Tayto Madam President? That'll be €8.50 please.

Badgermonkey · 26-03-2011 03:22PM #1

On Monday last, March 21st, I boarded an Aer Lingus flight from Amsterdam Schipol to Dublin.

Having flown from LA overnight, I wearily settled into my window seat and dosed 'til I was awoken some time later by the familiar voice of former Uachtaran na hEireann Mary Robinson, now seated in my row, on the aisle with the centre seat unoccupied.

By this time, the haughtily titled 'Sky-cafe', an industrial apparatus for dispensing tea and almost food had rolled up.

I was only a little surprised she was asked to dip her hand in her purse for tea and crisps though I'm sure the stewardess could have exercised some discretion.

So question is - free lunch out of respect for a former holder of the office or pay up like the rest of us schlubs?

Offy · 26-03-2011 03:24PM

Badgermonkey wrote: »

On Monday last, March 21st, I boarded an Aer Lingus flight from Amsterdam Schipol to Dublin.

Having flown from LA overnight, I wearily settled into my window seat and dosed 'til I was awoken some time later by the familiar voice of former Uachtaran na hEireann Mary Robinson, now seated in my row, on the aisle with the centre seat unoccupied.

By this time, the haughtily titled 'Sky-cafe', an industrial apparatus for dispensing tea and almost food had rolled up.

I was only a little surprised she was asked to dip her hand in her purse for tea and crisps though I'm sure the stewardess could have exercised some discretion.

So question is - free lunch out of respect for a former holder of the office or pay up like the rest of us private citizens?

Pay up.

entropi · 26-03-2011 03:25PM

Discretion my arse...she's a regular person like the rest of us, well except for her EU duties and whatnot.

pragmatic1 · 26-03-2011 03:25PM

Pay up.

Sonics2k · 26-03-2011 03:26PM

Pay up.

Seaneh · 26-03-2011 03:26PM

she has enough money, she can pay up!

Eve_Dublin · 26-03-2011 03:27PM

They charged Mary Robinson of all people? The woman is an actual legend...Mary should have a red carpet rolled out for her everywhere she walks and a free Tayto Multipack delivered to her door every morning. And a pink Snack bar.

Mark200 · 26-03-2011 03:27PM

Definitely pay up.... weird question.

MrStuffins · 26-03-2011 03:28PM

I dunno! I mean, it must be a bit of a shock for her, after all, didn't her job almost exclusively entail her getting free trips around the world and a sh1te-load of expenses in order to take photos with other people in similar situations?

thetonynator · 26-03-2011 03:28PM

Fair enough that she should be asked to pay now, maybe when aer lingus was fully state owned it might have been different. Although when aer lingus talk about being our national airline, you could expect them to compliment lunch to a former president.

joshrogan · 26-03-2011 03:28PM

Doubt they knew who she was.

mahamageehad · 26-03-2011 03:28PM

Why shouldn't she have to pay?? Poor people like us should get them free while the rich people pay! :P

AckwelFoley · 26-03-2011 03:30PM

id pay for her tayto.

...if she cupped my balls with her soft presidential hand

Badgermonkey · 26-03-2011 03:31PM

joshrogan wrote: »

Doubt they knew who she was.

No, they knew.

robinph · 26-03-2011 03:32PM

Pay.

What possible justification is there for giving stuff for free to the people who are most able to pay.

Eve_Dublin · 26-03-2011 03:32PM

Mary Robinson, people....MARY ROBINSON!! Do you know anything about what this woman has done?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Robinson

The least she deserves is a free packet of Tayto and a cup of tea.

Couldn't imagine Mary munching on a packet of Tayto though...kind of knocks her off the pedastal I've put her on...I wonder did she drop any down her top and had to fish them out of her bra like I do....

gosuckonalemon · 26-03-2011 03:34PM

Of course she shouldn't have to pay!

Neither should former taoisigh or former bankers. That'll get this country rocking again!

Eve_Dublin · 26-03-2011 03:36PM

gosuckonalemon wrote: »

Of course she shouldn't have to pay!

