The Gears Are Still Grinding At Daimler Chrysler

I recently visited a friend at the expansive headquarters of DaimlerChrysler near Stuttgart. At lunchtime, however, it became obvious that some Americans, a contingent from Detroit, were confused as they attempted to pay at the cash register of Daimler's cashless cafeteria.

The scene presented another example of the many "transition troubles" pointed out in "DaimlerChrysler: The grace period is over" (European Business, Mar. 29). In a very American voice, one of the Chrysler men at the cash register shrugged and asked rhetorically: "Why are things so complicated?"