Car Show Etiquette

pete240z wrote:

Datsun1500 wrote: Those "do not touch" cards are stupid. When I have any of mine at a show I encourage people, especially kids, to look, touch, feel, sit in, etc.

At seven my daughter understands the rules of a car show. Look, don't touch. Twice we have had dudes tell her to get in the car and get a picture. Do you think this has left an impression? (my favorite; "If you value your life as much as I value this car; DON'T FxxK with it!"

That is not a child, that is a future enthusiast.Feed their interest.

ddavidv wrote: I read something where a guy was tired of people telling him what was wrong/incorrect/sub-par on his vehicle that he restored himself. So he started doing this when someone would point out a flaw: "Give me your credit card." "What?" "Give me your credit card!" "No! Why?" "Because if that bothers you that much that you have to complain about it you can pay to have someone fix it."

LOL!! I do this all the time!!

Taking photos at car shows is part of my job. My goal is usually to photograph EVERY car at the show. I normally have a tiny camera attached to a mono-pod. I travel light and fast. The way I see it, I am getting PAID to go to a car show, I have tons of patience to wait for a shot of a car. If a car is mobbed I shoot the ones around it and come back. Crowds move in waves, an opening will come. Doesn't matter if you are a spectator or a professional, people are there to see cars. I don't expect people to give me special treatment just because I have a camera.

I was at the Amelia Island Concours and watched a photog taking shots. He had pretty much every piece of camera equipment ever made hanging from his vest which was emblazoned with MEDIA. I stayed out of his way and he didn't even notice I existed. It wasn't until he berated some guy for walking through "his" shot that I noticed him more. The unintentional photo subject told the photog to lighten up, to which the photog replied "well this is my JOB, and you are getting in my way, I do this for a LIVING, I'm a PROFESSIONAL! THIS IS HOW I PAY MY BILLS!" Everyone around him just stopped and glared at him. A couple people called him names. I was tempted to introduce myself to him and ask for his business card (pretending I was interested in buying his photos) and then inform him who I work for, and if I have anything to do with it we will never purchase any of his photos. I'll probably do this if I ever see a photog act like a schmuck again. If you need a perfect photo so badly, don't come when there is a crowd. Arrange for a photo shoot, pay for studio time.

I let people climb in my cars, no problem. I do have a problem with not asking permission first. At the High Museum Classic Car Parade I let kids climb in my convertible all day long. Their parents were tripped out at first, but sitting behind the wheel of a classic car may just be the spark that kid remembers forever. I set the tone by sitting on the front fender of my car, sipping a Chik-Fil-A sweet tea and eating my lunch (with the food stuff sitting on the hood). It put people at ease and they were more comfortable asking about the car. Nothing drives people away from our hobby faster than some prick hovering over their car ready to smackdown anyone who might breath on it. If the car is that important, leave it in the garage.

I know a local guy that makes his living photographing local events and running a website of the events. He is very professional about it. He often has the person in the way pose for a photo then ask them politely to let him take a picture of the car itself and gives them a handout to his website so they can see the pictures. It's amazing how polite people will be when approached with politeness. They seem to enjoy being in the pic and then watching him taking photos.

I don't care much for people crawling all over my car if I'm wandering around someplace else but I do enjoy showing people my car. I like letting kids sit in my car and work the manual cable-operated rollover headlights on my Opel GT. They seem to think it's fun.

I love it when you can't even get to the cars through the sea of picture takers. Sorry shutter-bugs, but with dozens of you standing around clicking away at everything in the area, I'm going to get in someones way, no matter how much I try to use manners.

I'm pretty sure the sign at the front said car show, not photo shoot.

ArthurDent wrote: Every time I see one of those crying baby dolls I want to punt it. Probably falls under bad etiquette but what the hell is the appeal/point of those things? Nice pics though. I like that disco vette for some reason.

CREEPY. very Blair Witch.

ArthurDent wrote: Every time I see one of those crying baby dolls I want to punt it. Probably falls under bad etiquette but what the hell is the appeal/point of those things?

Yes, bad etiquette indeed. I believe setting them on fire is proper protocol.

DaveEstey wrote: Kids climb in and do whatever they want. PS> The car has a quick release wheel and no horn, which seems to solve numerous headaches.

