Clash at Coffee and Cars

[601HP]

This past Saturday morning I was standing around at a Coffee and Cars event in Hunt Valley, MD and talking with a friend. That friend had his Hi-Tech Cobra parked beside mine.

Precocious Peter (don't know his real name) approx. 2 1/2 years old, and his dad wandered over to our cars. Little Peter walks over to the blue Hi-Tech and laid hands on it and appeared to be ready to climb on the side pipes. Dad politely eased him off the car.

Then little Precocious Peter spins around and does the same to the red Cobra (mine). Dad politely steers him off my car. At this point I was annoyed and asked Dad to please ensure his son doesn't touch the cars. Dad responded by saying "...he didn't touch the car." I responded by saying the child did touch both cars and repeated my request to keep his son away from the cars.

Dad then asked me "....why I was being such a *ick ?" Again I insisted the child be kept away from the cars.
Dad and Precocious Peter walked away with Dad looking as if he wasn't quite finished with me.

So the word's out now, I'm a *ICK!

David

[lnfletcher]

Don't have a 2 1/2 year old, do you?

[601HP]

Originally Posted by lnfletcher

Don't have a 2 1/2 year old, do you?

The son wasn't at fault. There was a lack of parental hand-holding.

David

[jhv48]

Ask him how he would feel if you walked over and started touching his kid.

Bet he would understand better then.

[trularin]

Such is the life of a Dick.
Raised as a Richard, passed as a Dick.
There is no transfer of meaning in the DICtionary, so how would one know if you were a DICK or a Richard?

Tru

[emm427]

That's too bad for both sides. What started as a nice day for both ended with opinions both are going to have a hard time changing. When I see a little ones showing that level of interest I offer them to sit in it allowing a picture op. In order to keep this hobby alive we need to encourage and show the outsiders how much fun it is and that we're not all *ICKS. That's just me though.

[601HP]

Originally Posted by emm427

That's too bad for both sides. What started as a nice day for both ended with opinions both are going to have a hard time changing. When I see a little ones showing that level of interest I offer them to sit in it allowing a picture op. In order to keep this hobby alive we need to encourage and show the outsiders how much fun it is and that we're not all *ICKS. That's just me though.

I whole-heartedly agree. I've had many a young child in my car for the photo-op, after the parent asked. Some of the children have ridden with me in the parking lot. Years ago I gave a very young fella a ride. I occasionally see him now. He's graduated college and is an avid car enthusiast.

Kids are welcome to sit in my car and play pretend. They aren't welcome to use my car as a Jungle Gym.

If the youngster I mentioned had run at and touched just one car and Dad had ended it there, I'd have said nothing. But it happened twice in less than 30 seconds with two automobiles. Maybe this wasn't the appropriate venue for that Dad and son.

David

[CHANMADD]

One time I turned around ..next thing here's a kid with his dad watching ..standing on my sidepipe with an icecream in his hand dripping on my seat..............its almost has to be on purpose......is the father that inattentive........my car used to stand in the showroom......I eventually had to replace the steering wheel because it broke the one spoke from people pulling on it to get out the seat................People don't disappoint me anymore...........

[trularin]

It is good to invite the children, Don't get me wrong.

I just think children should be controlled a bit more when they run about.

Image Dave's plight if the pipes were hot and the little one touched them.

Tru

[phattyhales]

I know we don't want kids climbing all over our cars but it does sound to me like you may have been rude. or at least I can see why the father may have felt that way. Instead of arguing with him you perhaps should it happen again just say something more like I'm sorry I thought he was, just trying to keep both him and the car safe. And you could throw in that the pipes can be quite hot.

[OnyxRider]

Hey Dick,

I always say it's a reflection on the other person with their words and actions. He was probably annoyed that he got caught not keeping a good eye on his child and showing respect for others property. He's setting such a good example for his child calling others a d**k or acting like one himself.

Reminds me when some lady while drinking coffee pulled out in front of me at a stop sign and I had to jam on the brakes and two pizzas went flying off my front seat. I hit the horn cause I was pissed and she flips me the bird. About 100 feet at a stop sign I see she has two children in the backseat. I rolled my window down and she was about to shout something when I told her she's setting a great example for her children and putting them in danger with her reckless driving. Old Greenwich is a small area and the cop at the gas station saw it all and motioned her to stop.

[lippy]

I'm with the poster. I have three small kids and I've been taking them to car shows since they were two. I watch them closely around the cars and if they do occasionally touch one I'll be the first to apologize. BTW I've never had a problem with them at any car show.

