Another point is that by being *somewhat* accepting of these policies, it causes the issue in the first place. If nobody wants this, don't tolerate it, especially when there are other places you can go that don't have those same issues. If there's two places, one that sells something for $10 no surcharge, and another that it comes out to a bit less than $10 after adding a surcharge, I will choose to visit the more expensive first location, because I value the transparency and percieved respect I am recieving as a customer, as well as the fact that by not supporting the second location's business, it will make that choice less attractive to other businesses considering the option.
It's kinda self defeating to say "everywhere else is doing it" when there are plenty of places you can go, without even trying hard, that aren't doing this. It's self defeating to say "I don't like it but it's just the way it is" and then go on purchasing things. I understand that in some cases you can't feasibly stop a purchase or there aren't good alternatives. In my case, I have had no issue visiting the FL parks for a few hours and skipping the food, or getting a pretzel or something to go along with the free beer with the $10 coupons and refusing to actually buy anything in the park(not to get into the abysmal food quality esp at BGT recently).
All I'm trying to get across is: It's ok to say no. You aren't being a Karen for refusing to pay a 5% surcharge and spending money elsewhere. It's OK to draw the line and it CAN have an impact on how those policies go over. If everyone who thinks it's a terrible business practice stopped engaging in it, it would disappear super fast, esp at a pass heavy park like BGW. The opinion that you can't do anything to change it and you might as well accept it for what it is is self deterministic, and I just really don't understand that view for purchases that are almost always entirely discretionary.
It's kinda self defeating to say "everywhere else is doing it" when there are plenty of places you can go, without even trying hard, that aren't doing this. It's self defeating to say "I don't like it but it's just the way it is" and then go on purchasing things. I understand that in some cases you can't feasibly stop a purchase or there aren't good alternatives. In my case, I have had no issue visiting the FL parks for a few hours and skipping the food, or getting a pretzel or something to go along with the free beer with the $10 coupons and refusing to actually buy anything in the park(not to get into the abysmal food quality esp at BGT recently).
All I'm trying to get across is: It's ok to say no. You aren't being a Karen for refusing to pay a 5% surcharge and spending money elsewhere. It's OK to draw the line and it CAN have an impact on how those policies go over. If everyone who thinks it's a terrible business practice stopped engaging in it, it would disappear super fast, esp at a pass heavy park like BGW. The opinion that you can't do anything to change it and you might as well accept it for what it is is self deterministic, and I just really don't understand that view for purchases that are almost always entirely discretionary.
