A cost benefit analysis
A couple of months ago I was invited to a lockup at an economics company for a study they were releasing. However on the day in question, it was the most filthy weather so I piked. As I’m deleting old e-mails, I found my e-mail to them giving a cost-benefit analysis of my attendance. It said:
I’m sitting at home calculating the cost/benefit ratio of attending the NZIER survey lockup in person and getting soaked to the bone in the three minutes it would take to run from my place to your office, and the alternative of staying warm and dry, having a huge mug of coffee and waiting for the information to be released online.
So far my calculations of benefits for each approach are:
Attend in Person
- Get to be first to blog the survey results as can write story during lockup
- Can ask staff questions
- Get to see your offices
Wait for online release
- Will not resemble a drowned puppy
- Will not have to then change clothes once back home
- Will not risk laptop getting wet
- Will get to watch last night’s TV while drinking hot coffee
I did consider possible mitigating strategies
Mitigating Strategies
- Drive to NZIER offices – but have lent car to flatmate to attend a funeral
- Get a taxi to NZIER offices – taxi driver would probably beat me up for ordering a taxi to take me one block!
- Have my private chauffeur pick me up and drop me off – I don’t have one yet
- Use an umbrella – will probably get destroyed by the wind, as my previous 20 umbrellas have been
So having failed to identify a mitigating strategy, sadly I conclude the risks of drowning outweigh the benefits of attending!
This is probably the most convuluted “no” I have ever sent to an RSVP!