YOUBE THE JUDGEthe Superior Court of the State ofestimate,Honda explained,wasCalifornia, claiming that Hondaprovided bythe Environmentalhad"fraudulently represented gasProtection Agency (EPA), and federalmileage and hybrid performance.lawrequiredthecompanytoincludeAlsofraudulentlyinduced metodoit on the sticker. Plus, Honda hada software update that made thingstestimonyfrommanyotherCivicworse"Sheaskedfor$1o,o00inHybrid customers who were satisfieddamages, the limit in California.with thefuel economy.The companySincelawyers aren'tpermitted tocontended that the gas mileagerepresenta client in the state's smalldepended largelyon howthe carclaims courts, Peters spoke for her-was driven and maintained.self in the trial in January2012,andIs Honda liable forthe lower-than-Honda senta companyemployee,who argued thatthe carmaker hadn'tadvertisedgasmileageonHeatherPeters's car? You be the judge.violated any laws. The mileageTHEVERDICTOnFebruary12o12,SuperiorCourtCommissionerDouglasCarnahanissuedhisrulinginPeters'sfavor,statingthatHondahadcommittedfraudthoughnotintentionally."Cana Hondahybriddrivenincareful andtestedwaysachieve5Ompg?"heasked."Nodoubt.DidithappenwithPeters'scar?No."HeawardedPeterss9,867indamages,mostlyfortheextramoneyshe'dspent onfuelandthedecreaseinthecar'svalue.Petersgotso muchpress attention forthe case that sherenewedherlaw license,intendingtogiveotherHondadriverslegaladviceThatMay.the carmakerappealed.Afterathree-day trial in superiorcourt,withateamoflawyersrepresentingHonda,JudgeDudleyGrayIoverruledthelowercourt,statingthatHondahadcompliedwithEPAandFederalTradeCommissionreguirements.HecalledHonda'smileageclaims"non-actionablesalespuffery"andPeters'sclaimofvehiclesluggishness"unsupportedbyanyobjectiveevidence."HetookawayPeters'sdamagerewardandorderedPeterstopayHondas75tocoverthecostsofdefend-ingthecase."AtleastweeducatedthepublicabouttheavailabilityofRsmall-claimscourt,saysPeters,whothesedaysisdrivingaFiat5o0.Agree?Disagree?Soundoff atrd.com/judge.2409-2015rd.com
24 | 09•2015 | rd.com YOU BE THE JUDGE estimate, Honda explained, was provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and federal law required the company to include it on the sticker. Plus, Honda had testimony from many other Civic Hybrid customers who were satisfied with the fuel economy. The company contended that the gas mileage depended largely on how the car was driven and maintained. Is Honda liable for the lower-thanadvertised gas mileage on Heather Peters’s car? You be the judge. the Superior Court of the State of California, claiming that Honda had “fraudulently represented gas mileage and hybrid performance. Also fraudulently induced me to do a software update that made things worse.” She asked for $10,000 in damages, the limit in California. Since lawyers aren’t permitted to represent a client in the state’s smallclaims courts, Peters spoke for herself in the trial in January 2012, and Honda sent a company employee, who argued that the carmaker hadn’t violated any laws. The mileage THE VERDICT On February 1, 2012, Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan issued his ruling in Peters’s favor, stating that Honda had committed fraud, though not intentionally. “Can a Honda hybrid driven in careful and tested ways achieve 50 mpg?” he asked. “No doubt. Did it happen with Peters’s car? No.” He awarded Peters $9,867 in damages, mostly for the extra money she’d spent on fuel and the decrease in the car’s value. Peters got so much press attention for the case that she renewed her law license, intending to give other Honda drivers legal advice. That May, the carmaker appealed. After a three-day trial in superior court, with a team of lawyers representing Honda, Judge Dudley Gray II overruled the lower court, stating that Honda had complied with EPA and Federal Trade Commission requirements. He called Honda’s mileage claims “non-actionable sales puffery” and Peters’s claim of vehicle sluggishness “unsupported by any objective evidence.” He took away Peters’s damage reward and ordered Peters to pay Honda $75 to cover the costs of defending the case. “At least we educated the public about the availability of small-claims court,” says Peters, who these days is driving a Fiat 500. Agree? Disagree? Sound off at rd.com/judge
