I thought it would be nostalgic to go up and check out the view from the top. There was however one flaw in my plan, I was a rational human being, and therefore there was no way I was going to pay any amount of money to see Canberra from an elevated height. Assuming tower entrance cost money I went inside to see if I could cheekily convince the gatekeeper to let me in for free.
The conversation went like this:
Me: Hi, how much does it cost for entry?
Woman at the desk: It's seven dollars fifty.
Me: Oh, okay well I am just in Canberra for the night and I haven't been here for two years and I fly out tomorrow so I was just wondering if I would be able to go to the top to have a look at my home town.
Woman: It will be seven dollars fifty.
Me: The thing is though, I don't have any money.
Woman: Sorry that's too bad.
Me: So can you let me in for free?
Woman: Nope.
Me: But it's my home town and it's very special to me (untrue, it's fucking Canberra)
Woman: Sorry. No can do.
Me: You can't allow people in for free under special circumstances?
Woman: No.
Me: Barrack Obama walks in here with no money, you're not gonna let him in for free?
Woman: Barrack Obama wouldn't come in here on his own.
Me: He's never by himself isn't that old Barrack? Quite the popular fellow I must say. Do you think he ever feels alone even when he's surrounded by so many people? And don't you think that is perhaps the worst, most ironic kind of loneliness there is?
Woman: Hee, hee. Probably.(while giggling and becoming amused)
Me: What if you just look the other way while I sneak inside for free?
Woman: I can't do it, there's cameras.
Me: Isn't it such a shame that this in this day and age we monetize sight alone? I mean this is my home town and I have to pay to allow light from it to reflect into my eyes. Isn't that a reflection of the humans capitlist desire to monetize everything we hold dear?
Woman: Just go in!
Me: Yes! Thank-you!
Then she let me in!
For free.
This was amazing to me.
I know it was only seven dollars fifty but it puts a little faith inside me that human beings can see past the roles they play within their employment positions and connect to another human being on a deeper level.
At the beginning of the conversation the woman was a public servant, an employee of the Telecommunications Tower doing her job as a gatekeeper, however at the end of the conversation she was a woman rebelliously disregarding the established rules of her code of conduct and allowing me to enter for free. Thus becoming not a employee, but a human being.
The reality of the situation was that the only thing separating me from the view was a small gate and an elevator ride. There was no financial loss whatsoever in allowing me to go up for free. This woman knew that at the start, and at the end she acted upon this knowledge.
I believe that everyone feels this in some way or another, police officers, judges, politicians, McDonalds workers, bureaucrats, they all see the opportunity they are presented with everyday to disregard the set rules and codes upon which they expected to act and help out another person in need. This is the universal potential for compassion and although it rises it's head only rarely it still exists deep down in the souls of every living person. Never forget that whenever you have to pay seven dollars fifty to look at a town from an elevated height.
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