Joan Claybrook on NPR

Was just listening to the radio while cleaning up around the house, and
caught the tail end of Diane Rehm interviewing Joan Claybrook.
Apparently she's stepped down as the president of Public Citizen,
although several of the callers' questions centered around CAFE and auto
safety standards. I don't think I want to listen to it again, but here
it is, if you want to see just how out of touch some people are with the
realities of engineering and automotive design:

http://wamu.org/programs/dr/09/02/08.php

Unfortunately Ms. Rehm was more sympathetic than hard-hitting;
apparently this is Joan Claybrook's appeal, that she makes the public
think that all the bad automotive things that have happened to them are
the fault of the evil automakers and not due to choices consumers have
made, and on an emotional level that definitely resonates.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Nate Nagel > wrote in news:gmmvpj01j14
@news5.newsguy.com:


>
> Unfortunately Ms. Rehm was more sympathetic than hard-hitting;
> apparently this is Joan Claybrook's appeal, that she makes the public
> think that all the bad automotive things that have happened to them are
> the fault of the evil automakers and not due to choices consumers have
> made, and on an emotional level that definitely resonates.
>
> nate
>

Well - the automakers are to blame for making cars that do 150 mph and
putting all sorts of electronic toys in them for drivers to play with. But
yes, the big problem on the highways is psychopathic drivers.

Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS wrote:
> Nate Nagel > wrote in news:gmmvpj01j14
> @news5.newsguy.com:
>
>
>> Unfortunately Ms. Rehm was more sympathetic than hard-hitting;
>> apparently this is Joan Claybrook's appeal, that she makes the public
>> think that all the bad automotive things that have happened to them are
>> the fault of the evil automakers and not due to choices consumers have
>> made, and on an emotional level that definitely resonates.
>>
>> nate
>>
>
> Well - the automakers are to blame for making cars that do 150 mph and
> putting all sorts of electronic toys in them for drivers to play with.

No they're not. My car won't do 150 but it certainly could do close to
130. If I chose to drive at 130 MPH through the center of town and
killed someone, whose fault would it be?

A car is a tool, just like a skilsaw or a backhoe. They're useful when
used resposibly and dangerous when used irresponsibly.

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Nate Nagel wrote:
> Speeders & Drunk Drivers are MURDERERS wrote:
>> Nate Nagel > wrote in news:gmmvpj01j14
>> @news5.newsguy.com:
>>
>>
>>> Unfortunately Ms. Rehm was more sympathetic than hard-hitting;
>>> apparently this is Joan Claybrook's appeal, that she makes the public
>>> think that all the bad automotive things that have happened to them
>>> are the fault of the evil automakers and not due to choices consumers
>>> have made, and on an emotional level that definitely resonates.
>>>
>>> nate
>>>
>>
>> Well - the automakers are to blame for making cars that do 150 mph and
>> putting all sorts of electronic toys in them for drivers to play with.
>
> No they're not. My car won't do 150 but it certainly could do close to
> 130. If I chose to drive at 130 MPH through the center of town and
> killed someone, whose fault would it be?
>
> A car is a tool, just like a skilsaw or a backhoe. They're useful when
> used resposibly and dangerous when used irresponsibly.
>
> nate
>
Speedy always trolls with this stuff. I get suckered into replying once
in a while too because nothing else to do.
Just ignore it.

On 2009-02-08, Nate Nagel > wrote:
> Was just listening to the radio while cleaning up around the house, and
> caught the tail end of Diane Rehm interviewing Joan Claybrook.
> Apparently she's stepped down as the president of Public Citizen,
> although several of the callers' questions centered around CAFE and auto
> safety standards. I don't think I want to listen to it again, but here
> it is, if you want to see just how out of touch some people are with the
> realities of engineering and automotive design:
>
> http://wamu.org/programs/dr/09/02/08.php
>
> Unfortunately Ms. Rehm was more sympathetic than hard-hitting;
> apparently this is Joan Claybrook's appeal, that she makes the public
> think that all the bad automotive things that have happened to them are
> the fault of the evil automakers and not due to choices consumers have
> made, and on an emotional level that definitely resonates.

To these people the failings of their own management of something is due
to the evil of the free market which never existed because of their
management.

Nate Nagel wrote:

[snip]
>
> A car is a tool, just like a skilsaw or a backhoe.

Yep. And most of the geezers in my town drive them like backhoes as well.

--
Paul Hovnanian
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Have gnu, will travel.