Spontaneous near-riot over defective appliances

FROM CUBA
Spontaneous near-riot over defective appliances

CAMAGUEY, Cuba - February 1 (Fernando Tabares / www.cubanet.org) - A
spontaneous march by residents of the Lenin district in Camagüey
province prompted government authorities to set up an impromptu facility
to try to repair the appliances they had just sold the consumers who now
claimed they were inoperable.

The appliances, including fans, electric rice cookers and other small
appliances, had been heralded by Cuban ruler Fidel Castro as an
energy-saving measure as well as one that would make the average
citizen's life a little easier.

So when it became the Lenin's residents turn to acquire the government-
sold appliances, they dutifully lined up and acquired them. Only this
time, they all found out at about the same time the appliances were duds.

Back they marched to the government warehouse, almost in lockstep,
hundreds of weary consumers who were now very dissatisfied with their
purchases and who were loudly voicing their discontent.

Authorities set up a makeshift repair facility and promised the
appliances would be duly repaired, but many in the crowd demanded their
money back, classifying the whole affair a swindle.

Three days after the initial distribution of the appliances, people were
still lined up at the repair facility, waiting for a resolution.

http://www.cubanet.org/CNews/y06/feb06/09e1.htm