How the Rich Travel (and Complain)

And then low class people misbehave on Low Cost Carriers and have mass fights over chicken tenders on Carnival Cruise Line.

Ahh, the Entitled among us. Mardee’s article brings a few sayings to mind…
“Some people have more dollars than sense”
“There’s just no fixing stupid.” — Jeff Foxworthy
“Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich.”
——Napolean Bonaparte

but reading this article about a travel "fixer" made me roll my eyes so hard, they almost flew out of my head.

That reaction is generally the purpose of a lot of "news" stories - even from a source like the NYT. There's a reason a story is in the Style section, and there is also a bit of the normal "create a stir" from a story like that one.

There are a lot of reasons the ultra-wealthy are out of touch and doing things "normal" folks don't/can't do, but entitlement in travel and using dollars to change things in their favor is not surprising nor new "news".

The writer left us hanging, was it a helicopter or submarine that rescued that girl? The public demands to know.

VAP, sad, but true.

Kenko, I love the quotes! One of my favorites is, "Against stupidity, the gods themselves contend in vain."

Allan, ha ha!!

@Tom R, If a piece is in the NYT “Style” section, it’s actually not being classified as a news story.

It’s what once was called a “Feature” article. These days, the Times has the Style section. and other sections, to clearly delineate that it is not a news story.

The news is reported because it is news— not because there’s an underlying motive to provoke a “reaction” from the reader.

I am super extra rich and I don't demand too much, oh darn that is just monopoly .money and property I have, darn!

I'm an oddball. I couldn't care less how billionaires choose to spend their money. If this chick wants to hire a chopper to fly her to Mykonos, I don't care.

Not odd at all jphbucks. Fair point.

Yale Prof Ian Shapiro often lectures about how inequality/inequity outrage is strongest with local comparisons. He says for example professors would be besides themselves to find another professor making 5,000 dollars more than themselves but would be less concerned to learn their next door neighbor makes 500,000 dollars as attorney. He discusses Frans de Waal capuchin monkey experiment where a monkey goes nuts after seeing another monkey rewarded with a grape as an opposed to cucumber like it had been receiving for the same work.

Apply this to travel, we all may be mildly bemused by the spoiled rich acting poorly but we get far more excited when someone from boarding group 7 tries to board ahead of us in boarding group 1. Line cutters are the worst!

Happy travels.

Mardee,

Ahh, give me a fixer for my vacation, and here’s what I would be “demanding”:

• No selfies allowed in museums. Maybe even to the point of no photos allowed. That would reduce the crowded museums. ; )
• Perfect weather. Not sure how they control that, but, “Just make it happen!”…..trying out my demanding voice. LOL!

Jean: add I want there to be no crowds in Italy in June. And I want to be able to visit a Russian-less Ukraine.

demand that a helicopter or a submarine pick her up

Well, this seem perfectly reasonable to me!

He discusses Frans de Waal capuchin monkey experiment where a monkey goes nuts after seeing another monkey rewarded with a grape as an opposed to cucumber like it had been receiving for the same work.

@david - the video of the monkey throwing a tantrum after getting the "lesser" reward is one of my favorite animal videos. If folks haven't seen it, it's worth the watch ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KSryJXDpZo ) just for the monkey's throw back of the cucumber.

This article is a little ridiculous. I’ve encountered plenty of wealthy people while traveling. It doesn’t take me long to figure out that we are not really on the same economic tier, but mostly because they travel so often and with higher end choices. I haven’t found an entitled one yet. They have been friendly, welcoming and generally good people.

I know there are entitled oddballs at every economic level, but thankfully I haven’t run in to too many.

And not said, how many times have people like this been reinforced (over long periods of time) by the behavior "working"?

So, yeah, when it doesn't they have problems coping.

I couldn't care less how billionaires choose to spend their money. If this chick wants to hire a chopper to fly her to Mykonos, I don't care.

This! And not an oddball.

Human nature is to spend to your means, or beyond on credit. One makes $3000 a month, one spends to $3000 a month, and as income increases perceived cost of living increases and household spending increases to the new income. This is true regardless of income level. More power to those that are viewed as "rich" and have a greater spend - good for them. They may very well still be living paycheck to paycheck.

