Police Authority and Accountability in Australia

INTRODUCTION Police officers in Australia, as well as worldwide, have been consistently accused of abusing their authority over the years. Police officers are known to protect and serve and to be the law enforcers of the land, but due to the reality that some human beings are concerned about self-satisfaction and lawlessness, police authority can often times be misconceived as abusive and aggressive.The powers of the police are consistently being scrutinized by the media, the community and even politicians, not to mention that police are, and not just in Australia but worldwide, held as one of the most accountable in society (Robertson, 1998). In order to essentially resolve these issues, the focus of the research should be related to police officers and specific issues such as use of force, police discretion, delegation of authority and the attempts that were made to control officers behaviours’ in Australia.WHAT IS POLICE AUTHORITY? Firstly, authority can be defined as gener ally and basically, Persons having power or powers that other people will not naturally be allowed to have. Bringing this definition toward linking it to police authority, this is where the police officer has legal power of enforcing laws, and at all times should be given the respect, because they are the gate keepers of society, our â€Å"guardian angels† who will be watching over us twenty four seven.For example, we are to respect our parents; they care for us and provide for us our basic needs, I believe that police officers are somewhat the same because they provide us the citizens with safety and when there is a problem we can run to them at many times. Although police authority maybe a good thing, there are also the pit falls with it, in that, there is the abuse of police authority.Some officers due to â€Å"bad apples† meaning some officers are dirty cops, because of greed and selfishness, also some officers believe that they are above the law, because they enfo rce the law, but I believe in the â€Å"eye for an eye† theory: if you do the crime, you should do the time; no one is above the law. WHAT IS POLICE ACCOUNTABLILITY? Firstly accountability is It is a fundamental principle of a democratic society that the police should be held to account for their actions. Accountability includes both what the police do and how they perform.What an officer does or how they do what they do is extremely critical in the world of policing. The entire concept of police accountability revolves around these two criteria, which according to how efficient they are executed, may make or break an officer’s policing career. Agency-level accountability involves the performance of law enforcement agencies with respect to controlling crime and disorder and providing services to the public (National Institute of Justice, 1999). Individual-level accountability involves the conduct of police officers with respect to lawful, respectful, and equal treatmen t of citizens. walker, 2007). I honestly believes that police accountability should be very vital within policing. Officers should be held accountable for their actions like any other individual. POLICE AUTHORITY IN AUSTRALIA In Australia the authority and powers of the police services are clearly defined and understood by officers, these powers are being tested by the courts and even the police themselves, the police know the limit of their authority and powers, but at sometimes politicians, legal professions and even the community are reluctant to greatly alter those powers.Hence the reason why officers may have to use force, law enforcement officers are authorized to use force in specific circumstances, officers in Australia are trained as any other police officer worldwide, but the matter of the issue is how much force to use, this is referred to as police discretion. Authority and abuse needs to be differentiated, because they are not at all supposed to be equal to the same thi ng. Generally, the way in which the police may maintain social order successfully is mainly in alignment with the use of force exercised by the police officers.Many people, citizens of Australia and even the world, here the term use of force being used consistently, whether it may be via the media or directly from a police officer, but what does the term really mean? Use of force is simply and basically the amount of force that is required of a police officer to ensure that an unwilling offender complies with the law enforcer (National Institue of Justice, 2012). Where it is unnecessary to use brute force, a police officer ought to refrain from so doing. An officer can use force in ifferent ways, either verbally or physically; also it may be less lethal or lethal (National Institue of Justice, 2012). Even as it remains that the police officer in Australia has the right to use force where necessary, how then do we determine when he should use which method of force, and how to deal wi th an offender on the whole? Police discretion is used often times when it comes to more of the minor offences, such as alcohol use and urination, but one major encounter in Australia in which police discretion ought to be used is in relation to people suffering from mental illness.Police discretion though, can be influenced by either personal relationships, or race or status, which ought not to be so, but realistically is it. There was one scenario in which a police officer encountered a cafe proprietor who had a traffic violation. The officer in this scenario, decided not to give the driver a traffic offence notice due to the relationship that had developed from before.Although many other officers agreed with the officer’s decision to exercise gratitude toward the violator, this is not a welcoming and promising prospect for the future of law enforcement on the whole. Police discretion can be altered and affected by many other factors surrounding an offender in society. An u nwilling and unruly suspect has a higher risk of being arrested than one who cooperates with the officer. Also, the police records of an offender may also influence the decision of the police.Even with relation to juvenile, police discretion can be altered but not by the juvenile themselves. The parents or Guardians of the juvenile may weigh in heavily on the decision and discretion of the police officer. In the case where the parent or guardian may be uninvolved or uncooperative, the officers may be led to take a different approach to the handling of this situation (Holmgren, 2012). POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY IN AUSTRALIA The face of the matter remains, and one which makes complete logical sense, is that whatever a police officer does, he/she need to account for it.Police in Australia, however, have been given a sense of discretion and freedom to fulfil their roles in society without too much interventions of any judicial or supreme official (Lewis, 2012). Police are not to be seen as i ndependent and totally able to do as they will by members of society, which is not at all the case. Police usually have to consult the judiciaries in the commission of enquiry pertaining to accountability for their actions or allegations, but what prompted this move by the Government?Police in Australia in the past; have been accused for many different things, such as police corruption, inefficiency and brutality. These falls of the police officers are not overlooked by the judiciary, and even though police are the protectors of society, they are very liable to punishment and sanctions for their wrong if it is not properly accounted for (Lewis, 2012). Police accountability has over years become viewed as more of a problematic issue than that of an encouraging one.One of the major ongoing disturbances in Australia’s society is the case where civil litigation is constantly overlooked as a form as accountability (Ransley, 2007)what exactly is civil litigation? Well, civil litiga tion is where someone is accused of doing wrong, but not necessarily a crime, and it is formally submitted to a court (Honeyman, 1999-2010) In fact and very evident to the world today, there have been many cases in Australia, in which persons have been involved in disputes with police officers for doing wrong yes, but not crimes.The reality that the purpose of civil litigation is to settle and attain some form of compensation for being wrongfully accused or dealt with, makes civil litigation a very critical aspect that should more than likely be incorporated in the field of Police accountability mainly because it is a form of correction, just that it is from the civilian stand-point (Ransley, 2007).If in fact, the intent of the more recent police reform is directed toward the strengthening and to some extent upgrading of the individual and organisational accountability, then that makes civil litigation a very fundamental, effective and also it should be, a mandatory component in the effective completion of this goal. Attempts to control the behaviour of police officers are not only affected by civil litigation, but also by the measures in which police officers are dealt with for misconduct.Without the emphasis on the errors of police officers, the police force may adapt to the conditions which could lead to the abuse of their powers and authority. The lack of consistent correction of officers often times may lead to the diminishing of confidence in the community in the police service (Perez, 2008). Internationally, this have become the evident scenario in the present society, as the trust and corporation between Police officers and communities is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, and this have been ighly influenced by the lack of legitimate duty and procedures by police officials. Officers have confrontations of a sort among their own organisations because of the corrections that they may face having the issue to argue that to balance the leniency of misco nduct and the harshness of crimes is difficult to manage (Perez, 2008). A common observation presently is that since authority is delegated rather than chosen gives police officials the opportunity to select the appropriate officers to do the reputation and compatibility with the relative scenarios at hand.CONCLUSION Whether it may be the favourable opinion to some, or the contradicting bias to others, Policing authority and accountability is one of the fundamental aspects of efficient law enforcement. In the case where any of the two may fail or fall short in any aspect, there will always be a conflict in the relationship between Law enforcement and community, and also it may serve as the catalyst for the diminishing status of the police force.From the use of force, to the correction of police officers by their own organisations, the main concept is to ensure that the standard and reputation of the Australian law enforcement department. There have been a lot of complaints geared to wards or targeted at the police officers, but in fact as much as the reality is that they do make some really uncharacteristic errors, they do uphold the law relatively efficiently.This is just another reinforcing point that the society at large tends to make judgements, especially toward individuals and systems within the law enforcement sector based on their benefit and fair treatment. Whether or not the case would have been that police officers in Australia abuse their powers or not, the comparison of the rate in which civil litigation is turned away and how vast the difference is between the corrections that the police officers correct citizens to how intense and consistent the punishment and corrections of officers themselves are, would have still caused some sort of rift within the system.Nothing, it seems can truly be completely satisfying and totally effective, and especially in a world where crime and deviance, because of the continuous introduction of laws and stereotypes via media interventions and other sources, the balance between being lenient and modest in terms of acts of misconduct, and being harsh and enforcing in situations that are more serious, or crimes, is very difficult to assess. The fact remains that o matter where the police system is today, in Australia, and even worldwide, the law enforcement sector cannot afford to cease from continuously modifying and developing their efforts and adaptations to the criminal advancements in society. REFERENCES Holmgren, L. (2012, April 12). Factors that affect Police officers' discretion. Retrieved April 5, 2012, from ehow: http://www. ehow. com/list_5960237_factors-affect-police-officers_-discretion. tml Honeyman, C. (1999-2010). Civil litigation. Colorado, united States of America. Lewis, C. (2012, may 5). Police, civilian and democratic accountability. Monash, Australia. National Institue of Justice. (2012, January 20). police use of force. D. C. , Washington, United States of America. Perez, M . R. (2008, august). Police discipline and community policing: New models. Los angeles, USA. Ransley, J. A. (2007).Civil Litigation against Police in Australia:Exploring its extent, Nature and implications for accountability. Australian and New Zeland Journal of Criminology(Australian Academic Press) , 143-160. Robertson, D. (1998). Public and Private policing: Issues and options for collaboration within Australia. sydney: n/a. walker, s. (2007, may N. D). police accountability: current issues and research needs. POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY , p. 4.