Your True StoriesIN1OOWORDSLOVE,EDITEDmycommute.“Oh,look-there's one!" I'd say as ithenIwas raisingmy14-year-oldslid by.Then one day,son as a single mothersitting in the sun on myin Toronto, he helpedpatio, I looked up andme publish a magazine.realized the outside ofOneday,an incrediblymycondowasdoneinhandsome,soft-spoken,yellow siding.I alreadywell-mannered visitorhad a yellow house. AndfromDares Salaam,Iwas home! ROSEMCMILLSWoodridge, IllinoisTanzania,visited myoffice.We shared ourEMERGENCYCONTACTexperiences as volunteer editors.When heleft, my son whispered,Te'ddivorcedthreeyearsearlierand hadn't seen each other"Mom!Now,that's thekind of manyou should marry!"Iblushed andsince,butforwhateverreason,I neverlaughed it off and didn't think abouttookheroffmyemergencycontactit again.Eight years later, I met thelist at thenearest hospital.Aftermysame man again.He was now aaccident, I was put in a medically inwidowerWemarried and are stillduced coma,and whenIwoke,shetogether nine years later, coeditingwas the onlyperson in the room.Shesat in a hospital recliner, watchingan international magazine.TheView,lookingunshowered.SheMAHJABEENDAYA,Brampton,Ontarioturned her head casually as I slowlyTHEYELLOWHOUSEcame to."It's just like you to have've lived inmy condo15 yearssomething like this happen,she said.now-longenoughthatIdon't"I'm here, so I figure I'll get us some-even see it anymore.I started dream-thing to eat. What do you want?"ing about moving into a house,JAMESGATES.Watertown:SouthDakotewhere I was bound tobehappier.IToreadmore10O-word storiesand tofixatedon littleyellowhousessome-submityourown,goto rd.com/storieswhere in the suburbs of ChicagoandIfyourstoryisselectedforpublicationinwatchedforthemfromthetrainonthe magazine, we'll pay you s100.09·201525ILLUSTRATION BY KAGAN MCLEODrd.com
rd.com | 09•2015 | ILLUSTRATION BY KAGAN MCLEOD 25 LOVE, EDITED When I was raising my 14-year-old son as a single mother in Toronto, he helped me publish a magazine. One day, an incredibly handsome, soft-spoken, well-mannered visitor from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, visited my office. We shared our experiences as volunteer editors. When he left, my son whispered, “Mom! Now, that’s the kind of man you should marry!” I blushed and laughed it off and didn’t think about it again. Eight years later, I met the same man again. He was now a widower. We married and are still together nine years later, coediting an international magazine. MAHJABEEN DAYA, Brampton, Ontario THE YELLOW HOUSE I ’ve lived in my condo 15 years now—long enough that I don’t even see it anymore. I started dreaming about moving into a house, where I was bound to be happier. I fixated on little yellow houses somewhere in the suburbs of Chicago and watched for them from the train on my commute. “Oh, look— there’s one!” I’d say as it slid by. Then one day, sitting in the sun on my patio, I looked up and realized the outside of my condo was done in yellow siding. I already had a yellow house. And I was home! ROSE MCMILLS, Woodridge, Illinois EMERGENCY CONTACT We’d divorced three years earlier and hadn’t seen each other since, but for whatever reason, I never took her off my emergency contact list at the nearest hospital. After my accident, I was put in a medically induced coma, and when I woke, she was the only person in the room. She sat in a hospital recliner, watching The View, looking unshowered. She turned her head casually as I slowly came to. “It’s just like you to have something like this happen,” she said. “I’m here, so I figure I’ll get us something to eat. What do you want?” JAMES GATES, Watertown, South Dakota Your True Stories IN 100 WORDS To read more 100-word stories and to submit your own, go to rd.com/stories. If your story is selected for publication in the magazine, we’ll pay you $100
FACESOF AMERICABY GLENNGLASSERWestminsterKennel ClubDog ShowNewYorkCity,2015RONALDTROTTAwithSchmittytheWeatherDog,Yorkshireterrier."I'mameteorologist.Wegointoschoolsandteachyoungkidstobeexcitedaboutscience,mathematics.andfashion-all atthesametime!"26092015rd.com
FACES OF AMERICA BY GLENN GLASSER Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show New York City, 2015 26 | 09•2015 | rd.com RONALD TROTTA with Schmitty the Weather Dog, Yorkshire terrier. “I’m a meteorologist. We go into schools and teach young kids to be excited about science, mathematics, and fashion—all at the same time!
