Haves; have-nots

I am secretly pleased when I see the neighbourhood kids wasting their youth away. I hope they continue the way they are way into their twenties so that I will have one less competitor in the labour market. Or whichever excludable-goods market we may both be in.

You see, this is because the society I live in is not socialist. Coupled that with a government that frowns on welfare handouts, added to that, the present widening income gap. It all makes for a very cruel world.

There was a time when having an overseas holiday was a luxury reserved for the more well-to-do. But with budget airline abound these days, it's pretty much free for all. But even budget airlines are starting to segregate. For a few more dollars, you get priority seating or express boarding. So being richer helps you to get the seats you want or to jump the queue.

Actually, I think the idea of being in the same flight as common yous and mes is abhored by the rich. Hence they are really happy being cacooned within the confines of First Class furnishings, safe from the humdrum of us plebians. They don't even like to check in with us, hence the separate queues, waiting areas and even luggage compartments for their Louis Vuittons and Samsonite Black Labels.

So we know for a fact that you having extra money helps to 1) jump queue 2) get what you want 3) privacy for yourself and your stuff

Even the Singapore Flyer allows Express Boarding. Paying another 76.2% of your ticket price will allow you to jump queue and also get a souvenir. How nice.

There is something else altogether more sinister. If I have money, I can actually pay the neighbourhood kids to queue for me. How amazing is that? Witness the yearly rush for Lim Chee Guan's bak kwa come Chinese New Year. There was a big boss in the construction industry or something, he told his foreign workers to help him queue up for bak kwa. This was a win-win situation. Bak kwa seller happy, cause can sell his wares and he might think he got "international appeal". Even foreigners come and patron his stalls. Foreign worker happy cause can twang. Same pay, no work. Only queue up. Big Boss happy. He no need to queue up can get his bak kwa, moreover, Lim Chee Guan will limit each customer to 20kgs so with more foreign workers in queue, big boss can buy more bak kwa!

So these days, with money, you can not only jump queue but can also get people to queue for you and because of that, you can not only get what you want but the amount that you want. All that at the comfort of your own home!