I kinda like not having something like the others do at local/regional shows myself.
Lifelong Mopar guy, sure, but that doesn't mean I love seeing all the other unique rides
in attendance, too. We set up the chairs, I dust off the car and then we wander off to
make the rounds...
People are actually quite kind and it's kinda fun to overhear what they're saying when
the wife and I are sitting nearby.
I have a little fun with them sometimes too when they don't know I'm the owner.
A couple instances at the local monthly cruise-in:
- Wife and I were wandering back to the car after making the rounds and a couple
fellas were looking under the hood of the GTX. As I got within earshot, I heard "I don't
think the engine is the right color", so I walked up to the car, acted like I was looking too,
then blurted out in mock surprise
"every dang thing under that hood is wrong for this car!"
They both looked at me like "whaaaa?" I let them think a second, then gave 'em a wink.
One of them says "it's your car, isn't it?"
Yep.
We had a good laugh and visited a while...
Sometimes folks can be a tad obtuse, too:
- Another time, I'm actually leaning against the trunk lid of the car, chatting to a friend, wife
nearby (she's usually close by to keep an eye on me, although she's getting better at it as time goes)
chatting to one of her friends. I'm facing backwards...
A couple rough looking fellas sporting ZZ Top wanna-be beards and wearing stained undershirts come
up to the front of the car. I feel the car move and look over my shoulder to see one of 'em has
perched
on the front fender and the other is headed for the drivers' door, then rests his weary soul
on the roof
of the car. They carry on quite the animated conversation about some past event involving a similar car
(I think - I can't quite make out their dialect of hillbillyspeak), oblivious to the rest of the world and
obviously not concerned with respecting anothers' property.
I ask my friend to pardon me for a second, then wander up the other side of the car...
I hear one of them say "these things cost
50 thousand!" The other scoffs, says any Chevy is better.
Then they both notice me - noticing them...
I say "nice car, huh?" and grin.
Mongo on the roof grunts. The fella on the fender is more sociable and comes over to the other side front
fender and proceeds to lean on it, too. We exchange pleasant small talk about Mopars and I keep glancing
over at Mongo.
Finally, fender leaner says to Mongo "hey, what if the owner comes back and sees you?"
Mongo says "I ain't doin' nothin'." Looks at me and says "you know who owns this POS?"
I reach in my pocket and produce the keys, which I hold up for him to see...
His friend literally jumps up off the fender and barks at Mongo, chastising him, apologizing to me
at the same time.
I'm like
....
I reach in the car and produce a microfiber cloth and toss it at Mongo, who dutifully wipes the roof
down where he had been perched.
We got along fine after that.
I still see one or both of them around town sometimes. They always wave.
