My car was on display at Folkestone Airshow on Saturday. Big line up of cars. The kent Kitcar club fronting the stand and in prime position of the public.

I'm stood next to my car chatting away to people when a 7 year old tries to jump in the car. Bit shocked I said "excuse me, this isn't your car" and he jumped out again. I turned to be greeted by an angry mother who seemed it was her precious sons god given right to sit in any car he pleased.

Apparently he'd been allowed to sit in all the rest of the cars, which was rubbish as they all had doors, that were shut for that very reason!

And apparently it's only a bloody Kitcar so why shouldn't he.

Oh and the fact he's 7 he should be able to do it.

I actually felt sorry to him as she probably told him to sit in the car, she got a few choice words from me and she stormed off. IF he'd asked nicely to sit in the car and have a picture taken then I would of been happy to let him.

Why don't people have respect for other peoples cars?? It seemed that just because we were showing them meant joe public could climb all over them. My 5 year old son knows better than that !!!!!!

Rant over. Car shows are much better than random displays at events

[Edited on 12/6/14 by Ben_Copeland]

Totally agree.

It is not that hard to teach most kids to be polite. It seems much rarer lately.


I encouraged my youngest (now 7) to wait patiently to talk to a Hawk Jet pilot at an air display, a few yeas ago.
Was rewarded by him saying, "would you like you photo taken in the cockpit."
A yes it was an operational Black Hawk.

Yeah, but he was 7.....

Unfortunatly, it's not car specific.

Theres a sad lack of respect for other people and their property across the spectrum in the UK and as your experience, children get it from their parents, and them from theirs. I'm sure it's something that the schools don't believe they should not have to specifically teach as it should come from the parents, but as many kids have no respect for their parents, thats not likely to happen.

It's been touched on in the news recently re this what are "British values" and IMHO this should be one of them. It would touch a multitude of sins from manners to theft to violence, but I'll dream on.
Broken britain and all that!

Seems to be par for the course in open vehicles. I had a friend with an Atom that would quite often come back to his car to find children and adults alike sitting in it and taking photos.

Always end up feeling sorry for the kids in those situations, they only behave as they are taught/allowed to behave. If the parents can't/won't behave reasonably themselves, the poor kids have little chance of getting it right

When my kids go to car shows, the RAF museum etc. They get a roasting if they so much as touch the exhibits without asking.

Conversation between mother and son should have gone something like this "Ask that nice man if you can sit in his car while I take a photo" or if you caught him climbing in without asking the mother should have said "terribly sorry! is it OK if he sits in your car " then a few words with kid to tell him to ask next time before just jumping in.

Manners cost nothing, but it seems some people of today don't really care and don't teach their kids either. When I was 7 I wouldn't dream of just jumping in without asking and if I did I would be sure to get a sore bottom.

Matt

Totally agree Ben.

The main problem seems, to me, is that these 'little adults' (can't call 'em kids anymore as it's disrespectful) are told that they have 'rights'! Nobody tells them that they also have a 'duty' to others.

It's more then once I've come out of a shop to find some sprog sitting on my Motorbike. One such incident may or may not have ended in fisticuffs (hint, don't go for the guy wearing full bike gear and carbon fibre knuckle guards).

It's completely unnecessary, nobody has any respect any more

Obviously does not have petrol head parents. Poor child!

I parked at the autoasave once in my JBA Falcon, when I came out there we're two kids sitting inside and another two with the bonnet up mucking with the engine! then one shut the door but as they'd moved the side wind deflectors too it snapped it right off

Todays rude kids, tomorrows scum of the earth, I heard the show wasn't up to much either sadly.

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Originally posted by Mr C
Todays rude kids, tomorrows scum of the earth, I heard the show wasn't up to much either sadly.

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Originally posted by MikeRJ

quote:

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Originally posted by Mr C
Todays rude kids, tomorrows scum of the earth, I heard the show wasn't up to much either sadly.

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Sadly true but kids aren't inherently rude little brats, they are simply emulating the behavior of their scummy parents. Some kind of scum level test would be good, failure of which has your reproductive bits mashed between a couple of bricks.

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Had it happen to me, went into Poundland (I know the shame!!!)

Came out with a carrier bag of old tat to be greeted with a mum with 2 small brats standing on the seats in my MK shouting "Brmm Brmm" excitedly.

When I asked what she thought she was doing, she said with a mouthful of burger "They are only playing, don't be so Grumpy"!!!

