Posted on: Sunday, January 11, 2009
Motor City also motor expensive
By John MacIntyre
Ranks of Detroit, Philadelphia and Los Angeles as the most expensive places to own and operate a 2009 mid-size vehicle, according to an analysis by Runzheimer International: 1, 2, 3
Annual cost of vehicle expenses, including operating costs (fuel, tires and maintenance) and ownership costs (insurance, depreciation, license and registration fees) in Detroit: $13,199
WHEN SECONDS COUNT
Number of seconds of delay in the response times of Web applications after which business performance begins to suffer, according to a report by Aberdeen Group: 5.1
For every additional second of delay in the response times, projected percentage decline in page views: 11
Percentage decline in overall customer satisfaction: 16
MUST BE BOOMERS
Percentage of travelers who expect hotel entertainment systems to at least match their home set-up, according to research by OnePoll on behalf of Samsung: 75
Percentage who expect an even higher standard: 26
TALK ABOUT MORALE
Percentage of executives who cited better communication as the best remedy for low morale, according to a survey developed by Accountemps: 48
Percentage of respondents who said lack of open and honest communication with staff members tops the list of management missteps that can erode morale: 33
MONEY STILL TALKS
Percentage of single men in the United Kingdom who were expecting to reduce the amount they would spend on a date due to the economic meltdown, according to research by www.FreeDating.co.uk: 12
Percentage of guys who believe the man should pick up the tab for a first date: 64
Percentage of women who would expect their date to settle the bill: 35
IGNORANCE IS COSTLY
Percentage of Americans who do not know that you have to pay both the interest on your entire balance as well as a late fee when making a late credit card payment, according to the Center for Economic and Entrepreneurial Literacy: 69
Percentage of respondents who cannot identify the percentage that service fees typically take out of a $20 ATM withdrawal: 97
PARADISE LOST
Estimated number of American households that lost economic security between 2000 and 2006, according to a report published by the policy center Demos and the Institute for Assets and Social Policy (IASP) at Brandeis University: 4 million
IDLE THOUGHT
"I am looking for a lot of men who have an infinite capacity to not know what can't be done."
— Henry Ford
Contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre@bwr.eastlink.ca.
