rivervox

We spent the weekend at the JFK Hilton. It was the best price we could find for our family event in nearby Queens. We paid a bit more for the "Executive floor" with the Executive lounge and boy, was it worth it. A large by cozy dining room with views of Manhattan. You had to swipe your key card to get the elevator to go there. A little living room with a couch and huge TV. Free soda, juice and water. A really cool Starbucks espresso/cappucino/mocha machine plus regular coffee. Peanuts and other snacks at cocktail hour. Free continental breakfast. For my family, this was a huge win. The space to spread out, free coffee, drinks & snacks plus breakfast? We were living like kings. Perhaps best of all, we left the kids sleeping in the room and hung out in the living room, a few doors down. We watched TV, drank wine and talked like actual adults. It was wonderful and we will look for other Executive floor deals in the future. But that's not what I want to talk about. I want to write about privilege.

As I enjoyed this castle in the clouds I kept thinking that this is what travel is like for businessmen and "executives". As you move up in status, you get more free stuff. When you don't need the free stuff, that's when you get it. The business traveler can expense his breakfast. That's why you and I pay $25 for the steam table eggs but probably he's getting it for free. There was a giant bowl of fruit. All you can drink. Pastries & fracking panna cotta in tiny cups. Downstairs in the cafe a muffin & a coffee will cost you $7. The room had artwork, sculpture, pillows a cozy couch. We had bathrobes. Free wifi! But they knew we weren't going to steal these things, because we already have them. I could have emptied that refrigerator of soda & juice and sold it on the street. Dumped those luscious pears in my suitcase. But because I'm a middle class person who can afford to stay here, they assume I won't do that. I have enough food and my own bathrobe.

Privilege has its privileges. When people are under stress and in survival mode, they look for advantage - take what they can get - which is a wise strategy. When people are comfortable, they can relax. Be indulgent. Share and enjoy. I grew up in a working class family, live a middle class life in a rich town and work with very privileged upper middle class people so I don't take these things for granted.

To be continued...