Driving Delusions
RAN activists around the country took part in a day of action at Ford dealerships on Saturday. One of the key locations was in Detroit where we put up some rather artistic (I think so anyway) “high-tech slideshows” using the sides of buildings as our screens. Rather ingenious really. Leaves no trace and no mess to cleanup.
The events in Detroit drew some of the dealership owners out. One of them, we’ll call him “Bob” — actually that is his real name — had a quote that struck me as funny…hilarious actually. He says, “Ford is trying to do more than any other company right now (to help the environment).” Hmm…thats funny cause I’m pretty sure you just bought your hybrid technology from Toyota, one of your competitors. So..wouldn’t that mean that Toyota is doing more than you to help the environment?” If Ford was a real leader in the hybrid technology, why are they buying the blueprints from their competitors? Seems like someone was a little late to dinner. Let’s just hope that, in the future, Ford dedicates as much time and money to their public relations as they do to their dealer bathrooms.
7 Responses to “Driving Delusions”
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November 16th, 2005 at 9:33 am
very interesting but going out of your way to inform people is only step one. Step two start your own bussiness or society devoted to bettering the environmental situation. And starting a small bussiness is worthless unless you build a reputation to match. only my opinion. And force at times is required but so blindly doing something like using a projector to show the negative affect of pollution on the side of a car dealership is just like spitting on the owners face. So they aren’t doing the most enviromentaly sound work. you ever stop to think they’re just trying to make a living. You know living one day at a time. just trying to feed a family or themselves. Try thinking about both the pro’s and the cons of using vehicles not just the cons.
The more things you stir up the worse it gets. To better others you need only to better yourself.
November 22nd, 2005 at 1:18 pm
Bob – thanks for your thoughtful comments and I appreciate your respect for the Ford dealerships who have to make a living selling vehicles that guzzle more gas than any other automaker at a time of sky-high gas prices. You’re right, the dealers are feeling the pinch. In fact, a surprising number of them are sending a letter to Ford this fall agreeing with Jumpstart Ford. And we hope more come along. Here’s a blog on this week’s SF Auto Show, where our friends at CalCars are displaying the new Plug in, gasoline optional conversion of the Prius. Phenomenal work, we love these guys. And guess what, it’s a totally grassroots movement, the automakers so far have refused to make this technology available to their customers. No wonder they’re laying off workers.
http://www.hybridcars.com/blogs/power/priusplus-at-sf-auto-show#comments
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