Reader has views on town water system
To the editor:
There’s this guy I know who owns a boat. He’s had the boat about fifteen years. It’s in good shape – except for the autopilot, which has been a source of grief since the guy bought the boat.
The original pilot that came with the boat never really worked all that well and the guy kept it going for years with duct tape and baling wire because autopilots cost a lot to replace. After two or three motors in the drive unit burned out, the replacement motors became unavailable and it was time to bite the bullet and invest in a new pilot.
The dealer offered him two models, a well-known brand and a “no-namer” that was much cheaper. Not being a wealthy person, the guy opted for the less-expensive unit, even though the dealer kept telling him he would be happier with the costlier one.
What a mistake!
The “no-name” pilot turned out to be a huge piece of crap. Immediately after the warranty expired, the control head stopped working. The manufacturer offered the guy a rebuilt control head at a slight discount and the guy took it. When it died, (right after the very short warranty ran out) the guy finally concluded, much to his economic dismay, that he should have done it right the first time and saved a pile of money in the long run. Even though financial times were tough, he finally broke down, spent the money on the brand-name unit and lived happily ever after because he loved his boat and having a dependable autopilot was essential.
So- where’s all this going? Is there a moral to this fable?
Well, there’s this town I know. It’s been a town almost fifteen years. The town came with this broken-down water system that’s been a source of grief ever since it became a town. . . . . . .
PS In case anybody isn’t sure, this one is not intended to be a joke.
Jay Light
Fort Myers Beach