I started my day today as a travel agent, booking trips to New York and Seattle. Somehow, it never goes smoothly, despite all the convenient ways to book on-line. I went through the entire Amtrak mobile process with ease, but pushing the purchase button failed. I double-checked all boxes to make sure everything was filled out properly. I kept pushing the purchase button but nothing happened, yet I had the unsettling feeling I was double and triple booking the fare. When I tried to exit, it asked if I wanted to abandon the purchase, and there was no indication of a credit card purchase through my bank. I had no choice but to do it the old-fashioned way – call. Naturally, there was a twenty minute wait, allowing my frustrations to build-up inside me.

It’s an interesting retirement phenomenon that you have all the time in the world and yet become more and more impatient with incompetence and delays. I had to go through the whole tedious reservation process again on the phone, and finally got my tickets in order. Thankfully, I was able to avoid “Retirement Rage.” The Marriott (or should I now say Bonvoy) on-line reservation system worked perfectly and I had a room in minutes to make up for the Amtrak glitches. My blood stopped boiling and a potential temper tantrum was thankfully averted. No need to hit anyone with my cane.

The risk that companies make in not making things convenient for their elderly customers is contending with “Retirement Rage.” No one gets angrier than a tired, old codger, used to getting their way. There’s a certain sense of entitlement that comes with retirement. It’s an attitude of “I don’t want to…I don’t have to…you can’t make me! We’re like spoiled brats waiting to be catered to and convinced that we’ve paid our dues in full. Try arguing with that!

No one wants to put a retiree on edge, and nothing accomplishes this more than newfangled technology that doesn’t work. A “grumpy old man” is one thing but “retirement rage” should be avoided at all cost. Don’t force us into the modern era of computers and leave us with nothing but a machine to take out our frustrations upon. This leads to throwing things and sets the stage for an ugly conversation with a customer service representative, if you can ever actually get through to one. Fortunately, the Amtrak representative was armed with just enough empathy and cooperation to avoid the “Wrath of Mike.” Look out, Alaska Airlines, I’ll be logging on to you next!