Yesterday's syndicated column by Click and Clack wrongfully placed tire dealers in a poor light, and shows why the tire industry always faces an uphill battle to get respect.
The columnists, in response to a question about whether two new tires should be put on the front or the rear of the car, denigrated the industry with their ill-timed humor.
Oh, they answered the question correctly: per tire industry practice, the tires should be placed on the rear. They also explained why.
But interspersed in their answer were snubs. "We were just enlightened about this ourselves," they wrote. "And if you go to 10 tire dealers, seven of them probably haven't heard of it, either."
We'll take them up on that bet. Just because Click and Clack only recently have been enlightened doesn't mean most tire dealers are ignorant of the proper procedure, despite what the letter-writer says.
The industry has spent millions of dollars on training over the years, and is even now promoting tire safety and proper maintenance with a nationwide ad campaign.
Some people will say anything to sell newspapers, even if it's destructive. -- Bob Ulrich
