Originally Posted by
Leisesturm
...wouldn't you appreciate someone asking you if you were really sure you wanted to do something rather than simply give blanket encouragement even when that person would never in a million years themselves do the very thing they have given you the thumbs up on??
Your sentiment and intentions are all fine, well, and good; however, timing and responsiveness to the questions asked is the issue.
If the OP had come to the forum with the question, "Hey, I'm about to go buy this $1,200 tandem for 1/2 price because I think we'll enjoy it... is this a good idea?" That's an open invitation to offer up alternatives just as you did.
However, the OP didn't ask that question because he'd already applied his own judgement to a purchasing decision, the horse was out of the barn, and they clearly were happy with their decision. While you were very responsive to the questions he asked regarding computers... which is goodness, the subsequent commentary about the prudence of his decision is where neither the timing nor the utility of the information you provided appeared to be responsive to the OP's needs or interests and was based on a lot of assumptions. Even if you believe in your heart that someone made a poor choice, there's a right way and a wrong way to address it and timing is everything.
In closing, I've said before and I'll say it again, I don't really care what type of tandem anyone rides. All I care is that it meets their needs and that they enjoy it. If those criteria can be achieved with a $60 garage sale Schwinn Twinn, a Kent Dual Drive, an Electra Hell Betty, or anything thing else with two saddles that's not a death trap then I'm all for it and I believe the archives will bear this out.