Half-assed comments: A cautionary tale..

The horror, the horror, the horror... 

A forum post on Cari.com

I was looking up for some information on purchasing Lego Technic toys on a popular local forum.
While browsing through its threads, I found a post on "Folding bikes: Like Dahon.." and read up what the locals there say about foldies and their ware.
Somewhere along the line, I found a picture of Michelle, my wife and her friends on a social ride. The photo was taken a few years ago.
Then, I found a shitload of photos which was posted in this blog. 
I don't mind people sharing their thoughts and used my pictures as a reference. But there are times where information can be abused and mislead people..

Beware: The Keyboard Commando! 

Some people spend three-quarter of their life on the internet.
Without the internet, their lives would be meaningless.
Which brings me to a recent post on a forum where shots of a broken 2008 Dahon Jetstream XP was shown. 
It actually belongs to Carrie, a regular at the Dahon Forums who shared his experience on cycling his Jetstream on the trail.
Now, Carrie did admit that what he had done would void all forms of warranty on his bike. 
He even shared about his journey and had completely re-built his broken XP by replacing it with a new frame from the Dahon Jetstream P8.
You can read all about it here: http://www.debcar.com/Story-BikeMechanical.htm

The dangers of making your own conclusions..

The post on the broken XP originated from a Chinese language from called "Cari.com". 
I believe that there is a healthy community of folding bike owners who calls themselves "Foldie & Me".
As a matter of fact, I have been contacted by their ring leader many times over the Facebook messenger, asking about Dahon bikes.
Now, without finding out the real story behind the broken Dahon Jetstream XP, the person who posted it made a shout like: "Tragedy and Small folding become rotten toys.." 
Well, it was translated by Google and I think it'll be milder than perceived.
What I am saying here is that the person got half the story and made his own judgement.
Its only fair for the owner of the broken bike to have his story told in full.
So, moral of the story here is: be kind, do your research before you make any harsh comments...

Polis, oh polis..

Cops are getting some bad rap these days from citizen journalists. As consumers, we must thread carefully on what people post on the intenet..

I read a post on Facebook about one Pamela Lim's issue with police intimidation.
The said motorist is a dive instructor and adventurer and was stopped by two General Duty policemen on their rounds.
Lim recorded the scene and cited her rights.
Yes, you are entitled to your rights.
And when a cop stops you, they also have the rights and reasons to do so.
All you need to do, is cooperate.
The cops have gotten a bad rap and their image is not popular anymore these days.
People seems to have found a way to manipulate news and tell their side of the story.
Similary, another woman also did the same by recording her encounter with a traffic cop and posted her ordeal on YouTube.
Right or wrong, I don't question the victim.
As for the cops, they will have to take English lessons to deal with 'intelligent' people who 'know their rights to the Ying-Yang'.
My take on this is simple.
If you have broken the Law, cooperate. If the cop dishes you a summons, take it and settle it.
No matter how intelligent you are, the cops are they to uphold the Law.
And for the record, I know Pamela Lim.