American Immigrants and Literacy Essay

Language is very important in the society because it enables people to communicate with each other and for them to participate meaningfully in the affairs of the society. For first generation immigrants to the United States, however, the problem of literacy and language becomes more pronounced. These people migrate to the United States for a variety of reasons. It could be because of economic need. Or it may be because the country they came from is in political trouble and there are outright hostilities and war. In this regard, the education needs of these immigrants may not be congruent with what is in the United States. Since these immigrants entered the US as adults, the challenge to become literate and become expert in the English language is greater than for children. What usually happens is that the parents work incessantly to provide for the family while the children go to school and literate and adjusted to the culture of the US. For adults, however, this is a challenge. This issue could be addressed using a two-step strategy. The first would be the establishment of non-formal English as second language classes that are based in the communities and would be facilitated by the literate members of the society. This way, there would be greater acceptance and they would be more receptive to a member of their community . Alongside the non-formal teaching of English as second-language, there should be a functional literacy program. These adult immigrants would be taught specific matters and subjects that they need for their daily lives. They might not need to study calculus and advance literature, but what they need is a working knowledge of the society they are in and how they can make their lives more meaningful in this society.

ATP Life Assurances Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ATP Life Assurances - Case Study Example While it sounds like it would take much time to monitor each IT project, the company already has formed a very solid routine for doing this every time it needs to. Each IT project is measured in order to make sure it is both efficient and effective while it is being developed, and after the analysis, either a red, yellow, or green label is placed on the system to demonstrate the status of the project. Some of the projects are actually analyzed more than once-these projects are those that are considered "more important" for a variety of reasons. Senior line managers, the Managing Director and chief operating officers are all provided with a monthly report regarding the status of projects that are valued at more than 250K and those that deal with important strategic content. Still, the company does even more to assure that the projects are successful. Another extra step is taken by ATP Life Assurance by using an investment-tracking database for each IT project in order to analyze costs as they proceed. Doing this gives the company members a chance to decide quickly whether a project should be pushed or pulled depending on the financial status and other items that are reported to the employees (Obrien and Marakas). I feel that these six key items are important because they will provide the stakeholders as well as the employees with a basic understanding of what each IT group concept needs to review for success. First, any project should always be initially organized, whether it appears that it may be initially successful or not. The key ideas and concepts need to be organized and keyed in by IT so that they can use the information for the future. The next key concept is to discuss the project, in order to make certain that everybody is aware of what is going on. This would also allow others to contribute their own thoughts or ideas to the project in order to make the project the best it could be. Next, the work flow is a very important item to consider. Work flow can make or break many projects, and a timeframe is always important to determine the success of a concept. How much time should be invested in it Is there a cut-off here When should the company give up on the concept (Seven Steps) Al l of this needs to be taken into consideration. It is also important for the company to set reasonable objectives when forming a project. If a company shoots for notions that are too high, it can devastate its feelings of morale and have an overall negative effect on its employees. However, if it focuses on achieving something much below what it might have been able to do, it is not performing to its full, effective value, which is also a problem. Some kind of happy medium must be found in this concept in order to resolve the

The Issue of Women in the Workplace outside the Home Research Paper

The Issue of Women in the Workplace outside the Home - Research Paper Example Let us consider other factors that lead to women to work outside. Women today are more intelligent and independent. They strongly believe that given the chance, they can equal the jobs of the male gender working behind office desks. Higher wages also draws women to work. With the help of household tools that are being used like the washing machines, the microwave oven and other tools in the house that make everyday household works easier, women have more time to spare in doing other jobs. There is also this rising aspiration for them to have our own material goods. For most women, owning material things that are hard earned is an accomplishment. Sharing family expenses with the man of the house is also an achievement. The economic and institutional advantage is clearly seen. In this changing world, women have proven they can surpass the ability of the male gender, that the intelligence of men and women are now of equal footing. However, let us not forget that there are workplaces tha t are designed for the male gender in as much as there are workplaces that are dominated by the female force. Looking at a more specific job field, as in the field of engineering and management, the male dominates the female population. In hospitals, and in some clerical offices, the women population is more than twice of the male population. The statistics show that 52.7% of families shows that both husbands and wives are working. As Dr Jeffry H. Larson has cited, In the final analysis, thirty years of research show that for the benefit of men, women, and their children, marriage is superior to cohabitation.  

ENVIORNMENTAL REGULATIONS Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ENVIORNMENTAL REGULATIONS - Coursework Example The absence of minimum wage rate in Singapore is a matter of concern especially for migrant workers. Due to increasing problems of environmental pollution caused by several industries and by industrialization policies pursued since the late 1960s, Malaysia developed its first framework environmental legislation called the Environmental Quality Act 1974. During the start of its life, the act took major steps to curb the ever increasing pollution in the country and it was not until 1987 that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures were introduced to undertake preventative measures as well. Section 34A of the Environmental Quality (Amendment) Act 1985 makes it obligatory for anyone who wishes to undertake some activity to conduct a study to weigh the environmental impacts that the activity will have and the measures to be undertaken. The Malaysian EIA procedures are comparable to the National Environmental Policy Act 1969 (NEPA) model of the USA (Memon, n.d.). The number of environmental laws has grown rapidly and may be sufficient in number but not in quality. These laws have been unable to curb the ever increasing pollution in Malaysia. One of the reasons is that the legislation was mainly passed to cover and address situations as they arose with time, not to address the core environmental issues. There are also a significant number of breaches of environmental law but enforcement action is extremely low: to date only 5 cases are reported in the law reports of Malaysia under the heading of environmental law (Bt. Maidin, 2005). Singapore’s environmental issues are typical of an urbanized city. The issues relate to pollution from industrialization and urbanization and the protection of nature areas. The overall environmental management lies with the Ministry of Environment (ENV) established in 1970 which has become a full-fledged ministry and is responsible for a number of areas such as providing infrastructure for waste management, and

Assess the presidency of George Washington and John Adams in terms of Essay

Assess the presidency of George Washington and John Adams in terms of domestic and foreign policy, as well as the challenges they faced when they became president - Essay Example s plan, which had far reaching impacts how the national debt, excise taxes, protective tariffs on imports, and as far the management of the national purse, national bank, was to be handled (Ferling (a)11-23). Washington was a unifying factor and rallied the nation towards avoiding war, a fact that destabilized the strength of the nation regarding foreign relations. His first major challenge touched on his conduct with reference to Jay’s Treaty, signed with England-a treaty that infuriated the public leaving a trail of questions to the extent to which United States would be an influencing agent in international affairs. Nevertheless, putting into practice the Hamilton’s plan strengthened economic prospects domestically. He did quell the Whiskey Rebellion, which was sparked off by the levying of excise taxes, reminding people that federal concerns superseded local thoughts in the new republic. Generally, Washington’s tenure was a success as he steered the young nat ion through a delicate beginning (Ferling (b) 55). Reeling under the influence and successes of predecessor Washington, John Adams assumed power promising to modernize the US economy through promotion of education as well as keeping peace with foreign powers. However, his tenures ran into trouble with factions supporting US-British alliance and those sympathetic of France in a war that began in 1793 between the two neighbors. Stymied by a congress controlled much by his opposes, Adams stood his ground, devoting his best to the development of his country (Ferling (b) 87). Wearing Washington’s shoes, he knew too well the unpreparedness of his nation to fight outside wars. As such he sacrificed his popularity to settle â€Å"quasi-war† with France through his son Quincy Adams (Grant 71). His best remembered as a diplomat who contributed immensely in shaping Americas foreign policy in line with ardent nationalist policies tailored towards America’s republican values. His administration upheld and

Animal Cruelty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Animal Cruelty - Research Paper Example They are beaten, kept in chains, enslaved, etc., and it is basically done for human entertainment. It is an issue since it is directly linked with any purchase behavior exhibited by human beings. Any product purchased by an individual encompasses some form of animal abuse. Animal cruelty is a global issue because overall consumer market demand is directly or indirectly associated with the slaughtering of animals. In the United States as well as across EU states, animal cruelty percentage has increased in recent years. Figure1 states number of animals which are utilized by European countries for their research and development. Similar trends as shown in figure1 is observed across other regions, making animal cruelty a global issue. The target audience of this paper is a young generation or students of schools and colleges. This topic holds significance for target audience since the focus will be on major developments for preventing animal cruelty. Young generation people are considere d to be future of any country and they should be the ones to eradicate such ill-treatment from society. Animal abuse cases have increased over the years and hence this topic is essential in the current context. According to figure2, many animal abuse cases have been closed without any such action and this has increased percentage rate of cruelty. Hence the current world scenario demands further research on this particular area. The increased percentage of animal cruelty cases indicates that there is a need for immediate action.

