Mall Trash!

[Dan Stryffeler]

Sorry,

Just have to vent a little bit... I, (along with 'Casaleenie'), had my car up inside a local mall all weekend for a charity show, along with about 40 other cars; street rods, muscle cars, etc.

Since when did parents start dropping their kids off at the mall unsupervised for about a day? One little darling even started running his HotWheel up and down one of Al's fenders, (fastest I've ever seen Al move by the way).

When you ask them to please not touch the cars... one of two things happen; either they stop or shoot you the finger. The adults were not much better; rapping the car to see if it was aluminum.

I've had some problems at a typical show, but spectators are usually 'car people' and for the most part know better. But @#$%, this was pretty frustrating.

We put up stauncheons last spring for this show, but usually people lean on the rope and pull a couple over so we decided to risk it this year.

We all have horror stories I'm sure, but these were just the most irresponsible kids I've ever seen.

- Dan

[REAL 1]

This is exactly why I stopped going to alot of shows. Very rarely now. I do attend cruise nights at times.

I watch my car like a hawk and have learned to speak up quickly and loudly and will get nasty if I have to. One occassion yelled at a little girl stepping up and down on my side pipes. She cried and her "Daddy" got annoyed at me. Told him TS he should be watching and supervising his kids. Told him to bring his expesive car down so my 8 year old could step on it a little.

I've been criticized here by "some" because I can be "aggressive" when it comes to making sure someones else or their little "darlings" don't touch my car.

I've learned. "Sorrys" don't cut it. In the end you are left with the aggravation of a ding or scratch and they walk away. "F" 'em. If they don't have the brains and common decency to respect others property I see no reason not to speak up as appropriate.

[klayfish]

Dan,
Rap your knuckles on daddys head to see if it's aluminum or fiberglass!

I actually don't mind letting kids see the car, or even letting them touch it or sit in it, as long as the parents or the kid ask me first. It's just a matter of courtesy and respect.

Steve

[rdorman]

Don't beat around the bush there Evan

With the way the adults where behaving there is no wonder the kids where that bad. Adults with no respect raise adults with no respect, so no big suprise.

No matter what we do there will always be the ones that don't watch their kids, or themselves, touch, bad attitudes etc. I try and not let them bother me. There are plenty of nice people and cool cars. When they do get to me, I usually give them attitude and rationalize that they deserve it! My car is not a show car so most of the time I am at some sort of cruise.

I just try not to be overly concerned about it. Of course when the day comes that I repaint my 18 year old paint job my tune might change!

Teenagers at the mall. That has been a problem for years. There are a number of malls for which that very same issue has in no small part lead to the malls demise. Many malls are instigating rules about them. One local does not allow ANY underage people with out an adult escort and none period after a certain time of the day. Once again, bad parents. Well, lazy at least!

Rick

[casaleenie]

Damn Evan, I agree...
That was the first and last time for that crap...

I left for several hours and came back to the horror stories of the Arab family who let the kids slide down from the rollbar over the rear fender and pouring Coke over the rear of the car.Not accidentally spilling it but pouring it over the car. I had to tell the other owners to stop telling me the story because I was gonna lose it if I heard it one more time..

The show was for a good cause but it's just not worth the aggravation dealing with people... Don't want to spend a weekend yelling at idiots... Certainly there were a lot of people who liked and respected what the event planners were doing but I swear we had an inordinate amount of knuckleheads...

Klayfish is correct...Hell, I'll let them get in the car if they would just ask first...

Dan, to top everything else off.. I got caught in that hailstorm yesterday... No damage to the car but I've got a few lumps on the head....

[bigdog]

i can't agree more. these little rug rats need to find something else to do...i had my car at a local hang out sat nite..it was about 300 cars get together evey sat nite...some kid walked up and touched my car and i said please take your hands off the car, and the mother looked at me like i was nuts...then she had the nerve to say some thing smart to me and my wife...so my wife jumped up and told her she had 30 sec. to get out of hwer face or she was going to fu...ker up...so they left in a beat up 99 malibu co figure ....lol...peice of ****....bd

[rdorman]

Heh Al, did you ask the other owners why they where not stomping these peoples guts out? Doing nothing would kind of make them an accesory to the crime!

You guys had a bad show! Seems to matter a bit as to where the show and who the audience is. If the show is primarily owners or it is in a place that you go to for no other purpose than to see the show it seems to be better.

I am with you guys on the people that ask. I know before I had one I was just dying to touch, sit, etc the cars. And I know lots of folks feel the same way. So if approached, I let them. It the ones that don't ask

Rick

[Ron61]

Evan,

You are compeltely correct on this issue. I won't take my car anywhere near a mall show any more. Five years ago they had one and I saw a guy with a completely restored 1928 Ford Speedster I think it was almost throw a guy through a plate glass window. This ass came up with four kids and told them to go play on the cars and not bother him. First one ran straight to the speedster and climbed up on top of it. Another guy with a black Cobra there had footprints on it from one end to the other. The mall here is a dumpng ground for kids so they don't bother the parents while they shop. Now they can't hardlt get anyone to bring a car to the mall for their shows so they mostly have new stuff from the dealers.

Ron

[Wayne Maybury]

My, my, my. You guys really hit the jackpot as far a bunch of nut cases getting close to your cars. I think I would have gone ballistic if some kid had poured coke on my car. I am getting mad just thinking about it. I have never had my car in a mall and after reading this thread, I doubt that I will ever consider it.

