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As a regular at most of southeast Wisconsin car shows it has become apparent to me that something is lost. I remember back when there were very few weekly car shows. A cruise to A&W on South 27th street was something to look forward to. The fun of it was being able to spend a fun night with car nuts. Getting to know new people and most of all talking about cars. Who is building what. Who is having carb problems and just how excited everyone was to offer advise or parts or what ever it took to help out. I do not once remember thinking twice about the restaurant it self. Was it clean? Was it a dive? Was the food good? Was the service good or bad? What do I get for free for showing up there? We were just happy to have a place to drive 45 minutes to where we knew we could talk about cars. What I am hearing more and more now is who’s car show is the best, who gives out more, who has the best food, who gets me my food the fastest. All of these weekly car show choices should be looked at as a blessing to all of us car nuts. Instead it has become a political mess. I am not going there cause Joe Shmoe hangs out there and my best friends neighbors uncle says that he is a jerk. Or I am not going there; they only give out small sodas instead of chocolate malts. The conversations are shifting from car talk to complaining about the venue. We have places that graciously invite us in almost every night of the week and instead of being thankful the talk is all about how rich this or that business owner is getting because we give them the privilege of showing up with our cars. Pitiful!
Now for the best one of all. The CLIQUES. Each one of these various car shows has slowly become cliquey, some to the point of driving away those that are first time visitors. Planted in lawn chairs not willing to move an inch to let an unknown in to a tight spot or loudly coughing to mock the exhaust smell while someone is backing into a spot. Or just plain ignoring new comers. Or blatantly ignoring an owner or employee at these sites when asked to park in a certain spot or any other set rules for that matter. It is time to get off the high horse and realize that your car is just another car, special to you but still just another car so how about all of the cliques and snobs and complainers with cars that are better then everyone else’s STAY HOME AND QUIT YOUR DARN COMPLAINING and lets get back to going to shows to talk about cars and promoting the hobby as a fun family wholesome sport where we appreciate our fellow cruisers and the establishments that welcome us!
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I’m not sure what show you’ve attended lately or what cruise night you frequent, but I don’t see that at the shows/cruise nights I attend. More often than not, we realize how lucky we are to have a restaurant that sponsors our car club’s weekly cruise night and supports each and every person that drives in the lot. As for the shows, I’m more than wiling to move and have frequent conversations with the people around me ~ no matter if I’ve met them that day or known them for years. True, shows are about the cars, but more often than not I enjoy seeing friends and family and find many of the conversations are about cars ~ and not who has the best, worst or in progress.
If you are referring to the way we rate the cruise nights and car shows on here, nothing is meant to be negative, instead informative. Many of us attend shows weekly and I feel it’s good information for the promoters in that they know what to improve on, or what was a great idea.
I don’t recognize the places you mention, you must be from outside the area? Sorry you feel that way, you have a right to vent your frustrations. Maybe it’s time to you took the reins and made some changes?
Quote:As a regular at most of southeast Wisconsin car shows it has become apparent to me that something is lost. I remember back when there were very few weekly car shows. A cruise to A&W on South 27th street was something to look forward to. The fun of it was being able to spend a fun night with car nuts. Getting to know new people and most of all talking about cars. Who is building what. Who is having carb problems and just how excited everyone was to offer advise or parts or what ever it took to help out. I do not once remember thinking twice about the restaurant it self. Was it clean? Was it a dive? Was the food good? Was the service good or bad? What do I get for free for showing up there? We were just happy to have a place to drive 45 minutes to where we knew we could talk about cars. What I am hearing more and more now is who’s car show is the best, who gives out more, who has the best food, who gets me my food the fastest. All of these weekly car show choices should be looked at as a blessing to all of us car nuts. Instead it has become a political mess. I am not going there cause Joe Shmoe hangs out there and my best friends neighbors uncle says that he is a jerk. Or I am not going there; they only give out small sodas instead of chocolate malts. The conversations are shifting from car talk to complaining about the venue. We have places that graciously invite us in almost every night of the week and instead of being thankful the talk is all about how rich this or that business owner is getting because we give them the privilege of showing up with our cars. Pitiful!
Now for the best one of all. The CLIQUES. Each one of these various car shows has slowly become cliquey, some to the point of driving away those that are first time visitors. Planted in lawn chairs not willing to move an inch to let an unknown in to a tight spot or loudly coughing to mock the exhaust smell while someone is backing into a spot. Or just plain ignoring new comers. Or blatantly ignoring an owner or employee at these sites when asked to park in a certain spot or any other set rules for that matter. It is time to get off the high horse and realize that your car is just another car, special to you but still just another car so how about all of the cliques and snobs and complainers with cars that are better then everyone else’s STAY HOME AND QUIT YOUR DARN COMPLAINING and lets get back to going to shows to talk about cars and promoting the hobby as a fun family wholesome sport where we appreciate our fellow cruisers and the establishments that welcome us!After reading your post, I have to say that you obviously have some kind of disorder with people at car shows. I’m not sure where you attend, but being tagged with the nickname “Car show’s most hated” by people who don’t like me and the wrecking crew I run with, I can only sense (and I may be wrong) you are a Tobacco Days committee member, helping with the Edgerton show, or someone who doesn’t have jack spit and is jealous of everyone else.
