It is abuse of this type that will ruin a good program for all.

The restaurant option is clearly designed for departing passengers as an alternative to a snack in a lounge. Not intended for you to stock your home frig on arrival.

Technically, you’re spot on.

However, common sense and long-term courtesy would apply that “just because there’s a resource available to use doesn’t mean it should be taken advantage of up to the point the resource runs out or causes its availability to be discontinued.”

At Costco the other day, I saw some hilarious elderly ladies at the hot dog bar: They’d purchased the Coke and a hotdog $1.50 meal. Like a geriatric crime wave, they hit the condiment area: filling their now empty cups - one with relish, one with mustard. 24 ounces each of semi-purloined toppings later netted them what? - probably a score of $4?

There were no signs that said “don’t take 100 napkins in your purse for eventual home use” nor a “don’t fill up the Coke cups with as much ketchup as you are able to fit”, but lo, there it happened. Depression-era thrift combined with grandmotherly ingenuity. Kudos, ladies.

If Costco’s management saw this, there might BE some rules, with spirit and intent, printed up soon by the condiment bars nationwide. Because I don’t want detractions from my PP benefits that could be caused by program costs going up, I practice courtesy and only take what resources are appropriate. There’s admittedly going to be different levels of “appropriate” for different people and different circumstances - say I’ve got to catch a long flight in coach to Sydney, it may be deemed appropriate to stuff an extra snack into my backpack for the flight. Say my home pantry is out of honey, it may be deemed inappropriate to stuff ten jars of honey into my backpack on my departure. Just because there’s no law or rule doesn’t mean I don’t know how much “taking advantage of a resource” is too much.



TDM