Court Orders Volvo Dealer to Compensate German With Big Feet
It might change later, but as of this specific moment in human history, it is, officially, a slow automotive news day. While I'm sure this German court order will trigger a class-action lawsuit– call D'Olivera and Sons on the Hurtline now— I can't help but think there's a bigger car story out there, somewhere. So to speak. Anyway, meanwhile, here's the guitas [via, get this, The Earth Times]: "A German judge has ordered a Volvo dealer to compensate a man with big feet because there was not enough space around his new car's accelerator pedal, a court spokesman said Monday. The man, a travelling salesman, sought and won a 5-per-cent reduction in the price of his Volvo C70 coupe by arguing that his leather shoes, European size 47 for a foot 29.4 centimetres long, did not fit beneath the dashboard." Beneath the dashboard? Either that's a very small dashboard or my European shoe size converter is on the fritz. So… "Under a court-supervised settlement, the buyer obtained a 1,700- euro (2,650-dollar) refund to pay for a snug pair of sneakers that just fitted into the space, as well as his time changing back into street shoes each time he got out of the car to meet clients." Jesus! Is that what a pair of sneakers costs in Germany? And what's this guy's billing rate, anyway? And doesn't the clock start when you meet the client? "A judge in the court at Wiesloch in Baden-Wuerttemberg state said size 47 was not abnormally large and the Swedish-made car should have catered for big feet." Would you like your foot massage now, Mein Herr?
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I always thought big shoes meant you had a big one....in this case it means you are a big one.
I'm not without sympathy for the big-footed German. I'm left-handed; have you ever seen a classroom deskchair oriented for southpaws? But if Volvo has blundered, correcting their mistake is a function of the marketplace. Actually, Volvo has lots of company in the too-small-footspace department. For those riding up front, wheelwells, transmission humps, emergency brake pedals, and a/c and heating components intrude. Chrysler even bragged about their "cab forward" design, which should have been called "wheelwell in the cabin" design. No problem, though, for a driver who'd lost their left leg. I suspect a significant portion of pickup truck purchases are made to those who like a spacious under-dash expanse.
The guy's on a roll. Now he should hop in that C70 (in those gold plated sneakers) and make a beeline to the nearest McDonalds drive thru and order some hot java...to spill on himself, but hopefully not on the shoes. $$$$$$$$