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Friends and neighbors...or not...

3K views 37 replies 21 participants last post by  hot_rod_kid 
#1 ·
Sorry, but the weekend brings this outta me.... you ever go out to your shop to work and immediately have a whole audience??? I love helping people out, but when it's time for me to work- I WANNA WORK! I always get the "whatcha doin??" from the neighbors and the "can ya paint my car???- by the way I don't have any money" from the younger guys, and the "let's shoot the 'stuff' " from the 'friends'. How do you guys tell them (gracefully) to please..... LET ME WORK!!! Again- sorry- I don't usually 'vent' in this matter...
 
#4 ·
I am usually polite to intrusions but explain that I don't work on other peoples stuff. I explain that this is my hobby and thank you for offering to pay me but that would take away from this being a hobby. Besides I don't want to work on other peoples stuff. I have enough work of my own and will NEVER get caught up so I can or will ever want to work on other peoples stuff. Then there's the guy who pulls in my drive while I'm In the engine bay of my PU truck doing a tuneup and wants me to explain why I don't have anything for sale because He has $5000 to spend and I seem to have more cars than I can possible finish? Yes I have a Lot of cars. No I don't have any of them for sale. No, nothing for $5000. No I don't know where you can get a 67 SS 396 Chevelle, that doesn't need paint or engine work or interior work for $5000. I suggest you watch the news paper and go to swap meets and shop there. I need to get back to my tuneup, its starting to rain.


Todd <img src="graemlins/sweat.gif" border="0" alt="[sweat]" />


Rat Rods Rule!
 
#5 ·
i get the same thing from neighbors, friends, curious kids, even strangers.

if they're neighbors, i usually dirty up my hands real good before i slide out from under the car - this lets them know i'm in the middle of something. then, i give them ten minutes to talk. if they aren't polite enough to let me get back to work, i usually point out what a good day it is for working on the car, and how i only have a few hours of it left!

if it's friends that come by, i'll tell them i'm busy and can't come out and play - most are understanding with regard to this. however, if they're good friends who come unexpectedly and i haven't seen them in a while, i'll drop what i'm doing and be a good host, however this doesn't happen often. i have most of my buddies trained to call me before dropping by. this helps a lot, and mostly they know i'm not trying to be a di©k if i don't have time for them.

kids, well it just depends on who('s) they are and how much they like cars. i might show a kid a thing or two if they ask the right questions. but if they don't go away soon, i just nicely say, "listen bud, why don't you go play? i've got a lot of work to do here. why don't you come back around seven and i'll show you the work that i did." this gives them something to look forward to, and most kids will leave glowing with a feeling of importance. very few remember to come back.

i live in the city, so sometimes strangers will pay a visit from time to time. when this happens, i'm very courtious for about five-ten minutes, then i politely tell them good bye. if they don't go away, i pretend to ignore them while i go about my business, but i ALWAYS KEEP THEM IN THE CORNER OF MY EYE. i also watch them when they leave to make sure they're gone.

if someone wants me to do work for them, i ask them what (and where) it is. if they're parked nearby, and i think i can fix it in ten minutes, i say i'll look at it. if i can't see their car, i tell them, "sure! here's what i charge per hour." then they'll not ask again, or i'll be taking the girlfriend out to dinner that night. it's not really rude, it just makes them consider how much your time is worth. it also lets them know you're serious about your hobby and know what you're doing.

so, i say: give them ten minutes. everyone's worth that much. after that, be straight and politely make them realize that, unlike them, you have to manage your time wisely because you don't have as much of it as they do.

as most hotrodders know, it sure is hard to be both considerate and productive at the same time. :)

[ April 22, 2003: Message edited by: 98rocket ]</p>
 
#6 ·
I guess I am lucky the only one that ever bugs me while I am working in the garage is my ol'lady and my dad.
the ol'lady bugs me cause I have been in the garage all day and my dad cause he wants to see what I have got done .
My neighbors all work on thier own stuff and only come over if the need to borrow a tool which depending on the neighbor is if I loan it too them or walk over there while they use it.
that is good country living for you.farmers and wrench heads is all that lives around me.
 
#7 ·
I put my 442 on the road this past week. I have spent all winter working on it, got about 1000 hours in it, and it really looks good. I drove from my garage to the nearest gas station (about 1/4 mile) and while I was putting gasoline in it some guy looks it over and says, "cool car, got any Bondo in it?" Another one said "Nice Chevy!" I told the first guy, "all cars have some plastic filler in them" and the second guy, "did Chevrolet make the 442? I thought it was an Olds!"

Benji
 
#8 ·
Thanks guys... I teach school so do put up w/my students... it's just the ones who can't get the hint that grate on me- your advice is cool rocket- the dirty hands thing and ten minutes... I'll TRY to get them hustling by then. It just seems as though I spend so much time telling them the same things over...(I guess some people on this site feel the same way!!!) Benji- I had a guy at a show come up and say-"I wouldn't want to drive this car with those small mirrors!" and against my character said- "Well since you didn't build it you WON'T be driving it..."!!! It's just hard for me to tell them to buzz off I guess!! Thanks for hearing my vent. :) ;)
 
#10 ·
I live near the upperclass clean hands people, nobody ever even has a hood up on a car around here. I sometimes get 30 year oldish idiots wondering what I'm doing, asking me why my car is all taken apart, as I am sanding or something. Most of the neighbourhood jsut looks, and they realize why there was someone using a grinder, drill, hammer or other loud tools at 1 am.
 
#12 ·
OH man. That drives me nuts also.

I just tell people now it is nice to see you but I have to get this done. I was outside last week building my fence and everyone in the neighborhood decided to bug me. In 6 hours I placed 8 posts and cut maybe 20 boards. A wasted day in my mind.
 
