Let Them Fly Commercial

I follow the news to some extent, reading the International Herald Tribune every day, watching BBC World and CNN News in the morning and reading the Philippine Inquirer cover to cover for my daily hit of the local political soap opera. But my real source of news is my "favorite fake news show", The Daily Show. This past week there was a riotous report on the appearance of the heads of the U.S. "Big Three" automakers before the House Financial Services Committee. They were asking Congress to give them $25 billion to bail their companies out of the ferocious mess they are in. (You can view the clip on www.thedailyshow.com - November 20th broadcast).

Well most of the Congressmen were not all that keen on responding favourably to the carmaker's requests, at least not in current form. But things went further south when it was revealed that the CEO's had travelled from Detroit to Washington to plead their case in their private jets. Oh the symbolism. Many Congressmen, even those who had been inclined to favour a bailout, expressed outrage:

"It's almost like seeing a guy show up at the soup kitchen in a high hat and tuxedo," said Rep. Gary Ackerman, a Democrat from New York.

It provided a perfect opportunity for some grandstanding...

California Democrat Representative Brad Chambers Sherman asked the CEOs if they were willing to sell their jets on Wednesday and fly back to Detroit on a commercial flight. "Let the record show no hands went up," Sherman said.

Ron Gettelfinger, head of the United Auto Workers union, also testified at the hearing but flew a commercial flight to Washington. "I got a plane to catch, you know what I mean," Gettelfinger said to reporters when leaving the hearing room.

The sight of the suits lined up side by each, being chastised by the Congressmen was priceless.

As of now, Congress has refused to give them any cash without some serious conditions being placed on the money. GM says they won't last till the end of the year. Like everything else it seems, things are going to hell in a handbag.
Hearing about the troubles of the U.S. automakers reminds me of a time several years ago when I severed my relationship with one of those Big Three - fired them. I had been a customer of **** for many years, had driven several of their cars. The very month the last car went off warranty, the problems began. One thing after another, one visit to the service department after another and many many dollars spent. I was SO frustrated. For me, car trouble ranks right up near the top of the list of life's aggravations.
The last time the car broke down was the last straw. When the service manager called me to tell me how many more hundreds of dollars I had to give him to fix it I had a complete fit. I told him I didn't want the car. He wasn't sure what I meant. "I don't want the car", I repeated. I told him that I had been a customer for many years, had had this one and that one over all the many years I had been giving them my business, but this car was a complete dud and I was finished paying for repairs. This was the end of the line. I wasn't giving them another cent. "I don't want the car".

I also told him in no uncertain terms that the Japanese were cleaning their clocks, that all they had left going for them were the trucks and they were going to lose them too. I then told the service manager that he should get out now and go find another job because they were doomed.

I think he really didn't know how to handle someone telling him essentially to take the car and shove it. The upshot of all of that was they repaired the car for free, at least enough to make it go; I then drove it down the street to the Mazda dealership where I immediately dumped it as a trade-in and got a new car.

I wonder if that service manager, who had to live through my meltdown, took my advice.