I agree that there are a lot of jerks at shows, some think I am one. But your calling everyone who attends arrogant. I do not see them as cliques, they are car clubs – made up of people who enjoy the same thing you do, cars.
Is it wrong to be competitive at a show? No one wants to hurt anybody’s feelings anymore in fear they may not come back. Crap. A $12 trophy may not mean anything to you, but it may symbolize an achievement to the person winning the award.
I could kick someone in the genitals and it wouldn’t cost me a dime, but it sure would mean something, wouldn’t it?
Off my soapbox, you’ve got my two cents. icon_headbang.gif
You guys get it so I am not directing this toward you. 95 percent of the people are great. It is just that handful that seam to show up over and over again and complain about the venue or make comments about primered cars and such. I think the 5 percent I am talking about could be called primadonnas. Like I said I think most are great it just seams like some of these primadonnas take away from the whole friendly down home feel of the events. I suppose this holds true with any sport i have just been noticing it alot more at the shows latley. As far as the car clubs go, that is not what I was refering to, I think the clubs are the back bone and I would never consider them to be cliquey
In response to carguy’s comments:
My experiences are much different than yours. I am relatively new at the local car shows (my 4th year) and each year seems to get better for me and the people that I hang out with. I am making new friends at every show, I am learning the ins and outs of how to set up a car for participant judging and concours judging. I am learning about the various clubs and the members that are in the various clubs. Most importantly, I look forward to seeing the people that I have met and mingled with over the past three years.
Car shows are a competitive competition, and quite frankly, my first couple of years were dismal, at best. But I got alot of suggestions and alot of advice and encouragement, and my car has been doing better last year and this year. I have found that the “frequent” winners have been more than helpful to me, they have become mentors as well as friends. I have not met anyone that I would classify as a “primidonna”. Good cars are frequent winners and I know what it takes to be “frequent” winner and most of us are not willing or cannot do, on a weekly basis, what it takes to be a frequent winner. My hat is off to those who can spend a full day before a show working on their car taking care of small details.
I am not able to attend alot of cruise-ins, but I do not hear grumbling or complaining. It is a real pleasure for me to hang out for a couple of hours during the week looking at cars, talking to the owners, and not having to worry about the judging process.
Car clubs are groups of people who enjoy hanging out with each other.
What is wrong with that? They like to travel to shows together, they like to park as a group, and visit with each other during a show. What is wrong with that? That is not being cliqueish. Personally, I don’t have a problem with this.My experience is that folks who have been attending and participating at car shows for a few years try and pull the new guys/gals into the circle and not drive them away.
I see your point carguy. And I agree..a little. I have seen some “primadonna’s” that do talk down about certain types of cars. Try bringing an import to a mostly muscle cruise night or show and you will experience it. I know I felt more “accepted” with my Challenger than I do with my Nissan. But those “primadonna’s” are only a small percentage and not worth worrying about.
For me the cruise nights and car shows are about the people, with the cars as a back drop and common interest that we all share. I am not a trophy person (though I have won a couple) and I do not attend with awards in mind. I meet friends.
I have heard grumbling about venues and I have heard grumbling about “why let that car in?” or “I don’t want that near me. I have witness people (and dealt with) who refuse to cooperate with a venue when asked to park a certain way. Those people suck, but they are the minority.
My advice..ignore them. They do not understand.
Quote:For me the cruise nights and car shows are about the people, with the cars as a back drop and common interest that we all share. I am not a trophy person (though I have won a couple) and I do not attend with awards in mind. I meet friends.Great point Jon and to all others who have echoed this. Ultimately the people are the ones that make or break the show. The cars are of course the shared interest.
Im with Jon on this one. Sociology 101: any social event naturally forms cliques…its just natural. Some people can be dicks and ignore the organization members and such, but its a minority. Like with all things, you have to accept the good with the bad.
Everybody at a show is passionate about their cars, so naturally it can get to be a bit competitive.
Ive been showing for 5 years and when I first started, there was a lot of prejudice against tuner cars at shows, and I wasnt well recieved. But now 5 years later, my car is more accepted, Ive made a lot of friends who are hot rod enthusiasts, musclecar enthusiasts, etc. So if anything, I would say that the car culture in this area has been growing for the better.
I don’t think carguy is talking about the shows on weekends but the cruise nights. Those are usually non-competitive events where we gather and talk with friends. I see some of the things that carguy mentions. Those clicques he mentions are not clubs that want to be together but a small number of friends that will hold a spot until their late buddy finally drives in at 8:30 PM while another car had to park on the street. Snobby people are going to be found everywhere. I just deal with them like always…I ignore them. I do not get jealous of those with expensive exotic cars or someone who can afford to have Troy Trepanier or Chip Foose build their car. I love those cars, even though I might only be able to afford a rusty 83 Mercury Marquis wagon (RIP). I really don’t think the car itself knows what kind of car it is whether it’s made by Nissan or Ford or Chevy or a rod built of parts Henry never made. BTW, I remember A&W on 27th street. I started drawing cars there years back in the eighties.
The guys with the super high buck car are some of the nicest. I was more talking about the venue specific cliques. Like the Solid Gold only croud or the Waynes only crowd or the crowd that would never go to Jets cause the car count is too low. Waynes is fun, solid gold is fun and Jets is fun because of the fact that is it more intimate.
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