wrote in message
oups.com...


Mr Wizzard wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
The August issue of one of our competing publications appeared on the
news stands today. This particular magazine is known for impressive
photographs on the cover.

This month's cover features a brand new (no state-reg numbers)
Bayliner
in front of some houseboats on Lake Union in Seattle.
A shapely young woman in a blue bathing suit is sitting on the bow,
and
a well tanned, dark haired gentleman is standing, shirtless, behind
the
helm.

Upon taking a closer look, the gentleman at the wheel is a dead ringer
for one of the upper level people at a local boat dealership that
*does
not carry* Bayliners. (It's either him, or a virtually identical
twin!)

Who, the guy from Lake Union Sea Ray/Boston Whaler ?
Right next door is Olympic Yacht Center - they are all in
Ka-hoots with each other, right ? (not that this is a bad thing,
just calls em as I see's em)



The individual on the cover is, or is a dead ringer for, a person
associated with a large boat dealerhsip but not either of the firms you
mentioned. In fact, the firm doesn't even have a sales office on Lake
Union.

So whats the name of the mag? - I want to get a copy.



I'd disagree about the local dealers all being in ka-hoots.

Fair enough. I have little experience with them acutally
since this new 2005 Bayliner 175 Capri is the first "real"
boat that I ever bought. The Zodiac I got last year at
Boaters World doesn't really count.

The boat
sales business doesn't (usually) get as competitively nasty as some
other industries, but each firm is there to land your business rather
than assist somebody else in doing the same. Buying boats from a common
mfgr. corp (Brunswick) doesn't put these dealers in kahoots any more
than the Buick and Cadillac auto dealers are conspiring together
because they both buy cars from GM. Buying boats from a common mfgr
*does* influence some things that are beyond the dealer's control, such
as discount from retail to wholesale, overall warranty philosophy and
remibuirsement, factory parts availability, etc.

Agree. My comment was probably an unwarranted cheap-shot.
Duely retracted. Actually, Olympic Yacht Center was nothing
less than stand-up, professional, and very LOW pressure when
I was hounding them for info. Actually, the folks at the main
Olympic Boat Center were of the same caliber. I was impressed.









If this is the individual the photo almost certainly depicts, he must
not have known he was being photographed. (Model releases aren't
generally required for pictures taken in public places).

Just after I got done chuckling over how awkward it would be to be
photographed in a new Bayliner when one is not a Bayliner dealer, I
had
a horrifying thought: Since (if it's the guy it appears to be) he
likely didn't know he was being photographed, I sure hope that if he's
married it's to that woman on the foredeck! :-)

Reminds me of a guy I once knew who got busted for cuddling with his
mistress at a Sonics game. He phoned home to say he would be working
late, "taking inventory." His now-ex wife had nothing better to do
than watch the basketball game on TV while her hubby slaved away at
the
shop, and then the camera zoomed on a couple of lovers in the
crowd........