Let's try a competing auto analogy, one that fits the scenario better:Originally Posted by *Vanessa*
There are many manufacturers competing for auto sales for use on the gender highway, but exactly two are popular and completely dominate the market - call them Maserati (M) and Ferrari (F). They almost split the market 50/50, in fact. Oh, a few people drive one when they would really prefer the other, but have made peace with their compromises and are basically OK with their choice. An even smaller number would REALLY rather have the other model, but plain old familiarity, inertia, and even risk aversion (I don't know HOW to drive one of those!) being what they are, they have a hard time switching brands. Some do and, much to everyone's surprise, never look back. No buyer's regret at all, which also applies to most owners, even those who never considered switching.
"But there ARE other brands", you say?
Well, yes, but those models are so ... odd, that few indeed want to drive one, certainly not on the GENDER highway, not even those considering a switch from Maserati or Ferrari.
"But," you protest, "surely this is due to Maserati's and Ferrari's sales pressure and incentives - THAT'S what keeps them from considering the marginal brands."
Well no, it happens that most people just don't want, say, a Ford or Chevy, not even the major brand switchers.
"Maybe it's the fault of Karren the highway engineer, then, the speeds, lanes configurations, even the signage are BIASED toward Maserati and Ferrari?", you offer hopefully.
Well, no again, turns out the highway was pretty much designed by consensus of the users, and while that means that Maseratis and Ferraris actually do run faster and better on the highway, you can't put it down to bias per se.
"How about we just run some Toyotas and Yugos on the highway - people will get used to seeing them and start to like them. Maybe they'll want to buy one!"
Turns out that's a workable idea, and one out of every 10-20,000 drivers or so actually winds up driving one of the less-common brands. The Maserati and Ferrari drivers, however, just blow right on by for the most part. They tolerate the odd Buick, but in truth they still think of them as an irritant. A couple of people that were considering switching from Maserati or Ferrari now have a Land Rover, but most of them just still switched to the other major brand.
Very little sales literature can be found for the now in-use, but rare off-brands because there's so little interest. No-one talks much about them because there's no real reason to. They don't get reviewed much in the press except on the news of the odd pages. You can find a specialty mechanic for those brands, but you really have to look hard. You incur some risk driving one of the off-brands, too. They really aren't as efficient on the gender highway after all. AAA won't tow them. Cops like to stop them. Everyone stares and points fingers when you drive by. The law changed to keep people from running you off the road, but just seeing one of the off-brands drive by is such an alien occurence that the outsider treatment at some level never stops.
And nothing fundamentally changes.
Lea
