The American Taco Stand

By Terence Curtis 1/21/2012

It was so funny the day I opened a taco-stand... There was nothing original about the food, but there was originality in my pricing. You see, I didn’t have a typical menu with dollar prices — I had percents.

• Tacos – 3%
• Sodas – 4%
• Chips - 2%
• Hot sauce – 1%
Percentages are double for the jobless.

The menu confused my very first customer.

Sam was first to stop by. Sam liked to talk politics and was going on about the 15% of income Mitt Romney pays in taxes. Frustrated, Sam made the plea that the poor pay more taxes than the rich. I kept quiet while he talked.

After 10 minutes Sam finally ordered two tacos and a soda. I totaled the budget for Sam’s meal. Confusion claimed his face like ants on a picnic. "Hey T-dawg, what’s up with these percentages?"

"That’s how much you owe."

Sam pondered, "How much money is that?"

"How much money do you make a year?"

"About $50,000. Why?"

"Let’s see: 10% of $50,000 is… You owe $5,000."

Sam shouted, "How can tacos and a soda cost $5,000!? It should be about $6! That’s crazy!"

I agreed with Sam, "I know, it’s ridiculous."

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