Neither should former taoisigh or former bankers. That'll get this country rocking again!

Your equating Mary (I know her on a first name basis..."Howaya Maz!") with those bunch of crooks?

COYW · 26-03-2011 03:36PM

Pay up. However, I witnessed something on a Ryanair last year which really surprised me, along the same lines. I was flying London-Gatwick to Dublin and we had the pleasure of the company of the Katie Price posse, which included her husband, a cage fighter according to the girls in work.

Everything they got off the service trolley was free and one of the air hostesses, Irish girl, spent most of the flight chatting up the husband. Never would have considered Ryanair to be the freebie type.

Just to add, I was sitting 2 rows behind them and the husband did offer to pay but the air hostess was having none of it.

Badgermonkey · 26-03-2011 03:37PM

robinph wrote: »

Pay.

What possible justification is there for giving stuff for free to the people who are most able to pay.

I'm 50/50 on it tbh, it'd be out of respect to the office but I suppose on that basis we'd have to give uber creep Ahern freebies.

I'm now 80/20.

enfant terrible · 26-03-2011 03:44PM

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Mary Robinson, people....MARY ROBINSON!! Do you know anything about what this woman has done?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Robinson

The least she deserves is a free packet of Tayto and a cup of tea.

Couldn't imagine Mary munching on a packet of Tayto though...kind of knocks her off the pedastal I've put her on...I wonder did she drop any down her top and had to fish them out of her bra like I do....

Has she done anything useful?

Eve_Dublin · 26-03-2011 03:45PM

Badgermonkey wrote: »

I'm 50/50 on it tbh, it'd be out of respect to the office but I suppose on that basis we'd have to give uber creep Ahern freebies.

I'm now 80/20.

Not really. Nobody has to know. Aer Lingus don't need to have a policy of free goodies for politicians. It's just good judgement to give a woman whose done so much for human rights a free cup of tea. You're not going to charge a man whose having a mini heart attack for a bottle of water because then you'd have to give everyone who was sick a free bottle of water. Are we living in a world of robots here or what? I'd say the woman/man who served must have been mortified. I think I would've given it to her and paid it out of my own money.

Eve_Dublin · 26-03-2011 03:46PM

enfant terrible wrote: »

Has she done anything useful?

Why are you asking me that? Read the article!

Agent Smith · 26-03-2011 03:48PM

she should pay tbh

Badgermonkey · 26-03-2011 03:51PM

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Not really. Nobody has to know. Aer Lingus don't need to have a policy of free goodies for politicians. It's just good judgement to give a woman whose done so much for human rights a free cup of tea. You're not going to charge a man whose having a mini heart attack for a bottle of water because then you'd have to give everyone who was sick a free bottle of water. Are we living in a world of robots here or what? I'd say the woman/man who served must have been mortified. I think I would've given it to her and paid it out of my own money.

There is also the possibility she'd find something being offered gratis in a public setting uncomfortable.

The Orb · 26-03-2011 03:52PM

Ex-president who didn't complete her term of office, resigning to take up what she thought was a better gig. Mary should have bought a packet of Tayto goodness for everyone on board.

enfant terrible · 26-03-2011 03:59PM

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Why are you asking me that? Read the article!

Couldn't find much there, found this thread talking about her achievements
http://www.politics.ie/current-affairs/36972-achievements-mary-robinson.html

Don't know why she's so popular, she was just another politician getting a crazy wage for not doing much.

gosuckonalemon · 26-03-2011 04:08PM

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

Your equating Mary (I know her on a first name basis..."Howaya Maz!") with those bunch of crooks?

Nope. But she should pay just as they should.

Mint Sauce · 26-03-2011 04:13PM

€8.50 for tea & crisps!?!?

:eek:

taytothief · 26-03-2011 04:16PM

Pay for tayto?

LOL

senorwipesalot · 26-03-2011 04:17PM

What flavour tayto did she eat?She looks like a smokey bacon woman to me.

Tayto Madam President? That'll be €8.50 please.

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