The Economic Lessons for Canada from Ireland's Success Story Essay - 1

The Economic Lessons for Canada from Ireland's Success Story - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in the recent years, the economy of Ireland has shifted its focus from being an agricultural economy to a more knowledge-based economy. The focus is more on the trade, investment, service sectors and the high technology industries. Ireland is considered as one of the wealthiest economies among the OECD countries. According to the reports of PWC, the economy is expected to have a GDP growth rate of 0.8% in the year 2011. Â  Ireland is a globalized economy with the second largest GDP in the EU. During the period of the Celtic Tiger; its GDP grew in a double-digit figure. The countries GDP growth rate was consistent at 6% till 2008, after which it faced a drastic fall in its GDP owing to the global recession. The economic growth also resulted in a high inflation rate. However, the prices fell in light of the global recession, and as per the reports till 2009, the inflation rate fell by 4.5%. Fall in the inflation rate is good for an econ omy as it also boosts the investment sector. The public finances also registered a positive growth due to the strength of Ireland’s economy. The rate of employed people grew drastically and the unemployment figure fell. The average unemployment rate is expected to be 13% in the year 2011. The economy has only 5.5% of its population below the poverty line. US investments is one of the factors that helped in Ireland’s growth as well as modernization by increasing its employment opportunities, export potentials and enriching its technology.

Singal processing and linear systems + Matlab Essay

Singal processing and linear systems + Matlab - Essay Example The square wave response of a dynamic system measures how the dynamic system responds when a square wave is applied to its input. Generally a unit step function is applied defined by the following equation: Laplace transform and Fourier transform both are use for analysis of aperiodic signals. Laplace yields the result in s-domain where as Fourier transform yields it in frequency domain. Laplace is more often used because in s-domian it is easier to analyze the performance of the system by looking at the poles and the zeros. The Laplace transform is usually used in the context of one-sided signals, i.e. signals that are zero for all values of  t  less than some value. Usually, this "start time" is set to zero, for convenience and without loss of generality, with the transform integral being taken from zero to infinity. The Fourier transform is used for analyzing systems that process signals that are infinite in extent, such as modulated sinusoids. (LTI) The signal is compared both in frequency and time domain, before and after filtering. As seen in the graphs the amplitude of the signal after filtering is 1. The amplitude thus decreases from 2 to 1, showing 3dB attenuation. In frequency domain the higher frequency coefficients are zero. They cover almost half the total bandwidth. Thus the half band filter has made half of the coefficients zero with 3dB

