99% of the time my reply is "preesh-ee-ate it" ("appreciate it", southern-speak) or a quick
smile and "thank you".
Lookit - I don't reckon anyone paying you (or yes, the car more specifically) a compliment
actually believes you designed it, brought it down the assembly line or any of the like.
When I pay others the same sort of compliment on their car, the implication is obviously "hey,
I appreciate the effort you've put in bringing the car to this point" - it's a compliment to
your
stewardship of the car when you get right down to it.
Y'all know me - I try to be a good ambassador of the hobby and a proper steward of Fred usually,
right? Well, once in a blue moon, a person catches me wrong and I slip up a bit - like yesterday
(Short Ed story alert!):
We had Fred down to the local Subway last evening, which is located in an otherwise abandoned
old strip retail center - so we figured it'd be quiet over there.
Well...
Hell no - a stampede of sub-chompin' inbreds was right behind us, turns out....
I always park sort of away from others if I can (unless spot #1 is open right up front), but that didn't
help last night - Buford after Buford pulled right up beside it, heads craning out their windows like
hound dogs do going down the road. damn near drooling on the poor car.
Oy....
Usually, I love spending a minute or two with the odd person who walks up and wants to talk about
the car - but last night, I was just trying to eat and get out of that suddenly overcrowded little seating
area (we made the mistake of opting to eat in).
Then the biggest Bubba of them all goes damn near running (ok, waddling) towards Fred from across
the parking lot, full head of steam - and that was all I could stand.
The wife trying to keep me from doing so, I headed out the door anyways, bee-lining right for him
as he proceeded to lean in through Freds' open window and start actually grabbing at things.
OH. HELL. NO. 
Looky, no touchy....
I proceeded to give that young ummm, whatever the hell it was, a quick lesson in etiquette he never
learned at home (but obviously was in need of) - as politely (yet probably coming off as threatening)
as I could.
He gave me the look of "entitlement" so many young folks have these days, but I made quick work
of that little attitude and that human supertanker in bib overalls wound up in full reverse, me "walking"
him back from whence he came.
I then offered a quick lesson in how to
properly approach another humans' property, if he liked...
which the rest of his clan in the family truckster listened to in rapt attention as well.
We wound up back at Fred and a polite, friendly conversation ensued.