#15 ·
Personally I just keep doing whatever I'm doing.Don't make eye contact,answer monosyllabically(?) and throw in quotes from Kierkagard or one of your favorite obscure philosophers.Really though,people don't like taliking to people who are not looking at them while conversing.If you're under the hood,stay there and talk.Under the car?Stay there too.If you don't want a particular person taking up your time make it clear that what you are doing is more important than their questions/interruption.This is mostly for people you don't want to talk to,or when it just get's to be too much.Bruce
 
#16 ·
Originally posted by stonedchihuahua:
<strong>CET every day to me is a wasted day, so what are you complainin about. :D </strong><hr></blockquote>

Oh, I am not complaining but I have things I need to do and then the ones I want to do. I want them done before it snows again, which will probably be in June LOL. I need to build my fence and put in the garden. Then I get to paint the fence, the house and finish the garage. Then I am starting to work on the beast.
 
#17 ·
I run a general repair shop, and over the years, I have become a bonafide ***hole. It's just the normal course of nature. You basically have 4 types of people. Those who want to b.s. for an hour, because they are bums and must think you have money running out your ***hole, and don't need to accomplish anything. Then you have the brain-pickers who are too cheap to have you do it, so they figure they will pick your brain and do it themselves, then you've got the divorced woman with 4 kids and no job, she want you to fix her car for free, because life has dealt her a bad hand. Lastly, you have the guy who wants you to fix his car, and actually pay for it.
The last guy is hard to find, and usually gets shoved out of the way by the first three. I have no patience anymore for "strokes" as I call them. If I was just doing it for a hobby, I would put ship anchor chains on the doors and some nice NAZI signs on the garage, so I could scare everyone off.
 
#18 ·
get a big dog. if that doesn't work then i do what Bruce does, I stay busy, ask them to go get me a wrench or something. if its a bud, i get em to go get us a beer. if it aint, mr. fourinchanglegrinder is sure to make an appearance for some reason or another. don't take much of that racket to run of anyone. wifey included.......
 
#19 ·
Dragon, I know it gets old answering the same questions, but look at it like this: You have a beautiful car, you do great work and your being admired for it. The next time it gets to crowded or bothersome to work just say polightly that you would be happy to answer any questions they may have at a later date, but you work best in solitude. Just relay to that person(s) that you need to concentrate because the first thing you need in automotive work is a functioning brain with good concentration. Point them to this site if they have questions, you may even give my e-mail to them if you rather not answer or just rather get something done. I used to get 5-6 people a day stop in and ask me questions. Got so bad I never got any work done. Then I just started to polightly say to them if they have any question feel free to come by later or ask after the peice is finished. Just tell them the truth, straigh, polight, but blunt. As long as your polight, they will hold you in high regards rather thn a grumpy pissed off ogre.

You do very good work. You have done a superb job with the Henry. You took your time, you did good work and I admire that pperseverance and craftmanship. Keep it up and thanks for being a teacher with creativity.

"Creativity is more important than knowledge"-Albert Einstein

Creativity without knowledge is like a ship without water

Knowledge can only take you where others have went, creativity takes you wherever you can dream.

HK
 
#20 ·
Thanks guys- I'm feeling better about it- when you can laugh I guess that says you can handle it- just seems that every Spring it gets REAL BAD... I like the 'strokes' name NAIRB, and HK, thanks for the comps... earmuffs???- GREAT idea!! After some 'polite ignoring' maybe they'll get it!!!... you guys help me a lot here!!!
 
#21 ·
mr. fourinchanglegrinder is sure to make an appearance for some reason or another. don't take much of that racket to run of anyone. wifey included.......<hr></blockquote>

LARRY! don't be giving out all the secrets! My wife reads this too! :p :D
 
#23 ·
I never have to worry about this problem, because noone ever comes around my house if I am working on my Trans Am. They good and well know that if they come around I will put their *** to work. If I am visting a friend and they are working on their car I help them finish the job.
 
#25 ·
What sucks is that Nissan Pulsar that a freind dropped off. Cracked head!!!!! I just make them wait. I don`t mind helping, but it has to be when i can get to it.So maybe they won`t be back!!!!!!!
Slider in Wa.
 
#26 ·
I have a couple guys that frequently stop by the shop (none of them customers or previous customers of mine) and want to shoot the ****. Being that this is my business, and my source of income, time is money. If they want to talk business, that is fine. Otherwise, more than 5 minutes of B.S.ing is too much time as far as I am concerned. Most of these guys are retired hot rodders who just stop by to check out what I have in the shop cause they are bored. I dont want to be a jerk to them and get a bad reputation, but cant have them wasting my time.

There is one older fella that stops by once a week, without fail. He is starting to really get on my nerves. I have tried everything to get rid of him short of saying "get the hell out of here", and I dont think i could be that mean. He doesnt come in and say hi for 5 minutes, he stays for a minumum of an hour. Half the time I completely ignore him, and he doesnt seem to care, he just sits there. And I HATE to have people watch me work. I have come back from lunch a few times and he is literally waiting in the parking lot for me. Sometimes I tell him i need to run to the hardware store or something like that, and he has actually asked if he could ride along with me. Sometimes he makes suggestions on what I should do in an interior, and that pisses me off. Somedays when I am expecting him I lock the doors, but I hate to lock out potential customers. And he has banged on the door a few times cause hes seen my car in the parking lot and knew i was there. I even know a few of his buddys, and told them he was kind of a pest, hoping maybe they would tell him. I thought about getting a sign that says "employees only for insurance reasons" or something like that, but the way my shop is set up, that wouldnt really work. You open my service door, and you pretty much walk into the shop.

Any suggestions on how I can get rid of this pest, without telling him to go to hell?
 
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