# What are your Uncommonly Clever Economic Indicators?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-uncommonly-clever-economic-indicators/511314>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 24, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-uncommonly-clever-economic-indicators/511314 "2009-09-24T01:18:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-uncommonly-clever-economic-indicators/511314/21 "2009-09-26T22:50:36Z")

</div>

Hotel room prices. Bad times equal less business travel, which drives down hotel room prices (though you have to adjust for inflation.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-uncommonly-clever-economic-indicators/511314/22 "2009-09-27T00:50:16Z")

</div>

Getting in to a good restaurant - you don’t need reservations anymore.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-uncommonly-clever-economic-indicators/511314/23 "2009-09-27T20:10:27Z")

</div>

may I suggest that we expand the OP to include not only which indicators you notice, but whether you’ve noticed any improvement over the past couple months?

The talking heads are all quoting the “real” indicators from Wall Street and also claiming that the bad times are over forever, so they can go back to trading derivatives again and giving million dollar bonuses to each other.

But this thread is full of cute observations which are probably better indicators that whatever the politicians say.

So what is it, fellow Dopers? Using your clever indicators, do you think we can start singing “happy days are here again” ,like in 1932?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-uncommonly-clever-economic-indicators/511314/24 "2009-09-27T21:19:54Z")

</div>

Hummers in the parking lot at the Salvation Army.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-uncommonly-clever-economic-indicators/511314/25 "2009-09-27T21:28:20Z")

</div>

> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#):
>
> Hummers in the parking lot at the Salvation Army.

Usually you have to pay extra for that.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-uncommonly-clever-economic-indicators/511314/26 "2009-09-27T21:30:00Z")

</div>

I ask the family auto bodyman how business is.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Never\_Say\_Dice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee59a6/32.png) [@Never\_Say\_Dice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Never_Say_Dice)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-uncommonly-clever-economic-indicators/511314/27 "2009-09-29T15:08:08Z")

</div>

[I trust Hi & Lois’ garbage man](http://i37.tinypic.com/11a90d1.jpg)

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-uncommonly-clever-economic-indicators/511314.md?page=1)