Every dissatisfied car owner tends to multiply his own bad experiences into the entire car population. If his car has a defect, or he doesn't receive prompt and courteous service, he doesn't see himself as an exception. Instead, he is inclined to say, "They just don't build them like they used to ..." -Thomas A. Murphy, Chairman of the Board of General Motors, January 30, 1977, at the Automotive Organization Team luncheon.
My name is Barbara Bobit. I'm 21 now and have just completed my stint in nurse's training and now find that Pop needs me more than the hospitals. And if you could catch a glimpse of him after his recent tour of meetings and conventions (translated, means lots of rich hors d'oeuvres, long cocktail receptions, full course dinners and late hours of revelry) he
In searching through Pop's file, Mr. Murphy's remarks quoted above referring to "They just don't build 'em like they used to," could have been pointed at Pop, but he was really referring to the opinion that Mr. Average Car Owner has about today's automobiles. There must be a reason why even this younger generation has an inherent dread of going into the service bay of a dealer. There never seems to be an easy or smart way to manage getting something fixed, no matter how minor, even with an appointment. There is always a line to wait in or endless agony waiting in the showroom with those new car salesmen leering at you with thoughts that must parallel those President Carter reported to Playboy. Why can't they look like Robert Bedford or Steve McQueen just once? Eventually, you may find out, as I have, that they do not have a key repair part and have to order it, or something like that, which requires that you go through the ordeal again.
What occurs to me is the immeasurable cost for fleet drivers who are going through the same procedure all over the country every day. Lord knows that they are paid a lot of money for their working hours and to literally waste them waiting for a car must amount to a very large sum. Probably more than Pop's bet on the Notre Dame-Michigan State football game.
Maybe industry should follow the lead of the drivers in the Internal Revenue Service. The National Treasury Employees Union's recently-approved contract enables 30,000 members to take paid time off if they must have emergency repairs on their cars. It is paid time off, without charge to either sick or annual leave, which employees now must take if they have car trouble. Fortunately for us taxpayers, it does not go into effect until spring so all their current snow and freeze problems are still charged to them.
One of the fun things to finger through was the new 412-page Department of Transportation report which estimates that we will be operating 15-million vehicles on our highways in the year 2000. Most of those are going to be lined up at the light as I am trying to rush home after work, I'm sure. The important thing is that America still has that beautiful love affair with the automobile and Congress and all those other politicians are going to have a tough time keeping all of us from enjoying the personalized mode of transportation that we embrace so dearly. (Like Pop and Beefeaters.)
Seriously, Pop actually went on the wagon for a few months and it was like election day in the late Mayor Daley's First Ward. We finally have him settled down to normalcy and hopefully do not have to worry about those 'anti-freeze' solutions, which prevent a total freezing of the system during these record winter months. Somehow, we all should benefit.
Hope to see you all at the AFLA and NAFA meeting in Pittsburgh, if I can pry air fare out of him, which is like trying to clear the bar at midnight at the Emerald Isle Pub on St. Patty's night.
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