We have a lack of Integrity and Respect

I saw Steve's post about not being able to have anything but beaters because of the neighborhood, and I understand, but the problem isn't just that neighborhood, it's systemic in our society. People have just lost any sense of responsibility for their actions and respect for other peoples property.

When my son was very small, he wanted to show how big he was and as soon as the car stopped he'd undo the car seat harness and open the car door. I'd always tell him to be careful not to hit any car with the door because you can't damage someone else's property. He did throw the car door into another car one day and I made him stand there until the owner showed up, tell the owner what he did, and apologize. I offered to pay to have the dent fixed and the guy was sort of shocked. It was a company car on lease, so he let it go, but my son learned a lesson he has never forgotten.

Someone else wasn't so kind to him the other night at the Danbury in Florence. He had parked his car away from the other cars to keep it from getting dinged and while he was standing in line to get a ticket, he heard a big thump and looked back and someone had run into his car and took off. Ran into the back corner of the car and trashed the bumper facias. Parts alone list for about $900. I did find some killer deals on the parts, but it's still gonna cost me $600 or so to get it all painted and put together.

Use to be that if someone even dinged a car in a parking lot, they left a note on the damaged car with their name and phone number for the owner to contact them. How in the world did we get to where we are today?

My cousin called me last night because her daughter was arrested for hitting a car in a parking lot and leaving the scene. I told her that her daughter shouldn't have done that, she should have taught her better, she needs to take responsibility, and I couldn't help.

Unfortunately, you need to add to your rant the lack of fiscal responsibility also. My own generation repeatedly embarrasses me.

Not a rant. More of an open dialogue.

Fiscal responsibility? What's that? I could definitely go on a rant about that. Not going to.

That's a shame Ken. Seems like the harder you try to keep something nice it ends up with a bullseye on it. As you said I'm not sure why human nature today differs from years gone by but it does. No one seems to have any respect. Even something as simple as holding a door for a lady, now a days or letting someone over that has their turn signal on. You can have a car 2 feet past your rear bumper for 10 miles, flip on your signal and instead of them letting you over they will speed up. Remember when a slow line of traffic would stop to let you out of your driveway. When was the last time that happened??
Kind of like Corey hitting that $26K Harley and knocking it over. He stayed there with the bike untill the cops came. Took a chewing out from the owner while it was going on. Everyone said to him that he should have grabbed his bike and took off. I was talking to a cop about this the same day and Corey was with me. The cop, which is a friend of mine ask Corey what happened? Corey told him he ran into the parked bike knocking it over. After the story Corey looked at him and said I did the right thing. I didn't take off like most would have. I didn't say anything to Corey but I was proud that he took responsibility for his actions. I raised him that way and I guess it rubbed off. Would it have been easier for him to run. Yeap. Would he have gotten away with it, I think so. But the action you do make you who you are. He did the right thing.

I feel ya! I was in a parking lot opened my door, the wind grabbed the door and blew it open into another truck next to mine, I got all my insurance numbers and papers handy, waited till the owner showed up told them what happened, and they said don't worry about it its just a truck! Even though it was an older beat to death Chevy 1500 I still was ready to deal with what would have happened and more or less hoped that someone would have done the same for me...I have a real funny story about my dad, a 64 Vette, a cop, and a grocery store shopping cart.. Basically the manager told my dad he should never have brought such a nice car to the grocery if he did'nt want it to get hit by a rolling cart, so being the hot head that he was/can be still he decided to take his anger out on the cart, instead of the manager of the store. Cop came flying in with lights on, pulled up asked pop's what he was doing, dad told he what happened, showed him the chunk out of the 1/4, cop told him to have a nice day and that he saw nothing and drove away as dad proceeded to pretty much destroy this cart....

I know there are still people that understand the difference between right and wrong and still do the right thing, just seems like there are a lot more people that'll screw someone and never loose a minutes sleep over it these days. It's ok as long as you can get away with it.

It isn't about the car really. I'll fix it and it'll never show. It's about us and how we as a larger group have devolved to the least common denominator.

It gets even better! My wife just called me. She was at the Florence Mall Great Escape in Wilder and someone crawled under the van & cut the exhaust with a sawsall & stole the catalytic convertor.

wow

Butch Thompson wrote:wow

like to catch someone in the act

They're reviewing the video from the security cameras. Probably won't be able to isolate a tag # or catch them. I just hope they didn't take the 02 sensor too.

She just got home. The rear 02 sensor is still there.

That stinks. That takes nerve.

There was alot of that goin on a couple summers ago,,,, some of them converters bring 150+ at the scrap yard,,,,

so where was u today joe.. lol just kidding man

I just can't believe people do this stuff. I know they where doing it at Kmart a while back.
I was reading something a long time ago about a big car show. One guy went to start his car and it wouldn't start. He messed around with it and yanked off the cap and found that his rotor button was stolen. He thought it odd that someone would steal a rotor button. He walked to the main office and ask for a ride to the auto parts store. He explained that someone had stole his rotor button. Everyone thought it was really odd untill later in the day a guy came in and ask to have the cops called. Someone stole my car! The cops where called and while he was talking to the cop he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a rotor buttom. He said they had to get it with a tow truck because I take the rotor button out at all the big show when I'm not around my car for days at a time..

Cop told my wife it's happening at Great Escape quite a bit. They have a crappy surveilance system that sweeps the lot. No fixed camera system.

It's a pretty good setup for a thief. There are numerous places to watch vehicles arriving at the lot to preidentify vans, and 4x4's that sit high enough to steal the convertor easily. You know the owner will be away from the car for about two hours. You can look at the movie times to know when people will arrive. You know the security system is poor. You could be miles away before the person comes out of the theater and discovers the theft. You also know the cops are agitated by having to fill out a police report, but they aren't going to waste any time on it. Scrap yards probably don't even have to require a picture ID to take the stuff.

[/quote] like to catch someone in the act [/quote]

Me too.

Got the new pipe & cat & gaskets ordered. Cost me $250 bucks. Got the what was left of the original off the van today. The weather was too nice not to get that taken care of. Shouldn't take more than 1/2 hour to put it back together once the new parts are here.

most scrap yards do make u show id

That's why I carry....

The van pipe & cat came yesterday & I got up & put it on in the rain since the temperature was so nice.

I have the replacement bumper facia for the G6 that was hit at the movie theatre & I guess I'll just take that & have it painted. May drop it off tomorrow.