Event Coverage Do you lock your doors at car shows?

When I lived in New York about 25 years ago , my mother who was in her seventies at the time would go to a local cruz at a ice cream place with me. I went to check out some cars .My friend tells me you better go check your mom .My mother was 4'10" 98# but a heavy duty lady . She has 2kids and their mother lined up next to my car ,asking the mother what was thinking letting her grubby children eat ice cream on the leather seats in her sons car.

 

Always unlocked..car shows, parts store, haircut place, grocery store, wherever..I must live right, or live in the right place.
As for fliers, I never keep them to refer to later, I remove them as soon as I receive them..I have a web site I refer to for upcoming events in my area.
I have let many a kid (well behaved, courteous) sit in my cars for the photo op with their parents.

 

At one time or another you can probably expect some bozo to be sitting in or on your car when parked at a car show. Staying by your vehicle is probably the only way to eliminate it from occurring. I’m happy to let polite people and/or their child sit in the car for a picture moment.....no ice cream, drinks, or cigarettes of course.

I wish the sponsors of the shows would put up some literature racks around the show so that the fliers could be accessed at our convenience and based on our interest. They should have little flaps or something similar to keep the breeze from blowing the fliers around. Folks hoping to promote their other shows with said fliers would be advised to only use the racks. The racks would be emptied into the trash at the end of the day and taken home by the organizers. It would probably take a few years for this concept to get through to everyone involved but might save someone’s nice interior. Plus forcing everyone to deal with the paper trash tossed into their car isn’t making the show fun. Just my thoughts.

 

Great idea ! Now let’s see if organisers take it on board.

 

We had a long running, local cruise-in called "Tower Shoppes" here in South Florida for years. They provided a place for flyers up by the DJ's stand and it cut down on the flyer problem a lot. There are some that don't get the word no matter what you do.

 

I get it.....it’s got to become a common concept at all the shows. Plus most of the shows (and some cruise ins) have DJ’s playing music and making announcements about things. Just make the flier announcement several times throughout the day (or evening). And if attendees notice someone walking around flipping fliers into cars, they should be reminded that this is not allowed and to place their fliers into one of the racks. Kind of like the common announcements about “please no burnouts.....no selling parts in the car show areas.....no holding spaces for your buddies after a certain time of the day” etc.

It won’t change overnight but it can be changed.

 

I guess it depends on what the venue is. We've walked away from 6 and 7 figure cars without a worry in the world. Then again I've had major disrespect in my presence a time or 2. I think I might leave Judd in the car sometimes when it's done. He's a 100 lb Rot/Boxer mix and he's the nearly same color as the upholstery. The mere thought of show flyers attempted is making laugh out loud right now!

Imagine it, how funny would that be? It would be worth every minute of post-show window cleaning, right?

 

The Only Reason I Would Lock My Car At A Show Is To Keep My Prick Buddies From Hiding It!

 

We were at Back To The Fifties a few years ago. Came back to our car, here's a guy with his teenage daughter both of them sitting in our car..... I wasn't nice is all I have to say. Never had this happen before or since, guess people just don't get it.

 

Yes, everywhere at all times (don't go to shows often). I have locks so why not use them.

 

I keep my doors locked at all times! Somehow I still end up with flyers on the seat...

 

After coming back to my car at shows to find people sitting in it I began to leave the windows down but the doors locked. I have a chrome chain steering wheel in my car and if I had a dime for everyone who had to reach in and touch it, I could have bought all the cars at the show. Some of my buddies wanted me to hook a live wire to it with a switch so we could sit back and watch the fun.

 

Depending what show I'm at, I'll often leave the windows down, but the doors locked from inside.

 

With my luck, I would forget to turn off the switch before I climbed in!

 

With friends like those, who needs enimas????

 

I don't do car shows, the mentality of the spectators and participants go against my grain. I did one actually last fall but sat close to the car most of the time since it was rainy off and on and we hid in the car when a shower passed over.

