Remarks from neighbors

Had always heard the usual, "My car next" comments. Instead of idle chit-chat I finally responded with, "when would you like it done?"



Well, I did it - nothing too extreme but a decent "detail" certainly much better than they'd have ever been able to do.



Ever feed a stray cat? Same thing. Now I have a "buddy" for life.



So instead of "My car next" what I get now is "when you gonna do my car for me again" or "you did their car so why not mine".



Gotta love the neighbors - that's what made America GREAT!!!!!
 
From neighbor #1: You're going to take the paint off!

From neighbor #2: You have the nicest looking car in the neighborhood! I really like this guy.

From neighbor #3: The color of your car (silver mist) looks very nice with the color of the flowers on your tree ( a red bud tree). Did you think of that when you planted the tree? This lady is 86 years old so you have to take that into consideration.

From many of my other neighbors walking their dogs or going to the mailbox: some very intense looks and a slight shaking of the head....it makes me wonder if they think that talking to someone who really takes care of their cars might not be really safe to talk to.

From my neighbor across the street: Hard stares whenever I use my PC.

From my neighbor next door who caught bits and pieces of the 5 days it took to really detail my daughter"s Bug inside and out (my daughter is 19 if that gives you a clue as to why it took about 30 hours over 5 days): You know the carwash on Main Street has a full service wash for 14.95. From the state of this guy's Subi Outback, I can tell you that HE certainly does not take advantage of the 14.95 wash or any other for that matter.



Interestingly enough...I don"t get any "you know it's going to rain tomorrow" remarks, which is really amazing since I live in Portland, OR...one of the rain capitals of the Northwest.
 
About two years ago, I was washing my car a couple of days after Christmas and I had just finished rinsing off with a hose and my neighbour came out and threatened me with violence, as a bit of water overspray mist dampened his driveway.



Never spoken to him again since (our families have been neighbours for 30 years !), but it makes detailing my car not as pleasurable as it should be, with the risk of him coming out shouting his mouth off. Must resist from laying into him if it happens again :mad:



:angry
 
drewski59 said:
Oh, I can't remember how many times I've gotten that one! Another popular one in Seattle was: "why are you washing your car? It's just gonna rain tomorrow."



People just don't understand.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...



Ask them, "Why do you wipe your butt? You're gonna poop tomorrow." That should send them packing, LOL.
 
Whilst I'm detailing I normally get the "you're going to take the paint off if you keep polishing it", "why are you clenaing your car when it's not even dirty" and "I can't believe it takes you so long to clean a car" comments.



But when I've finished and the car is sat there absolutley gleaming I get the "wow, that looks amazing" type comments which is good enough for me.



In my opinion it's something I'm good at and enjoy doing so if I wan to spend all day cleaning my car I damn well will!



Ben
 
It seems that I always get the same comment over and over again, "when are you going to do my car?". I just look at them and say "don't know but it sure needs it". That's about when they leave! Funny part is they still don't wash their cars LOL
 
Weird...I've never had anyone say anything to me. Not when I lived at home, not where I live now. We're going to be moving again to a townhouse that will be a little closer knit so we'll see if people say anything then but I wouldn't bet on it. Not even when I've been doing people's cars before, even on the street in downtown DC. I had one woman ask me for a card once that was it.
 
i live in NYC brooklyn so i get a lot of comments while im out washing and waxing. a lot of my neighbors joke with me saying that i should do their car/s too i just respond with a fake laugh. some of my neigbors think im weird since i wash every week and wax about every 2-3 weeks. they also wonder whats that yellow chunk of clay that im rubbing on the paint is (its clay).



edit: i also tend to show off my noob autopia skills, wash mitt, yellow mf towels, and my "special car wash soaps" to my nieghbor with her super dull and really dirty 2002 gold highlander when she wipes down her car with an old red/black shirt thats been soaked into a tiny bucket full of dirty water and dish washing detergent. then her brother goes and drys the car with another old dark color rag.:cool:
 
i washed/clayed/qd'ed my neighbors car about a month or so ago and mentioned how dealerships, car wash's, etc.. aren't very skilled/friendly to the paint (swirl marks/marring/wrong technique) and when i was done he was like... "that looks better then when i bought it new!"and was very happy. since then (raining and all) it is real dirty/muddy and hasn't been washed since and since then, i think he expects me (looks over at me repeatedly when i'm washing my car, expecting to ask him if he wants one too) to wash it again for him (would do it again, but told him repeatedly to change the time on the water sprinklers so my car doesn't get wet :mad: ) and he still hasn't done it. oh well, his lost...
 
Yesterday was the worst; I was cleaning all the mats in my car with boiling hot water. As I am pouring water out of my pot, I can see my neighbors trading comments as they walk by.
 
Yesterday I did all three cars. Spent about 6 hours total.



My across-the-street neighbor said, "I got a DOG you can wash."



I said, "I'll help you wash your dog if you help me wash my CAT !!"
 
Why do you wipe your butt, your gonna poop tomorrow. LOL. Love that one! I'm gonna have to use that on one of my neighbors.



Yeah I get the usual, "Its gonna get dirty again", "Its gonna rain tomorrow", "Do mine next". Why can they just mind their own business? It really annoys me. Guess they are just jealous that they have dirty cars and mine is the cleanest on the block.



One time I just started washing my truck. Then my neighbors friend says"Trucks really dirty". I was like "Yeah no s#$t! why do you think I'm cleaning it?" He's right that it was dirty since I couldn't wash the truck all winter but damn I wish he could just understand why I do what I do. I'm really sensitive so stuff like that just annoys me! I'll use the wipe your butt line next time!
 
Funny thing is, I'll bet if you were outside in the yard everyday mowing your lawn or clipping the shrubbery no one would say a word.



I guess it's just not socially acceptable to clean your car. :rolleyes:



I like the "wipe your butt" line too. :xyxthumbs
 
I live in the country when most people think that auto detailing is only for expensive cars, and you cannot do it by yourself and have to go to the "car saloon" (detailing shop).

So people ask some question when I am doing my car, but overall I reply it with a smile

Mostly the question are like:

Comment=" Is that the the way that they are doing in the car saloon also?"

A=" No, ( smile) my way is better"

C= " You dont have to wash it , it gonna get dirty again"

A= " You dont have to eat, you'll be hungry again"

C= " Your lucky, my car is a daily driven"

A= " (big smile) "Mine too"

C= "Mine Next"

A= Smile

But there is a guy who always said "mine next" thing over and over, so one day I said "Ok, bring your car here". Actually he did ( and the car is way to oxydized, later I know his car is metalic black when I thought it is just plain black)

So I do his hood then I said " Ok I am done". He look at me with amusement and said "Why?" I said " I do my part, and you can do the rest if you like (with a big grin). The guy mad at me first and he do the roof ( with my rotary, and he never even touch one!) after he do half of his he said " wow this is much harder than I thought, you are actually good at cleaning your car" after that we laughed and I do the rest of his. It is turn out to be good, as he is good with the machine and he do some major tune up to my car for free. We call it even then.
 
My neighbours are always impressed that I'm "waxing" my car. Sometimes I explain about cleaners and polishes, but I've learned to not show them a clay bar... it's just beyond their comprehension.



They mean well, though, and periodically offer me half full bottles of the waxes they know they're never going to use again. Anybody want samples of Turtle Wax? Or Elastiglaze?
 
We were invited to a party at one of the neighbors soon after we moved in. Whenever I explained which I house I lived in, they would say "You're the guy out there always washing his car." I guess the reputation started early. :)
 
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