Money sinks, a short post

Most computer games, which require roleplaying, ones which have in-game money, have so-called gold or money sinks. This metaphor describes a process where the game has built-in characters, mechanics or places that require you to pay a lot of money to complete the task. Usually this task is essential to advancement making it impossible not to lose this money. 

The whole point of this is that, in computer games, the economy is never realistic, and huge amounts of money can be acquired very easily. They need to build in such devices to keep the eventual money level balanced, to prevent the game from becoming too easy. Also, the ways of getting money are usually easy, because if they were to difficult people wouldn't use them, and the game would become too difficult as a whole.

Now, I'm writing about this in this simply because the real world, at least, my real world contains money sinks as well... sadly. Only this week I've lost at least a hundred euros on silly things. I had to pay the library an insane fine because I didn't return things soon enough, my public transportation card for students got lost and I have to pay to replace it. Which means that in the mean-time, I can't travel without paying.

The whole difference with the games is that this money doesn't disappear, it basically becomes public... and is probably spent on improving the services of the public institutions I'm paying... but I'm wondering if it doesn't go into the pockets of the managers. That would be weird because then:

The full salaries of some of the people in these institutions are financed by people being irresponsible... or forgetful, or being stolen from.

... Guess I just have to improve.

ps

writing English in italics is so beautifully f-filled. Wheeee!