Popularity of Fast Food Production Essay Example for Free

Popularity of Fast Food Production Essay Introduction The popularity of fast food production today is a direct result of busy families. In today’s society both husband and wife usually obtain full-time careers. These careers take up much of the family’s time and energy. Children of these families are usually very active in many extracurricular activities such as, Boy Scouts, football, baseball, and basketball. With all of the practice, games, and outings, these activities consume a great amount of the family’s time. In this fast paced life people find it more and more convenient to grab some food on the way home than to prepare a full meal for their family. Families find it more convenient to have someone else do the cooking and cleaning than to take more time away from each other and do it themselves. Single people find it easier to pick-up some fast food than cook a big meal for one person. It is also a result of the most obvious, people these days are just lazier than people in our past were. A person who forgot their lunch at home is more likely to choose fast food over a restaurant because of the cost difference. They could go to a fast foodrestaurant for fewer tk. than they could go to a restaurant where they would spend for one meal. Actually, it is the result of time and convenience and sometimes it is a result of the low cost. Popularity of Fast Food The growing popularity of fast food has brought about ruthless competition in the fast food industry. Fast food chains are constantly trying to please growing consumer demand by selling more food at lower prices. In order to do so, these fast food giants continuously incorporate new â€Å"efficient† business practices which provide better services to customers resulting in bigger sales and larger profit margins. In most cases, these practices are obvious. For instance, precooked hamburger patties, computer systems, and drive-throughs were each introduced to minimize production time in turn allowing for increased sales. Nevertheless, less obvious business practices have also been implemented which most consumers fail to recognize. All together, increased fast food popularity has led to the adoption ofbusiness practices involving the careless treatment of modern day farm animals. * First of all, fast food is prepared from unhealthy meat. Most animals raised as food for fast foodrestaurants come from â€Å"factory farms. † At each of these factory farms millions of animals live torturous lives. Fast food companies choose to purchase from these farms because they minimize all production costs and provide cheaply. * Fast Food Growth- Comparison * History Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a packaged form for take-out/take-away. The term fast food was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951. Outlets may be stands or kiosks, which may provide no shelter or seating,[1] or fast food restaurants (also known as quick service restaurants). Franchise operations which are part of restaurant chains have standardized foodstuffs shipped to each restaurant from central locations. he concept of ready-cooked food for sale is closely connected with urban development. In Ancient Rome cities had street stands that sold bread, sausages and wine. Pre-modern Europe. In the cities of Roman antiquity, much of the urban population living in insulae, multi-storey apartment blocks, depended on food vendors for much of their meals. In the mornings, bread soaked in wine was eaten as a quick snack and cooked vegetables and stews later in the day at a popina, a simple type of eating establishment. In the Middle Ages, large towns and major urban areas such as London and Paris supported numerous vendors that sold dishes such as pies, pasties, flans, waffles, wafers, pancakes and cooked meats. As in Roman cities during antiquity, many of these establishments catered to those who did not have means to cook their own food, particularly single households. Unlike richer town dwellers, many often could not afford housing with kitchen facilities and thus relied on fast food. Travellers, as well, such as pilgrims en route to a holy site, were among the customers. United Kingdom In areas which had access to coastal or tidal waters, fast food would frequently include local shellfish or seafood, such as oysters or, as in London, eels. Often this seafood would be cooked directly on the quay or close by. The development of trawler fishing in the mid nineteenth century would lead to the development of a British favourite fish and chips, and the first shop in 1860. A blue plaque at Oldhams Tommyfield Market marks the origin of the fish and chip shop and fast food industries in Britain. After World War II, turkey has been used more frequently in fast food. As well as its native cuisine, the UK has adopted fast food from other cultures, such as pizza, Chinese noodles, kebab, and curry. More recently healthier alternatives to conventional fast food have also emerged. United States. As automobiles became popular and more affordable following the First World War, drive-in restaurants were introduced. The American company White Castle, founded by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson in Wichita, Kansas in 1921, is generally credited with opening the second fast food outlet and first hamburger chain, selling hamburgers for five cents each. Walter Anderson had built the first White Castle restaurant in Wichita in 1916, introducing the limited menu, high volume, low cost, high speed hamburger restaurant. Among its innovations, the company allowed customers to see the food being prepared. White Castle was successful from its inception and spawned numerous competitors. Franchising was introduced in 1921 by AW Root Beer, which franchised its distinctive syrup. Howard Johnsons first franchised the restaurant concept in the mid-1930s, formally standardizing menus, signage and advertising. The United States has the largest fast food industry in the world, and American fast food restaurants are located in over 100 countries. Approximately 2 million U. S. workers are employed in the areas of food preparation and food servicing including fast food in the USA. FAST FOOD INDUSTRY IN BANGLADESH Fast food culture was started in the early nineties. In Bangladesh it has mainly geared towards the younger end of the market and the employees of the corporate sector. The fast food culture in Bangladesh has taken the country by storm. The first fast food shop started its business in the Bailey road of Dhaka. After that, a number of fast food shops started to grow exponentially in different places of the Dhaka city. Local entrepreneurs are leaders in pioneering the fast food industry of Bangladesh. New brands i. e. Swiss, Helvetia etc. are to name of some Bangladeshi fast food shops formed in franchising system. In early 2000, Bangladesh experienced the entry of the first international brand of fast food franchise in the country. Pizza Hut and KFC entered into Bangladeshi market having franchise with Transom Foods Limited (TFL). Both Pizza Hut and KFC are subsidiaries of the world’s largest restaurant company Yum! Restaurants International. TFL has opened three Pizza Huts and three KFC outlets in Bangladesh in a span of five years. Pizza Hut opened its flagship restaurant in 2003 at Dhaka. Following its grand success in Dhaka, the Chittagong outlet was opened in 2005. The third Pizza Hut restaurant was launched in Dhaka in 2008. Meanwhile, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) perceived as high-quality fast food in a popular array of complete meals to enrich the consumer’s everyday life. TFL successfully launched the flagship KFC in 2006 and gained attention of the people with its taste, high standard of hygiene, cleanliness, interior attractiveness, affordable pricing etc. Following its enormous success in Dhaka, the second and third outlets were opened in 2008. - Globalization In 2006, the global fast food market grew by 4. 8% and reached a value of 102. 4 billion and a volume of 80. 3 billion transactions. In India alone the fast food industry is growing by 41% a year. McDonalds is located in 126 countries and on 6 continents and operates over 31,000 restaurants worldwide. [20] On January 31, 1990 McDonald’s opened a restaurant in Moscow, and broke opening day records for customers served. The Moscow restaurant is the busiest in the world. The largest McDonald’s in the world is located in Orlando, Florida,USA[21] There are numerous other fast food restaurants located all over the world. Burger King has more than 11,100 restaurants in more than 65 countries. [22] KFC is located in 25 countries. [23] Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with approximately 39,129 restaurants in 90 countries as of May 2009,[24] the first non-US location opening in December 1984 in Bahrain. [25] Pizza Hut is located in 97 countries, with 100 locations in China. [26] Taco Bell has 278 restaurants located in 14 countries besides the United States. [27] Current Market Size Economists at the National Restaurant Association estimated total foodservice sales for 2011 at ? 313 billion, representing a 5 percent increase over 2010. That means consumers spent an average of ? 855 million per day on food away from home. According to the National Restaurant Associations Foodservice Industry Forecast, fast food comprised the largest segment of this market, capturing 47. 8 percent of the Takas spent. The report attributes this success to fast foods ability to meet consumers desire for value and convenience. It was further estimated that at least 64 percent of all fast food purchases were consumed off-premises. According to Technomic, Inc. , a food industry consulting firm, almost half of consumer food Takas are spent on meals prepared away from home. In addition, food expenditures rise significantly as income increases according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey Data. Industry Trends This significant trend of consumers purchasing prepared meals is so pervasive that the foodservice industry has coined a new term to describe it: home-meal replacement. Many businesses are shifting their focus to meet the growing demands of consumers: * Most supermarkets now include a deli, bakery, and a prepared-foods section. Also, many offer fast-food service. * Boston Market has continued to expand its product lines and market share. * Famous chefs, such as Wolfgang Puck, are offering high-end prepared meals in upscale supermarkets. * Fast-food chains such as KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell have formed alliances to offer multiple product lines under one roof. There are also several economic and cultural trends that have contributed to this growing demand: * Increasing number of women in the workforce * Increasing number of woman-owned businesses * Growing number of higher-income households * Americans working longer hours * Decreasing amount of leisure time * Premium placed on convenience * Trend toward purchasing personal services (i.e. , personal-trainers, house-cleaning services, home shopping services). According to Foodservice Solutions, a hospitality consulting firm: Home-meal replacement is not a luxury today its a necessity. People dont want to take the time to cook; they have too many other things to do. People want high-quality prepackaged foods to make life easier. | Entrepreneur Magazine selected Personal Chef Services as one of the top service businesses to start today: Convenience-craving consumers are always looking for a way to do things better, faster and cheaper. Often, that means turning to a specialty-services entrepreneur who knows how to get the job done right. Those with culinary competence can likely find a hungry clientele among the ranks of Americas busy working families. | Growth Potential of the Market Based on the National Restaurant Associations Foodservice Industry Forecast, the percentage of food Takas spent away from home has grown from 25 percent in 1955 to 50 percent today. More importantly, the proportion of the food budget spent on meals away from home increases significantly as income increases. Households with incomes of ? 70,000 spent 81 percent more per capita (? 1,278 per person) on food away from home than the average income-reporting household (? 705 per person) according to the Consumer Expenditure Survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Also contributing to the potential growth in the market is the rise in affluent households documented by the Current Population Survey from the Bureau of the Census. From 1990 to 1994 the number of households earning ? 50,000 to ? 74,999 increased by 16. 4 percent; households earning ? 75,000 to ? 99,999 increased 36. 1 percent; and households earning ? 100,000 or more increased by 61. 1 percent in the same period. Affluent Households Gaining Ground Change in Number of Households| | Household Income| Increase (Decrease) in Number of Households| Percent Change| Less than ? 35,000| (1,638,000)| -3. 0%| ?35,000 to ? 49,999| (331,000)| -2. 0%| ?50,000 to ? 74,999| 2,310,000| +16. 4%| ?75,000 to ? 99,000| 1,841,000| +36. 1%| ?100,000 or more| 2,496,000| +61. 1%| Total| 4,479,000| +5. 0%| Source: Bureau of the Census A personal chef service is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the increasing demand for fast food, growing health concerns, and the rise in high-income households. Affluent working couples want fast food, but they want it upscale, healthy, and convenient. The founders of Truly Unique Personal Chef Service report that their business has grown 10 to 15 percent every year since opening in 1992. Many of their clients said they were getting bored with going out to restaurants and wanted something different. Customer Profile Creative Cuisines target customer will be families with two working, professional parents who are too busy to cook every night but are fed up with takeout and restaurant food. Their specific demographics are as follows: Household Income: Over ? 100,000 Age: 35 to 55 Education: College degree and/or advanced degree Marital Status: Married couples or high income single Job: Professional status (one or both partners) Children: Preferably ages 7 to 18 Homeowners: Preferably Location: Live in neighborhoods with high concentration of affluent families Customer Benefits Here are just a few of the benefits to customers if they hire Creative Cuisine: * 6 hours per week more free time (1 hour per day cooking/acquiring meal plus 1 hour per week grocery shopping) * Very convenient. * Meals customized to personal tastes * More variety * Health and nutrition benefits * Less stress * Client feels pampered * It makes life easier * Dont have to cook * Less grocery shopping * Minimal kitchen clean-up * Peace of mind The Competition There are a handful of other personal chef services in the metropolitan area; however, since this is still a new business concept, there remains a large untapped market. Most competition for home-meal replacement exists from neighborhood restaurants, upscale fast-food outlets and supermarket prepared meals. Following is a competitive analysis of the various meal replacement alternatives: Fast Food Industry in 2012 at a Glance It is no secret: Americans love fast food. And its not just us! The Golden Arches have spread across the globe, and emerging markets are one of the fastest growing areas in the industry. But the fast food industry is not without its challenges, especially in the United States. From rising food costs, economic recession and changing perceptions about health, many fast food franchises have been feeling some heat. But rather than flee from this challenge, the fast food industry has been adopting new practices and offering new products. Modern society is on the go, and there is plenty of demand for a quick bite at all times of the day. Fast food franchising opportunities exist in the â€Å"traditional† spaces like burgers and pizza, but are also sprouting up in healthy and unique ways as well. The Industry The fast food industry, also known as Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), has been serving up tasty morsels for as long as people have lived in cities. The modern system of fast food franchising is believed to have started in the mid 1930’s when Howard Johnson franchised his second location to a friend as a means to expand operations during the Great Depression. And oh how it has grown! As cars became commonplace, the drive-thru concept brought explosive growth to the idea of food-on-the go. â€Å"Fast Food† was added to the Merrion-Webster dictionary in 1951 and U. S. fast food companies are now franchised in over 100 countries. In the U. S. alone there are over 200,000 restaurant locations! Revenue has grown from $6 billion in 1970 to $160 billion last year, an 8. 