On Mon, 07 Oct 2002 11:55:15 Jim Elwell wrote: ... Jim, aside from the fact that IMHO you're giving too much... credit to this guy, you're missing a few things, my friend. More below.
>Yea, I'm making a big deal out of what, to most of you, is probably a >technicality. However, it WAS the issue to this guy. It WAS the reason he >refused to give in. Shouldn't we at least try to understand what motivated >the guy? > But he has made it crystal clear what it was, Jim. He simply HATES metric units, period. The bla-bla-bla about 'my customers don't want it' is *hogwash* and *he knows it*! I dare and challenge him to *prove* beyond any reasonable doubt before any court that ALL his customers ONLY wanted decrepit units!!! Ah-ha! >And it certainly was NOTHING related to fraud -- he wasn't trying to rip >anyone off! > This part, probably true. >The guy probably had a perfectly good pound scale, which had probably been >certified many times in the past by the government. Then, one day the >inspector comes in and says "Hey, you can't use that -- it has to have >kilograms on it!" So, he is now forced (if he wants to obey the law) to go >out, buy a new scale, which he nor his customers really care about, and >have it certified, and throw the old scale away. > Just like all of a sudden people would have to stop riding horses and driving cars to continue on with enjoying progress and prosperity, Jim!!!!! If you don't want that, fine, become an Amish, a Quaker or whatever and leave the market alone, will ya??? >And he's thinking, "I am NOT trying to rip anyone off, my customers are NOT >asking for this, why the !@#$% do I have buy a new scale? Why do I have to >pay because someone I don't even know likes kilograms?" > That is called progress. Everyone pays the price for this normal development in today's society. If you own a 286 computer and insist on saying, why do I need to buy me a new one if this one works perfectly well, the day will come when he finds he simply cannot go on like this without significantly alienating himself and out of the loop! >I am not expecting that you agree with him (or me), but at least try to see >that the point has NOTHING to do with fraud or misleading the consumer. It >has to do with the government coming in, changing long established laws in >a fashion that is nothing but detrimental to this guy. > Sorry, my friend, but not exactly, Jim. This move by the government is backed by hard evidence and data. Even though he may not see why now he will certainly see it later on. ... >He refused to use a NEW approved scale system. He had a perfectly good one >that the government had approved in the past. > But now the gov does not want to continue certifying his aging equipment, period. Tough luck. You'll eventually have to buy yourself a newer one one day... ... >The anti-metricationists in the USA are going to parade this guy through >the streets of New York if we ever get mandatory metric laws, and there are >going to be (anti)-Metric Martyrs in the USA. > Not if one can avoid it and do it *the right way*. I still think there would be very smart ways of mandatory metricating the US without causing such a hoopla. >If this is viewed as "oh, it's just because he wouldn't buy a dual-label >scale," then you have no idea what motivates people such as this, and will >not be able to as effectively counter them. And I think such people will be >MUCH more effective in the USA, due to our national temperament. > True, dealing with an issue like this in the US would certainly be trickier. But it can be done, the *capitalist* way! ;-) The best way to defeat an enemy is either turning him into a friend or turning everybody else against him!... Food for thought... Marcus Is your boss reading your email? ....Probably Keep your messages private by using Lycos Mail. Sign up today at http://mail.lycos.com
