"Look but don't touch"....

Kids using my car as a racetrack for their Hot Wheels piss me off... Oh, and the parents watching them...

 

With all the responses on this board about not touching another man's car, you'd think no one would. But I've had Hambers touch my cars, the patina'd ones and the painted ones. Granted, no harm, no foul, but you'd think they'd ask first.

 

I normally don't care how close someone gets to my car, probably a good thing as I normally drive my cars daily.

I should ad that I don't like my cars abused, there is a difference between someone sitting on the hood and someone getting close enough to touch it.

 

Some people simply don't respect themselves enough to respect other people's property.
Back in the day, when we ran an injected hemi altered wheelbase car, the local dealers would occasionally ask us to display it for a special event, Holiday, etc.
We'd always be amazed when we'd go back to pick it up, to find apple cores, change, toys, etc thrown down the Hilborn stacks! That was in the late '60's. Fast forward to now, our society as a whole is in the crapper as far as manners and character go.
But, I do have a recent story, and lesson.
Last year we went to a Dodge Charger event in Nashville. One guy came from Oklahom who built a beautiful '67 Charger convertible phantom, or one the factory never built. A pre teen kid peddles up to it on his bicycle. The owner, very calmly, says to the kid, " we don't allow bicycles near the cars, son. I'll tell you what, why don't you park it over under those trees and away from everyone's car, and then come back over here?" So the kid does. Then the guy starts to explain how much work went into the car, how important it is for little boys not to touch other people's property without permission, etc, etc. Then he opens the door and asks the boy if he'd like to sit in his car!
I'll tell you what, he did so much in just a few seconds. He treated the kids like a kindly grandfather would. He taught the kid some manners, he took time with the kid, and then he topped it off by making the kid's day, even taking pictures of him in the car.
Guys, it's not that we'll not meet rude, clueless peope. They're everywhere. What we can control is whether we drop to their level with our repsonses, or if we help them think and make new friends, and friends of our hooby.
Peace out...

 

DICK!

But man you got me but good..

 

I think i saw it on here a few years ago
"Don't run your fingers over my car and I won't run my car over your fingers"
'Touchers' do my f**kin' head in... I always want to follow them back to the parking lot and paw their Jap plastic POS... see how they like it!
Beware mother with toddler on hip... she leans in to look in the car and toddler puts gravelly snot slathered hand on the roof and a tiny scratchy sneaker on the door.

 

I consider it bad form to touch any vehicle regardless of condition. My OT musclecar is black and buffed to a smooth, high gloss finish. I spent countless hours blocking and sanding to get it as near to perfection as my abilities allowed, it's upsetting when assholes lean against it, rub on the paint or rap on the fenders to "see" if they are fiberglass. I try to handle it with humor but on several occasions I had to resort to being nasty to get my point across. My '37 had an older but well preserved paint job so I was a bit less concerned about people fondling it. I did have to intervene when a woman had her kid grab the mirror clamped on the door frame to hoist himself up on the running board. What would happen if he snapped off the 70+ year old mirror? Oops? So sorry? Then there was the guy that put his foot on my freshly chromed bumper so he could tie his shoe? You gotta draw the line somewhere, for me it's please don't touch...

 

It doesn't really matter if you have a "don't touch me" sign or a half dozen of them on the car and it doesn't matter if the car has a 20K custom paint job or is a cancered out rust bucket some people will feel entitled to touch them, sit on them, put their foot on the running board, bumper or frame rail or open the door and get in the car or open the hood in some cases.

I probably had to reprimand my own dad for touching someone's car or putting his cowboy boot on my freshly painted running boards more times than all the other people who I said something to since I started taking the truck to events in 1973. He couldn't get it through his head that just because it was a running board didn't mean you could put your boot on it. In his case it wasn't a lack of respect for other people's property it was a habit that had been ingrained for 70+ years and was hard to break.

 

i own a restored old Jeep, lifted; pretty fancy. I'm not made of money and its the one toy i really enjoy. i put a lot of labor into keeping that thing nice; it goes to shows, etc. I have lost count of the amount of times children have used this thing as a jungle gym. first time we were at the ice cream stand standing next to the jeep when a child literally reached up to the side of the jeep and pulled himself up so he could see the inside; meanwhile kicking and flailing into the side of it. Parents said nothing; just let him hang there. Last weeend; kids were crawling under it playing catch me if you can....i was waiting for one of them to smash their head on the nice hot exhaust. joy.

It boils down to society having zero respect for someone else' property. on top of that; people have no idea, no conception of the amount of work you put into it. its a disgusting cycle.

 

Walking up and touching someones ride is like fondling your woman... not acceptable... Now if someone is looking and wants to see what it feels like and ask... hell I open the door and let kids sit behind the wheel and people sit on my seat all the time when they have the look of wanting to see what its like but if you open my door on your own... get ready for something a bit rougher than a boob bounce... haha.

At a toys for tots show last december... some kid with a knife in his pocket walked by my front fender and scratched the shit out of my silver... didnt even stop to appologize or say anything... i turned around and saw my truck scratched and him walking off with silver paint still on the clip for his knife... he turned around and kept walking... I got in his face and called him a few names... he was with a marine recruiter trying to become a marine, the recruiter sided with me and let me give this lil punk a few verbal lashings... the lack of respect is what pissed me off... and if it would have been a regular show I would have let him have a 5 finger salute up side his head...Recruiter sent the kid home and came and appologized for the actions....

 

I don't have a car nice enough t wory.. it's just more "patina" ha ha ha.
That said. I had a nice shiney cop car clone a few years ago. I let the kids sit and flick the lights etc, but running hands over the car and making smuges and scratches in my paint? no.. not cool.

