Air Fare

Soon gasoline will be as expensive as air at Harmon's Service Center in Holly Hill, SC. Fortunately they're closed on Sunday or we may have been charged rent while taking this photo. Yes, as the sign says, air is five dollars. We're uncertain whether that's per tire or covers all four. Perhaps the air is imported from the Middle East, but we seem to have an ample supply of nice hot domestic air at the ready.

This sounds a little steep, but it just might be that Harmon's had been giving away its air to motorists who then went elsewhere to buy their gas. Maybe one too many beach bound travelers copped free air for their floats. Maybe the local kook was filling his inflatable dolls here. Whatever the case, it's no more Mr. Nice Guy for Harmon's.

At a time when marketing has come right down to the point of kissing the customer between his back pockets with greeters in his face and a host of allegedly free gifts at his feet, it's almost nice to see a curmudgeon in a carload. We're reminded of a country lawyer of our acquaintance who was told by a storekeeper that if he bought two items the third one was free. He replied, "Mr, I can't afford anymore free stuff." Harmon's must have come to a similar conclusion.