The Testing Begins

At the beginning of our trek home, or at least near the beginning on our walk to Union Station, this afternoon, we noticed what looked like an ice cream cart with people handing things out. Thinking it was some kind of ice cream snack being handed out, we made our way towards it but once I realized that it was not some ice cream treat but instead a new kind of flakie, I turned aside and waited while Stinky T took advantage of the free item. During the remainder of the walk to Union, Stinky T looked over the flakie and decided she did not really want it.

We boarded our train and Stinky T, realizing she still had the unwanted flakie in her hand, decided to place it on a vacant seat expecting someone to come by and pick it up. We both sat there watching the people board the train and notice the solitary flakie waiting for someone to take it. This took a humourous turn as a couple ladies sitting in view of the filled pastry snack looked longingly at it like some look at a lover. We thought for sure one of these ladies were going to break down and grab it but their resolve was stronger than we thought and the flakie remained.

About halfway to the end of the line and my stop, Stinky T detrained and the flakie was still where she left it. I thought this was unbelievable and had begun to think the snack was going to take up permanent residency on that seat. By the time the train reached the end of the line, there were only a couple other people in the coach beside me. Just prior to the train stopping, I had decided I should pick the flakie up and put it in the trash but I did not get that chance. The person occupying the seat beside the treat, who had left it untouched for almost an hour, ended up taking it. I don't know if she ended up just throwing it out but from the way she took it, I fully suspect that she did not toss it to the trash.

As I was preparing to get up and grab the flakie and take it to the trash, I noticed a coat on the seat and I knew what was coming. Seconds after my observation, this mystery lady picked up her coat and then bent down and picked something else up. Of course it had to be the flakie but assuming things makes an ass of pretty much everyone (you know what I'm talking about) so I needed visual confirmation. I had to see it to believe it (or not see it in this case). My eyes, unless they deceived me for that split second, rested on nothing but the blue corduroy of the seat. The flakie was finally taken.

It is too early in the testing stage to come to concrete conclusions but I am going to go out on a limb here (did I put enough cliches in this post yet?) and say that even though a flakie is irresistible, the need to not be perceived as cheap is greater. Had that train been empty sooner, the flakie would never had stood a chance. Once again, perception proves to be everything.

We have ideas for further testing, once we get some funding from the government ($500,000 should suffice), we can begin to test some more elaborate cases but until then we may start our monetary test, starting with a twenty-five cent piece (or a quarter if you prefer).