Product Downsizing Downer

Do companies really think that when they downsize a product, that no one will notice, or be happy that they did? Nabisco Honey Maid Graham Crackers. They have been the same since I was a kid. In 2008, the box was the same size, but they started putting fewer crackers in the box, the next year the crackers got narrower. They still have the perforation down the center for easy breaking in half, I don’t know why they left that there, as they are so narrow now, there is no point in having the break point anymore. How long do companies like this think that this business practice can go on? Eventually there will be an empty box, no crackers. I ask companies to just “be a man about it”, and raise the price if you need to, and stop this non-sense. Andy’s Candies years ago started putting in a cardboard filler, which you couldn’t see until you took the wrapper off, to make it look like a lot of candy pieces inside, only for the consumer to be skunked when they opened it. Bounty Paper towels used to be large rolls, then they continually got smaller. Then they came out with Bounty Mega Roll, wow! It was the same size it was originally before they downsized it. Lay's chips regular bags are now not much larger than the "big grab" bags you find at the checkout counter. Now we have Hershey's Air Delights, the only delight is at the accountant's office at Hershey's. If there is a better way to make a customer feel ripped off, I‘d like to know what it is. These techniques are not fooling me, how about you?

What, I have to drive the car?



Texting while driving is in the news a lot lately as some states have passed laws against the practice. How about a law to just drive the car non-distracted. This would include everything, and all devices. Every ones job is to drive the car, paying attention to the road and what is going on around them. I've seen a guy twice texting on my way to work, driving all over the road, crossing marked lanes, almost hitting the curb; and I'm talking within 2 inches! I'll post an update when I see him again doing this, or someone else, as I'm going to call 911, and report that person as drunk driving. Maybe when these dangerous people get pulled over for that, maybe they will stop doing it. Don't tell the 911 operator they are texting, even if you know they are; just say they are all over the road, a danger to everyone else, you think they may be drunk. Follow at a distance until police intercept. It's one way we can take action., and maybe safe a life. There is nothing that important anyone needs to text, or call, that can't wait until you get where you are going. If it is important, just pull over somewhere (and not in the breakdown lane on a highway), and do what you need to do. If you think it's that important you need to drive and text/call someone, and you get killed, it's not helping anyone, is it? One campaign in our area is W82TXT (Wait to Text), it's a great message, but needs to cover more then just texting.

Captain and corporate responsibility

A have a question I have not seen raised on the cruise line disaster of the Costa Concordia when it ran aground January 13, 2012 off the coast of the Tuscan island of Giglio. Although the executives of the cruise line have said the captain was on an unauthorized route; it appears from local villagers that these ships have done this repeatedly in the past. With that said, I would think all of these large ships would have a GPS and tracking type devices, so operations at corporate would know where these ships are at all times. Wouldn't you think that after all this time, with these ships navigating an unauthorized route, that someone would have said, that is an unauthorized route, do not do that anymore. So before total blame is put on the captain, what about those who supervise the captains, and their actions on a daily basis. Hopefully this will come out in court and hearings. Trucking and delivery companies have tracking systems, and have done so for around 10 years. I would find it hard to believe these large ships, with so many people on them, would not have this technology.