A rational decision by a rational man.

Macgirl said:
When they first moved in, my husband saw the guy carrying in some drywall and went over to help, my husband helped with a couple of guys and the new neighbor never once said "Thank you" to any of them.
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How can you not say thank you? I mean, even assuming that you didn't appreciate the help at all, wished you could have just carried a bunch of drywall by yourself, and generally just want to be left alone... what else do you say? Do you just say "bye" and walk back in the house? That'd be one awkward moment when you just walk away without saying anything.



In addition to that, having carried drywall before, I wonder how someone could not be extremely thankful and appreciative for an extra hand? Some people just make no sense to me.



Oh well, back to your regularly scheduled topic.



John
 
Gee Fleet, it's great you're lightening up a little, but I'm uneasy about your forceful, scolding judgment that Yosemite Dan is "WEAK."



I think part of my discomfort arises because it feels like a tendril of the real dog-eat-dog world, worming its way into Autopia.



By judging Yosemite as inferior and saying he did the wrong thing, you have deemed yourself his superior, Fleet, at least in the area being judged.



Are we to infer that you've led a charmed existence, without skeletons, shame, or immorality -- and not only that, but that you think we could all do a lot worse than being a little more like you?



These are just logical games we can play with this situation, Fleet. Your posts bothered me, and I'm still not sure I've put my finger on exactly, or the extent of, why.



I do know that I don’t think either harassment or personal conflict have any place on the public board. I’m not saying this situation fits either of those bills, but it seems to me that we're at least pointed in that general direction.

~3W
 
I have edited my posts to avoid hurting anyone's feelings in public. I apologize to Yosemite Dan.
 
Apology accepted. If you plan on inviting me over for dinner to make amends I'm gonna have to insist on parking in the garage. You never know what might happen. You don't want me to be rude and leave early before I get the chance to finish the tuna casserole.
 
Yosemite Dan said:
Apology accepted. If you plan on inviting me over for dinner to make amends I'm gonna have to insist on parking in the garage. You never know what might happen. You don't want me to be rude and leave early before I get the chance to finish the tuna casserole.
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Ok now that was Darn funny!!!!!!!
 
I had a brush with death a few weeks ago at work. I heard rocks flying outside...the guys are edging and mowing..shooting ROCKS ahhhhh! and clippings everywhere on the adjacent cars. They are about 1/2 block from my car...

"hey, uh, boss...i think I forgot some work in the car...ill be right back" have to park a couple blocks down :) hehe
 
Bottom line is this: When you have spent hours, days, weeks , and even years achieving the perfect finish all it takes is seconds for some careless individual, or some innocent child, to ruin all of your work.



Unfortunately, auto perfection is a stone cold addiction. Over the years I have devoted more and more time to detailing. I probably detail my garage queen more than I drive it.



I can completely relate to your concerns, and ultimately I think you did the right thing. Think of how you would have felt if one of those children inadvertantly dinged or scratched your car.



I usually park very far from any potential threats. I also endure the abuse from my friends and family as a result. Kind of like the Volkswagen commercial where the guy dives head first to stop the shopping cart from ramming into his door.



If you are the type of individual who is going to spend 8 hrs detailing, then you have to take the necessary precautions.



Just my .02:xyxthumbs
 
Yosemite Dan - I think I speak for all when saying that the entire forum cares a great deal about the saftey of their vehicles. But why not just tell your friends of your concern and relocate the car? By doing as you have, are you not worried that these friends will think you are treating them poorly by leaving so abruptly?



I suppose that choosing friends or material things is more of a personal judgement call.



...Your buddy, thinkweb.
 
Honestly, I would have just told the people you were going to leave early because you were so uncomfortable with all those kids around your car.
 
Yosemite Dan said:
Apology accepted. If you plan on inviting me over for dinner to make amends I'm gonna have to insist on parking in the garage. You never know what might happen. You don't want me to be rude and leave early before I get the chance to finish the tuna casserole.
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Very nice comments, Yosemite Dan.



:up
 
thinkweb said:
Yosemite Dan - I think I speak for all when saying that the entire forum cares a great deal about the saftey of their vehicles. But why not just tell your friends of your concern and relocate the car? By doing as you have, are you not worried that these friends will think you are treating them poorly by leaving so abruptly?



I suppose that choosing friends or material things is more of a personal judgement call.



...Your buddy, thinkweb.
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Why thinkweb, you're much more kinder and gentler these days. I like the new you. Did you get a new dog?;)





As for fessing up and stating the real reason for becoming violently ill the wife wouldn't have been too impressed with my paranoia. A little white lie is sometimes necessary. You have to remember I was under alot of pressure to think fast and that was the best I could come up with. Next time I go there I think I'll suggest we eat on the driveway so as to soak in the scenary. I hear fire hydrants look beautiful this time of year kinda like Paris in the summer.
 
