"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...

"Stuffed" wrote in message
...

How about if I shred a Rembrant, or take a chisel to the odd statue or
two?

It's been done.

They're only things, I'm sure people wouldn't really miss them.

Would you? While Rembrandt painted some of the pictures which have given
me
most pleasure I doubt that I would really miss them if that happened. If
he
hadn't painted them I wouldn't have known about them in the first place.
I'm
never likely to see them again - and prints are no substitute (I used to
think they were until I saw them in the flesh, as it were).

So you don't have any single item of non organic beauty you would be upset
about someone damaging without a second thought?

But you're talking about one-offs there, unique items, not mass produced
ones. They can't be reproduced 100%, a car door can. A clock can, a ring
can. Sentimental value is meaningless, if an identical item was
substituted
for the clock or ring I doubt that it would be noticed.

A car can be replaced with another car, but not that car, with the same
settled in mechanicals, seats, engine, memories, etc. In fact, unless you're
driving something fairly new and common, you're going to struggle to get
anything near identical. I'd say the same about most things really. What
you're really saying is things can be replaced with others that will do a
similar or possibly identical job, which is very different.

I still firmly believe that people are more important.

I firmly believe that people neglecting to respect others property are
therefore being disrespectful to the owners, who happen to be people.

And will you have the repair done or just pocket the cash with a smirk?

Yes, I would have the repair done. I happen to drive a slowly
appreciating
classic.

We've done that, been there, they aren't as efficient as the car we drive
today. They caused more damage through pollution (to humans), were less
efficient and didn't have the carrying capacity we need.

Do you really want to start the new v old car pollution debate? My car was
made 25 years ago, and in that time has covered around 75 thousand miles. It
has had very little major work, mainly using the consumables as any other
car would. It's main polluting effect, being the resources used to produce
it, has been offset by it remaining in use, so preventing a whole new load
of pollution to be released to provide a new car. By not being scrapped in
favour of a newer car, it has also not created the environmental nightmare
of disposing of the plastics and other nasties.

And if emissions become a great concern, I am not against fitting a modern
"cleaner" running engine, which would then pretty much void the whole
argument against old cars in terms of pollution.

I'm sure you can argue the case for modern cars too, so it's really a silly
argument to start


But you might be interested in a long run of Practical Classics (from No
1)
we have cluttering the house. You probably already have them, if not
they're
yours for the carriage or collection.

I used to read it, but I found it concentrated on the mainstream quaint
small cars and exotic luxury cars too much as time went on. And I'm sure in
recent years it's started having some decidedly not yet ready to be classics
as features. So the offer's tempting, but the postage would be silly amounts
for not much worth reading really

If it's a genuine offer, I might ask around if anyone I know's interested,
they might appreciate it.

It's not in good condition, but I'm doing my best to improve it.
I'd rather not have my hard work ruined by someone who can't be bothered
to
show a little more care.

Have you never been careless? Have you never - in your whole life - caused
any damage to others' possessions or themselves, whether maliciously or
not?

Of course I have. Unlike many, I've even noticed I've done it, and tried to
rectify it. I am not against people making mistakes, we all do. I'm against
them not taking any responsibility for them when pointed out.

Look, people are more important than things.We should love people and
use
things, not use people and love things.

More important, yes (usually). But that's a reletive, it doesn't mean
that
things are without any importance whatsoever, does it?

The second sentence is the important one.

You've been saying things are meaningless. I've not been saying we shouldn't
give a damn about people (I'm sure there's at least a handful worth
bothering with somewhere), I'm saying people should give a damn about other
people, as much as they expect me to give a damn about them. I grow tired of
the arguments that everybody's free to do as they wish, so long as what they
wish is what the person dishing out the freedom wants.


I've done the same, but it's my property, and my stupidity. If I
reversed
into someone elses car, or borrowed a car and reversed into a bollard, I
would expect to have to pay for the repairs.

You'd leave a note with your contact details I suppose.

So far, touch cheap chip desk, I've not hit a parked car. But I have
sometimes caused minor damage to a car I've borrowed, and made a genuine
offer to make repairs. If I did knowingly damage another car, yes, I would
attempt to make good to the best of my abilities, be it a chat, money,
insurance, etc.

I can't possibly comment on this without sounding like an utter *******,
so
I won't!

Says it all, really ...

It's an art, one I have yet to quite perfect though.