I have found that most people don't realize that they aren't supposed to touch the car and once asked not to do so, they back off. I began to ask kids a year or two ago if they would like to sit in it, much to the delight of the parents. I strap them in, the whole bit.

At out door get togethers I am very concerned by kids and/or grown ups that are making the rounds on or with their bikes. That drives me crazy. Can you imagine the scratch a falling bike would make?

Wayne

[casaleenie]

Rick,

The other guys participating did what they could do.. One guy got in the jerks face and the family left to go back to Syria...

Wayne,

Nothing I like better than to show off the car.. I'll let anyone sit in it and belt themselves in -- if they ask... I want to open and close the doors and make sure nothing gets broken ( as in wings and visors)

When the little kid rolled the Tonka truck over the rear fender, the old man ran to stop him... (his dad).. but the damage was done at that point...
I talked Dan S. out of the stanchions because I assumed that people wouldn't screw around with the cars... I guess I should have known better. I certainly do now!!

Women jamming strollers between the cars... I love it...

[Jamo]

We're at the Kool April Nites event in Redding this past weekend.

Some big ol boy is LEANING on topo of Buckley's rear fender...both arms/elbows like he's relaxing on a bar counter. Dispite him being about twice as big as Pat, Pat moves over to him quickly and strongly grasps the guy's arm and literally lifts him from the fender and asks him to not touch the car. The guy complies...probably surprized by the strength of Pat's grip.

This is despite signs on everyone's cars (including ours) asking them not to touch the cars...and signs and handouts to all attendees asking them not to touch the cars.

Several adults rapping on the cars all weekend.

The kids were better than the adults.

I was hoping some moron would put his hand into my grill opening to see if my running pusher fans were sharp.

[REAL 1]

I think I'm going to add another sign on my car. "Rap on my car with you knuckles and I'm going to rap on your head with my knuckles"

Man that !@#$% pisses me off!

[Jamo]

I was thinking of leaving an empty gun holster on the seat...let them wonder where the gun is. Maybe add a sign: "You're being watched"

[MidOHasp]

Is it real?

Car? No, it's a fake fiberglass piece of $hit, not like your real Caravan.

Gun? You bet. Loaded, too. Go ahead, knock on the fender.

Best idea yet, Jamo.

[flipper35]

I would probably leave a piece of paper made to look like either a CCW permit next to the holster or a signed release form from an 'institution'.

[Ron61]

The Do Not Touch signs seem to have the same effect as a Wet Paint sign. Must touch it to see why I am not supposed to touch it.
The rapping on the car to see if it is actually there is a real problem and has caused a couple of good fights around here. But the mall shows are the worst by far.
At the small show in Mt. Shasta they roped off the downtown and any person on a bicycle or skateboard that came past the barriers had it confiscated for the rest of the day. I was parked right in front of their police station and saw several teen escorted out of the area minus their bikes. Also had to go hide my gun as a friend who had his Cobra there was looking for it. Some cowboy type with the huge belt buckle leaned over the door of his Cobra to feel the shift knob and took off a chunk of paint about the size of a half dollar right on the top of the door.
I have had several ask if they could sit in the car and have their pictures taken and I have always been happy to let them. It is just those few idiots that you have to fear.

Jamo,

I guess it is a good thing you never saw me when I had my head inside your front opening looking at the setup. Thhoise fans need a much torquier bib block electric motor.

Ron

[Dan Stryffeler]

Well,

Even with all the problems inside the mall... the worst was probably the fact that Sunday was 80 degrees w/blue skies - 1st really nice day of the year - and we were stuck inside with the mall trash.

Ah....... it ended well - we did get some heat on the engines going out to the Quaker Steak and Lube for the Sunday night cruise; about 600 cars and more importantly... "car people"

Car ran strong, (M & M's in the fuel tank I suspect), sunshine, felt great!

- Dan

[Great Asp]

JAMO,

How do you think Pat developed such strong grip?

I saw the burn-out he did at the DVSF one year, and I suppose he was holding on pretty tight. But do ya think it was some exercise he does?



Eric

[SPEEDEAMON]

Stanchions help but do not stop the idiots!

Several years ago, I organized a car show at an Italian Fets. in Westwood Blvd. next to UCLA. We had mostly Ferraris and Lamborghinis. A nice gentleman from San Francisco trilered his just-restored Abarth 1000 Corsa, a Pebble Beach restoration. While all the cars were stanchioned and we had the local Police Cadets guarding the cars, some still stepped over the barriers. The owners were visiting shops and eateries during the show and I spotted a woman sitting in the Abarth. I knew the owner came alone so I wnet and knocked on the window. To my amazement she was putting on her make-up and had twisted the rear view mirror so she can apply lipstick. Infuriated, I opened the door and politely asked asked "What the **** are you doing in there?" Without looking at me she replied "I'm almost finished" and tried to shut the door. I opened the door again and pulled her out. Before I could say anything she got unglued and made a big scene. But there were more of us and we all told her off loudly. She left huffing and puffing. What a B*tch. Fortunately the car was okay but the owner was shocked when I told him the story.

At the Beverly Hills Show on Sunday, the knockers were there as well as the feelers who touch under the fenders. And many kids with dripping Ice cream. Those kids whose parents are car guys are well educated and behave. Its those damn soccer moms with the three kids plus a stroller who have no respect for anything that gets me bent out of shape. Unfortunately if you go to a car show these things happen.

[Clois Harlan]

Jamo

I really like your idea of the gun holster but I think I might leave a empty box gun shells in the seat as well with a sign the read "Someone is always watching this car"

Big brother and Little brother too