6% annualized rate. Fast food franchises focus on high volume, low cost and high speed product. Frequently food is preheated or precooked and served to-go, though many locations also offer seating for on-site consumption. For stands, kiosks or sit-down locations, food is standardized and shipped from central locations. Consumers enjoy being able to get a familiar meal in each location, and menus and marketing are the same in every location. What’s Been Going Wrong? There have been challenges for the fast food industry in recent years that have been pressuring profit margins. The industry as a whole has proven robust enough to withstand these challenges, though some players have done better than others. Over the last decade there has been increased focus on the quality of food served in fast food restaurants. Typically highly processed and industrial in preparation, much of the food is high in fat and has been shown to increase body mass index (BMI) and cause weight gain. Popular books such as Fast Food Nation and documentaries like Super Size Me have increased public awareness of the negative health consequences of fast food. Fast food companies have responded by adopting healthier choices and have had some measure of success, but the shadow of bad press still hangs over the industry. Rising commodity prices have also significantly crunched many fast food franchises. With food and beverage inputs making up approximately 33% of costs, higher prices for livestock, corn, wheat and more have seriously shrunk margins over the past decade. In such a fiercely competitive space it is impossible to force a price increase on customers, so profit margins are often south of 10%. The recent economic recession did lower commodity prices, but the recession brought on its own complications, and now prices for commodity inputs are on the rise again. Fast food had been thought to be largely recession proof, and indeed the industry did not suffer nearly as much as other discretionary spending sectors. In fact, there was some increase in consumer visits as people choose cheaper fast food options over fast casual or traditional restaurant choices. But overall, the recession hurt spending, and consumers overall purchased less with each trip. Fast food franchises fared reasonably well but still felt some pain. Market saturation is also a relevant issue in the fast food industry today, at least in the U. S. There is a McDonald franchise is in almost every town, and it usually sits in a row with several competitors. With so many competitors which offer similar products there are fewer customers per location. Increasingly fast food restaurants are also losing market share to fast casual, a relative newcomer in the restaurant space. Where do we Go from Here? Busy citizens still need quick meal options, and fast food restaurants are fighting these challenges with gusto. Now offering healthy choices to battle the stigma of unhealthy food, some quick service restaurants now focus on fresh or organic products. From franchises focused solely on salads or healthy wraps to the lower calorie options offered at traditional burger franchises such as Wendy’s or McDonald’s, consumers are able to make better choices†¦if they want! Fast food franchises are also focusing on expanding into new product lines, such as the coffee initiative in the McCafe. Intended to offer competition to Startbucks, McDonalds is luring customers back into their stores, hoping they will purchase food as well. Many franchises have been exploring other meal times such as breakfast and the mid-afternoon snack for growth opportunities and to increase real estate utilization. The industry is most effectively battling saturation within the United States by creating a much more diverse range of offerings. Sure, there is a McDonalds in every town, but there are very few crepe franchises†¦yet! From new cultural cuisines to fresh takes on a traditional story, there are many moretypes of quick service restaurants than ever before. The fast food industry is still a large and diverse industry with plenty of opportunity. As one would hope, challenge is being answered with innovation, and fast food franchises are responding with new offerings, pricing and strategies to lure consumers back in. Non-traditional fast food franchises are springing up and gaining traction, and more creativity will always be welcome! Consumers are now on the look-out for new ways to eat fast and healthy. And as the industry continues to evolve and the economy strengthens, fast food franchise profitability will continue to grow. Porter’s five forces industry analysis for Krispy Kreme Saturday, January 29th, 2011 at 9:00 am. What is Porter’s Five Forces? Well I doubt there is any need to explain one of the most famous strategic tools around but just in case, it is a tool to analyse the external industry to find the root causes of profitability. Again seeing an example is useful and below is a five forces analysis of Krispy Kreme. Rivalry among existing competitors (High +++) * High concentration of rivals e. g. Starbucks and local chains * Static market growth * High fixed costs * Perishable products (food and drink) A large number of competitors in the industry are all competing for the same customers. Coffee chains (e. g. Costa, Starbucks) are all competing to be number one in the market and have similar corporate goals. While product differentiation is limited, there is fierce differentiation by product range, brand and store ambience (e. g. seating). There are zero switching costs for customers, which promotes price wars. Market growth is static, which promotes fierce fighting for market share, and there is saturation of competition due to the limited number of prime locations available for outlets. Smaller chains have to pay a premium for prime sites or settle for less desirable locations. Threat of new entrants (Medium +) * Large capital requirements required to build chain of stores * Favourable locations are already occupied * Economies of scale in distribution and raw ingredients (lower per unit costs due to the experience curve) * Product and brand differentiation Capital requirements for individual stores are low, however new entrants wishing to compete on a like basis with national store networks, distribution channels, brand equity development and advertising, face large capital requirements to gain market share. This is reflected in the large number of individual outlets compared with the small number of large, proven top specialty eateries. The UK commercial property market is landlord-driven and controlled; premium locations in the UK are scarce and command high prices with most of the favourable locations within town centres, airports and train stations already being occupied by existing competitors. Threat of substitutes (Medium +) * Large choice of alternatives with similar products e. g. energy drinks, cakes, biscuits, ice-cream, chocolate * No switching costs. Although a consumer can choose from multiple substitutes (e. g. desserts, pastries or drinks), speciality eateries compete based on convenience and opportunity. Most people buy from speciality eateries when travelling, shopping or meeting people. This is evidenced by the location of the eateries, which is concentrated around high footfall locations such as train stations, business districts and shopping centres. For a consumer this becomes a competitive choice rather than a substitute choice (e. g. do I buy a coffee from Starbucks or Costa). Other substitutes come from full menu eateries such as restaurants and fast-food outlets with a smaller threat from supermarkets. Bargaining power of suppliers (Low) * Vertically integrated businesses with only commoditised raw ingredients * Large number of suppliers to choose from and low switching costs Bargaining power of buyers (Low) * Buyers are fragmented and numerous * Although there are no switching costs for the buyer the food and drink market is part of the fabric of society Conclusions and Recommendations. Fast food consumers of Bangladesh, especially the university students, considered brand reputation as the most important factor when choosing fast foods followed by nearness and accessibility, similarity in taste, cost and quality relationship, discount and taste, clean and hygiene, salesmanship and decoration, fat and cholesterol, and self-service. The recent upset in the fast food industry of Bangladesh was created by the discovery of unethical practices conducted by several fast food businesses resulted in consumers putting their trusts on renowned fast food brands only. Thereby it is seen that the fast food houses with reputed brand name and recognition i. e. KFC, BFC, Pizza Hut, Coopers etc. are carrying out their businesses in a usual manner even in the toughest time of the industry. The majority of the fast food brands that passed with flying colors during the mobile courts inspection for quality maintenance were able to either establish or revitalize their brand reputation. Eventually as suggested by the research findings, the university students will select such fast food brands that have brand reputation. Besides the brand reputation, the other important factors were nearness and accessibility, similar taste of fast food, cost and quality relationship, discount and taste. In case of nearness or proximity and accessibility factor, consumers prefer to go to the fast food outlets that are close from their own home or study institutions. It is seen that the fast food shops in Bangladesh has already considering the factors by establishing their outlets near big corporate houses and private universities. Especially, in Dhaka city this practice is seen in Bailey road where majority of fast food shops are located. Near Bailey road, there are 3 girls’ school and collages, and 3 boys’ school and 2 collages in walking distance. Almost similar situation prevails in Gulshan, Banani area of the city where KFC and Pizza Hut outlets are situated near 3 private universities. It is understandable from the situation that the students studying at these institutions consider these nearby fast food outlets whenever they decide to consume fast foods. There is an opportunity here however, for new fast food shops to compete with the existing fast food outlets. Since establishing a new outlet in an already competitive business space is expensive and difficult, the new fast food businesses can introduce mobile fast food outlets. Through mobile fast food outlets, new fast food businesses can deliver their fast foods that are already cooked fresh in their shops, but kept hot and delivered to the students instantly with their own choice of accompanying taste enhancers i. e. tomato sauce, cheese etc. These mobile fast food outlets could be on top of a mini-truck, van etc. The similar taste of the fast food factor refers to the fact that no matter which fast food outlet a particular fast food item is bought from, the taste should be similar. For example, if a chicken burger is bought from an outlet of KFC, the taste would be similar to any other chicken burger bought from any other KFC outlet. The taste could differ from other fast food shops as the different business use taste as differentiating factor in case of food items. But the businesses have to keep in mind that too much difference in taste of similar fast food items makes the consumers confused. The cost and quality relationship is also an important factor considered by the consumers of fast food. If the cost of a fast food item is high, it is usually considered to be carrying high quality and vice versa. So, the businesses of fast food products have to be careful in setting the prices of the fast food items. The pricing should be such as it offers the right amount to value to the consumers in a competitive price that at the same time ensures adequate profit margins for the fast food businesses. Finally in terms of discount and taste factor, the consumers consider the availability of discounts in fast food outlets. Usually these discounts are offered as group discounts i. e. arranging a party or social gathering at a reduced price package etc. Consumers consider this option when choosing fast food products. They might not immediately use this factor but it puts the fast food shop in their consideration set for later use. This study recommends that the fast food producers or distributors at Dhaka city should focus more on the brand reputation, nearness or proximity and accessibility, cost, quality, discount, and similarity in taste factors. If they are able to fulfill these needs, university students of Bangladesh will be induced to buy and consume fast food whenever they are out of their houses. However, there is an ample scope to conduct further study on the preference factors used by the office-goers, housewives, and visitors in buying fast food to determine if there are any more common or unique factors prevailing among these different groups that might be important in making decisions regarding the choice of fast food items in Bangladesh. Abstract. Fast food industry is a high growing sector of Bangladesh. It is concerned with the tastes and habits of the people. The food-taking habit especially in fast food segment has been changing very fast over last decade among the people of Dhaka the capital city of Bangladesh. The reasons could be attributed by the increase of awareness, growth of education, development of information technology, and expansion of television channels and print media in Bangladesh. Hence, this paper aims at identifying the preference factors of fast food consumers living in Dhaka city. This study was conducted among the university students who usually eat fast food at their leisure time. To conduct the study, a total of 250 respondents were interviewed with a structured questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing the data. Multivariate analysis technique like factor analysis was performed to identify the preference factors of the fast food student-consumers of Bangladesh. Multiple regressions were run to identify the relationship between the factors identified and the overall preference of the consumers. Results show that the consumers give most importance on brand reputation of the food item followed by nearness to receive and accessibility, similarity of taste with previous experience, cost and quality of the food, discount and taste, cleanliness and hygiene, salesmanship and decoration, fat and cholesterol level, and self-service factors. This study suggests that the brand reputation, nearness and accessibility, similarity in taste, and cost and quality relationship should be emphasized to improve the attraction of the university students towards the fast food items in Bangladesh.