 

I am suprised no one else has had people OPEN THE HOOD. My O/T jeep has a nasty 360 in it with a gear drive, so it whines a little like a super charger and with the headers hanging down with cut outs, it apparently makes everyone wants to see whats inside.

I have had to tell a few people to get the #%$^ back!

My brother and I built a 56 f100, I feel like I need a sign that says "Don't lean on my fender to look in the engine compartment." I have some awesome scrapes and blemishes from people wearing jeans.

 

Dont touch my car!! Unless I am broke down and you are helping fix it ...Then by all means...

 

with a butterfly hood some people cant figure out how to open it...

 

I cant count the number of times I have seen people hit cars with their cameras. Its fuckin ridiculous. I always hold mine back when I am close to a car. My big bulky 35mm could do some serious damage! lol

 

I like others have no problems with kids curiosity or other car guys looking at stuff. Shoot I've asked several do you mind how you did this or that they are always happy to help. My boys show interest too and as excited as they get I'm teaching them to ask first.

At stray kat a few wks ago I saw some kid throw a rock and hit that blue shelby cobra. At least his dad was on his A*s about it.
I've also heard of d-bags getting into cars and playing with their air ride controls. WTF?

 

It's a little thing called " RESPECT OTHER PEOPLES PROPERTY " that my parents taught me as a child.

 

Man, it's almost too easy. If it's NOT yours, don't fuck with it. I was walking to my OT car with groceries and a lady was talking to a friend. She sets her groceries on MY car, while she gets her keys to open her car! I walk up and she says, "I'm glad you're nice, my son would never let someone touch his car." So, I look her square in the face and tell her, "Niether do I." She gave me a "WTF" look. Some people are just fucked up. Plain and simple.

I pulled up to get gas in my T and some asshole reached out and touched my header! He jumps back and is rubbing his hand in pain. Then, he starts in on how unsafe it is! So, I go off on him, while his "homies" converge. I ended the bashing with, "If you're stupid enough to touch a hot exhaust pipe, you need to get burned." His His rat pack just laughed at him.

I don't care if you know me or not, I was raised NOT to touch other peoples shit without permission. Simple courtesy shouldn't require a damn sign.

 

Do not touch signs are a waste of time. Those people can't read anyway.

 

so true!!!!!

 

After spending all day cleaning and polishing my car for an event I don't even like to touch it....Why would I let somebody else do it?

 

Many people don't open their hoods to show the motor because people lean on the car to look.

I see the same thing at the sportsman's clubs. Guns are put on racks at the ranges and most shooters would NEVER touch someone else's gun without asking. But there are a few who think nothing of handling a gun that doesn't belong to them. Others bring their children and let them wander around the gun racks. One of these children knocked a $3500 gun out of the rack denting the end of the barrel. The barrels are fitted to the receiver and very expensive to replace.

I've also seen parents who allow their children to kick a ball around in a grocery store. The parents need the spanking.

 

There is a Tesla store at one of our local shopping malls and It just amazes me that people let their snot nosed sticky kids climb all over these $60,000-$100,000 cars like it no big deal. People just dont have any respect for other people property.

 

Was @ a small show one time & this guy dressed in a gas station attendant coveralls & service hat had a 37 plymouth mordoor with all the doors open. Along comes a woman holding this 6yr(approx) old girl by the hand. All of a sudden the little girl breaks loose & heads for the back seat of the plymouth. Try as they might they could not coax the little girl out. Finally mom had enough & went in after her jerked her out & headed for the restrooms. You can only guess what happened in there.I didn't stick around. Usually I will ask any child if they would like to sit in anyone of my cars BUT I better be the one say it's OK.

 

In the words of W.C. Fields, "I like kid's, as long as they'er properly cooked." (except mine)

 

I don't mind people touching my cars as long as they're being respectful and not damaging things.

If they're scratching it up with a belt buckle or otherwise acting like an A-hole, then I'll tell them not to do that.

Other than that, I don't care. I've done a frame-off rebuild on my 54, including the paint, and I just don't give a damn. The thing was built to drive and get dinged up. Once the paint is screwed up bad enough, I'll re-do it again.

I had a 49 club coupe that had a sky-high paint job on it and I walked around scared about it getting F'ed up all the time.....so I sold the damn thing....it wasn't fun being worried like that.

 

I drive and enjoy my cars .
With little kids it's different for me. If I see them standing on their tip toes trying to see whats inside I'll pop the door with the remotes and tell them get in look around,have Pop take a photo with you pretending to drive, boy do their eyes light up and always a big smile. To me thats worth more than the car or the work I have into it.
I can fix anything they might break ( never had to ) and clean anything they might get dirty. They will remember that moment forever.
Happened to me , many , many years ago and I will never forget it, a car show my sister's boyfriend took me to in 1959, that got me hooked on hot rods & Customs.

To me , it's a car, that's it, a car, built for everyone to enjoy if they wish.

 

Good stuff brother.....good stuff.

I guess I'm in a bit of a mood with Memorial Day coming.....but I've spent the day thinking about a couple of my brothers in arms who never came back from overseas, and as much as I love old cars....they're just not that important.

I'll let any person, of any age, touch my car, get in it, pretend to drive it....whatever.....as long as they're not acting like a fool.

 

I have had countless kids in all of my cars, each and every one earned that privilege by their actions. If they ask nicely... (happens to be my GFs kiddos and they KNOW the magic words!) they get to go for a "ride."

Just last week we came out of the theater and I found some loser's half empty big gulp sitting on my $700 leather seat! They are fortunate I didn't catch them or I may have been on the news or at least featured in the "police beats" section of the paper.

 

i'm not sure i understand the question, but are you saying you dont mind if people touch or handle your car? that it's part of the experience? please stay away from my place if this is true. another thing i hate to see is guys with clip on the belt loop key chains swinging around mindlessly.