Should Senior Citizen Discounts Be Banned?

Over at USA Today, Don Campbell is hoppin' mad about the economic injustice, nay reverse "ageism" that is the senior citizen discount. He opines:

... the question is, why should someone who is 50 or 55 and likely to live to 85 or 90 be considered a "senior citizen" worthy of special treatment?

I've now passed all the age benchmarks for senior status, and I'm committed unequivocally to a free market, but I think that such discounts are absurd, illogical, and helping fuel the growing economic divide between struggling younger generations and a self-obsessed, mostly well-to-do, older generation. To me, these "deals" add insult to injury to the very people who are being saddled with trillions of dollars in debt to support entitlement programs for the elderly, such as Medicare and Social Security.

I also find them to be a delightful source of amusement when they pit vanity against financial self-interest as cashiers try to guess your age and customers ponder admitting in public that they're a certain age in order to save a few nickels.

I was in line behind a woman at a grocery checkout in Atlanta a couple of years ago on a Wednesday, the day the store gives people age 60 and over a 5% discount. When the cashier said to the woman, "And are you taking our senior discount today?" the woman exploded: "Don't insult me like that! I'll have you know I'm 54 years old!" (She looked closer to 64 than 54, if you ask me.)

More recently, I was in one of those trendy organic food stores when the checkout clerk said to me with a big smile: "May we offer you our military or wise-man discount?" I had no idea what defined "wise man," so I just smiled back and said, "Ma'am, I am wise beyond my years." (I later found out you became "wise" at 60.)

What do you think? Should senior citizen discounts be banned? Answer after you get off Don's lawn: Link - via Moneyland

Photo: Older Than Dirt T-Shirt from the NeatoShop


The money comes from current enployees?
And where did the money go that the current employees paid while they where working?
No it wasn't put into a bank it was used, thats not the point. The point is the current retirees have a vested interest into the SS System from money taken out of there checks while they were working.
Senior citizen discounts from companies are not assumed to be paid by regular customers. It is to inspirer the retiree to spend his money at their business.
You think if a particular company where to drop the discount they would pass the savings onto the regular crowd? They would pocket it to bring more money to their shareholders.
So we drop SS because younger people want more money? Then you need to start manditory 401 k then they would need to TAKE MONEY OUT of their paychecks to fund it. Its no different.
I pay money from my paycheck for a 401k and social security.
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I wonder if it would be legal to make older people pay MORE than younger people. "Sorry, you're old, you have to pay an extra 5%". Saying it that way it doesn't sound nice at all, but in effect this is what is being said to everyone else: "Sorry, you're young, so you have to pay an extra 5%". It's discrimination, surely. Seen from that perspective it's actually a tax on younger people... which is fine because nobody actually looks at it that way :)

To be honest, I like the idea of senior citizen discounts - I like not being old enough to benefit from them, and I also like the idea that when I'm that old I will save money. Win!
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The trillions of dollars of debt have very little to do with entitlement programs and almost everything to do with wars/police actions in the Middle East.

The other problem is that the government keeps raiding those funds, especially the Social Security fund, to pay for other government expenses, not Social Security. If they kept their mitts off of those funds, there would be no issues.

And if they actually knew history, they would know that a war in the Middle East is not winnable. They are military black holes.
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"Where does he think the money comes from to pay for those entitlements?"

From the taxes they took out of his pay for his whole working life, [deleted - no name calling, please]!

Gravity. How does it work?
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I have always been of the opinion that these discounts and SS age discrimination against the younger generations who have to pay the bill.

I found it interesting that some old codger in FL was on the news saying he doesn't care about employment issues because he is retired. "Just don't touch my entitlements." Where does he think the money comes from to pay for those entitlements?

I, for one, do not expect SS to be around when I retire. I have lived within my means and been saving between 15% and 20% of my gross because of this. You may argue that I make a lot of money. My response is, "I started when my income was low. As my income grew, so did my standard of living and retirement."
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This guy is an ass. He obviously isn't struggling to make ends meet like my mother is. My mother is of retired, disabled and still has to work to earn a little extra money so she can by "luxuries" like FOOD! Discounts are nice and a good way to show appreciation to our elders. It doesn't make a difference in my life or income. Let them have 10% off on Tuesdays!
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Seniors absolutely should get discounts. They've worked all their life and many are on a fixed income and the least we can do to show our appreciation for their work and achievements are some discounts.
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Quite a few elderly people can't afford the high costs of health insurance and/or insurance companies won't even consider them because of pre-existing conditions. The fees for prescription medicines can run into the thousands, per person, each month. Many elderly people have to choose - food, heating or meds - which will it be this month?

And, yet, here you are begrudging the elderly a 5% discount for a purchase. That meal at a restaurant might have been the one highlight of the month for them. sheesh
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"Social Security gets automatic cost of living adjustments. AND you can’t be fired, downsized, etc. by social security!"

Anyone who retires on just a social security check is an idiot or in an unfortunate state of affairs. Most pensions do not index on cost of living and are based on the salary you retired with, so you're gradually losing income to inflation. 401ks are similar in that you're probably eating up the interest on your savings as income instead if you aren't having to spend it down.
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SENIORS ARE NOT ON A FIXED INCOME!!! STOP SAYING THAT!!!!

Every single person I know who gets a paycheck gets the same check every pay period. Social Security gets automatic cost of living adjustments. AND you can't be fired, downsized, etc. by social security!

I'd take a social SECURITY check over a PAY check any day...
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Uh, I think Don needs to relax just a tad. Helping fuel the economic divide? Are you kidding me? Yes, sure, that couple of bucks is breaking my bank and leaving my elderly parents sitting fat and happy.

Honestly I am thankful for the tiny breaks that my parents and grandfather are able to get every once in awhile. They are on fixed incomes and struggle to make ends meet. If their diner dinner costs $1.00 less than mine I say heck yeah! They worked their butts off for all those years so that their kids could have a good life. They EARNED those discounts.
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In Australia there are a lot of seniors discounts available for over 50s that I think maybe they shouldn't be entitled to.

Eligibility for the aged pension is currently being gradually increased to 67, it's around 64 or 65 at the moment depending on your gender. I think within 10 years 67 will be the eligible age for an aged pension for everyone. I think any discounts pensioners can get are fine - the pension certainly wouldn't cover everything but whether it's the aged pension, disability or whatever, I don't see a huge difference.
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50 or 55??? Is that a senior citizen in USA? It's 65 and over here in UK. Sheesh, according to him, I'm a senior citizen.
Most senior citizens are on a low income (not all have good pensions, many were too low paid for that, and not all own their houses, many pay rent, so don't benefit from being mortgage free) and have to pay for home fuel bills all day, as they aren't at work and saving on home heating costs because of that, so their fuel bills can be much higher than people of working age. Many can do with all the help they can get. I'm neither for nor against senior citizen discounts but they aren't necessarily unjustified.
Calling people of 50 to 55 senior citizens is!
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