Into April - Bad capitalism. Did Jesus die for this?

Me: "Hi. Are you a business that provides services for money?"
Business: "Yes."
Me: "Can you help me? I have money."
Business: "Meh."

My mate from the states says that Chile is an extremely capitalist country, the problem is that it's rubbish at it. This week his observation has been ringing through my baffled brain as time and again I've asked travel agents to help me, in exchange for money, and they have, time and again, failed to do so.

It's a model you see a lot in Chile. Businesses steadfastly refusing to change their 'unhelpful' M.O. despite other businesses right-next-door doing so much better by offering good service. It's amazing. You want to take the owner of the empty restaurant by the hand, walk him down the road to the heaving popular restaurant and say, "Look how it could be. Just be nice to your customers."

On the other hand, I kind of respect the defiance of the bad companies. Like some old boy refusing to move despite the cliffs below his house slowly crumbling into the sea.

So. I still don't have a flight.

However, I did read an amazing story about a man known as D.B. Cooper.

He hijacked an aeroplane, demanded a parachute and $200,000 in 1971 money, locked the pilot and the crew in the cockpit then jumped out the back, never to be seen again. Hero. As I write I'm looking at Cat and Dog and wondering if they'll need their own chute or if we can get away with just the one for the three of us.

Have a lovely Easter.