When I responded with a few hurriedly thought of expletives, She strode over and yanked out the one in the drivers seat out, catching his school shirt on the exposed steering column (as I have a removable steering wheel) which has a lovely smearing of grease for the bearings.

Suffice to say she thought that was my fault, to which I replied to go down to Cash Converters and get another one.....

Talk about bloody cheek.

Why because your car has no roof do people think its their god given right to just sit in it?

I had an incident with an irate bloke, years ago

so I park up with a m8 outside a wimpy burger place, we go in, get a couple of burgers and come back outside
and sit on a wall eating them, I then throw my wrapper into an MG Midgets footwell

This bloke in his 50's went berserk at me, and I actually think he was going to hit me!

That was until I leant over the doors, stuck the key in and fired my Mg Midget up,

Now at the time, I was about 17, just thought what a miserable old fuddy do gooder, who needs to get a life
But now in my 50's think fair play to him, for standing up to kids (us) who had disrespected someones property

Back to the OP's problem, if I came back to anyone, except one of my friends in my car, I think I would actually lose the plot !

A few weeks ago I park up at sainsburys. Whilst walking away from my car, I see 2 kids with their mum walking back to thier car which happened to be the car I had parked next to.

Wearing shorts and teeshirts, the kids (about 5-7ish) made a dash for my car. Quick thinking, I turn on my heals and shout 'don't touch it' at them from a few car lengths away. The mum was a little taken back by my 'rudness' but was ok after walked across to them and explained the exhausts were red hot and I was concerned the kids were going to touch and burn themselves.....they were heading straight for the 'shiney bits'

Afterwards I was thinking, if I hadn't had noticed the kids, they would more than likely have burnt themselves pretty badly on the exhaust pipes.......how does that sit legally given all these 'no-win-no-fee' solicitors that are about nowadays??

[Edited on 12/6/14 by richardm6994]

quote:

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Originally posted by richardm6994

Afterwards I was thinking, if I hadn't had noticed the kids, they would more than likely have burnt themselves pretty badly on the exhaust pipes.......how does that sit legally given all these 'no-win-no-fee' solicitors that are about nowadays??

[Edited on 12/6/14 by richardm6994]

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You should have "kicked her in the slug" (thank you Nickp, I shall forever be using that one ).

I personally can't see the problem with it?

You're at a car show, showing off your pride and joy - and a little lad (which we were all once upon a time) wants to have a seat in the car…

quote:

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Originally posted by SALAD
You should have "kicked her in the slug" (thank you Nickp, I shall forever be using that one ).

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That's why on the hairdresser's I wind the windows up and lock the doors when leaving it with the hood down.

Also they were looking for cars to exhibit at Goodwood FoS to mark the MX5 25th Anniversary.
They wanted them for 2 weeks.
Having exhibited at a number of Motor Shows in a previous life I know first-hand that if it ain't screwed or bolted down it will walk, plus scrotes will key and damage the exhibits just because they can.

Flip side of the coin - at last year's Silverstone Classic a dad politely asked the owner if he minded his 7 year old sitting in his car. Green with envy doesn't describe my feelings - he was only sitting in Jim Clark's Lotus - the lucky little beggar.

Cheers, Pewe10

Socrates

“Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.”

Your just showing your age, a minority adversely affecting the majority.

Some children are right little s***ts, some are just inquisitive children, but mostly products of their parents



[Edited on 12/6/14 by mark chandler]

If some little shite is in your car and it's mother/father think they have a right to do it, ask for the keys to their car so you can go and sit in that; but also point out that "Oo, that scratch wasn't there earlier, I'm afraid I think it's down to your brat. Can I have your details as I'll be passing them on to my insurance company"

ATB

Simon

I once parked my MNR in Brighton.
Came back to a chinese family taking turns each to have there photo taken in the drivers seat.
I couldn't help but laugh.

[Edited on 12/6/14 by gaz_gaz]

Id be bleeping livid I found anyone in mine (mostly cuz its unfinished in my garage, but WHEN its done)
If I left my tintips windows down I wouldn't expect anyone to just get in.
I dread the day it happens to me cuz il bleeping explode.

I strongly believe it was the mother that told him to sit in it. Which is why she got so defensive.

I find at 'car shows' people know how to respect cars but general shows with car exhibita tacked on, you just get any old idiot wondering around.

I did suggest she let me sit in her car but she was too busy storming off to reply.