3/3/09 Ruckl Crystal tour, flight back to London

We had to be ready to leave the hotel by 8am, which sucked. We got on a bus and headed out about 40 mins to the Ruckl Crystal factory. They make crystal glass in just about every size and shape possible for everything from cups to trophies. The representative of the company wasn't the best at English so it was hard to follow what she was saying, plus everyone was tired as hell, even Davis was doing the sleepy head bob. Although it was interesting when she started talking about how many other Crystal making companies were going out of business around the Czech Republic.

Furthermore, the representative said their business partner Waterford Crystal, the number one Crystal maker in the United States, went bankrupt recently and still owes Ruckl Crystal a significant amount of money. Crystal glass is the epitome of unnecessary luxury spending that is and will continue to have a huge drop in demand as the global depression continues. Waterford was able to sell their Crystal for higher prices due to their brand reputation, and probably had lower costs due to economies of scale. All of this means that Ruckl Crystal could very well not be in business a year or two from now.

Walking through the factory was fairly depressing as the working conditions were poor. On the glass blowing floor they wore no protective gear due to the temperature, even though they were working with molten glass. However, they were allowed to drink on the job, and the company provided them with beer saying that it “was the best for keeping them hydrated because of its vitamins”. Since when did that happen? The alcohol in the beer actually dehydrates you more. I also saw a worker light a cigarette off of the molten glass.

From Prague Trip

On the glass cutting floor the workers labored with no masks, protective eyewear, or gloves. The company said the workers preferred this because they lost precision when wearing gloves and other protective gear... but the glass particles floating in the air contain high amounts of lead and are not healthy to breathe in significant amounts of. For all this intensive labor, the workers only received 600-700 Euros a month. I guess as Americans we take for granted the privileges and opportunities we have compared to other places around the world.

I bought a souvenir glass bird in the gift shop and then we headed to a small town and the restaurant Restaurace & Penzion “Ve Stoleti”. We all had a traditional Czech dish of egg soup, beef with a sweet sauce and dumplings, and a cake that tasted like golden graham cereal. It was all very delicious, the Czech make really good food. Then I was dropped off at the airport with JJ and Nate at 2:30pm and waited around forever since our flight wasn't until 9pm.