Some people just don't have a clue!!!!!

Joined
11 November 2002
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1,658
Location
St. Louis
I had an appointment yesterday with one of my customers, so I parked my car on the street by a meter and along the sidewalk. Later when I came back out to my car, I see this old lady that had walked up and put her shopping bags on my hood. :eek: Now let me just say that this lady was about 70 years old, so I wasn't about to go up and start yelling at her, but I was fuming inside. As politely as I could, I asked if I could help her. As she turned towards me, I could see one of the bags starting to slide down the hood. She said that she was just trying to get a better handle on the bags and set them down for a second, apparently thinking my hood was just as fine of a place as any. I try to show respect for all people especially my elders, but I just couldn't understand why someone would think that was acceptable. I picked up the bags off my hood and gave them to her and she went on her way. As she was walking away, I looked down at my car and saw several small scratches and one good sized scratch down the hood. :mad: (must have been the sliding bag) Part of me really wanted to let her know what she had done, but I thought what good would it do to ruin the day of two people. I spent some time on it with swirl remover and didn't have much luck yet, but will keep working on it. Don't know how else I could have handled it, but wondered if anyone had ever experienced the same and/or what you would have done. Just thought that I would vent because some people just don't have a clue!! :confused:
 
i have a similar situation... After the hurricane, 10 people in my wife's family, that lost everything were, staying with us in our house. They stayed 4 weeks and while they were here,we carefully piled any of their belongings that we found in the debris in my garage around my NSX. Well, I assumed that everyone knew how much the car meant to me and how much money I had invested in the cf body parts. Well, I was wrong :frown: Someone slid a box across my hood and scratched it from one side to the other! What can I do? I know that they did not do it on purpose and I know that I should just be greatful that I still have an NSX and a garage to put it in, but I just couldnt help but get mad on the inside. I never said anything , as I wouldnt want to cause any more grief for her family, but it does dissappoint me. I guess its just best to count my blessings for having even a scratched up NSX. :cool:
 
Some people just don't have a clue, but you do.
You're a good man and if you were near my neck of the woods I'd help you out and thank you for stopping by and letting me shake your hand.
You must of had some fine parents. God bless you.
 
Jlindy - You handled it like a mature gentlman. You should be proud of yourself. We have all got or had parents that have done the smae thing at some pointo ro something equally troublesome to others. I just hope they are all treated with the respect and kindness you showed. Thank you.
 
Different but same situation.

I went to the gym and after my workout, I walk outside to see some guy leaning on my car talking to some girls. I guess he was acting like it was his car. *DORK* I walked up and kinda stood to the side of them and listened as he talked and was asking for one of the girls phone number. He looked at me and just kinda knodded and said "sup man". I just smiled and disarmed the alarm. The expression on his face was priceless!!! :biggrin: The girls reactions told me that he was telling them it was his car. They just giggled and walked off.

My first reaction was to kick the guy in the throat, but I thought it would be interesting to see what was up. No harm, no foul. If he had been sitting on the hood or something, thats a different story!

You handled your siuation exactly as a grown man should have. You understand that while a beautiful car, its a car. You put the lady and her well being first and I commend you on that. Thank you!
 
Thanks for all the kind remarks, I appreciate it. It was obvious that the lady simply didn't realize that any harm would come of what she was doing so I just figured I would let it go. I wouldn't want someone treating my grandmother with disrespect. A true gentleman would have helped her carry her bags to her door, but I guess I can save that for next time. :wink:

LoNFastNSX, I would have loved to see the look on that guy's face when he got busted.
 
Anyone who use there precious time on a forum LOVES cars. To be realistic most folks doesnt think much about cars other than a means of transportation.

My brother in-law let the kids climb on his E320 and play basketball around it. and Yes basketball bounce on it more than once..

It also drives me nut when I go to gas station and people pull the gas pump across there car to the opposite side to get to the gas tank.. just so they dont have to wait in a longer line so they can gas up on the proper side..
 
loNfastNSX, another kick in the nuts for that guy would have been if you asked for the girl's phone numbers as they were walking off and got them! :biggrin:
 
I would have had some words with the old lady. Ma'am, please do not set your groceries on my car hood, they are likely to scratch it.

Old people do not get a waiver to be impolite on account of being old. In this case, SHE was the one who was discourteous, not you, and you should have said something to her.