Analysing Aquafina Bottled Water

Analysing Aquafina Bottled Water Aquafina bottled water is bottled around the country in 33 different locations from municipal tap water. It is both filtered and purified in a process that involves seven separate steps called the HydRO-7 Purification System. Included in the steps are processes such as filtration, exposure to high intensity light, osmosis, polishing, and ozonization. What results is water that has a Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) content of 4 parts per million (ppm), 2.5 times lower than the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maximum amount. The packaging of the water goes through a long process and creates some muda. Many of the Pepsi bottling processes are outsourced. For example, the bottles are manufactured by Amcor PET Packaging North America. The process is also very detailed and complicated in order to ensure both safety and a reliable product. We will also be explaining every material in the packaging process. Additionally, we will be discussing the recent boom of the water industry and its environmental implications over the last decade. The amount of natural resources being used to produce the entire bottled water package, is extraordinary, and causing a real problem. The environment is also being contaminated on a daily basis with a majority of the bottles being thrown away as opposed to being recycled. Along with the destruction of our planet, plastic bottles and the water contained within them are starting to be seen as a serious health threat. For the economical part of this paper, we will touch on Aquafinas numbers over the past few years and try to predict the future. We will also make suggestions on how to gain a bigger market share, and how to make safe products in a business perspective. Pepsi-Colas Aquafina, which has reigned as the number-one brand for several years, has become the U.S. bottled water businesss first billion-dollar brand in 2004 has sustained strong growth in 2005 when wholesale dollar sales neared $1.3 billion. Introduction Bottled water is one of the biggest selling beverages in the world due to its convenience and quality taste. Whether due to the uneasiness of the safety of tap water or the convenience of the bottle, bottled water continues to gain profit share for companies in the industry. Specifically for busy college students such as ourselves, it has become increasingly important for us to be able to drink water when not near a water source. Hence, the product we chose to study is Aquafina bottled water. When one purchases a bottle of Aquafina, he will receive the purified water and the bottle in which it is contained including its label, nutrition facts and ingredients, and a sealed cap. Although the Aquafina water bottle is only meant for one use, many choose to refill their bottle with ordinary tap water. Because Pacific Lutheran University contracts its beverages and vending machines through Pepsi, Aquafina is the most consumed bottled water for our campus. This report is the study of the Aquafina bottled water process, value stream, muda, and economic evaluation of the bottled water that is widely circulated not just on our campus but around the world. The HydRO-7 Purification System Purifying the Water Achieving Aquafina water is a complex and complicated process. Aquafina bottles water in 33 different municipal locations around the country from underground formation springs, the same location as our tap water. Whereas tap water is merely filtered and treated to remove bacteria and contaminants, Aquafina takes an extra step by purifying the water using the Hydro-7 purification system which removes substances according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards. Creator of the state-of-the-art purification system, the HydRO-7 removes substances in seven different steps. The Aquafina website provides the consumer with information related to the filtration and purification steps of its product (www.aquafina.com). Prefiltration In this first step, the system removes tiny particles in the water through a filter. Polishing filter Here, this first polishing filter (of 2) catches any particles that were missed in the previous step. High-intensity light A burst of high energy light imparts energy into the water stream to eliminate naturally occurring organic substances in the water. Reverse Osmosis (R.O.) Here, the system uses pressure and a hyper filter to remove 98% of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and organic compounds from the water. The TDS is the sum of all dissolved solids in water in parts per million. This step uses semi-permeable membranes with smaller pore sizes than micro filtration, ultra filtration, and nano filtration to remove substances such as sodium and chloride from the water. Charcoal Filtration This step isolates the elements that affect the taste of the water in a charcoal filter. Polishing Filter This is where the system polishes the hydrogen and oxygen elements in the water to make the water clear. Ozonization The system passes purified, oxygen-rich air through a generating cell. Here, three oxygen molecules are brought together to keep unwanted particles away. When they have done their job, they revert back to double oxygen molecules. Here is a standard Aquafina nutrition facts label found either on the bottle or the packaging. More important than what is in Aquafina water is what has been removed. The Aquafina website suggests that everything that the system removes from the water is unnecessary and perhaps harmful to humans (www.aquafina.com). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires a maximum of 500 ppm (parts per million) of TDSs in spring water and the FDA requires 10 ppm in purified water. Aquafina, a purified water, bottles water at 4 ppm, 2.5 times lower than the FDA standard (Mosko, 2004). The process removes the following trace compounds from the water: Carbonates Bicarbonates Chlorides Sulfates Phosphates Nitrates Calcium Magnesium Sodium Potassium Iron Manganese Calcium and potassium are necessary for the human body, but they are still removed. Aquafina claims that the minute levels in the water have little effect on human health and removing them only delivers a more pure water (www.aquafina.com). However at the end of the purification process,  ¼ of the bottled water that Aquafina bottles is tap water (Mosko, 2004). Aquafina claims to have the purest water in the industry, but even more pure and containing less TDS is Penta water, which goes through a rigorous 11-step process and distributes water with 0.5 ppm TDS. Pentas website also explains the process and the advantages of Penta in detail (http://www.pentawater.com/what.shtml). The Aquafina system at the plant in Austin, Indiana, for example, has bottles 32,000 gallons of water an hour. The system is computer monitored and keeps track of which valves are open and closed and how much is in each tank. The Aquafina system is also used for bottling soft drinks at the plant. All the water is carbon-filtered in one of two tanks; the same process is used for all the water that is used in soft drinks, only the Aquafina water goes through the extra step of ozonization (Investing, 2004). Pepsi/Aquafina Bottling The Bottle Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC (PBV) In July of 2002 the first products were being produced at PBVs new small-bottle PET line in Raleigh, NC in a 200,000 sq ft production/distribution plant. This was a $40 million investment for PBV that gave the company the ability to increase production. PBV has bottling rights for Pepsi products covering most of North Carolina and a portion of Long Island, NY. One of the facilities that upgraded to the PBV production bottling plant was the Raleigh location with the primary goal being the production of bottled water under the Aquafina label, one of the fastest growing products within Pepsi. The need for this upgraded production facility from PBV offers Pepsi the ability to be competitive and cost-conscious (Mans, 2003). Features Individual sanitary enclosures are designed and manufactured by ICS Intl. These contain washing/capping/filling systems on the PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) lines. The fillers are housed in one room, with a common heating, ventilating and air conditioning system. The PBV plant features an individual sanitary enclosure for each filling system with monobloc filler guards that are integrated into the face of the enclosure. The enclosures have an epoxy floor that is sloped to a stainless-steel drain, vision panels and a complete air-quality control system. The walls and ceiling are made of insulation sandwich panels consisting of inside and outside stainless-steel panels filled with polyurethane foam. The clean rooms come complete with lighting, doors, an air filtration unit, air conditioning, and an air exhaust system. The air-filtration units maintain pressure in the enclosure to prevent outside air from entering (Mans, 2003). Bottles Aquafina uses bottles that are produced by Amcor PET Packaging-North America. Amcor uses PET to make plastic containers for Pepsi products. Amcors website states that this plastic material is manufactured from various by-products of the oil and gas industries, especially ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. PET consists of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and can be incinerated without residues for energy recovery. PET is the most valuable of the recyclable plastics. It offers the ability for the container to be lightweight, shatter resistant, resealable and recyclable. The formation of a bottle is blow molded which involves blowing air into a molten plastic tube and then forcing the material to follow the shape of the mold. Injection molding is also involved which is the process of converting plastic pellets by using heat and pressure to inject the molten material into a water-cooled mold. Amcors website explains this technology (http://www.amcor.com/Default.aspx?id=505). Filtration/Sanitation/Air Quality The units have three filtration stages. These stages involve roughing filters, bag filters and HEPA filters for an average air quality of Class 1,000. ICS added an air extractor that sucks the air from the enclosure and ducts it outside the plant to avoid discharging air loaded with sugar or ozone into the surrounding area inside the plant. Air quality is optimized through the limits that are placed on the filler. This also allows the operator to stand outside the room and control the machine (Mans, 2003). Bottling Pre-labeled bottles are delivered to an automatic depalletizer on pallets with cardboard slipsheets between the layers. The depalletizer raises the pallet one layer at a time. A sweep carriage equipped with suction cups swings over and automatically removes the slipsheet and deposits it in a bin for return to the bottle supplier. The depalletizer then indexes the layer of bottles up, and the carriage sweeps the bottles onto a mass bottle conveyor. The bottles on the small-PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) line are then conveyed in mass to two Lanfranchi high-speed bottle scramblers which have rotating turrets that orient the bottles in an upright position. Level sensors in the hopper of each unscrabler turn delivery elevators on and off to maintain bottles in the hoppers. The bottles from both unscramblers converge in single-file and are injected into the neck-guided air-conveyance system, where the bottles are supported by rods beneath their neck finishes. The bottles are then pushed along the chamber by air blowing. The depalletizing workcell includes three depalletizers and is designed to allow two operators to feed containers to three production lines. Empty bottles are conveyed directly via air conveyor into the sanitary enclosure and the infeed star of the monobloc rinser/filler/capper. All bottle-handling within the monobloc is accomplished by supports under the neck rings of the bottles. The bottles are delivered to the gripping heads of the 108-station rinser through the entrance starwheel, and are turned upside down as the unit rotates. Purified water is sprayed into the bottles through nozzles affixed to the gripping heads, and then drains out as the unit continues its rotation. This solution contains ozone for maximum cleaning efficiency when producing Aquafina. Bottles are then turned upright and discharge through a starwheel that also serves as the delivery starwheel to the filler. The filler for these bottles is an isobaric-volumetric machine with 144 filling valves. Each filling valve is connected to the central tank through a product pipe and two gas pipes connected to the carbon dioxide supply. One pipe is used for the bottle pressurization and the other pipe for the pressure stabilization between the tank and the filling valve. When running Aquafina, the system uses nitrogen instead of carbon dioxide. The level inside the filling cylinder is essentially the same as the level in the central tank, and changes in the quantity of fill for different bottle sizes is accomplished by changing the level in the central tank. A piston in each cylinder is adjusted by an external magnetic coupling to set the exact volume to be filled to an accuracy of  ±2 mL. This is done from the operator panel (Mans, 2003). Capping From the filler, bottles travel through another starwheel into the 36-head Arol CSD screw capper. Caps are supplied by Alcoa and are sorted and delivered to the capper by a system from SIDEL, Packaging Systems Div. Caps are loaded into a hopper located outside of the enclosure. Then a nearly vertical belt carries the caps to the top of the enclosure. Caps are contained on horizontal cleats on the belt and if any caps improperly orient they fall back into the hopper. The belt discharges the caps onto a track that carries them down to the capper. A transfer star picks the caps from the track and places them on the capping head, which then rotates synchronously above the bottle turret. The capping head lowers and screws the cap onto the bottle as the unit rotates. Capped bottles leaving the enclosure pass through an Industrial Dynamics Filtec x-ray fill height inspector. The capped bottles then pass two Videojet Excel ink-jet printers that print a freshness date on the bottle cap tamper ring. The plant has installed two of these units to provide redundancy in case one unit malfunctions. For added security a Domino laser printer applies production codes and a freshness date to the bottle. After being coded the bottles then travel onto a multichain mat-top conveyor that slows their transport speed from 350 to 40 ft/min and accumulates the bottles from single-file to mass (Mans, 2003). Label/ Glue/ Packing /Packaging A HiCone machine produces six-packs of 16- and 24-oz, and 500-mL bottles. The bottles are delivered to the machine in two lanes. The two lanes separate six bottles and apply the plastic carrier material. The material is delivered in a continuous web to a large vertical wheel rotating above the bottles. The wheel pushes the web down onto the six bottles, and it is then cut to separate the six-pack. The packs are then diverted into two lanes and fed to a Hartness 2650 continuous-motion case packer that places four six-packs into reusable plastic crates for delivery to the PBV warehouse for distribution. Bottles can also be conveyed to a packing installation incorporating a Model MW7 multipacker and a Model TDL tray former/loader and shrink wrapper, all supplied by Douglas Machine. Each of these servo-driven machines has its own control panel, with intuitive touchscreen interfaces with real-time production data, maintenance scheduling and changeover settings. Bottles