Respecting others' cars
 

About 8 years ago, I had the distinct pleasure of watching someone sit on the fender of my '81 MC SC ... uninvited ... at a local S Elgin cruise night. I slowly made my way back to my car ... and just stood there ... watching him ... wondering how long he was planning to plant his rear end on my car's fender. I didn't wait too long; his buddy suddenly noticed that I was staring at them ... and motioned for him to move. He looked back at me, shrugged and walked away. I didn't say a word, though when I saw him leave in a spotless older (late 1960s early 1970s as I recall) Dodge, I wish I had. You really think I'd have survived unscathed had I sat on HIS car?

Now, sure ... my '81 MC SC (like all of my Monte Carlos) is FAR from perfect ... so a new scratch on an already-scratched fender is NOT a big deal. And, given the shape of the paint on it and my other MCs, I suppose I shouldn't be all that concerned...or complain too much. However, it is the principle. Too many times, people disrespect other peoples' property ... without a thought.

Something similar happened just this past late April. I walked out of work one afternoon, to find a car parked next to mine with a flat tire. As I walked up to my 87 MC LS/CL, I calmly took note that the people changing the tire were very close to my car. Then, as I walked past the front to the driver's door, I noticed a guy put his wallet on the hood of my car ... gliding it over the hood as he reached into it. I opened the door ... watching him as he left the wallet on the hood of my car. The girl with him happened to notice my stare ... and motioned for him to remove his wallet. He did ... and actually apologized, saying, "Oh, sorry, sir." I just nodded...and then shook my head as I got into my car.

Then, the first Monday in May, I came out of my doctor's office ... to find a center cap on my '87 MC LS/CL's honeycomb/checkerboard wheels missing. All 4 were on the car when I went in for my appointment, but only 3 were left when I got back to the car. The one missing ... driver's side front....

Maybe it's just me ... but I treat everyone else's car, whether I like it or not, as if it were my own. I don't lean on them, I don't sit on them, I don't even TOUCH them ... unless told it is OK. Why others don't have a similar mentality ... especially car enthusiasts ... I do not understand. In some ways, I don't even understand non-car enthusiasts not understanding this concept....

*sighs*

Anyone else have similar experiences?



Cort | 35swm | "Mr Monte Carlo"."Mr Road Trip" | pig valve.pacemaker ...Chitown #2 = 07/25/09
WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort
"All around me are familiar faces" ... Tears For Fears ... 'Mad World'

the sitting on your car part of your story made me think of the part in American Graphitti where Richard Dreyfus sat on the Pharoh's 50 Merc.

i see all kinds of disrespect to peoples cars all the time. fender rubbing and door bumping in the parking lot seems to be a lot more common than it used to be. and I noticed the offenders are always on their God-d@mn3d cell phones! worse thing ever invented.

I know exactly what you mean. i treat everyones car with great amount of respect, whether its a POS car or an amazing car, cause i want others to give my car the respect it deserves. but again and again i see people who give my car hate, mostly the high school kids cause i am only a year or 2 older then them. but i think its that there are jelous of my car and my system because its better than theres. all my high school and college guys i hang out with totally respect my car because they often drive nice cars too so they know what its like and they would hate to come out to something missing on there car.

back in my senior year in highschool my friend had a 94 Camaro Z28 and someone hit i his car with there door while he was in the car. he went are reported it to the office and then went to dealer to get a price quote on how much to fix it and made the kid pay for it.

I have an 02 conversion van. I was in the diner and saw someone leaning on it and almost lost my mind. As far as the centercaps thats not good especially what the charge for the replacements. I ran a bead of clear marine silicone on the inside of the cap and rim so they dont fall off or be easily removed.

the first day i got my monte, i had to go pick up my sister from work. i park a few rows behind the rest of the other cars because i knew what would happen if i had parked closer. i went inside to see her and no later than 5-10 mins i walk out with a pos black grand prix parked right next to mine when there was everywhere besides me to park. i sit down and have a cig and walked to my car to see my very first f-ing scratch on the hood. i was livid. not even 24 hours went by did i get a scratch on my hood! anyways, later i got into an accident and the hood was replace(whoo, well somewhat). couple months later i walk out of work to find my drivers side door dented in, by what i found out later was a groccery cart. dent matched up perfectly with the lower rail of the cart. i didnt even see it until i came home and my girlfriends lights was shined onto it where i could see an indentation. some people just need to be beaten the f up. if i ever saw someone scratch hit, or dent my car again, its going to be ass all over the street.

I completely agree. I don't understand what goes through people's minds in parking lots. Who needs to swing a door open violently? or park so close so that you can't even get out?

Even if a car is violently rotting through the frame, I still won't do anything to it that I wouldn't want done to my car.

and i respect everyones car. EVERYONES. my friend had a 97 trans-am formula 1 pontie! we were going to walmart, when we pulled into a parking spot these two kids were sitting across from us looking at us as we got out. i had a feeling just by there stares that something was going to happen. we come out and he noticed a streak going down his windshield. they had taken a hamber and wiped it down the windshield and into his hood intakes(they were just for looks). i was pissed for him. if they were still around, again it was going to be ass everywhere. stupid people

I'm glad to hear that there are other people out there that share my thoughts. I just got my '02 SS Pace Car Saturday but I've also got a '80 Corvette and I absolutely hate to go to cruise nights. I pretty much refuse to do so because of all the previous posts comments. People just don't get it. I was leaving work on Monday with my old car (Impala) and one of the sales guys standing next to my car puts his junk on my trunk and just stands there talking. I was amazed. I left a cruise night early on Wednesday for the same reason.

:)

I'll post some pictures of my new ride this weekend after it gets cleaned up.

I know the feeling guys. Years ago, i was driving my Apache and went out with a few friends. When i got back, i noticed a dent on the door and a diff color paint. It wasn't a big dent, but a dent none the less. Parked next to me was an early 60s VW Bug that matched the color from the dent. It pissed me off so much, that as i was getting into my truck, i back kicked my size 13s right in the middle of his door, leaving a HUGE dent. I bet he was happy when he got back.:eek::eek::D:D