As for people gathering around your car, I just walk up and get in and drive off like they're not even there. I've noticed a tendency for guys to gather like that in certain places, maybe they're trying to holler at chicks walking by and get the goodwill from the car to rub off on them some.

I've no doubt that if girls respond positively that guys will then be leaning into the car or sitting on the door sills. Long as they leave no marks or scratches, I got no beef.
 
back in "the day" ('77) a friend of mine bought what was then rumored to be the last year of the 911 Targa. nice car - black, leather interior... very nice and, iirc, it cost ~35k.

the day he takes delivery of it, he's pulling up to the office (in downtown tampa) and at the light, noses into the crosswalk ~1 rch. an old lady crossing the street *in* the crosswalk, stops right in front of his car and - with both hands applying full pressure - slams her umbrella (heavy wooden handle) into his hood and yells at him that crosswalks are for cars, not people.

massive dent/crease in my friend's new 911 and a story i'm sure he's telling to this very day.
 
queenlives said:
back in "the day" ('77) a friend of mine bought what was then rumored to be the last year of the 911 Targa. nice car - black, leather interior... very nice and, iirc, it cost ~35k.

the day he takes delivery of it, he's pulling up to the office (in downtown tampa) and at the light, noses into the crosswalk ~1 rch. an old lady crossing the street *in* the crosswalk, stops right in front of his car and - with both hands applying full pressure - slams her umbrella (heavy wooden handle) into his hood and yells at him that crosswalks are for cars, not people.

massive dent/crease in my friend's new 911 and a story i'm sure he's telling to this very day.


Ok, Yeah... Now see, thats another story right there. The old lady would not have needed an umbrella any longer but rather a walker.

And an engineer to come up with a way to extract my foot from her ass! :cool:
 
This is a little different but along the lines of disregard for a car.
I used to work at a gas station when I was young and one day in the middle of the winter I watched a dude scrape the ice off of his hood with one of those long ice scrapers with the brush on one end. He went to town on that hood for about five minutes scraping every piece of ice and snow off before he just got in and drove away. I believe it was an accord, probably a couple of years old at the time, by no means a beater. I think it was his car so only his loss, but I cringed every time he scraped that thing down his hood.
 
* Jlindy, You Rock !*~* Another fine example of why I love the people on this board * :wink:
 
JLindy,
You absolutely did the right thing!!! You couldnt do much after the fact that the bags were already on the car when you arrived. Ever seen a 70 y.o. try to bend over to pick up something?? not a pretty site. At 70 yrs old I doubt if she or many in that age bracket know or care about high performance cars..thats not an excuse but just put yourself in her shoes with the aches and pains of getting old...
 
liftshard said:
Old people do not get a waiver to be impolite on account of being old. In this case, SHE was the one who was discourteous, not you, and you should have said something to her.

Like the title says: "Some people just don't have a clue". :biggrin:
 
You did it perfect. I can recall being in situations in the past that were similar and debating if I yell at them or let them go. I let them go 99% of the time because there usually is no point in yelling.

As for car abuse, how about the people at the do it yourself car washes that use the coarse wheel brush to clean their entire car. I see this happen almost everytime I have been to one. I always debate on mentioning that it will scratch the paint, but then realise they probably don't care.
 
jalnjr -

That's a great video. Did you see that air bag? What's the guy going to do, beat her up? Too funny.
 
I'm sure all of us would be infuriated if presented with the same situation, but you handled it with class and self control. It's moments like this that define a person's true character and you should be proud of yourself for doing something so commendable. I applaud you.
 
queenlives said:
back in "the day" ('77) a friend of mine bought what was then rumored to be the last year of the 911 Targa. nice car - black, leather interior... very nice and, iirc, it cost ~35k.

the day he takes delivery of it, he's pulling up to the office (in downtown tampa) and at the light, noses into the crosswalk ~1 rch. an old lady crossing the street *in* the crosswalk, stops right in front of his car and - with both hands applying full pressure - slams her umbrella (heavy wooden handle) into his hood and yells at him that crosswalks are for cars, not people.

massive dent/crease in my friend's new 911 and a story i'm sure he's telling to this very day.


I am sorry...but I would have got out and had some words at that point! That is called vandalism, it was intentional, and should not be tolerated. :mad:
 
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