John,
Surely many have heard Tom and Ray (Click and Clack) on National Public
Radio on Saturdays or perhaps Sundays.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution carries their column on Fridays, but this
past Friday's article was not he one you referred to. Their Car Talk column
gives a web address of www.cartalk.com so perhaps one could voice
displeasure there too.
There appears to be not a serious bone in either one of their bodies. After
they clown around for so long, they finally get around to their caller's car
problem which I hope includes knowledgeable advice. I'm must admit to not
being very able to judge their advice since I have never even changed oil in
my own car. I do recall doing so to farm tractors as a kid but that was
easier since one didn't have such difficulty getting under the vehicle.
I will admit that I get angry especially when a Canadian calls from near the
border areas and uses the kilometer reading of their odometer but then has
to put up with Tom's and Ray's joking about kilometers and usually a putdown
of Quebec. They do a lot of tasteless anti-French jokes too as a matter of
routine and I have never known why that is. Perhaps their anti-Frenchness
rubs off on Belgians since many of them are French-speakers.
I don't defend them although I am certain that this was one of their
non-serious answers since they truly are boorish. However, I don't feel
they are in the Rush Limbaugh or Neal Boortz league either. Further I don't
go out of my way to hear them but since my radios are set on public radio,
there they are.
Norm
----- Original Message -----
From: "kilopascal" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: 2000December10 12:23
Subject: [USMA:9666] American Arrogance
> 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)
>
