Took the Fam to Mackinac Island last weekend for a quick little get-away. Took Sheplers Ferry from Mackinac City to the Island. The other choices are Arnold and Starline. I went with Sheplers b/c they had a $3 off coupon from my hotel, the Lilac Tree Hotel and Spa.
The retail price for dummies who don't print their tickets online is $24 per adult. That is $48 for a 15 minute boat ride. Does anyone else have a problem with this? They have expensive boats but most of the help are high-school goons. I bet there is a huge profit margin for these operations. Unless.....
That is, unless this is a classic Ologopoly. There is probably some stupid association in conjunction with the island which takes care of any barriers to entry. My evidence here is that all three ferry lines have been operating for like 60years and nobody else has even tried to break into the game. I'm guessing somehow someone on the island is getting a nice kickback.
Did I mention to stay at the Grand Hotel the rates is over $600 per night?
The thing that really made me mad about the Sheplers Ferry wasn't the $24 fee. It was the $8 fee to bring my boy's little red wagon on the boat. You see, if there is no wagon you can bring as many bags as you like. But I had all my bags stacked on the wagon, taking up the same amount of space as if I hadn't brought the wagon. The $8 for that, on top of the outrageous boarding pass is what got my goat.
Am I crazy? Am I a cheapskate?
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