Mindful of the good chance that Kim would be released from the Austin today, I made a rare drive to work, accompanied by the RRR breakfasters until they started to play a song, upon which I would hit the CD button and hear some bits of my new Angela Hewitt Bach Concerto’s disk courtesy of the wonderful Ebay. The soothing music seemed to help me tolerate things, because things passed pleasantly enough this time. Even so, I don’t know how people can do the Punt Road car commute each day without going spaz. Give me my bike or a 112 tram anyday. Anyway, that’s not the point.. After I parked in Southbank at the usual haunt – I really don’t know anywhere else to park other than the one I go to by habit, I happened to take a look at their rates. And it suddenly hit me that I HAD ALWAYS BEEN AN EARLY-BIRD UNTIL NOW. That’s the cute name they give to the regular car-parkers who work office hours. If you park after 9am or leave before 3pm you’re considered a casual parker, so you pay not $10 for the day, but $30 for 3 hours. That’s right – it’s three times the price of someone who parks there for longer than you. So, I hear you say, that’s supply and demand for you – they want to slug the capucchino set who drop into Southbank for a few hours for brunch. When I do the modern thing and decide who is to be blamed, I travel via Mirvac the “market capitalisation of over 3 billion” owning company, and I find the capitalist system in general at the rear. I suppose if I look closely, the same food in South Yarra would be cheaper if sold in Broadmeadows (or Jacana!). Or daytime movie tickets are occasionally cheaper than those on Saturday night; a plumber costs more on a weekend than on Wednesday. BUT NOT 3 TIMES MORE. I challenge anyone to find a bigger, greedier markup than this. I don’t care about the money as much as their smug assumption that people will pay anyway. Convenience nearly always wins. I’m struggling to find an example of when it doesn’t. Curse you Mirvac, and I hope this summer finds even more people who feel that riding to work is the way to go. Yes, I had to leave at lunchtime and pay my 30. Kim is a little better though, but still dosed up with many chemicals. She ate a slice of Pizza Meine Liebe tonight, so she can’t be about to cark it just yet.