I am so unbelievably tired, but I feel good. I feel like I�ve finally accomplished something with regard to work. I�ve spend the last week, slaving over these tests for 12 hours a day. Actually, I spent a majority of that time outside in the tank, and I learned quite a bit about how the tank operates and how to run the tests.
Like I said, I feel good about it.
Now, if only the rest of the departments were as eager to complete all of this as I am, then we�d be able to say that we truly accomplished something. Instead, cables have gone missing, and no one seems to care that we�re not going to make deadline.
I�m not going to let that bother me, though.
I must be the only person on earth [or at least in the Detroit area] who is completely unimpressed with the Auto Show. It�s not that it was a horrible experience, and at least I gave it a chance, but I didn�t find it all that interesting. Actually, I found it to be a gigantic auto dealership with a few concept cars. The concept cars were very interesting, but it�s not as if you can buy them any time soon.
Actually, that really got to me.
I�ve been reading in the newspaper for weeks now about how GM, Ford, and Chrysler are going to be letting go of 3,000, 5,000, or however many employees over the next year, and how that is supposed to be an improvement over previous years. Well, first of all, an improvement would equal hiring, not firing, and secondly, how much money went into designing and building these concept cars which will never be sold?
How many people could have kept their jobs if only the concept cars weren�t made? B explained to me that the concept cars are designed and built in order to generate interest in the company and in the car.
Okay�.well�I don�t see a concept car and say, �Hey, that�s neat looking. I think I�m going to buy a Pontiac now.�
The concept cars, in my opinion, are a great advertisement for the excitement of working for the company, not buying from it. And apparently, none of the big three can afford to hire right now�..
Another issue I had with the Auto Show was that there were 80 million people there [an obvious exaggeration]. I knew that it would be crowded, but I didn�t know how crowded it would be. I don�t understand how the simple act of walking can befuddle some people, but apparently, it�s a big issue. To me, if you know how to drive, you shouldn�t have a problem walking in a large crowd. Keep to one side, don�t stop right in the middle of the aisle, watch where you are going, etc.
I must be a special case of person then, because everyone and their mother seemed to have a problem following some basic rules of courtesy.
I�d also suggest that in the future, they designate a few days as �adults only� days. Everyone should have to be 21 and older to get in, absolutely no exceptions. I can�t tell you how many little kids I saw wandering around without their parents [what a scary thought, they could have been snatched by someone from another state or country] and how many people with freakin strollers walking around. Strollers take up a lot of space. Strollers get in the way. Strollers contribute to the major problems with people walking. Kids scream. Kids run. Parents scream. Also, a lot of the cars that were there were open for people to sit in them as if they were at a dealership, to generate interest in possibly purchasing the car.
Should a kid who is 6 be allowed to sit in the seat of a car that he can�t even drive for another 10 years? Sure, he should be allowed to, but only after adults who were serious about buying the car got the chance to sit in it.
And of course, my absolute favorite, were the teenagers who went to the show just to say that they went. They were obnoxious, dressed as if the place were a nightclub, and, of course, rude.
Again, there should be a few days where it is ADULTS only, absolutely no exceptions.
I�m not saying that children should be excluded, but I think that there should be a few other days where it�s like �Family Day�, so that they could set up some �kid-friendly� booths to let them play around with things, etc. Then have a few other days for people who are serious about the autos.
