In article , JTMcC says...

Back in the 80's I worked as a Harley - Davidson mechanic at my brothers
motorcycle shop. Every 3 months or so he would accumulate enough bad debt
that he would take everyone that had failed to pay their bill to small
claims court.

This only serves to reinforce the idea in my mind that it's
a tough life being a motorcycle dealership owner. Aside from
the thin margins, folks what don't pay their bills can really
put a crimp in your business.

Being the owner and the mechanic, we were the "star" witnesses (the only
witnesses), and I was constantly amazed at the common sense and the high
level of perception (or B.S. detectorability) displayed by the small claims
court judges after hearing only a very few minutes of opposing testimony.
We never lost one, and it was always a "he said vs. she said" situation,
only we usually had an invoice with appropriate notation hand written by one
of us about the condition of the motorcycle, signed by the owner.
It significantly bolstered my confidence in the American system of justice.

Oddly, the few encounters with the criminal justice system in the
US leaves me with pretty much the same impression. It's odd and
creaky but it works very, very well.

I hope Mr. Harold gets to stand on the court house steps and say, as we
often did, "Naa Naa Naa NaNa, you lost!"
We used to take the proceeds and make a trip to the best steak house within
several hundred miles, North Star, in Topeka, Kansas, and enjoy a very very
fine meal!

Now *that*'s an incentive!

Jim

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