This thread made me think...back when I was a id (th oldest of 5 in a neighborhood FULL of kids) I alwasy thought my parents were poor because they drove and old POS Tornino wagon and a older Chevy Malibu and then when were we all older and moved out the new cars came...they were cheap or poor, just smart....they bought cars they didnt give a damn about to avoid killing us in our sleep!
 
Sorta-similar concern: new dogs, especially puppies. There's just *NO* way to magically impress upon a young/new/untrained dog how to act around vehicles! It takes time, work, and a *lot* of patience and self-control. One of the reasons I've kept the Volvo is for just this reason; when the inevitable "learning experiences" happen, it's best that they happen to it (heh heh, can't be any worse than how its previous owner treated it).



The training period doesn't really last all *that* long, and these days I don't have to worry about the dogs being around the good cars; they know how to act and they perform to spec. As with (reasonable) people, it just takes some educatin'.



I've left friends'/relatives' houses abruptly *many* times when it became obvious that *their* dogs (or kids!) don't know how to behave around my cars (and the next time, I took the Volvo). It's not like I've lost any friendships over it, and if I did, I'd wonder about how great those friendships really were. I can't remember a time when a simple, calm, *polite* explanation didn't handle the situation. Next visit, the kids always behave properly around my car. The dogs are another story....



Heh heh, just get me going on people who don't say "thank you", let alone raise their kids to respect other people's property, let *alone* respect it themselves :o
 
I don’t know what I would have done in Yosemite’s situation -- but I do know I’d have been totally freaked out too. I also think that your response would depend a lot on whether you’re there with your wife/gf, and if so, her tolerance of Autopomania.



In my ideal world, the car’s owner would realize it’s no accident that of all the available spots in the neighbourhood to play, the kids have chosen the vicinity of your car. After all, it’s the coolest, shiniest, most wonderful thing in the neighbourhood. You’re a victim of your own success.



Realizing this, you excuse yourself from the crowd inside, telling them what you’re doing. You go outside and show the kids the car, and what it takes to keep her looking like that. You demonstrate a product on one of their bikes (whatever's on hand), showing how with a swipe or two, metal and paint sparkle. You then ask them to not go near the car because of its fragility, unless they come and get you first.



Or, you could save time by just going out there looking fierce, and yelling at them to get away from the %$@#@*(!!#& car. ;)





I’d say Autopians shouldn’t be surprised by interest in their rides -- it's to be expected, and it fuels our pride. Ironically, a lack of interest would probably be of concern too. The problem comes when trying to draw the line between acceptable and unacceptable interest. It’s a tricky one, particularly since we’re required to behave within civilised, legal norms. Come to think of it, maybe a criminal lawyer could tell us what an infuriated owner is allowed to do to a red-handed vandal. Any criminal lawyers in the house?



It’s too bad you can’t just put a big sign on the parked car, saying “Please Don’t Touch.� Even if you softened the sign with humour (“Wanted Dead or Alive, the Last Person Who Touched my Car,� say, or a picture of a body bag, captioned “The last person who touched my car�), you’d still be inciting some to vandalize.

--3W
 
yeah, last week...I parked at homedepot a freakin mile out in the lot. When returning I saw a group of ~16yr olds gatered around the stang checking it out (not touching..or stealing. haha.. :) thank god)

Kinda freaked me out as I saw them when I was walking up...then again kinda a compliment too.



Turns out there was like a movie theatre near by and they were walking back home (cause they have no cars) and saw the GT and wanted a closer look...
 
That actually reminds me of a time last month when I was coming back to my car from the grocery store. I see this elderly couple standing behind my car touching the taillight. They have this perplexed look on their face and I'm thinking" great they must have broken my light with their cart and I can't get mad because they're like 90 years old."



Turns out that the woman thought I had no lens on my taillight because my Mazda 6 taillight gives the illusion that it's not covered and she was touching it to make sure something was there protecting the bulb. She thought it was the coolest thing and I was cracking up.



Then I went home and QD all those dirty fingerprints all over my lights. God knows where her hands had been. :p
 
Yosemite Dan said:
.. I see this elderly couple standing behind my car touching the taillight. They have this perplexed look on their face ...Turns out that the woman thought I had no lens on my taillight ...she was touching it to make sure something was there protecting the bulb. She thought it was the coolest thing and I was cracking up.
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LOL!!! For some reason that image just totally cracks me up!
 
Monday I was at my gym; parked the car outside the window...saw a group of teenage ne'er-do-wells pull in, all smoking(not that I'm against smkoers but they all looked like women on their first fag) and going to mess around in the children's outside play area across from the parking lot. I spent the next half hour jumping off and on the treadmill to go look at the car---ruined a perfectly good workout.



Naturally the wife thinks I'm nuts, but when the next door neighbors grandkids come over she's ready for the .357 if a ball comes near her flowers.



Go figure...
 
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