LINDAA.BUTSCHwith Sam,corgi."Myhusbandpassedawayin'O6.Afewyearslater,thecorgiswe'dsharedpassedawaytoo.Iwenttoabreeder,andtheyhadSam.HesavedmylifeJustbeingtheperfectdogandbeingthereafter...Ihadaloss,youknow.Hefilledthevoid."DONNASMITHwithRTIrish wolfhound."Wehavetenmoreathome."JIMBUTLERwithSasha,Tibetan mastiff."His lionhairstyle is all natural."RUBENSANTANAwithKingTut,Pomeranian."I'm a dog stylist. This is King Tut. He's a rescuehe wasabandonedinmystylingsalon,and theynevercamebackforhim.Hecharmstheheartsofmany.It's a wonderful thing,you know; he canputasmileonanyone'sface,andthatyoucametousandwantedtotalktous-thatisatestamenttothepowerofKingTut.Wealsohavethreemore.HowdidyoudecidetobringjustKingTut?"He'sthe lightest
LINDA A. BUTSCH with Sam, corgi. “My husband passed away in ’06. A few years later, the corgis we’d shared passed away too. I went to a breeder, and they had Sam. He saved my life. Just being the perfect dog and being there after . I had a loss, you know. He filled the void.” RUBEN SANTANA with King Tut, Pomeranian. “I’m a dog stylist. This is King Tut. He’s a rescue— he was abandoned in my styling salon, and they never came back for him. He charms the hearts of many. It’s a wonderful thing, you know; he can put a smile on anyone’s face, and that you came to us and wanted to talk to us—that is a testament to the power of King Tut. We also have three more.” How did you decide to bring just King Tut? “He’s the lightest.” DONNA SMITH with RT, Irish wolfhound. “We have ten more at home.” JIM BUTLER with Sasha, Tibetan mastiff. “His lion hairstyle is all natural.” V V V V
FINISH THIS SENTENCEI should getPlanning tochange the worldstarting witha newmentor programPortland,ORforhighschool kids!HEATHERBRAKERMetalworkingFinishingImissbendingand shapingsilverthingsandcopper-somuchbeauty.SUZIEMORLANCARRASCOIsta-ERIKGRAYCastle Dale, UtDenver,coCedar City,UTHammer pants!Covina,CAMARIPEACOCKPhoenix,AzExercisingSocializingIamsuchalazybumReading theJENNIFERCONWAYEHRIgetSundayreally nervous.comicsJANICEGILLILANDHOBBSSHARONTAYLORThe poolHonolulu,HiIt's hot out here!AMBERPEREZ
Hammer pants! MARI PEACOCK FINISH THIS SENTENCE I should get Covina, CA Cedar City, UT Portland, OR Castle Dale, UT Phoenix, AZ Honolulu, HI Denver, CO Metalworking. I miss bending and shaping silver and copper—so much beauty. SUZIE MORLAN CARRASCO Finishing things I sta— ERIK GRAY Socializing. I get really nervous. JANICE GILLILAND HOBBS Exercising. I am such a lazy bum. JENNIFER CONWAY EHR The pool. It’s hot out here! AMBER PEREZ Reading the Sunday comics. SHARON TAYLOR Planning to change the world— starting with a new mentor program for high school kids! HEATHER BRAKER