prophet@umcp-cs.UUCP (02/09/84)
I also would never buy a GM product. I refuse to patronize a company that
makes products and then refuses to stand behind them reasonably. (the Olds
diesels, as an example.)
I also refuse to patronize a company that makes products that kill people
unnecessarily because the manufacturer choose to maximize profits instead
of having the wisdom to make the car safe. (the X-car brakes, as an example)
I also refuse to patronize a company that has a complete history of doing
similar things in their product line. (Remember the Vega, the Corvair???)
I admit that a few people have excellent experience with GM products. More
and More, though, these are the exceptions to the reality of the situation.
I also admit that other car companies, including foreign cars, have had
problems, but I feel that GM is by far the worst.
For any of you wondering, yes, I have owned several cars made by GM, and
also Chrysler. I also own a Japanese car. I intend to continue to but
Japanese, even though they are charging above list price for them.
Finally, I don't mean to criticize anyone's choice of a car, I am just
trying to express my opinion and experiences.
Dennis
--
Call-Me: Dennis Gibbs, Univ. of Md. Comp. Sci. Center.
UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!prophet
CSNet: prophet@umcp-cs
ARPA: prophet.umcp-cs@CSNet-Relaysteveh@hammer.UUCP (02/13/84)
I also refuse to patronize a company which single handedly put the street car industry out of business. (And therfore doomed the US to primitive mass transit for the next century).
norskog@fortune.UUCP (Lance Norskog) (02/21/84)
Correction:
GM did not put the street-car business out of business single-handedly.
It was a cabal of Big Auto, Big Steel, Big Oil, Big Rubber, and Washington.
I refer you to an article in Mother Jones sometime between '79 & '81,
I think the month was October.
Lance C. Norskog
Fortune Systems, 101 Twin Dolphin Drive, Redwood City, CA
{cbosgd,hpda,harpo,sri-unix,amd70,decvax!ihnp4,allegra}!fortune!norskogburton@fortune.UUCP (02/24/84)
#R:umcp-cs:-502700:fortune:1500030:000:1514
fortune!burton Feb 23 12:38:00 1984
If you don't think that GM *didn't* almost single-handedly get streetcars
off American streets, then you never heard of American City Lines.
Abouyt 1934-1935, a quite revolutionaly streetcar called the PCC was developed
by a consortium of streetcar manufacturers and suppliers [Presidents' Conference
Committee], and this model was quite popular in the US until 1952. Many cities,
however, scrapped (or sold off) these cars well before the end of their useful
life (which is a lot longer than any bus), and most PCCs were replaced by
GM, using "muscle" tactics on city councils and transit authorities.
The PCC car was such a good design that the patents have been licenced to
many foreign manufacturers. In fact, most of the streetcars and light
rail systems in Europe use PCC technology. Also, many used US PCC cars are
still running in South American and Asia.
About the time this was going on, the "Highway Lobby's " big emphasis was not
knocking off streetcars, but on getting approval for the Interstate highway
system. That system was supposed to cost $27 Billion total, and to date
has cost well in excess of $100 Billion with no end in sight, and by the way,
it's never been finished. Inner city interstates have also killed entire
neighborhoods, as anyone who knows the Bronx (NYC) is aware.
Philip Burton 101 Twin Dolphin Drive
Fortune Systems Redwood City, CA 94065 (415) 595-8444 x 526
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{allegra decvax!decwrl!amd70 cbosgd harpo hpda ihnp4 sri-unix}!fortune!burton