Recently my flight to Arizona was delayed for two hours because of a huge summer thunderstorm in Phoenix. The pilot announced there was a ground stop. Since it was uncertain when I might get to Phoenix, I encouraged my relatives to not come pick me up at the airport. I would just take an Uber ride to our condo.
We finally landed two hours late. The airport was packed. Apparently many other arriving flights were delayed and they finally arrived in Phoenix at the same time. It took a while to get my luggage. When I used my phone to schedule an Uber ride I was surprised the price was over $65 for a 20 minute ride to Scottsdale! That was more than a one-way plane ticket. But it was late and I needed to get to my destination.
I was determined to not spend as much money getting back to the airport at the end of the week. Although several people offered to give me a ride I was confident I could do it myself. I called the Metro hotline and a nice lady told me where and when I could catch a bus in Scottsdale and connect with the Metro in Tempe. She reminded me to ask for the senior discount rate before I purchased my ticket.
I packed my bags and walked to the nearest bus stop. I was pleased to see that my first bus arrived on time. When I offered to pay and mentioned my senior discount the nice lady said that the Scottsdale “Trolley” was free – no charge regardless of age. That sounded good. I was saving money already. I rode a short distance to a transit center where I needed to find Bus 81 going south to Tempe and the Metro Rail line. I was encouraged to see my bus waiting when we arrived. When I offered to pay the bus driver he said his machine was broken and I didn’t need to pay anything. Wow – more money saving!
When my bus arrived at the Metro station in Tempe I purchased a one-way ticket on a machine and made sure I noted I was a senior. The ticket cost a total of $1 for the ride to the airport and no one even bothered to see if I had a ticket. The savings were adding up! One dollar from the condo to the airport in contrast to over $65 with Uber. However the Uber was air conditioned and only took 20 minutes. The buses and Metro Train took two hours and included standing outside at the bus stop and metro station in the 107 degree weather. I guess saving money does have its limitations. Which would you choose – 20 minutes or two hours? Comfort or climate change? Let me encourage you to consider your options carefully and don’t forget to ask for your senior discount!
You can read 365 more stories by the author in his book Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper. You can purchase a copy online for only $20 plus $5 postage. Order your copy today at Markh@efreedb.org,
Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper 