Potter Park Zoo

So I took my wife and child to the zoo today.  It was an impromptu decision that actually turned out nice.  When I say impromptu I mean it.  I had no wallet, phone, or anything of any use in the world. It started out as a trip to a yard sale that actually wasn't going on so my wife asks, "well now what?"  I said "Let's stop at home for 2 minutes, I'll load the stroller you grab her bag, and we'll head to the zoo."

Once we get there I ask there was a sign that says residents $3 dollars, and non residents $5 dollars.  I tell the guy at the window that I have 2 residents and a baby and he is quick to inform me that this is for parking only. 

What kind of lame ass public zoo charges for parking?  That is ridiculous!!!  So I pay the guy without to much of an issue and then continue on into the parking lot.  My wife then tells me that they charge for the "nice" parks in Lansing.  It costs $2 dollars to get into them.  This is when I go on one of my rants at her and she reminds me that I have started a blog so that she does not have to listen to me.

So once we get to the actual entrance of the zoo and not the parking lot.  They charge $4 dollars each for Lynn and I.  So now the total bill is $11 dollars for the day.  Here's the kicker.  They pay a guy to attend the booth in the parking lot meanwhile we have to wait in line in our cars.  Once we park we then have to go to booth to get admission into the zoo.  There is another guy they are paying, and yet we are waiting in line again.  I would have gladly paid the $11 dollars at one spot! $5 dollars for me $5 dollars for the wife and $1 dollar for the kid.  Bam, done, easy perfect. 
 

I pay taxes.  I enjoy paying taxes.  It is a necessary evil.  It provides things such as zoos, parks, roads, all the things that I along with almost everybody else takes for granted.  But what I don't appreciate is the fact that my taxes go up every year and all the things that I would like to take advantage of such as zoo's, museums, and the like keep raising their prices and adding new fees.

I understand we are in a financial pinch in this country. (We have way to many freeloaders.)  In fact we should change the line in the national anthem to the "land of the freeloaders, and home of the brave."  It is horrific that I have to pay for someone's ninth child to be taken into the system but I have to check to make sure I have enough funds in the checking account to pay for a day at the zoo because they have raised their fees again this year due to lack of funding.