Drive American.....But Be Ready To Walk
How many times in our lifetimes have we heard the expression "Buy American"? Be it clothes, cars, or televisions, there is merit to this ideal. For the most part, I agree with that sentiment. Except for the part about tariffs and protectionist tactics, but that's for another discussion. Recently, I heard on the news that a Daimler Chrysler plant in Illinois is not allowing employees who drive products other than those made by Daimler Chrysler to park up front, but forcing them to park in the back. If you do not, your car will be towed at your expense.
That's harsh. I can ALMOST agree with the policy, particularly if the prime parking spaces are viewable from the road, and you want to use the lot as advertising space. Seeing as the company, and all auto manufacturers do this, offer discounted pricing on their products to employees, asking them to show off the product in a visible area makes business sense. But to go to the extreme of towing cars? What if you worked for Mercedes or BMW and you could not afford their products? Take out huge loans to save parking. Food may be scarce, but you'll have a short walk to the door. What if your spouse also works in the industry, and you were able to get a better deal on a product from, say General Motors? Tough. Bring rollerblades. What if its your first job out of college, and it's not your ideal job as you prefer another auto maker, but can't get a job with them? Hope you're in shape.
I'm surprised that one group hasn't made a big deal out of this policy - the handicapped. Doesn't this policy violate The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990? After all, if you have a disability where walking long distances is too big a strain, but you drive a competitor's product, you better bring a scooter. "But they're line workers. They're in fine shape. Heck, exercise may do them some good." I didn't realize that working in a factory also meant that you had to train for a marathon. Besides, not every employee at a factory is a line worker. You have management, engineers, secretaries, etc. Not everyone is going to be young, vibrant, and fully in shape to handle this walk. Whatever happened to first come-first serve? The employee who gets to work first potentially parks the furthest away. It's a stretch, but it sure sounds the same as what happened in the 50's with blacks being forced to sit at the back of the bus. Car racism lives!
I do get the idea of encouraging your employees to use the products they produce. A sort of "pride of ownership" ideal is laudable. But to punish financially those who exercise their right as an American citizen to spend their dollars on transportation any way that they deem fit? I guess the American right of choice in consumerism only goes so far. Maybe the factory parking lots should install half-pipes so you can skateboard into work, and pull off some tricks before you go in.
Lastly, what if you work at a Toyota plant, or some other foreign auto manufacturer? To have better parking, do you buy the foreign car, or do you support the notion of "Buy American'?
That's harsh. I can ALMOST agree with the policy, particularly if the prime parking spaces are viewable from the road, and you want to use the lot as advertising space. Seeing as the company, and all auto manufacturers do this, offer discounted pricing on their products to employees, asking them to show off the product in a visible area makes business sense. But to go to the extreme of towing cars? What if you worked for Mercedes or BMW and you could not afford their products? Take out huge loans to save parking. Food may be scarce, but you'll have a short walk to the door. What if your spouse also works in the industry, and you were able to get a better deal on a product from, say General Motors? Tough. Bring rollerblades. What if its your first job out of college, and it's not your ideal job as you prefer another auto maker, but can't get a job with them? Hope you're in shape.
I'm surprised that one group hasn't made a big deal out of this policy - the handicapped. Doesn't this policy violate The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990? After all, if you have a disability where walking long distances is too big a strain, but you drive a competitor's product, you better bring a scooter. "But they're line workers. They're in fine shape. Heck, exercise may do them some good." I didn't realize that working in a factory also meant that you had to train for a marathon. Besides, not every employee at a factory is a line worker. You have management, engineers, secretaries, etc. Not everyone is going to be young, vibrant, and fully in shape to handle this walk. Whatever happened to first come-first serve? The employee who gets to work first potentially parks the furthest away. It's a stretch, but it sure sounds the same as what happened in the 50's with blacks being forced to sit at the back of the bus. Car racism lives!
I do get the idea of encouraging your employees to use the products they produce. A sort of "pride of ownership" ideal is laudable. But to punish financially those who exercise their right as an American citizen to spend their dollars on transportation any way that they deem fit? I guess the American right of choice in consumerism only goes so far. Maybe the factory parking lots should install half-pipes so you can skateboard into work, and pull off some tricks before you go in.
Lastly, what if you work at a Toyota plant, or some other foreign auto manufacturer? To have better parking, do you buy the foreign car, or do you support the notion of "Buy American'?
posted by One Man's Thoughts at 11:50 PM
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