Free Food and Freelander Culture

There is a friend of mind that grew up in a different generation and somehow developed a mind set that if there was anything out there that was free it was his. When people had parties, he would crash the the event so that he could "celebrate" with them and eat the free food. If he was remotely connected he was there bellied up to the table for a portion. When someone had talent, he would be there to use that talent for free of course and when called on it he backed off and claimed it was the person's privilege to comp him with their knowledge. At times it was a a cool ego boost to the person that had talent. I can teach him how to do it... blah blah blah. No, he really didn't want to learn or go through the steps to learn, he wanted your shortcuts and better yet do it for him for free. 

It probably should not be strange to me that when it came to politics, the same thing was true in his philosophy. He did not want the government to do anything except defend him militarily. They should not collect the taxes to pay for schools for his kids or provide for the support of old people through social security. Certainly we don't need to buy health insurance, as a part of the freeloading culture thinks, this is what is coming to me for my awesome contributions to society. I deserve to get this for free and not pay for it.... someone else will cover me.  If you make me pay for what I need, you take away my freeeeeeedom. On the other side this group always wants private enterprise to control the market place.  If you need a surgery... pay for it yourself sucker... or get out of the way.

When it came to software, this person was first in line for a "free" copy of what the rest of the group bought.  When software became expensive and the rest of the group decided to buy it in shares... this person decided not to buy it at all...and then when he had to buy in, it was by goods in trade. When he ate out and it was his turn to pay.. he threw the bills at the cashier as if paying was really not a privilege but a duty.

Then the software companies started making everyone buy a license. The freeloading group stands stuck in time. It costs a lot of money to design tools for computers and the prolific users that work for companies should pay for its use.  There is no free lunch... everyone should have to pay. If you want the latest Adobe Photoshop you can even rent it for 19.95 a month. Why? because the freeloader culture needs to pay its fair share.

It gets down to the lowest level. The waiter the serves you your food. You know there is no living wages coming from the restaurant. Its our duty not to freeload on the cost of service.

Six retired men teachers had breakfast last Thursday morning.  The breakfast that most of us got was 3.99, plus a 1.95 for a beverage.  The waffle house 2 eggs ham, hashbrowns and toast or biscuits and gravy. The tip that was left collectively was 3 dollars in one dollar bills on the table.... I could not believe it. Granted some put their tip on the credit card they used to pay for their breakfast.... but 6 for 3 dollar tip... its part of a culture that doesn't pay any more than they have to... even when it doesn't make sense. We all had separate tags and multiple coffee refills. 

My daughters that have worked in restaurants never let me leave that table with less than 20% tip. I think that is a good starting point.

We as a people need to stop thinking in a free food freeloading mindset. There are really people out there that depend on the little extras that we all can afford. It seems that the people that can least afford it give the most.

Is the freeloader culture the natural progression of what we call youthful entitlement?(by which we all hate).