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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 5:30 am Post subject: the cat, the microwave, the lawyer and the Worldwide Hoax.
There are rumours on the web these days that the story was too good to be true (see link below).
In the version I heard several years ago, the cat owner was American, and they sued the company that had manufactured the oven for not specifying there were a danger to cats. It sounded like news as usual, so of course everybody believed it.
One article I read said that, for proof that it was a hoax, you should read your microwave instructions manual. I checked mine, but the microwave oven was made in France, and even if somebody had used it as a speedy drying method, they wouldn't have spread the word or sued the company, so no company would have bothered changing the manual.
I asked my sister yesterday: in her version of the story, the hapless owner is a little Granny (no Americans, no lawsuit).
Now, guys, what does your microwave instructions manual say about this?
Thanks Chris, this was entirely new to me, and I really enjoyed the video.
Perhaps we Europeans are developing some sense of belonging to a community if people can be aware of what standards are generally in th EU and make fun of national quirks.
The opposition mentioned here is of course also the old one between North and South (Mediterranean countries). France is somewhere in the middle, with very marked differences (for example driving, parking...) in the south.
The again Italy has its own north and south divide.
Last year, 2007, husband and self went with our little tichy caravan to Italy - in our old Pugeot 407 - towing. We went through the Frejus Tunnel, slowwwwwly......nobody sounded their horns or made rude gestures to us....even though we were holding up the traffic.
We tried to drive under a low bridge on a busy street in a small town and got stuck - local people just shrugged and came and helped us to unhitch the caravan and get sorted - no one was abusive. We were in Italy for two weeks - everyone was kind and friendly...and tolerant of we two elderly English dodderers. Was it because we are getting old and bewildered? Don't know, but everything that could go wrong went wrong on last years holiday......AND it rained and thunderstorms followed us...in JUNE......but I want to go back.....because the Italians were kind!!! without exception.