The reason my Daewoo spends so much time with the battery disconnected ...

slefain wrote: I was at the Amelia Island Concours and watched a photog taking shots. He had pretty much every piece of camera equipment ever made hanging from his vest which was emblazoned with MEDIA. I stayed out of his way and he didn't even notice I existed. It wasn't until he berated some guy for walking through "his" shot that I noticed him more. The unintentional photo subject told the photog to lighten up, to which the photog replied "well this is my JOB, and you are getting in my way, I do this for a LIVING, I'm a PROFESSIONAL! THIS IS HOW I PAY MY BILLS!" Everyone around him just stopped and glared at him.

As the guy who started this thread, I have to say, wow, what a moron, thats taking things to extremes, I wouldn't give a guy like this any slack. That kind of behavior is just rude, but I submit walking in front of the casual photographer who just wants to get off a quick shot is rude too. Again, everyone takes this topic to extremes and the great majority of the responses (too lazy to total them) seem to be more or less the same...hey its a car show not a photo shoot and so on... not a lot of folks have chimed in to say, sure, if I saw a guy with a camera I would be willing to stop in my tracks for a second or two. I have a cheap camera with auto focus, not the best shots in the world but it takes about two seconds to snap a photo. I guess that leaves me in the minority but what else is new!!!

On the other topics that have come up, I can't even imagine someone being so rude as to point out flaws in someone else's car, I've never seen that before and I wouldn't believe that happens. Someone goes to a car show to rag on other people? Hey isn't that what online forums are for???

I guess I wouldn't mind letting kids sit in a car, I used to love playing in cars when I was a kid, but I can't be entirely sure since I don't own anything valuable enough to be in a show, let alone be photographed .

plance1 wrote: On the other topics that have come up, I can't even imagine someone being so rude as to point out flaws in someone else's car, I've never seen that before and I wouldn't believe that happens. Someone goes to a car show to rag on other people? Hey isn't that what online forums are for???

Sadly, it happens more often than you would think. I haven't had too many issues personally, but I do remember one idiot trying to start an argument with me because he said my valve covers were on backwards.

An interesting experiment is to stand nonchalantly 20 feet away from your car at a show, so it's not obvious it belongs to you, and listen to what the people who come by have to say. There are a lot of self proclaimed 'experts' out there who don't have a clue what they're talking about.

I have also learned that jumping into a car you like and making "Brrrrrrrrrr Waaaahhhhhhh Rrrrrrrr" noises while turning the steering wheel left and right is bad etiquette.

i have done the photo things and i have many parents grab thioer kids or say something to ohter people that get in the way i when i take a shot, i do wait, the only time i might ask someone to move just a little is if ythey are standing there talking for a few mintues and then i ask them if i can get a shot really quick of the car and i have not had anyone be an ahole about stuff. as for the car at the show, i am not by it much to hear anything if i have a car with me. i have not had mine at anything this year. when i get the monty carlo race car done i am going to allow kids to sit it and meybe take pics, that why i can get my name out more when i do shooting. as for photo people, i ask what they are shooting and try to talk to poeple about thier gear most times, i have not seen mr ahole yet at any of the shows i have been to though.

stuart in mn wrote:

plance1 wrote: On the other topics that have come up, I can't even imagine someone being so rude as to point out flaws in someone else's car, I've never seen that before and I wouldn't believe that happens. Someone goes to a car show to rag on other people? Hey isn't that what online forums are for???

Sadly, it happens more often than you would think. I haven't had too many issues personally, but I do remember one idiot trying to start an argument with me because he said my valve covers were on backwards. An interesting experiment is to stand nonchalantly 20 feet away from your car at a show, so it's not obvious it belongs to you, and listen to what the people who come by have to say. There are a lot of self proclaimed 'experts' out there who don't have a clue what they're talking about.

I would think the only reasonable way to handle these folks would simply be to make fun of them, I wouldn't waste my time trying to argue. Or you could always whip out a camera and say scram Im trying to get a perfect shot here!! I crack myself up.

And talk about kids wanting to sit in cars, oh my I guess if I had any dignity I would consider this embarrassing but I have asked to sit in (or on) various "vehicles" from time to time!!!!

Here me being immature at Mid-Ohio a few years back...

Here's me being even more immature, doing my best slim pickens impersonation...

Haming it up yet again, what can I say, I've got problems...