The day that I stop a kid from touching my car or popping their head in my window is the day I stop going to shows and sell the ride. I'm not talking about the out of control kids with no parents supervision... I'm talking about th kids who's eyes go wide open when they see my car and by instinct want to reach out and touch the "sparkly" paint. Parents are always looking at me to see my reaction and start to offer up an apology. I let them know right away that there kids are welcome to touch (gently). I have 2 kids and they "play" in my car at shows all the time. One time, at a show a couple walks up with their 2 small children. One of the kids say "ahh..lucky... they get to play" I asked their mom what the kids were talking about. She says to me... thier dad has an old car and won't even let them touch it much less play inside of it. Boooo!
I'm not big on muscle cars myself, but this can happen at any type of car show. Some people are just thoughtless, heartless a-holes and always will be no matter where you are or what they are into.
Im with Gooz. I let kids touch car and they can sit in it if they want. Its usually the crappiest ride around anyhoo.
I showed my kids about not touching someone's car. as for my car I don't have fit. kept you CAR home!!
All this damage happened at one show! I generally let parents put there kids on the fenders for better photos.
This has been a funny, funny post. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks PS: I am also a "hands behind the back" guy when looking at someone elses car.
I've actually been to a couple of smaller, pay shows, where the ticket sellers apon taking money, kindly remind people (mostly parents with children) to "look, but please do not touch the cars, unless you are givin permission to do so" Nothing rude about it, just a simple reminder to spectators to observe and respect others property. I wish more shows would extend this simple courteousy.
If your car is so precious kids can't touch it, keep it at home. Cars are meant to be touched. I work my ass off on my cars and have a lot of money invested. People and cars go together. Little fingers won't hurt your pain't. Grow up. When your 70 go out and sit on the fender. Hopefully your wife is still there to sit on it with you. Cars are meant for people to touch and enjoy. JMO. Lippy
I will add one other thing. People with dogs.. I have had 2 cars damaged one with the dogs scratching paint with their paws and the human could not understand why I was upset. one other was the dogs chain. I blame the human for that one.. At car shows I have seen dogs also piss on wheels ""not my car"". Also have seen dog shit in the show area. So I guess kids and dogs can or can not be under the control of their master.
There is no reason to go ballistic but there is also no reason for anyone of any age to mess with someone's car. If they are young it is the parents responsibility. It's a car show not an amusement park. If someone want's to let someone sit in there car all well and good ( I have) but it is up to the car owners to make that decision.
Well said...you have no idea how hard someone has worked for or on their cars or how much it means to them. It's certainly not right to flip out on anyone if they touch your car but that don't mean it's OK to do it. I'm OK with people looking mine over and touching without malicious intent, but their not pristine either. If I had just spent 10-15k to have it straightened and painted I might feel different. In the end it comes down to respect, if it's not yours leave it alone...no matter what it is.
But the difference is- you're a class act, and you INVITED the little ones to interact with your ride. Whether or not those kids grow up to build cars or not, they've got a good memory that the may carry for a long time. But, right or wrong, not everyone is like you. My daughter knows the simple rule: do not touch unless invited. And she was taught the proper way: we told her the rule, and we also live the rule.
Muscle head may have been experiancing roid rage? lol. After 27 odd years as a tattooist, i have learned that people have an inbuilt need to touch. After all, its one of our sences. They love to put their dirty hands on peoples bodies and their fresh art, with the possible risk of infection. Its something i got used to, and warn customers about. Its the same with shiney paint, dull paint, or no paint on cars. In the end, it comes down to respect for other people and their property. You either got respect....or you dont. I still feel for the kid though.
I have always carried my keys by a clip on the front belt loop of my jeans. (probably a habit from my days of working maintanence in a school). it has become my natural instinct to pull the key-clip and hook it on the back, or toss them in my pocket, you only have to make a mistake one time to earn an ass chewin'! although, i have to say, when dealing with the next generation of hot rodder, you must remember not to alienate them. if the only memory of a car show that kid ever has is Mr. GSX McSmalldick, do you think he would wanna come back and enjoy the hobby? he will probably grow up to work for the EPA doing everything in his power to be the person pushing the button at the crusher, praying to see Mr. McSmalldick's GSX roll across the scrapper. Would have been easy enough to say, "Be careful bud, the paint was real expensive." and hope dad got the point.
I don't touch other people's cars, and I cover my belt buckle with my hand when I'm close to them. By the same token, I don't touch the paintings at art museums either. That said, about 25 years ago, I had a '58 Impala at a show. This car was only a 20-footer driver. A teenage kid that is being followd closely by an older guy swarms all over my car, feeling and touching every bit of trim he can. Being younger, and feeling like I was disrespected, I was just about to really give this kid an earful. Just before I did, I realized he was totally blind, and this was the only way he could "see" the car. The kid is going on about how cool the car is, all I could say was "thank you". I'm not giving everyone license to do whatever they want, but I learned a lot about life's priorities that day.
If you ride a motorcycle like I do, you would know that just driving your car on the streets will cause more damage than a kid touching your piece of shit GTX! Its just a car, stay home!! hahaha sorry, had steiroids for breakfast!!
On the other hand, I brought my son (who will be 2 next week) to a car show on fathers day and the only car he touched was Dada's ..... he knows at his age not to touch...BUT, yea some kids need leashes!
I am the same when looking at someones work. It seems folks that build/work on cars respect them more then the other folks.
i was taught with the back hand theory, i work with hundreds of kids daily,the biggest problem is lack of parents caring,i'm not gonna go into that,i have 5 kids that live in my house & they know the unwritten rules about shows,been out of the car sene for awhile-18yrs or so,but we go to few a year. for the last 15 yrs i been building bikes,i've gotten my a** in more trouble with event people for having to much fun with kids,i greet the parents & ask if they wanna let their kids sit on my chop,at one of the last show i went to last year i had a rod come loose,well sh*t! the damage is done.well toward the end this kid[young man maybe in his 20's] with special needs comes up and starts to ask about my chop,it's very noticable that he had never been closer to chops than maybe afew feet,so i ask if he wants to sit on it & his care giver total freaks, 'cause they went over not touching,i tell him it's ok with me,so he's sitting on it making vermm noises,well to hell with that-i show him where the key is & have him turn it & push the start button--holy sh*t,i thought the kid was gonna die,here he is on a chop with a rod knocking & a smile thats about 4 feet wide,my wife standing there telling that i'm a bad influence with a smile,i was told by the event person NOT to being that!WTF it's my bike, when i was a kid i had to go to every car show in town,most of the old timers would invite me to sit in their car/truck,that got ingrained in my DNA,most of toys are draily driver-not trailer queens,so i'm more relaxed than most,'cause i know that if i don't share my passion about my toys,there will not be anybody to follow in my foot steps,if the parents aren't gonna teach their kids the rules,we should but do very nicely if a Dbag wants to rag on me for displining kid ohwell,sorry for this being so long.
What if all the people who helped me out when I was a kid...hadn't bothered, or what if they'd been a bunch of pendejos? I don't want to think about it. If you care about the future, do a little something, even if it's just being an understanding person.
That roid rage is a bitch, sometimes when they are acting up, I get pretty cranky bec...Oh wait. You meant STERIOD rage...
Hell, I was at a cruise once where a fat chick tripped on her flip-flop. The camera she was carrying bounced off the pavement into the rear fender of an early fifties Chevy pickup with a candy rootbeer paint job. Put a chip and dent right in the middle of the fender. Her knee was bloody and banged up, but everyone was oogling over the paint damage instead. Ha. I don't know how that got taken care of, but the repair had to be expensive.
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