are delivered to the multiwrapper where groups of six or 12 bottles are then wrapped in registered film. This is a dual-stream machine that wraps two parallel groups of bottles simultaneously. Bottles are delivered in mass to the machine and are separated into either six or twelve bottle groupings by a proprietary pinless metering system. The groups are then delivered into the wrapping section. The film is placed around the bottle group and the package is conveyed through a heated shrink tunnel. Four six packs or two twelve packs are then delivered to the tray former/loader. The machine forms a tray from a paperboard blank, pushes the wrapped packs onto the tray, and then seals the open sides with hot-melt glue. This glue is applied by a Nordson glue system. Some 500-mL bottles, as well as 20- and 24-oz bottles of all products can bypass the multipacker and be delivered directly to the tray former/loader. After these are placed on the tray, it travels through a shrink wrapper/heat tunnel. Once the products are packaged, they are conveyed past a Videojet ink-jet case coder for application of production codes and then overhead to an automatic palletizer. Each sku is individually palletized to a designed stacking pattern. Individual packages are delivered to the upper level of the palletizer and are assembled into layers. After each layer is completed the platform is then lowered so the next layer can be assembled. Finished pallet loads are released at floor level and are transported by pallet conveyor to an Orion stretch wrapper. PBV uses plastic pallets that have improved palletizing efficiency and eliminated the debris and floor damage that are usually caused by wood pallets (Mans, 2003). Finished Products/ Reductions of Plant Costs Finished products are stacked two or three high, without pallet racks, and are rotated by code dates. The warehouse has been designed to have twin-load pallet racks in the future that will accommodate four-high stacking. The forklifts are also responsible for placing empty pallets into the palletizers. The PBV plant was specifically designed to allow all raw materials and finished goods to be handled on double forklifts. These forklifts allow two pallets to be picked up at a time and greatly reduce loading and unloading time of the production equipment. The dock equipment was engineered to allow the movement of these extra-wide and heavy loads in and out of the building. The double-fork trucks are also used to load trailers with finished products going to the sales centers, unload return trailers with empty plastic pallets and shells, store empty shells and pallets, and feed empty shells to the three lines. Double-fork trucks greatly reduce the number of forklifts and total travel distance in high-volume beverage plants (Mans, 2003). The Need for Water Vs. The Need for Bottled Water Water is a precious resource and the source of life. Its one that many people take for granted on a daily basis, and because of that, a water crisis has been developing over the last few decades. According to a study done in the year 2000, 346,800 million gallons per day (mgd) of freshwater and 61,200 mgd of saltwater were used in the United States (Water, 2006). Based on these numbers, its figured that the typical American single family home consumes, on average, 69.3 gallons of water per day (Water, 2006). Our daily needs include hydrating ourselves, using in food preparation, flushing toilets, showering, kitchen and bathroom sink purposes, and washing clothes and dishes. These uses attribute to the amount of water consumed, both for purposeful reasons, as well as for wasteful and unnecessary reasons. While hydrating ourselves to keep our body functions working properly does not consist of a large portion of the daily water usage among Americans, it is still an amount that is being used and will never decrease. Human beings need, on average, eight to twelve cups of water per day to replenish the approximately ten cups of water lost each day due to body functions, varying either more or less depending on activity level (Lempert, 2004). Because of this physical need, someone realized that they could profit. This profit realization turned into a multi-billion dollar business we now know as the bottled water industry. The thought that one day human beings would spend money on a bottled version of something that they can get from their own home for a fraction of a cent for the same amount, is mind-boggling but has become the norm. Nothing is created without a need or a want; hence, bottled water was created. Since the U.S. is becoming a more on-the-go society each and every day, Americans rely more and more convenience items. One example of this is the rise of fast food restaurants, which happens to be a factor in the current obesity epidemic in America. So, because of this go, go, go! mentality, many just do not have the time to walk to a sink and fill up a glass with water. They instead need to have it right by their side, only needing to open up a cap and just toss it to the side when it is empty and open up the next thats right there. Another beneficial aspect is in times of emergencies, such as a hurricanes or earthquakes, the water supplies to those areas are usually shut down and/or contamin ated. In which case, bottled water is needed for consumption. Besides the convenience and emergency factors, Americans seem to think that bottled water is a safer, and sometimes, tastier, alternative to tap water. Some people fear coming down with gastrointestinal illnesses, while others fear contaminants, such as pesticides, to enter their bodies (Terry, 2005). People live under the impression that all bottled water is safer to drink than tap water because of a typical misconception, the idea that if it is bottled or packaged by a beverage or food company, then it must be safe. This is an idea that can be argued back and forth. Consumption, Recycling, Physical Harm, and Muda The amount of bottled water being purchased is growing almost exponentially each year. According to a bottled water study, based on the year 2004, Americans consumed 6.76 billion gallons of the pricey beverage (Falcone, 2006). This total amount averaged out to 70 million one-serving bottles being drank each and every day (Falcone, 2006). Consuming that many bottles of water everyday is incredible, and it is no wonder that entrepreneurs are coming up with new ideas all the time on how to get into the bottled water industry. A big reason for the increasing amount of bottled water drinkers is because of, as mentioned earlier, the convenience. It is a lot easier to grab a couple of bottled waters from the refrigerator before going somewhere. Aside from the convenience or laziness factor, the rise in bottled water consumption has begun to have a serious impact on our environment. With the amount of bottled water being produced everyday, there is a high amount of left over product once the water has been drank that must be dealt with. That portion left over happens to be the plastic bottle, something that is not the most earth-friendly item. Of the daily amount of bottled water being consumed, 70 million, 60 million are never recycled (Falcone, 2006). On a daily basis, that means that approximately 86% of bottles are thrown away and sent to a landfill, hurting our environment. This also means that 60 million new plastic bottles have to be created each day to replace those that are thrown in the trash, which amounts to more natural resources being used and more future muda being produced. What is more disturbing is that once these bottles are taken to a landfill, they can take up to 1,000 years to fully decompose (Falcone, 2006). First of all, how is someone able to compute that amount, because, after all, bottled water is a fairly new concept? And secondly, wi th 60 million bottles being added to dumps each day all over the U.S., where are the bottles going to be taken to in ten years, when most likely the amount of bottled waste has doubled, or even tripled? So why is it that the majority of plastic bottles are not being recycled? Many experts say that it is because vehicles are not equipped with recycling receptacles (Falcone, 2006). Since a majority of Americans who purchase bottled water are on-the-go all the time, they have less patience and desire to hold onto their empty plastic bottles until they get to a location where a recycling bin is present. It is easier to just throw them in the trash or on the street. It seems ridiculous that it is easier for people to throw a bottle in the trash as opposed to recycling especially when many places are placing recycling bins next to trash cans. This laziness and lack of patience is causing an extreme amount of harm on the environment. To put this idea into perspective the amount of muda in California created ten years from now would create a two lane, six-inch deep highway that stretches the entire coast of California (Wilson, 2003). During the rare 14% of the time when empty bottles of water are recycled, a lot of good can come from them and it is a step in the right direction in helping the environment. The raw materials used to make the plastic bottles can be saved and used for numerous items which helps to save resources from being destroyed to make new products. By looking at California only, it is estimated that one billion plastic bottles get thrown away over the course of a year (Wilson, 2003). This amount calculates to almost three million bottles being thrown away each and every day (Wilson, 2003). That is an incredible, as well as, disturbing, amount of unnecessary trash. If instead of being thrown away each and every one of those bottles were recycled, the materials reused could produce either 74 million square feet of carpet, 74 million extra large T-shirts, or 16 million sweaters (Wilson, 2003). It is incredible to think that a plastic bottle could be turned into other useful items and help save the environment by not using as many natural resources. Some other interesting information about the recycled material is that five recycled bottles can produce one extra large T-shirt, polyesther carpets can be created from the resin contained within the bottles, and the materials of the bottle can be spun like cotton candy and produce filling for quilts and pillows (Recycling, 2006). By looking over these types of statistics, it paints a wonderful picture of how recycling so much can be saved. Many precious fossil fuels are wasted in this process. The transportation of bottled water to other parts of the U.S. as well as being shipped to other parts of the world uses large amounts of fuel on a yearly basis. This fuel is being wasted on a daily basis for a product that a majority of Americans can get for almost nothing just by turning a knob in their own home (Arnold, 2006). Besides wasting fuel on transportation costs, this same precious resource is being consumed during the packaging process. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the type of plastic most commonly used to produce bottles and just so happens to contain crude oil (Bottled, 2005). According to research, 1.5 million barrels of crude oil is used over the course of a year to be able to produce the amount of bottles Americans demand (Bottled, 2005). Putting this amount into perspective, 1.5 million barrels would be enough to fuel approximately 100,000 cars for an entire year in the U.S. (Bottled, 2005). It is no sho ck that our world is currently dealing with a fuel crisis. By wasting such an extreme amount of oil on the production of bottles and transporting the finished product, we are not only hurting the environment but we are ruining the future for the next generations. Previously mentioned was the apparent safeness of bottled water as opposed to tap water. While in some cases this may be true, tap water can be just as good as bottled and it may even be safer. Many scientific studies have been conducted on bottled water over the years and some of the information found is disturbing. Unlike tap water, which is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), bottled water is classified as a food. Hence, it is regulated by the Food Drug Administration (FDA) (Mosko, 2004). The two groups have different standards in which companies are to follow otherwise harsh consequences result. Some differences are that the FDA does not require products to be tested for coliform bacteria whereas the EPA specifies that no confirmed E.coli or fecal coliform contamination is allowed in tap water (Howard, 2003). Also unlike the EPA, contaminants are not required to be listed after testing whereas additives are required (Mosko, 2004). Since 1990, findings of chem ical contamination and fecal coliform during testing have caused 11 major recalls of bottled water (Mosko, 2004). According to a study done by the World Wildlife Fund, bacterial counts in bottled mineral water can jump 1,000-fold after one week in storage (Mosko, 2004). When bottled water is stored in an un-refrigerated environment for a long period of time, the amount of microorganisms that begin to develop are far greater than the amount contained within tap water (Mosko, 2004). Some water companies, including Aquafina, do not use NSF-certification which tests bottled water for 144 dangerous contaminants (Mosko, 2004). Besides the water being unsafe in many cases, the plastic bottles can also cause a health threat to consumers. When bottled water drinkers notice a taste difference between brands, some of that difference can be attributed to the type of plastic used for the bottle. If the type of plastic used can have an effect on the taste of the water, shouldnt that make a person wonder as to what else the plastic is doing to the water microscopically? One such chemical used in PET bottles, known as Bisphenol-A, is a known endocrine disruptor and carcinogen (Mosko, 2004). This chemical found through testing mixes with the water contained inside the bottle (Mosko, 2004). It is one thing for a person to be inhaling smoke from cigarettes and knowing the possible cancer they are creating within their body. But it is absolutely ridiculous and uncalled for when a person unknowingly harms their body on a daily basis by drinking a product they are told is healthy and necessary for survival. With all of these findings from studies, just how good is that three-dollar bottle of water looking to a person now? Economical and Environmental Analysis in the Business Process First, some numbers on PepsiCo and Aquafina: According to the New York Times, The Pepsi Bottling Group posted better-than-expected profit April 18th as strong sales of Aquafina bottled water and Lipton Ice Tea brands in North America offset rising costs for raw material and fuel (Pepsi, 2006). The company had net income of $34 million, or 14 cents a share, compared with $39 million, or 15 cents a share, in the period a year earlier. Earnings were 3 cents ahead of analysts average forecast of 11 cents a share, according to Reuters Estimates. Excluding stock option expense, Pepsi Bottlings profit was 18 cents a share. The company, which is 43 percent, owned by PepsiCo Inc., said revenue rose to $2.37 billion from $2.15 billion. In the United States, sales of noncarbonated beverages, excluding water, grew more than 20 percent in the quarter while sales of Aquafina water grew about 35 percent. Pepsi Bottling said first-quarter sales by volume, a crucial gauge of performance in the bevera ge industry, rose 6 percent worldwide as well as in the United States and Canada. The company said worldwide net revenue per case grew 4 percent, fueled by price increases in the United States that helped offset a 9 percent jump in selling, delivery and administrative expenses (The New York Times, April

