John,
It *IS* humourous, as everything Click and Clack say on their radio show is
good-natured tounge-n'-cheek. You'll have to listen sometime (Cartalk)
since it really misses something without the constant laughter and
outrageous Haah-vahd accents.
In our area it's on Saturday morning at 10.00.
Nat
> 2000-12-10
>
> This article appeared today in the automobile section of the
> Cleveland Plain
> Dealer. If you don't think it is humorous as I don't, or shows poor taste
> and judgement as I do, I suggest you write to the Plain Dealer. They only
> show a postal address, but if you write to the "letters to the Editor"
> column ([EMAIL PROTECTED]), you will let your feelings known to
> the editor.
> I don't know if this is a syndicated column or not, and if it is, and it
> appears in your local paper, write them too.
>
> This is another example of American Arrogance that I wrote about
> a few weeks
> ago. Can you imagine what David must think if he sees that type of
> response? Could you imagine the response David would get if he asked why
> Americans don't use SI?
>
> CLICK & CLACK
>
> European wonders: Why do Americans trash rental cars?
>
> By TOM and RAY MAGLIOZZI
>
> Dear Tom and Ray: I work for a rental car company in Mons,
> Belgium, and most
> of my customers are Americans. Here's my question: Why do so many
> Americans
> feel obliged to clear all the garbage out of their homes and dump it into
> their rental cars before they return them to us? In some cases, we could
> change the engine in less time than it takes clean the interior
> of the car.
> Another thing, the ashtray is always clean, but the carpet is
> covered in ash
> and candy wrappers. What do Americans think the ashtray is for?
> Finally, is
> it an American custom to hide empty cans and take-away food boxes
> the under
> the seats? Maybe if I understood "the American way" it would make it more
> acceptable for me. Any comment? -- David
>
> Tom: Yes, David. I could see how, from a foreign perspective, this looks
> like sloppy and even inconsiderate behaviour. But it is actually
> yet another
> example of good old American ingenuity.
>
> Ray: It's part of America's job creation program abroad. You might have
> noticed that the United States always has among the lowest rates of
> unemployment in the civilised world. And why, you might ask? Because we
> Americans know how to make Americans know how to make work.
>
> Tom: The Americans who rent your cars are just worried about the poor
> Belgians who live in your country. What if they have no work to do? How
> will they feed their families?
>
> Ray: So, when driving a rental car, the thoughtful American is likely to
> take the extra time to place an empty pizza box securely under
> the passenger
> seat. He knows that your company will have to assign, and pay,
> somebody to
> clean out the car and retrieve the garbage. And if lots of people place
> pizza boxes under seats, the company will eventually have to hire a person
> whose sole job it is to fish out empty pizza boxes.
>
> Tom: But the American, being even more thoughtful, does not stop
> there. To
> ensure work for more of your Belgian countrymen, he has his wife throw a
> half empty yoghurt container on the floor in the back, providing
> work for a
> carpet cleaner. Then he has his kids eat some candy bars and wipe their
> hands on the seats. Voila! A Belgian upholstery cleaner can also
> put dinner
> on the table.
>
> Ray: And, of course, you can see how the thoughtful American -
> looking at it
> this way - sees the use of the ashtray as taking food out of some poor
> labourer's mouth. So the thoughtful American intentionally closes the
> ashtray and takes the time and trouble to scatter his ashes over various
> parts of the car.
>
> Tom: As you say, you can often replace an engine in less time
> than it takes
> to clean out car driven by an American. So we have succeeded masterfully!
>
> Ray: And now that you understand the true nature of this international
> humanitarian effort, David, I'm sure you would want me to extend
> my sincere
> gratitude to the American people on your behalf. Consider it done, David!
>
>
>
> Got a question about cars? Write to Click and Clack Talk Cars in care of
> The Plain Dealer, 1801 Superior Ave., Cleveland, Ohio, 44114. We can't
> answer your letters personally, but we the best in the column.
>
>
>
> John
>
> Keiner ist hoffnungsloser versklavt als derjenige, der sich irrt�mlich
> glaubt frei zu sein.
>
> There are none more hopelessly enslaved then those who falsely
> believe they
> are free!
>
> Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
>
>
>
