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During the summer, my daughter and I have a tradition: after I get home from work, we go for a bike ride together down on the lakeshore, and buy two tamarindo paletas, which we enjoy while watching the volleyball players at Montrose Beach.

Different paleta cart vendors have told me the price is $1, $1.50, and $2. I know the last price is inflated, and I've heard of prices even lower than $1. I also know that some (all?) vendors charge more for milk-based paletas.

What should I be paying? I would just like to know, so that I can hand them the money, say muchas gracias, and enjoy my all-too-limited time with my daughter. Thanks everyone.

Let's put it this way: you're dealing with independent contractors who are walking or biking miles to deliver their goods. The prices aren't set - they are charging what the market will bear. Think of it less as paying for a popsicle and more as paying for the delivery service and equipment overhead.

If you want a consistent price, I've never seen price variation at the Monarca store on Clark St (admittedly, I don't go there often, so I could be wrong.)

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Really? You want to play hardball with a pushcart ice cream vendor? They're probably just going to squander that money on food or housing.

wow, seriously. that's what I was thinking. if paying an extra 50 cents for a paleta causes you to not be able to enjoy your time with your daughter, it's time to open a number ten can of perspective.

This deserves to be one of our signature quotations.

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I don't play--nor do I want to play--hardball with paleta vendors, whom I see as one of the many great things about living in the City of Chicago. And I never said that any of this causes me to not be able to enjoy my time with my daughter.

We buy a lot of paletas, and when you pay three different prices for the exact same brand of paleta, it seems reasonable to be curious as to the reason why. (I've never experienced an inconsistency with the price of a Monarca paleta, by the way...).

Mhays' response was perfectly helpful (thank you); spinynorman99 and elakin's ad hominem belittling of my question, not so much.

Paletas are traded on international commodity markets and fluctuations in price are to be expected. Currently, instability in the Middle East and the U.S. credit rating downgrade are contributing to the volatility. Personally, I always check the most recent price on the Wall Street Journal site whenever I want a frozen treat. If too high, I opt instead for an Italian ice, which have more liquidity.

I cant believe the snide remarks here. It seems a simple request, what do you pay for a product? The going rate in the neighborhood has been 1.50 by me. Hope that helps.

Definitely helps, and really appreciated. Thanks 2146 north.

First of all, he got his answer early on, these are essentially independent contractors, so variation is not unexpected. As for the rest of us, and speaking only for myself, I was a little taken aback at the implication that he was being ripped off. I appreciate that he was questioning a $1 variance in the pricing of a $1 item, but honestly, these people are busting their butts for a meager "living."

Doesn't this sentence signal that your inference of the OP's motives was simply mistaken?

How do you know that the person making the original request is not also busting their butt for meager living? Why shouldn't we be willing to help them out with a courteous answer?

Folks,

We're locking this thread, as the original question has been asked and answered.

Yes, some of the replies were a bit pointed but none of them crossed the "would I be willing to say this in person?" line. That's why they were not removed. However a continued debate about who's right is unlikely to ever be settled and serves no purpose.

Thanks,

=R=
for the moderators

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