Parsimony Of The Week

In those seemingly far-off days when we could travel at will, exceeding baggage allowances and having to pay the heavy additional fees was always a worry. Sometimes to avoid going over the limit, bags had to be hastily reorganised on the airport floor or extra layers of clothing donned, making some passengers look like Michelin men.

Four travellers arrived at the airport in Kunming in China’s Yunnan Province, having bought a box of oranges for 50 yuan, weighing 30 kilogrammes. At the check in they were informed that they were going to be charged shipping fees of 300 yuan if they checked the oranges in.

After a brief discussion, the doughty travellers decided that there was nothing for it but to eat the whole boxload of oranges there and then. It took them around half an hour to polish them off and then they boarded their plane.

Sadly, as well as being put off oranges for some time, they all suffered from mouth ulcers for eating so many citrus fruits in one go. Sometimes penny pinching doesn’t pay.