When Sundancers (even those without a press badge) arrive at Salt Lake City airport they need to grab a shuttle to Park City, which costs a tiny bit more each year. Express Shuttle and Canyon Transportation (same outfit, different routes) are charging $41. Way things are.

So I asked a GenZ desk clerk (elfin, thin) when the next Park City shuttle would depart, and she said “about a half hour.” Which didn’t sound too bad. “Or you could check with Ascent,” she offered, except she pronounced it “AYsent” — accent on first syllable. I looked at the Ascent sign (about 70 feet away) and said, “Ascent, you mean?” — second syllable accent. Half nod, half shrug.

So I walked down to the “AYsent” desk and asked the clerk (also GenZ, on chubby side) about their next Park City shuttle. “Leaving in about…uhm, 20 minutes?” Sounds good, I said. “And the fare is $40…?” AYsent GenZ clerk: “We charge $55 dollars.” HE cowboy hat: “Whoa!”

Back to Express Shuttle. HE: “Your competition is $14 more expensive.” Oh, she said. “Higher fares are usually a factor. Why didn’t you just…you know, mention that before sending me down there?” GenZ stringbean : “I didn’t know they were that high.”

Imagine working every day as an SLC shuttle clerk — hour after hour, day after day — and having no clue what your competitors charge, and no curiosity about this. If I was stuck with this kind of job I’d figure out the competition situation and the fare discrepancies (if any) right away. But that’s me — a Type A. A lot of people operate as Type Bs. Tunnel vision. Way things are.