I suppose its a good thing in a way that the audience for this little online journal of mine has continued to grow over the past few years Its good because I continue to meet new and interesting people who point me toward increasingly interesting articles and other opportunities. Of course, theres a downside too – apparently, I can no longer just spout my theories without being prepared to back them up.
Case in point I mentioned something in yesterdays post about the American automakers being incompetent assholes, or something along those lines, and linked to a few images of Ford F150 crash tests. I think I may have also implied in a roundabout way that Ford employees took some pleasure in amputating the legs of their customers Of course, nothing could be further from the truth.
So, someone wrote in to tell me that the crash tests I had linked to were in fact two years old and that the new F150 was now among the safest vehicles in its class. And, someone else wrote in to point out that it was unfair to compare the Ford truck to the Mini Cooper, as they happen to belong to different vehicle classes, etc. All of this then lead to other discussions, both on the site and off it, about the American auto industry and what they have and havent done over the course of the past century to defeat public transportation and hasten the depletion of our worlds petroleum supplies.
Anyway, Im not sure I know what I want to say about any of this On one hand, I hate having to take the time to defend my positions. But, on the other, I really like it. I like that the comments section is heating up and that people are calling me to task. Thats a good thing So, I guess what I want to say is, please let me know when Ive crossed the line, or not done my homework. I may not change my mind about an issue, but its good to have the discussion (even if the discussion might keep me from blogging that night).
As for the American auto industry, I know people that work in it and theyre good people. In fact, I have a friend that works for Ford, and, while he is somewhat of an asshole, he certainly isnt incompetent So, yes, I was wrong to paint the whole company with the incompetent asshole brush. That, however, doesnt change the fact that I believe the company is more interested in generating profits than in finding long-term, sustainable transportation solutions.
