The Glasses Monopoly

There is one company from Italy that owns or controls 80% of the frames we use for our glasses, that's a fact.
      Over the past two weeks I have been taking the girls to the eye doctor. We used to go to New Jersey to a place that had a person who spoke Russian. They were very nice. did a fine job, but then the girls got jobs and the place is about forty minutes away down the Palisades Parkway. It just became impossible to get there when needed.
     Well now that the girls are driving, you'd think it would be easier. No, someone who knows what's going on needs to be there to guide them still. A prefect example; I bring Elena into the eye doctor's office on Route 303 across from the Palisades Center, We walk in, a person says, "Hello, how may I help you?" I look at Elena, she looks at me and I say, "tell him" She again looks at me after a few moments of silence. She has no idea why she is here or can't put it into words. I tell him why we are here. He then asks for a name. I look at Elena, she looks at me and I say to her, "tell him" She says, "Muller" Me being the wise ass all the time says, "see that wasn't so hard, you got it right." She smirks at me.
       This adventure started on a Monday with Nastia. She wanted to drive to the eye doctor and I wanted to arrive there alive, so I drove. She's not a bad driver, she just needs more practice.
       We get to the eye doctor. It's the first time I've been there. It's a nice place and when I meet the eye doctor and talk with her, she is nice too. Before that happens we are asked to sit down and relax. It has been a long day for me, not as long as Teri's, but for me long. I'm tired and when I sit down in the chair I begin to feel it immediately. I relax in the chair and my eyes begin to close. Nastia is called to go in, I stay. A few moments later I am called to join her. The Questions the doctor is asking Nastia can't answer, I an still needed in her life. We talk, the doctor examines and after it is all said and done Nastia has a scratch on her cornea and should not wear her contacts for a few days. We make an appointment for the next Monday. I hand the clerk our insurance and they say they don't take it, but some how we get a discount and she only pays $39. Yes, Nastia did pay. It is our way that on certain things they have to pay. I call it, 'Welcome to the real world, it sucks, but you ask why you need to go to college, well this is the reason.' That's a bit of a long title, I'm going to have to work on it.
       Elena went the next day. It is amazing the difference in the two. Elena wants to always be perceived as tough and in control. And as we all know those are the ones who struggle inside with the world. Elena has the same exam and her eyes are good enough to drive at night with glasses where Nastia's were not. For this information Elena pays $139. Why the big difference? I don't know. I didn't want to rock the boat too much because if Nastia got a discount and Elena didn't, I didn't want to come off as ungrateful.
      A week later the same parade happened. Nastia gets a clean bill of health on her eye. Over the weekend her glasses broke. The warranty on them is over of course and they can't fix them. This is where the 80% control of the market comes in. Magicly they don't make that pair of glasses any more. Doesn't it always seem that way. You like a pair of glasses and the frames are not made anymore even though the glasses are just a year old. Or You want new frames and they can't match the glass to any frames. Why you ask, well now you have to buy new everything. Not completely the doctor's office fault.
       Nastia gets new glasses and contacts. Her hard contacts are relatively cheap, only a hundred and change dollars. Her glasses are over two hundred and the grand total of glasses and contacts is almost five hundred dollars. $483. to be exact. She pays again, 'welcome to the real world, I know it sucks, but it is the only one we got.' Title is still too long.
       Elena goes the next day, she has a new pair of contacts in. The doctor checks her sight and with the clean contacts in her sight has changed so little she does not need  to buy contacts or glasses. There is no charge for that visit. Totaling up everything Nastia spends on everything $522. Elena spends $139. add that to the car insurance each just paid and their bank accounts have just been raped. Nastia spends for both insurance and glasses and contacts $ 1622. Elena spends $1022. Oh and girls your cell phone bill is here today too. 'Welcome to the real world, my dears' THAT'S IT!! I can say that when they complain about how expensive everything is!!






















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