There was a time in my life, maybe 45 years ago, or so, when a dollar bill meant everything. And my father knew it.
My dad was never a hitter or a corporal punishment kind of guy. Instead, he punished my brothers and I by taking away things that meant the most to us. I remember in particular, one egregious moment when I was 12 or 13 when I was punished from watching the All Star Game. Remember, this was the days way before ESPN and getting to watch Johnny Bench of the Reds or Nolan Ryan was a real treat.
So to me, this was a true punishment.
The point I am trying to make is that back then, a dollar bill meant the world. Today, it’s nothing. Times have changed.
So the recent $2 million fine incurred by JetBlue Airways from the Department of Transportation may seem like a lot but in reality it’s hardly anything to the airline. It’s like the cost of a candy bar today. It doesn’t mean much; it doesn’t break us one way or another.
That’s why I described it in a recent news story as being more symbolic than punitive.
It reminds me of my father.
The fine and the punishment could have been a lot worse, but it still stung.
It’s an admission of guilt. It’s a way to get things over with more sooner than later. Swept away with the ember of time, so to speak. Now you know why so many people cut plea deals in the hopes that the transgression is forgotten as soon as possible.
I’ll tell you one thing, however.
My old man never forgot.
So $2 million is nothing to JetBlue, especially when you consider their stock has been rising.
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