they all charge the same?
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Pretty much. There's swings and roundabouts. Some charge for Parking some don't. But either way Cinema in Ireland, Dublin in particular has gotten expensive enough that I've gone from going at least once a week, to maybe going every 2 - 3 months. Often I don't go at all for 6 - 8 months. Renting a DVD isn't an option either. It's almost as cheap to buy a DVD from the UK online than to rent it at Xtra-Vision.

The point of that post above was not that you can't shop around, you can. But in the grand scheme of things there comes a point where you have to ask if the effect of shopping around is up against a much greater force. Ireland in general has just become too damn expnsive. This is what people mean by Rip-Off Ireland. You'll get the odd person who'll argue some dictionary definition of a RipOff. I.e. If you choose to be Ripped off then in isn't a rippoff. But that's just silly. Most people are forced to live in Ireland and if the cost of Living in Ireland is excessive then it's fair to refer to it as Ripoff Ireland.

Anyway, I'm heading back to the world of no internet access for a few days. Bye.

-Rd
 
You can't afford to go to the cinema and yet you can afford to go to Malaysia. Poor boy. My heart bleeds...
 
I didn't say I couldn't afford to go to the cinema. I said I wasn't willing to go as often as I used to. For the record this is my first non work related trip abroad or indeed holiday of any sort since 1998. Excluding one or two weekends in London.

So whether your heart bleeds or not doesn't really concern me.

The mods round here have gotten a lot more sarkey of late.

-Rd
 
daltonr said:
For the record this is my first non work related trip abroad or indeed holiday of any sort since 1998. Excluding one or two weekends in London.
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[broken link removed]
 
Thanks for setting me straight. My last holiday was actually 1997 not 1998.

The rest of the trips were for work related. Of course i'm lucky to be able to travel with work and i'm not stupid enough to not enjoy it. but it's nice to be on an actual holiday.

Whoever posted on here a few weeks back that i'd like Singapore, you were right.

-Rd
 
You're not going to let this go are you. If it's that vital to you that you account fully for my time abroad...

I was in Orlando because our factory in Tampa and our hotel were evacuated for a few days due to a couple of hurricanes.

It was a work trip.

If you feel the need to dig deeper perhaps we could set up an interview when i get back.

-Rd
 
Just asking out of curiosity. Nice to see it's not just moderators who can be sarky.
 
I just thought the mods job would be to moderate the sarkyness not cause it.
I'll reserve the right to be sarky when my honesty is questioned by someone who hides behind an anonymous handle.

-Rd
 
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