Cruise nights are okay, I can split when I like, take someone for a spin, come back. I leave the car open, keys under the seat most of the time. Nobody has messed with the car and anyone that wants to sit in it has asked me nicely. If a nice looking lady likes the car, I'll ask her if she wants to sit in it especially if her boyfriend or husband looks like a dick.

 

Cruise nights are cool, shows have gotten boring since I don't "party" anymore... I have a few shows a year I hit, mainly cause friends are going that live similar normal old man lives etc. I do think cruise nights are better, but shows, I don't care if the show isn't over or is, I leave when I want, when someone says you cant leave, I say …. ok stop me...… haha... Being a big ole boy helps shut em up.

To address the orig poster... I don't lock em expect at home depot, grocery store and my office. Rest of the time, unlocked....

 

Leaving the doors unlocked/Windows down depends on a lot of factors. Size of the show, whatever cargo I ma have in car/truck...etc....But no way I'd leave the keys in it. I don't leave the keys in any car or bike locked up in the garage, let alone in public. There's no up-side to doing this and a multitude of down-sides. Unless you're wearing yoga pants you keep your keys in your pocket...and I generally carry about 3 different sets on me.

 

Talked to a buddy this weekend,he came back to his very nice 55 chevy with ketchup dripping down the door,he wasn't happy.

 

Shaved all the handles off my 41 Chevy and it cured the problem, as long as my old dumb ass can remember how to get back in it.

 

I always would flip my kill switch, lately I have been taking my keys and locking the trunk. If the kids really seem to like the car I always asked parents if they want them to sit in it. The last show that I attended a kid was hanging off my door trying to see inside, his shoes banging into the door bottom, and the stupid father just stood there looking like it was no big deal. I told him it was not ok and a few other things! Then a woman with a hand bag the size of Texas and a metal clasp bangs it against my drivers door. It's the world we live in. All people care about is themselves. Most should never have children.

 

If you really value your car and want to take walk lock your car and put the windows up.
If you really don't give a crap don't lock it and see what happens next!

Jimbo

 

One of my first Hotrod memories , I was about 6 or 7 years old and it was summer. We were at the pool and a Milner / Fonzie kind of guy with a yellow t-bucket with chrome pipes pulled up to pick up his girlfriend. He yelled at us to get away from his car or "you'll get burned" He barely finished saying this and there was a blood curdling , wounded wild animal kind of scream. Some kid leaned over the car to get a look and touched both bare legs on the still hot pipes. The skin instantly blistered and looked like a horror movie (so cool when you're 7) I remember it very well!

 

LOL you already know that I drive beaters and touching is never really a problem for me. I have met some really neat people and gained a good story or two by not locking my car.

But you drive nice cars and people should really respect that.

 

Did'javer come back to your car and the shift knob is loose and clocked differently?

 

I normally leave all the windows down and push down the door locks...I've actually watched them push on the the door handle button to know avail...Dumbs--ts.

The best one was a guy asking if he could show his buddy where the gas filler was. He pushed both the right and left upper reflectors above the back up light while I watched and of course nothing happened because its a 56 Ford. Finally I got up and said "I'll get it for you". I walked over the tilted the license plate down. You should have seen the look on that guy and his buddies face. I'll bet he never lived than one down as the buddy gave me the thumbs up behind his back as they were walking away...

 

It’s been 5 or 6 years ago at a car show here locally, I just finished eating the meal they provided and was walking towards when I saw a Hispanic person holding his kid up on the passenger side of my car. That would have been ok except the kid was trying to walk up the door. I cursed at the man at the top of my lungs that he would find himself on the ground. I never saw someone move so fast in all my life. I guess he did understand my cursing at him in English

 

I always leave my windows up and doors locked at a show, local drivein, or breakfast café I go to, unless I'm next to the car. I heard a story recently of a guy who had a 32 3 window at a show, left his windows down for a very short time, came back and someone had taken his ash tray.

 

Doors locked and windows up. My car is blue but that doesn't mean "Place Recyclable Paper Here".