[OnyxRider]

Originally Posted by phattyhales

I know we don't want kids climbing all over our cars but it does sound to me like you may have been rude. or at least I can see why the father may have felt that way. Instead of arguing with him you perhaps should it happen again just say something more like I'm sorry I thought he was, just trying to keep both him and the car safe. And you could throw in that the pipes can be quite hot.

Phatty,

We need to be responsible parents and protect our children. It only takes a split second for something to happen, whether an accident or something done on purpose. At that age his child should not have been out of reach for such things to take place. 601HP is expressing his feelings mildly here and could have easily escalated the parents attitude if he matched his disposition at the event.

[601HP]

I'm good with all the responses. I put up the thread for this reason!

Here's a situation that happened at the same Coffee and Cars location. A month ago I saw my first Kirkham, brightly polished, hand rubbed stripes, stainless frame. A very nice car. The owner walked up and introduced himself.

During our conversation, he mentioned that when he first brought his car to this location last year, someone (he didn't say child or adult) leaned against his car in the rear quarter area. His out of pocket expense for repair $1,100.00.

David

[phattyhales]

Originally Posted by OnyxRider

Phatty,

We need to be responsible parents and protect our children. It only takes a split second for something to happen, whether an accident or something done on purpose. At that age his child should not have been out of reach for such things to take place. 601HP is expressing his feelings mildly here and could have easily escalated the parents attitude if he matched his disposition at the event.

I totally agree with you and I'm not arguing that the parent is in the right. I was just saying for the sake of not creating a scene and not being contentious.

Originally Posted by 601HP

I'm good with all the responses. I put up the thread for this reason!

Here's a situation that happened at the same Coffee and Cars location. A month ago I saw my first Kirkham, brightly polished, hand rubbed stripes, stainless frame. A very nice car. The owner walked up and introduced himself.

During our conversation, he mentioned that when he first brought his car to this location last year, someone (he didn't say child or adult) leaned against his car in the rear quarter area. His out of pocket expense for repair $1,100.00.

David

Kirkhams are a bit fragile in places. Aluminum is soft and dents easy. You can only really "lean" on the car in certain places without risk of denting the body. Repairing the dent on one can get price because sometimes the metal is replaced altogether or the repolishing job among other things.

[rodneym]

David,

That's my biggest gripe about C&C. The lack of parenting (and dog responsibility).

Years ago a little kid stood on my sidepipes trying to look in. I told him nicely to please get down. His dad was turned around on his cell speaking loudly about something really important I repeated myself so the dad could hear and he looks at me like I'm the a-hole.

Kids will be kids BUT any kid who treats ANYTHING other than a jungle gym as something to climb on...has a lack of parenting, period.
I wasn't mad at the kid. He was doing his job.
The father wasn't doing his.

[Jaydee]

I've mentioned this one before, but if you have an aluminium body, connect a electric fence wire to it. That'll sort them out.
JD

[blykins]

My biggest concern would be rolling in and a kid running up while the pipes are still hot.

[mdross1]

Originally Posted by 601HP

I'm good with all the responses. I put up the thread for this reason!

Here's a situation that happened at the same Coffee and Cars location. A month ago I saw my first Kirkham, brightly polished, hand rubbed stripes, stainless frame. A very nice car. The owner walked up and introduced himself.

During our conversation, he mentioned that when he first brought his car to this location last year, someone (he didn't say child or adult) leaned against his car in the rear quarter area. His out of pocket expense for repair $1,100.00.

David

Know all to well what your Kirkham friend felt like. Years ago we had a body off restored Corvette painted the first week out of the paint shop was asked to bring it to a party. We parked the car off to the side to keep it away from the mainstream. A person parked near it set a sixpack in the dirt as they were climbing out of their car, then walked over to admire our car and set the sixpack on the front fender. WOW!!
From that day forward never spent that much money on a paint job and certainly never took one of our cars to parties like that again. We still get concerned about taking our toys to places and leaving them unattended.
We all know there are plenty of people out there that could care less about our passion for these beautiful toys we own.

[cobrakiwi]

Originally Posted by Jaydee

I've mentioned this one before, but if you have an aluminium body, connect a electric fence wire to it. That'll sort them out.
JD

This brings back a great memory, years ago back in NZ my uncle traveled to may farms for his work, he got sick of the farm dogs peeing on his wheels so he had a small shock box wired to the car. Pull up open trunk push ground rod in ground, turn box on. Sure did the trick. Lol