Wealth isn't what you spend, it's what you save.

I posted this same link earlier and apparently the thread was deleted.

Unsure why.

-- Mike Beebe

Mike, that’s weird. Maybe I should check with Andrew about this. I don’t want to violate any rule although I don’t know why yours would’ve been deleted.

I know that there have been at least a couple of times when I would have been thrilled to have a helicopter rescue me! But, alas, it didn't happen!

Someone once said there are three levels of conversation. The highest level is about ideas. The next level is about events. And the lowest level of conversation is about other people. Rich people are a big juicy target. It's a class of people you can demonize without any consequences.

The monkey video and the 'fixer' topic reminds me of the Trunk Monkey 'fixer' commercials.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XW8iAVwt_Yc

" It's a class of people you can demonize without any consequences. "

It's the behavior that's being "demonized". Not the Income bracket.

Wealth enables/encourages that. But you can say that about Power as well. And Fame...and...

I would like to be on deck to watch when the submarine arrived to pick her up.....did she demand nuclear-powered or regular?

Cool article. Let's be honest. If you woke up tomorrow and you were a billionaire, would you fly business class or rent a private jet? Its not that the ultra rich do not know what its like to be us, they just don't have to be. Spoiled people come in all economic sizes. Reminds me of a person in the grocery line who was miffed because she couldn't buy a certain high end food product with her food stamps.

No problem about ordering up helicopter if the Captain allowed it.

Problem with behavior of trying to countermand the Captain's decision about where the ship went.

Depending on the survey, 70% to 80% of all US millionaires and billionaires are self-made. That means “they” probably do know what it’s like to be common folk.

It’s all relative. To an average citizen of Peru, anyone that can afford to travel across the ocean for pleasure a few times a year falls into the same group as the millionaires and billionairs and deserves the same disdain as those “rich” people being denigrated in this thread. Maybe retitle the thread: How We Travel (and Complain)

I don't know about the attitude of the people of Peru towards travelers, but no matter where you live these are close to real perspectives or relativity to each other.

Millionaire: A person who has a million dollars and earns a measly 4% on that money would have a annual income of about $30,000 after taxes or $2,500 a month.

Ultra Rich: A person who has 500 million dollars and earns a measly 4% on that money would have an annual income of about 10 million dollars after taxes or $833,333 per month.

Mega Ultra Rich: A person with 5 billion dollars would bring in 8 million a month in earnings.

There is relativity even among rich people. The millionaire would more than likely not call for a helicopter. The Ultra Rich would definitely rent one no matter the cost. The Mega Ultra Rich would be on their own yacht and would own a helicopter to take them wherever they wanted to go or even rent out Venice to get married. LOL

Millionaire: A person who has a million dollars and earns a measly 4%
on that money would have a annual income of about $30,000

Which woud put you at the top of the food chain in Peru. But that aside. I know this isnt hate speech because everyone enjoys it and its not anyone we know being denegrated. Just the same I think its pretty tacky. I guess being "unfailingly polite" is limited to us-folk?

I do think it's about the money but I also think it's about always getting what you want. Here is the quote from the article again:

What happens if the fixer can't get what the customer wants? “We usually find it,” she said. “These are people that never hear no. It’s not a word they can process.”

That is the issue. These people are so rich that no one ever says no to them. They don't grasp the concept of weighing alternatives or dealing with a situation. They just want it resolved for their own benefit.

One of the clients at my law firm became an instant multi-millionaire when he sold his business for hundreds of millions of dollars, but early on he and everyone in his family took a series of classes on how to deal with sudden wealth. I think everyone who is in the uber-rich bracket should be required to do that.

That is fascinating, Mardee! Who offers classes on dealing with sudden wealth ??! I guess there is a market for that ???!!!

I know, Kim! I had ever thought about it before, but it would definitely be a good idea! I'm not sure who gave the class, but I believe his financial advisor recommended it.

I read once that most lottery mega winners wind up being broke after 10 years. Obviously they did not take the class. :-)