Posted on 12/13/2012 8:43:38 AM PST by Sporke
I have a problem. I was reading posts from Military folks on a certain social internet forum about Military Discounts.
It seems as though a fair number of Soldiers were offended that a certain restaurant didn't offer a discount.
I responded that when I served, I never expected a discount. If one was offered, I would accept, but I never asked for one. I also posted that if they went into a business expecting a discount, and were offended when they didn't get one, they were no better than a common beggar. Needless to say my post didn't go over very well.
My questions are these....should a business offer a discount? Should a Soldier ask for one? Should a Soldier expect one?
I travel a lot between Alaska and California. Enterprise and Budget rental cars give military discounts. Marriott Hotels do as well. I did not know that about Applebees...I’ll file that away as I love Applebees!
Did you ask if that same rule applied to abortionists?
I totally get that, but a fun thing happened the other day, I had to show my ID to prove I was a senior......needless to say that young lady got a nice TIP. (yea, I know it was a gimmick but it worked)
Walgreens in my area, give a 20% discount on their brands, and a 15% discount on other brands, on two dates the 1st of the month and the 15th to military and dependents with ID card..
I think we all who served believe as you do. But if they OFFER a discount, I'm going to take it. I don't EXPECT or DEMAND one.
1) That's a free market business decision, which I will not attempt to second-guess.
2) No.
3) No.
No one in the military should ever EXPECT a discount. They should simply show appreciation for them when they’re offered. Problem is a bit of an entitlement mentality seeping into the ranks.
..that ain’t nothing, a few weeks ago I get a call from a long lost cousins. Seems he was doing some research on Ancestry dot blah blah....
The last time I saw him and spoke with him was when he was 12 or so, during the conversation he updates me with...”I just retired from the US Army as a Lt.Col”.....I could’ve drop right there
I have never asked, and I think I put up a thread here, about a time I was in line at the Del Taco (WAY better than Taco Bell, BTW)
I got up to the window to pay, and was told the lady in front of me saw my Marine Corps license plate and paid my bill.
“The bigger issue is when your military starts to expect to be treated as a member of an elite class separate from the citizens whose rights they serve to secure.”
They should be so treated and appreciated. They will give up their life to save yours without judgement of your character; one for one without blinking - that makes them special.
Yep, everyone's a hero these days, which makes the term meaningless. Everyone gets smiley faces in pre-school, gold stars in secondary education and moved on thru higher education. It's all about self esteem and feeling good, not actual achievement and valor.
Now, gimmee my discount. /s
They'd probably give discounts to REAL baby killers in Planned Parenthood.
so have gang members, a bigger problem than they want to let on to
I have seen some advertisements near Veterans Day that Appleby’s had a deal for all Vets on our day. Put that on your calendar for next year as a reminder.
>>I got up to the window to pay, and was told the lady in front of me saw my Marine Corps license plate and paid my bill.
Now that’s cool! I’ve done that on occasion when the opportunity presents itself, and it feels good. But it’s rare when the stars align just right. Last time I can remember was while waiting for a flight, and a fellow was in uniform with his huge duffel bag in tow, waiting like me. I briefly spoke to him and thanked him for his service, at which time he indicated he was headed home after a stint in one of the muzzie wars (my term, not his). When he went into the little magazine store that was by the terminal I accosted him at the cash register and made sure his money was no good. It’s fun to be in a position to do that, but the logistics and finances aren’t always in alignment. :)
Thank you for your service!
I don’t normalyor automaticaly ask for one. That said, I shop at Lowes, and Advance Auto because they offer one.
As a former Air Force member, I say: that’s the business’s decision; no and no.
I never asked, and never expected one.
I will admit that I personally do tend to visit those companies more often not for the discount but for the fact that they appreciate what the military has done for them.
We have a good conservative house delegate in my county, Scott Lingamfelter, who is running for lt. Governor. However, he would always propose special treatment for veterans, like waiving their property taxes. I would write against these special benefits.
My argument was that if we don’t pay soldiers enough, we should raise their pay. And that a property tax waiver doesn’t compensate all soldiers equally, but instead gives more benefits to soldiers who have more (own more property) because their tax waivers would be worth more, so if we really wanted to repay all soldiers, we should find something that would benefit all of them.
I got a lot of flack for that. Of course, I also get a lot of flack from conservatives who shop online when I point out that they are supposed to be paying sales taxes in their states (they hide under the guise of “taxes are bad”, but can’t explain why they should be allowed to avoid them when others cannot). And try to argue for removing a deduction that someone takes, and it won’t matter how conservative they are, they will fight you over it.
We all love our free stuff. We all think we are entitled to whatever it is we get, and we all want OTHER people to have to be punished or treated more harshly, so we can continue to enjoy our benefits.
Many street cops refuse discounts at restaurants because there is an unsaid expectation of the management that the cops will take their side in any customer altercation resulting from a bill dispute.
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