Re: drink prices
On Sunday, February 03, 2002 1:49 AM Joel Simon Grus [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Last night I went to a bar, and the woman in front of me ordered a large, fancy drink. It was poured, and the bartender said $13.00, at which point the woman objected. Sorry, said the bartender, once it's poured, there's nothing I can do. Why didn't she just walk? I'm sure the establishment wasn't going to a) beat it out of her or b) press charges on her. Many bars seem to have no price lists, and people generally seem willing to order without first asking how much the drinks cost. (1) Where else do people buy things without knowing the price first? (I've been thinking and have been unable to come up with any examples.) Some restaurants where some or all prices are listed. Usually, though, there's an expectation of a certain price level. (2) Why does this happen in bars? I'm not sure, but my guess is since people are likely to be having a good time and not want to be a party pooper or to be inebriated and therefore have impaired judgment, most are less likely to complain. Cheers! Daniel Ust http://uweb.superlink.net/neptune/
Re: drink prices
Are you sure this is what happened? I'd guess that the woman expected a range of price, and was shocked when when she found out the drink was $13. (1) Where else do people buy things without knowing the price first? (I've been thinking and have been unable to come up with any examples.) People are drunk and/or trying to have a good time. I think it's an example of people with very short time horizons caused by drunkeness or distracted by other events (televised sports, pool, flirting, music, etc) If you wanted a biological explanation, I'd guess bars are places where people's adrenaline goes up, they get excited and lose their patience. (2) Why does this happen in bars? - Joel
Re: drink prices
People often make impulse purchases at the supermarket as they proceed through checkout without knowing the price. Indeed, the price is usually not even marked. I suspect, however, that the explanation is different from the one I'd employ to explain the phenomenon you describe. Impulse buys are quite inexpensive, almost by definition, and hence price sensitivity tends to be lower than it would be for a potenially expensive glass of alcohol. --Brian Auriti [EMAIL PROTECTED]
