Date: Thu, 3 Jun 2010 08:29:18 -0400
Reply-To: B Feddish <bfeddish@NETREACH.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: B Feddish <bfeddish@NETREACH.NET>
Subject: Re: Plastic Ramps
In-Reply-To: <406F3F5D-AD68-4215-8726-8F2A91012905@gmail.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
I was going to remain silent on this one but since you have taken it
upon yourself to call me a racist in a public forum which gets stored in
archived form indefinitely I feel the need to defend myself. Using the term
China was not racist at all. I was implying that everything made at the
store comes from China, which it does. Did I say it was all bad stuff? No I
did not. Did I say the ramps were Chinese? No, actually they are made in
the USA. They are still crap though. Sorry, but if you are going to put the
moderator hat on then you have to take the Chinese hat off. A person in a
position of authority has to put personal feelings aside. Had you p-mailed
me and said, "Hey, I'm Chinese and I find your remark offensive." I would
have apologized immediately and left it alone. Had you sent me the original
moderator post privately I would have also left it alone. But instead you
chose to shout out to the world that I am a racist and then followed it up
with the below message to say my words were the same as some other samples
given.
Actually I'm pretty offended here. People who know me know that I am
a joker, a smart ass and a pretty good impressionist. I am not a racist. I
will, however, make fun of everyone and everywhere when I get the chance.
Hang out at a campfire with me and I will definitely get around to
everybody. I can even do a mean impression of the president of Limbo, all
residents of New England, and 20% of our list members. I like to speak
French with an Italian accent. I was born in the Bronx and grew up in the
south. I've been a chef, a musician and programmer. I have worked and
played with every person of every race and religion imaginable. My best
friend growing up was Jewish, I've worked in kitchens where I was the only
white guy. I spent 2 years in a 4' x 4' office with a programmer straight
from China and one from India. All have been good friends and all have
enjoyed my humor whether I made fun them, someone else or myself. My
personal ethnicity is too numerable to mention. I can laugh at each one of
them. Imagine growing up with a name like "Feddish"? Call me anything you
want but don't call me a racist.
Bryan
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
BenT Syncro
Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 10:38 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Plastic Ramps
Just to clarify again, there is no problem if you identify a product
by brand which is made in China. But when you make such a general
statement, it is comparable to calling a person a "Chinaman". If you
are not sensitive to that term, it is like calling an African American
the 'N' word. So saying a store is "China Freight" is as bad as
calling calling a store which specializes in African American products
a "(N-word) Store".
Perhaps it might help some of you to understand if reminded you that I
am of Chinese descent. Yes, I do find the term personally offensive.
And so did every Chinese American I polled in the past concerning this
very term.
BenT
Sent from my mobile device
On Jun 2, 2010, at 7:13 PM, <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
> Ben, I disagree. Most of the stuff sold at Harbor Freight is from
> China. Bryan was just recognizing that fact. It is an economic
> observation, not a racial one. Just my thoughts. DMc
>
> ---- BenT Syncro <syncro@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>> Bryan,
>>
>> The term "China Freight" is racist and not acceptable on the List.
>>
>> Please feel free to contact either one of the moderators should you
>> require further clarification.
>>
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> BenT
>> Sent from my moderating ramp
>>
>> On Jun 2, 2010, at 5:09 PM, B Feddish <bfeddish@NETREACH.NET> wrote:
>>
>>> Actually, that was my thought. I was going to return them and try
>>> using jack stands and floor jack for extra safety since I cannot
>>> find the metal ramps anywhere. Even "China Freight" does not have
>>> them.
>>>
>>> Bryan
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>>> Behalf Of Dave Mcneely
>>> Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 8:01 PM
>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>> Subject: Re: Plastic Ramps
>>>
>>> Despite Mr. Squirrel having had success with such ramps, I would
>>> take them back to the place I bought them and expect a full refund.
>>> They are worthless (experience speaking). Then get a good set of
>>> stands. Jack your van up, set the stands under it, and lower it
>>> onto them. You won't have a problem.
>>>
>>> Or, buy a good set of metal ramps with a low incline. Part of the
>>> problem with most cheap ramps is the steepness of the incline.
>>>
>>> Just my thoughts. And metal ramps are available. But, plastic ones
>>> with a low incline might be ok. Obviously, whatever supports you
>>> use must be adequate for the weight.
>>>
>>> DMc
>>>
>>> ---- Mister Tom <TomsGroups@SALICOS.COM> wrote:
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>>>>> Behalf Of
>>>>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel"
>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2010 4:19 PM
>>>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>>>> Subject: Re: Plastic Ramps
>>>>>
>>>>> B Feddish wrote:
>>>>>> OK, the only ramps I could find at any store for my van where
>>>>>> those
>>>>> plastic
>>>>>> ones. OK, 1 hour later and the bottoms are all scraped up from
>>>>>> sliding
>>>>>> forward as I try to drive onto them.. I even tried jacking the
>>>>>> van up a
>>>>> bit
>>>>>> and sliding the ramps under and trying to drive the rest of the
>>>>>> way up.
>>>>> No
>>>>>> good. What is the trick to using these pieces of crap?
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I read a brilliant yet simple suggestion here last week: if there
>>>>> isn't
>>>>> already a hole at the leading edge of the ramp, then drill one.
>>>>> 1/4'' or
>>>>> so. Tie a bit of nylon rope or webbing or whatever through that
>>>>> hole and
>>>>> lay it on the ground so the tire drives on the rope first. The
>>>>> ramp
>>>>> ain't goin' nowhere once the tire pins the cord to the ground. Oh,
>>>>> it
>>>>> may complain, but it's yours. Land that baby.
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>>>>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>>>>> 74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano,
>>>>> Calif.)
>>>>> Bend, OR
>>>>> KG6RCR
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I would re-consider the suggestion to modify the ramps in any way.
>>>> If they
>>>> ever failed for any other reason, you might be giving the
>>>> manufacturer a
>>>> defense in a liability lawsuit. No, I'm not a lawyer, nor do I
>>>> play one on
>>>> TV. It just crossed my mind.
>>>>
>>>> Tom Salicos
>>>>
>>>> '87 Syncro Westy EG-33
>>>
>>> --
>>> David McNeely
>
> --
> David McNeely
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