William D. Johnson sent the following letter

Dear Round Pegs:

While at my local alignment shop getting the $25 special, I was holding up one of their magazines (actually scoping out the babes on the tool calendars!).Once I looked down at the magazine and read the article from Brake and Front End. Duh! People distrust their mechanics.

What I found interesting was that the survey put mechanics below hair stylists in loyalty. Which makes me wonder: would you and Ray have done better had you bagged the mechanics stuff and done hair? Look at the facts:

1. You don't know a whole lot about cars - I have informally monitored your radio show and found that you misdiagnose about 40 percent of the calls.

2. You like to chatter - which is what hairdressers are a good at.

3. You prefer to discuss the caller's relationships and feelings, rather that the car problems - which is what binds hair stylists to their clients.

As anyone who has seen "The Andy Griffith Show," a barber/stylist is like a therapist for the customer.

Ray would look good in a smock, and you could flit around the shop with a grande latte, advising on romance and hair length, convincing Mrs. Fischbein she really does look 20 years younger in that purple buzz cut.

Perhaps you could have a caller contest to name your new shop!

Respectfully,

William D. Johnson

P.S. You could even do a hair call-in show on NPR!

[ As Read on Car Talk ]