You don't have to be a former autoworker to have been affected by the automotive industry's problems. All U.S. taxpayers have been affected, as have many community and state economies.
I personally was affected — in a relatively minor way — when Chrysler sent letters of termination to 789 dealerships in May 2009. Mine was among them. The facility closed shortly after receiving the letter, and the Dodge dealership across the road hung a banner that said its service department now was Chrysler-certified.
On my first visit to Dodge, I asked my technician if he could get my Jeep's service records from my former dealership, one of many in the state — selling various brands — that bear a prominent dealer's name. He replied that he couldn't and indicated that the defunct dealership was not receptive to the idea. I couldn't understand why at the time. My thinking was that common decency and the desire for former customers to visit another of your dealerships when buying a new car might be incentives enough to cooperate. I think I may understand now, but it really doesn't matter.
