Car Show Etiquette

[GTO Man]

What do you do when someone leans on your car at at show?

Doing it once can be an honest mistake, doing it twice is something else. Unfortunately today there are many people who don’t respect another person’s property. Fortunately it doesn’t happen too often at car shows. It is awkward when it happens because you don’t necessarily want to embarass the person.

Topic

[moparkid25]

If anyone read my report from the Cobb car show, they know how I handled my last experience.

If I see a young child touch my car, I will ask them to please not touch my vehicle and explain why. Kids are young, intuitive, and learning. Generally if you explain why you don’t touch cars at a car show, they will understand.

If you are an adult, you should first know better. Second, if you have to be scolded, I will not be polite about it. Sometimes I like to have fun with people who are leaning on my car. Long ago when I had my ’68 Charger, I came back to sit down and found some jackass resting his arm on my hood while it was up. I grabbed my bottle of Wizards and said, “excuse me” so he would move. Then I began to clean the area where his hand was to make my point. He says something about how I probably didn’t want him touching my vehicle, and I told him he was probably right.

Another scenario that took place a few years was in Muscoda. I found some old fart leaning on my quarter panel talking to another old fart. I walked up, started looking at my car, then asked the guy leaning on it if it was his. When he said no, I said that’s right, its mine, so quit touching it. Then the guy had the balls to tell me I have an attitude problem. Duh!!!

The paint on my Buick isn’t great, but I’ve done a lot of work to keep it looking driver quality. And as a detailer, I respect all finishes. There is nothing more that pisses me off at a car show more than someone touching a car. Those who are proud of their accomplishments will quit showing off there rides when they are consistently having to worry about vandalism. Then car shows go away.

[maddog]

I have been going to car shows since 1981; when I got into street rods. I have seen a lot of bad etiquette by the public at these shows. It doesn’t matter if you have stickers or signs on your vehicle that says do not touch; there is that small percentage out there that think it applies to others besides themselves.
Having a 1930’s car with running boards seems to pull these bad individuals like bees to honey to my car. I cannot tell you the number of times I had kids and some adults step up onto my running boards to look inside the vehicle. And hey it’s not like the car is 6 feet off the ground and hard to peer inside of it.
But the one that took the cake was years ago I was at a show with some club members when I saw a spectator open the door and climb inside of one of the members street rod.
He didn’t see me as he crawled inside of it but when I went to the car and looked at him and asked; “Hey is this your car?” and he replied “No”
I then said “Then get your sorry ass out of it before my buddy comes back and pounds the $%^& out of you.”
The gentlemen quickly retreated out of the vehicle and disappeared into the crowd.

[Blown69RS]

I’ve had a couple of memorable ones…

There was a little kid, maybe 8-9?, that decided he was gonna shadow box himself in his reflection on my door. Before I had a chance to say anything, he tried delivering the knock out punch, by actually punching my door. The kid needed his ass kicked, but since that would’ve probably been a little out of line, I asked the Dad (who was standing there watching the whole thing).. if he would like the same treatment my door just received. It was strongly implied that it was gonna happen very soon if he didn’t immediately leave my sight.

Another one involved a Pig. A FULLY grown adult woman (30-40 years old), weighed an easy 2 bills.. decided to first step on my wheelie bars, and then bounce up and down on them!! I was “maybe” 5 feet away. Zero respect for others property. The word used to describe her in my 1st sentence would’ve been considered extremely polite and courteous, compared to what I actually said to her. My wife usually gets mad at the use of a few certain words…this time, complete approval.

For the most part, I stay away from my car during shows, and let the wife handle the riffraff. She’s turned into an attack dog if given the opportunity.

[GTO Man]

I have been fortunate to not have any poor behavior around my cars over the years.

[Gunner]

Isn’t it unfortunate that many of us feel like we need to stay close to our vehicles during a show, in order to prevent unwanted scrapes or scratches or prevent people from opening the doors or leaning?

Over the years, at one show which will remain unnamed but happens twice a year, I have had unwanted belt buckle scrapes put on my doors from people leaning in the windows and checking out the interior. I’ve had people putting their hands on chrome engine components. For the life of me, I don’t why its necessary to touch chrome engine pieces. Nowadays, at this particular show, I roll the windows up, lock the doors and do not open my trunk lid or engine cover. I’ve still gone home with unwanted scrapes and scratches.

[jonmandude]

Someone ran a bicycle into a Superbird in Spring Green this weekend, chipping the paint on the sail panel…….sad

I had a guy PLANT his ass against my car once at a show. I was sitting there talking with someone, with my arm on the roof and I felt the car move. I looked and there was a guy leaned against the rear quarter talking on his cell phone. There was benches LITERALLY 5 feet away. I looked and said “ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!!!” He moved along.

I have had little children walk up and put their hands on the car and it never bothers me. Kids do that. I have always noticed their parents stop them and apologize to me, I always smile and say “no problem”…but adults should know better.

I avoid any show or cruise in with a lot of alcohol, we all know how alcohol creates bad judgement.

For the most part people are fairly careful. I cringe at strollers and bikes, but I guess I have been lucky to not get damaged.

[moparkid25]

It’s one thing if you want to lean on your own car, but leaning on someone else’s car is completely UNACCEPTABLE :angry:

[jonmandude]

Oh he didn’t just lean…he planted his ass against it. like I said, hard enough for me to feel the car move

[Amigo2k]

like this:

[circletrack]

Amigo2k wrote:

like this:

Was she posing for a picture? I would have definitely said something, but we all know non “car” people don’t think twice about something they don’t own

[Toby400]

If it weren’t for children at the shows, I’d turn my car body into a giant taser ! :woohoo:

[jonmandude]

Amigo2k wrote:

like this:

I think there are two ways to handle this

1) walk up, lean against your car right next her. Kindly look over and ask
“Is this your car?” and when she replies “no”
Get 1 inch from her face and yell “THEN GET YOUR FAT ASS OFF MY FUCKING CAR!!”

or
2) from 30 yards away yell, loudly enough for everyone in the park to hear you
“HEY FAT BROAD!! GET YOUR ASS OFF OF MY CAR!!!!”

When everyone turns to look, she will know

[intmdatr3]

I would think your option 1. This total unacceptable to me then maybe ask for a posing fee for my this car is a registered trademark …..

[Author]

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