The Economics of Everyday Things

How does an industry built on roadside pop-ups make billions of dollars in two weeks of the year? Zachary Crockett gets pyrotechnical.   * SOURCES: * Alex Zoldan [https://fireworks.com/about-us], vice president of Phantom Fireworks.   * RESOURCES: * Phantom Fireworks 2025 Wholesale Price List [https://phantom-online.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Uploads/2025-Wholesale-Booklet.pdf]. * "The Explosive Growth Of The Fireworks Market [https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2023/07/04/1184798951/the-explosive-growth-of-the-fireworks-market]," by Greg Rosalsky, Darian Woods, and Julian Ritchey (NPR, 2023). * "Directory of State Laws for Consumer Fireworks, [https://www.americanpyro.com/state-law-directory]" (American Pyrotechnics Association).

Why are these sudsy roadside stops one of the fastest growing industries in America? Zachary Crockett takes a look under the hood.   * RESOURCES: * "Private Equity Wants to Wash Your Car [https://www.wsj.com/articles/private-equity-wants-to-wash-your-car-11660968031]," by Miriam Gottfried (The Wall Street Journal, 2022). * "California Labor Commissioner Recovers $282,000 for Car Wash Wage Citations [https://www.dir.ca.gov/DIRNews/2022/2022-81.html]," State of California Department of Industrial Relations News Release (2022). * "Sgt. Clean’s Future Shines Bright Thanks to Subscription Model, Strong Reputation [https://www.crainscleveland.com/custom-content-cwru-weatherhead-100-2018/sgt-cleans-future-shines-bright-thanks-subscription-model]," by Vince Guerrieri (Crain's Cleveland Business, 2018). * "One California Drought Winner? The Local Car Wash [https://www.marketplace.org/2015/06/09/one-california-drought-winner-local-car-wash/]," by Lauren Sommer (Marketplace, 2015). * Sonny's CarWash College [https://sonnysdirect.com/lrn_car_wash_college].

Americans take more than 20 billion elevator rides every year — and keeping them safe is an expensive proposition. Zachary Crockett makes small talk.   * SOURCES: * Frank Christensen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-christensen-2bb01a21/], president of the International Union of Elevators Constructors. * Shannon Moore, service mechanic for the International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 8. * Brian O'Connell [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianjoconnell/], senior vice president of the Eastern U.S. at Otis Elevators. * Stephen Smith [https://www.centerforbuilding.org/about], executive director of the Center for Building in North America.   * RESOURCES: * "Elevators [https://admin.centerforbuilding.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Elevators.pdf]," by Stephen Smith (Center for Building in North America, 2024). * "Elevator and Escalator Fact Sheet [https://nationalelevatorindustry.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/NEII-Fact-Sheet-2020.pdf]," (National Elevator Industry, 2020). * "The Evolution of Elevators: Physical-Human Interface, Digital Interaction, and Megatall Buildings [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK481624/]," by Stephen Nichols (Frontiers of Engineering, 2017). * Lifted: A Cultural History of the Elevator [https://nyupress.org/9780814787168/lifted/], by Andreas Bernard (2014).   * EXTRAS: * "Up and Then Down [https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/04/21/up-and-then-down]," by Nick Paumgarten (The New Yorker, 2008). * "World's Tallest Towers [https://skyscraper.org/tallest-towers/]."

Districts across the country are facing shortages of school bus drivers. Can technology help? Zachary Crockett takes a seat in the back.   * SOURCES: * Keith Corso [https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-corso/], co-founder and CEO of BusRight. * Marc Medina [https://www.farmingdaleschools.org/district/transportation?_gl=1*p54n1q*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTU1OTMwNjQ2Ny4xNzQ5NzUxMTAz*_ga_JZQ3XR8H8D*czE3NDk3NTExMDMkbzEkZzAkdDE3NDk3NTExMDMkajYwJGwwJGgw], transportation supervisor for the Farmingdale School District in Long Island. * Jada Melendez, school bus driver in Burlington County, New Jersey.   * RESOURCES: * "How St. Louis parents are dealing with school bus driver shortages [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/how-st-louis-parents-are-dealing-with-school-bus-driver-shortages]," by Gabrielle Hays (PBS, 2024). * "The school bus driver shortage remains severe [https://www.epi.org/blog/the-school-bus-driver-shortage-remains-severe-without-job-quality-improvements-workers-children-and-parents-will-suffer/]," by Sebastian Martinez Hickey and David Cooper (Economic Policy Institute, 2023). * "‘End of the Line’: School Bus Industry in Crisis Because of the Coronavirus [https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/28/us/coronavirus-school-buses.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article]," by Pranshu Verma (New York Times, 2020).

Everyone loves to complain about it — but preparing a meal that tastes good at 35,000 feet is harder than you might think. Zachary Crockett will have the fish.   * SOURCES: * Molly Brandt [https://gategroup.com/about/what-makes-us-different/], innovation chef for North America at Gategroup. * Chris Kinsella [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-kinsella-a65b118/], chief commercial officer for North America at Gategroup. * Guillaume de Syon [https://www.albright.edu/faculty-detail/dr-guillaume-de-syon/], professor of history at Albright College.   * RESOURCES: * "No Thanks, Grandma, I’m Saving Room for Airplane Food [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/22/travel/airlines-plane-food.html]," by Christine Chung (New York Times, 2023). * "The Golden Age of airplane food is over. The future: Snacks and sustainability [https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2019/10/17/golden-age-airplane-food-is-over-future-snacks-sustainability/]." by Natalie Comptom (The Washington Post, 2019). * "Why does food taste different on planes? [https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20150112-why-in-flight-food-tastes-weird]" by Katia Moskvitch (BBC, 2015). * "And to Penny-Pinching Wizardry [https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/06/business/and-to-penny-pinching-wizardry.html]," by Claudia Deutsch (New York Times, 2001). * "The Pioneering Years: Commercial Aviation 1920–1930 [https://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Commercial_Aviation/1920s/Tran1.htm]," by Rich Freeman (U.S. Centennial of Flight).