I got PIRGed again

I don't have much money. I'm comfortable enough, but I don't just have money lying around that I can throw at the Rutgers Accounting Office whenever they feel ornery.

But hey, if we can't laugh at our own misfortunes... I dunno, maybe we can lash out at others?

Back to business:

So last month I had one of those weird snafus that takes place entirely over my head and affects only me, the end result of which was that I never received the updated term bill. The great state of Nueva Jersey payed my tab, but the paperwork got delayed. And then it was after the deadline.

Ah, the deadline. That arbitrary date after which I'd get charged $125.

My account had already been credited all the money I'd be getting - tuition and fees, the whole shebang - and all that was left on the balance sheet was $11.20.

Let's do the math here. 125 dollars, American, as a penalty for not paying $11.20. That's a 1216% markup.

Look at it another way. It's actually not that much extra at all, if you measure the late fee in Belarusian Rubles.

To add insult to injury, the $11.20 was the PIRG fee. You may recall, I have some strong feelings about PIRG already. Now I straight up hate them.

Balancing my account was remarkably easy. I simply said to the clerk, "I don't want to pay the PIRG fee". And that was that.

Except there was still the matter of the late fee. I'd settled my debt after the deadline, you see, and so I needed to be punished. I've been a baaaad little boy.

Let's do the math here. 125 dollars, American, as a penalty for not paying $0. That's an infinite markup.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to make some calls on Monday.