September 12, 2007
The Marketplace Is Irrational
I don't care what the bobbleheads say. Here's a perfect example:
I'm going out of town this weekend, so I made two reservations today: one to board my dog, one to rent a car. $24 a day to board my dog, $18.99 a day to rent a full size car, unlimited mileage. Let me reiterate that.
$24 a day to throw my dog in a crate, ignore her 23 hours a day, and throw some cheap kibble at her twice a day, versus
$18.99 a day to hand over the keys to a $25,000 relatively new automobile to a perfect stranger of unknowable drinking and drug habits, with unlimited mileage, with no concern for where on earth he should take that vehicle, as long as he abide by the compact and show back up Monday morning. As an investor or risk manager I know which business model I prefer.
Yes, yes, I understand insurance, and all that crap, but that is really just part of the underlying risk mitigation and risk management. Because at the end of the day they don't want a check from my insurance company for a wrecked car. They want their Impala back. And they don't care a whit whether I bring it back with an additional 20,000 miles on it, or an additional 75 miles on it. $18.99 a day either way. As long as I don't scratch the paint I can jump dirt moguls all weekend, too. They don't care a whit.
That is one fucked up business model. Which I intend to exploit to the fullest this weekend. I'm going to abuse the shit out of that rental car. I have to extract the $5.01 premium Animal Walk is gouging me to board my dog, don't I?
Look, I'm just trying to seek equilibrium in the marketplace. One transaction at a time.
I can go you one better. Lease some land out in the boonies from someone who is waiting for the suburbs to arrive so they can sell it to a developer. In the meantime, turn it into a Doggie Park and charge folks $14 just to let their doggies run around on your leased land. Have very strict rules and even make folks pick up their doggie poo. No grass to mow, no real maintenance. Money for nuthin' and the checks are free.
Posted by: Joan of Argghh! at September 12, 2007 8:30 PMOK...that's it, I'm gonna go sit by Joan and hope her smarts rubs off on me by osmosis.
Posted by: imp at September 12, 2007 9:13 PMWhy don't you just "board" Bella in the trunk of the Rental Vehicle? Two birds, one (very smelly) stone.
Posted by: Elisson at September 12, 2007 11:09 PMBetter yet - get one of your friends to take care of Bella for you. You do have friends... don't you?
Posted by: Dash at September 13, 2007 10:03 AMHow else do you expect American car makers to sell their cars, if not to rental fleets?
Posted by: rankin' rob at September 13, 2007 2:00 PMHey, I think Dash just volunteered to dogsit for you...Put a stamp on her head, send her to TX. ;)
Posted by: Key at September 13, 2007 6:57 PMI am due for a drunk. Call me. I can be in Jacksonville in no time.
Posted by: Don Jr. at September 13, 2007 8:00 PMSend her on out here. My dogs could teach her a few bad habits she hasn't yet picked up... maybe.
Posted by: Dash at September 13, 2007 11:10 PMThe market is not irrational - it is merely responding to the irrational, emotive sentiment that certain people place in their dogs. Same rules apply with haircuts - my hair gets cut for $10.00 a pop, the fucking dog's hair gets cut I'm $40.00 out. The little bastard knee-humper doesn't even have a job.
Posted by: DosPeros at September 17, 2007 9:22 AM