Cost of poor penmanship

A comical story in your " Stuff " section today " Remedial Threat

    Writing " made the point : " It pays to have good penmanship ".

          A thief at a convenience was nearly stymied by his own poor

    handwriting. His penmanship improved and subsequent robberies were

    more productive,

         Would not type written threat-notes be a better strategy ? Word

    processors are readily available in public libraries . And the cost of

    the printout seldom more than a dime.

         Seriously very few people have easy to read handwriting. Would

    the editor of a newspaper like to spend his morning reading handwritten

    letters arriving by snail-mail ?

           How many companies have decided that it is best to replace

    handwriting wherever possible with the printed word ?

          For example-in case you haven't noticed most sign in books in

    company lobbies are barely legible. Impatient visitors just scribble

    their names or even -contemptuously- sign in as " Mickey Mouse ".

            But everywhere people use cheap electronic organizers for their

    personal notes.

         An electronic log-in book should be cheap and simple enough to

    manufacture.

         Elsewhere in hospitals or nursing homes, for example, horrid

    doctor's notes or nurse's notes should become a bad memory.

          Handwriting should survive for the lost art of intimate personal

    messages.

           Can you read the writing on the wall ?