Mon Aug 11 18:15:31 1997 - Message No. 1264
From: Frank Evan Perdicaro

Subject: Re: Some questions...


A surprising number of misc. items are fabricated from this
large-diameter stainless tubing.  Those of you outside the US are
probably wondering why, or how.

We have a fairly new federal law, the Americans With Disabilities Act.
This mandates the use of "grab rails" in all sorts of places.  Toilet
areas, all types of stairs and inclines, showers, elevators, and
millions of other areas.   As a result, we have a market that makes
stainless steel handrails as commodity items.  There are about ten
different types of inexpensive stainless handrails.

Now these handrails are well fabricated and nicely bent, and shiney and
stainless.  People buy these devices, originally intended for aiding
the handicaped, and make them into exhaust pipes, various handles for
all sorts of applications, crash bars, art, etc.

I happen to know that there is a person fabricating exhaust pieces for
Honda V twin motorcycles from these ADA-inspired handrails.  Cheap, and
high profit.  No, I will not disclose the source, but look around.
Nice new crash bars ... no surprise on that one either.

The market works in mysterious ways.



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