Capital Punishment Essay -- essays research papers

The most severe of all sentences: that of death. Also known as the death penalty, capital punishment this is the most severe form of corporal punishment as it is requires law enforcement officers to kill the offender. But, Capital Punishment is a very strong issue in today’s society. In my eyes punishment should be on a case-to-case basis. In the Capital Punishment debate there are 3 major issues, Deterrence, Arbitrariness, and Retribution. Deterrence is â€Å"the inhibition of criminal behavior by fear especially of punishment†. This in easier terms just means that once someone commits a crime, if they are harshly punished for it, other people should then be afraid to commit a crime. Which is related to the idea that it is believed that fear of death deters people from committing crime. Studies of the deterrent effect of the death penalty have been conducted for several years, with varying results. Most of these studies have failed to produce evidence that the death penalty deterred murders more effectively then the threat of imprisonment. The reason for this is that few people are executed and so the death penalty is not a satisfactory deterrent. In conclusion if harsher punishment was carried out, there would be a lower crime rate. The second issue is arbitrariness or Determined by or arising from impulse rather than judgment. Fairness requires that people who break the law be punished the same but we treat it on a case-to-case punishment. Wrongful conviction, if acting on...

Feminist Perspective of Heart of Darkness :: Feminism Feminist Women Criticism

Feminist Perspective of Heart of Darkness   In Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness, Marlow’s view of women embodies the typical 19th century view of women as the inferior sex. There are only three relatively minor female characters in Heart of Darkness: Marlow’s aunt, Kurtz’s mistress, and Kurtz’s "Intended." Marlow mentions these female characters in order to give the literal aspect of his tale more substance. While they definitely play specific roles in the story, they do not relate with the primary theme of the story.   The primary theme focuses more on how Marlow’s journey into the heart of darkness contrasts the "white" souls of the black people and the "black" souls of the whites who exploit them, and how it led to Marlow’s self-discovery. In the beginning of Marlow’s story he tells how he, "Charlie Marlow, set the women to work--to get a job." He tells this in the context that he was so desperate to travel in the trade industry that he did what was unthinkable in those times: he asked a woman for financial assistance. The woman, his aunt, also transcended the traditional role of women in those times by telling Marlow that she would be delighted to help him and to ask her for help whenever he needed it. This incident did not have much to do with the symbolic theme of the story; it simply served to tell the reader how Marlow managed to be able to travel to the Congo. On a higher level, it was intended by Conrad to illustrate Marlow’s opinion of women’s inferior role in society, which embodied traditional 19th century society. The two other female characters are not mentioned until much later in the story, after Marlow has arrived at the Inner Station. When Marlow reaches this point in his tale, he jumps ahead and tells a little bit about The Intended, Kurtz’s fianceà © who was to marry Kurtz when he returned. The Intended woman does not appear until the very end of the novelette, in which Marlow visits her and lies to her about Kurtz’s dying words. The Intended had a more significant role in the story than Marlow’s aunt; however, her role as a whole was somewhat limited and did not affect the main theme of the story. The third female character, Kurtz’s African mistress, is briefly mentioned two times near the end of the novel. Feminist Perspective of Heart of Darkness :: Feminism Feminist Women Criticism Feminist Perspective of Heart of Darkness   In Joseph Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness, Marlow’s view of women embodies the typical 19th century view of women as the inferior sex. There are only three relatively minor female characters in Heart of Darkness: Marlow’s aunt, Kurtz’s mistress, and Kurtz’s "Intended." Marlow mentions these female characters in order to give the literal aspect of his tale more substance. While they definitely play specific roles in the story, they do not relate with the primary theme of the story.   The primary theme focuses more on how Marlow’s journey into the heart of darkness contrasts the "white" souls of the black people and the "black" souls of the whites who exploit them, and how it led to Marlow’s self-discovery. In the beginning of Marlow’s story he tells how he, "Charlie Marlow, set the women to work--to get a job." He tells this in the context that he was so desperate to travel in the trade industry that he did what was unthinkable in those times: he asked a woman for financial assistance. The woman, his aunt, also transcended the traditional role of women in those times by telling Marlow that she would be delighted to help him and to ask her for help whenever he needed it. This incident did not have much to do with the symbolic theme of the story; it simply served to tell the reader how Marlow managed to be able to travel to the Congo. On a higher level, it was intended by Conrad to illustrate Marlow’s opinion of women’s inferior role in society, which embodied traditional 19th century society. The two other female characters are not mentioned until much later in the story, after Marlow has arrived at the Inner Station. When Marlow reaches this point in his tale, he jumps ahead and tells a little bit about The Intended, Kurtz’s fianceà © who was to marry Kurtz when he returned. The Intended woman does not appear until the very end of the novelette, in which Marlow visits her and lies to her about Kurtz’s dying words. The Intended had a more significant role in the story than Marlow’s aunt; however, her role as a whole was somewhat limited and did not affect the main theme of the story. The third female character, Kurtz’s African mistress, is briefly mentioned two times near the end of the novel.

Essay on The Pardoner of Chaucers Canterbury Tales :: Pardoners Tale

The Canterbury Tales - The Pardoner The Canterbury Tales is a poetic story of a group of people, who were going to pilgrimage. They were going to the tomb of St. Thomas a Bechet in Canterbury, which is about sixty miles from London in England. In that group, there were clergy and laity people. And in the poem Chaucer described all of them so well that we can easily see the picture of how they lived and how they behaved in manners of work and other ways of life. And while he was describing, he also criticized some members of the clergy position, because of their abusing of their position and doing things that they were not supposed to do, or not doing something they were supposed to do in their position. Among those people whom Chaucer criticized very much were the Friar and the Pardoner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the medieval society, where people were very religious, illiterate and superstitious, the Friar was respected as God himself. The Friar’s job in the church was to help people, who committed crime, by giving them a guide to pray for a certain time so that they can receive absolution. But the Friar in the Canterbury Tales was not honest and dedicated in doing his job. He abused his position by taking money from people who came to confess. He told them that they would get absolution if they pay him and thus broke the vow of obedience because it is against the Catholic Church. He broke the vow of chastity by having adulterous relationships with other women. By wearing expensive clothes, spending his time with wealthy people rather than helping beggars or sick lepers, he broke the vow of poverty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Pardoner is a person who says prayer for dead people so that the sins they had committed in life would   be forgiven. The Pardoner of The Canterbury Tales abused his position by selling some papers which he claimed if people bought, their time in purgatory would be shortened after death; he sold them for very high price. He also claimed that he had Virgin Mary’s veil, which would have been 1330 years after Mary died. He also claimed that he had St. Peter’s sail and said the pig bones, he always carried with him, were relics of St. Peter. Chucer also criticized him by implying him as a homosexual by referring him to a gelding or a mare.