The Road Most Traveled ...

I went to Borders on Thursday to purchase the "Franchise Fraud", as I selected the book from the shelf a wave smoke filled the air.  I turned to see a tall cigarette-smoking-man dressed in gray with a cigarette gripped between the thumb and index finger.  Wrinkles creased his face - wrinkles from years of intimidation, selective terminations and territorial encroachments.

He spoke with a whisper …. "put the book back, don't go there, leave it alone, it must and will remain hidden."  My eyes glazed over, I returned the book to it's spot and went to the gardening section.

The Truth is Out There...

Franchisers depend on the truth remaining hidden, obscured and difficult to explain and recognize.  There are just enough "due diligence" successes in the system that new UFOC'ers can be safely directed to them and "due diligence" disgruntlements can be explained away.   It is a safe (and no so little) world the 'zors have built for themselves - quickly extinguishing dissenters with a quick section 17 and adding new wide-eyed 'zees ready to pick up the ACH draws - not too much different than hanging the latest promo cling on the front glass. 

The status quo is the foot soldier that advances this oppression, frustration and futility in finding a solution to this broadening problem.   A problem so deep and inherent in the franchising industry that the roots have long since been dug up and replanted with each new franchiser.   Even the practice of "Franchisee Churning" turns out to be a non-quantifiable phenomenon by virtue of the darkness, lack of data and oppression in which the churning occurs. 

As has been described in the forums herein, those that have been churned are just happy to get out and head to safer ground not really wanting to count the dead that lie along the road to safety - and worse - they lack the will or the ability to stand up and warn the others heading on the same road in the opposite direction.

As irony would have it, I am part of the problem!  ...as I seek a Gen#2 buyer and look for a quick way out - I will however, travel the road to safety with sirens blaring and lights flashing!

-jm