Garage Etiquette

[ddawg16]

I've had very good success with CL.....but, I don't let them see the inside of my garage.

In many cases, I do the transaction at my work. I can get a pretty good sense of the person from the dialog setting up the meet. If the first question is "What is your address?", I ignore them.

Anyway, I don't have issues with them leaning on my cars. They don't get close enough.

 

[poriggity]

I have a house in escrow with a garage finally. I'm already going with a list of rules for my shop and garage space. Respect should be paid when in anyone's home or garage, period.

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[L5wolvesf]

I'm a car guy thru and thru. I always wear loose shirt and never have any exposed metal when I'm around cars. Hell I even put my hand on my shirt so nothing touches a car when I'm looking under the hood or interior. Some guys have absolutely no common sense when it comes to anyone else's belongings. If someone did that in my shop or even in my presence to someone else's I didn't even know I would say something without hesitation, which has happened on many occasions.

Yup, this ^. I treat another guy's garage/shop like I'm at a car show - DO NOT TOUCH. When I'm at a show I usually put my hands behind my back when I look into a car. In fact today I was at a show with a gf who had never been to one. She loved the paint depth on one of the cars and had to touch. I carefully explained that we do not touch without permission.

 

[D rock]

I don't let anyone I don't know in or at my shop/house. Letgo or Craigslist deals are all done away from both places. Period, I don't care what it is.

There was a dude in the parking lot at the grocery store leaning on my truck (2014 Dodge 2500 diesel, new was 70k+) talking to his buddy. I walked out and said, "Hey man, thats a nice truck...what's your payments?" He said, "oh man, that ain't mine..." I started it up and said, "I paid cash get the F off..."

Bottom line if you can't afford it...don't touch it. If you like it, own one.

 

[southalabama]

I don't like people in the garage.

Dad said something when I was a kid. "Cars and paint jobs don't heal". Took me a few years to get it. A dent or scratch doesn't touch itself.

I'd never lean on another mans car.

 

[APS2000]

Should have told 'em, "Don't touch my **** and GTFO!"

 

[ScottsGT]

My son had a friend over one day while working on his '95 Mustang. His friend leans against my new '15 Mustang's quarterpanel. I looked at him and told him if he did it want to leave my driveway in a body bag he should get the f#*€ off my car. Kid jumped like a shock collar went off!
Some people that just drive a POS car get in the habit of using it as a couch and forget they aren't around their car sometimes.

 

[Jon_E]

Even if it's a complete POS, I treat everyone's car like it's at a car show - don't touch it unless you have permission.

 

[Jinks]

The first time I just look at them & say in a normal voice, "don't lean on the car". After that the tone changes & things go down hill quickly. I'm no longer friends with two or three guys that couldn't be courteous, but we're all better off.

 

[wssix99]

Don't let strangers in. Around here, we get people who show up to "look" at stuff they never intend to buy. They just want to get in the garage to case it and see if there is anything they want to come back for later and steal.

 

[jives]

Wow.
Most of you seem to live in places I could not imagine. I cannot imagine being in a place where every potential visitor or customer is a thief or ruffian. I have occasionally sold stuff on CL and have never worried about them in my garage or shed. I've also bought stuff and never had anyone treat me like a suspect. Never had to meet in a neutral site. Heck, when I sold my F150 the guy and his dad left his 10 yr old boy at our house while he test drove it. The boy played with my kids.

That being said, etiquette is important. I always look -- eyes only -- around a guy's shop/garage when I'm there. No touch, but if there is something intriguing I ask permission to check it out more.

 

[Rewind97]

personally i wouldn't even open the garage since i am worried about security. Whatever i am selling will be sitting in the driveway or in the back in my truck when they get there so there is no peering eyes at my stuff in the garage. I'll even have an extension cord pulled out there so if it's something that requires power they can plug it in and test it


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BiNGO, BINGO, BINGO!!

 

[bdbecker]

Wow. Most of you seem to live in places I could not imagine. I cannot imagine being in a place where every potential visitor or customer is a thief or ruffian...

I think it depends on what you are buying/selling. If you're buying/selling low value items (used wheels/tires, consumer grade tools, etc), you end up doing business with a few sketchy people. If you're buying/selling classic cars for cash, you can get a whole different type of buyer that is probably on the more upscale end of the spectrum.

I tend to do most of my CL transactions on the 'sketchy' end of the spectrum and always meet in a public location. Most of the time it turns out that I wouldn't have had any issue with the buyer coming to my house, but every now and then you come across a obviously tweaked out trailer park resident who has a sawed off shotgun and machete in the back of his Mitsubishi Eclipse (hand on heart, absolutely true story) and you're glad you're in a public parking lot and not your backyard.

 

[fsae0607]

Wow.
Most of you seem to live in places I could not imagine. I cannot imagine being in a place where every potential visitor or customer is a thief or ruffian. I have occasionally sold stuff on CL and have never worried about them in my garage or shed. I've also bought stuff and never had anyone treat me like a suspect. Never had to meet in a neutral site. Heck, when I sold my F150 the guy and his dad left his 10 yr old boy at our house while he test drove it. The boy played with my kids.

That being said, etiquette is important. I always look -- eyes only -- around a guy's shop/garage when I'm there. No touch, but if there is something intriguing I ask permission to check it out more.

You can usually tell by the way they respond to your CL ad. If they come back with "watz ur adrs I wna by it" then they get ignored. If they have good grammar in the response, then chances are they're not hoodlums.

I do the same as mentioned previously, item in the back of my truck and garage closed. Sometimes I have my garage open, as I'm out there working on something waiting for them to show up. Although more and more, I'm using facebook buy/sell/trade groups instead of CL, since I'm getting tired of CL morons.

The friends and family that do come into my garage, know better than to start going through my toolboxes and leaning on my Harleys.

 

[CJ7VFR]

The first time I just look at them & say in a normal voice, "don't lean on the car". After that the tone changes & things go down hill quickly. I'm no longer friends with two or three guys that couldn't be courteous, but we're all better off.

I do the same. First I say please don't touch/lean/sit on my car. I tell them that is what gives cars scratches/dents/damage that is expensive to fix, and that I would not do that to their car as it is rude.

90 percent of people, even kids, will then keep away from my car. There are always those who have either not common sense, or that were never taught to respect others things.

It is those people who will never learn, and it is those people who we don't really need in our lives.

Jim

 

[Marctrees]

Virtually all the posts concur.

If a visitor does not understand, nicely say " NO TOUCH... NO".

Then explain, AFTER their greazy abrazive paws or *** are off.... explain for a moment.


If they argue, it will be like peace talks w a methhead or Kim Jung chubby face Boy.

No point or gain to explain if they don't CLEARLY get it first time you explain.

They may look at you like a deer into headlights.


If that is not understandable to them, if they are not in an empathic and learning attitude, politely respectfully non angrily.... but Firmly, ask to leave.

And make sure they go.

They have a very different mindset, ignorant of this situation.


But don't be an *******, they have , in THEIR Mind, NO clue why you have this "Nutjob OCD problem".

That's how they see it in THEIR head, they do NOT know different.

They have not spent ever Brain energy EVERY night going to sleep thinking next steps, , Blood, Skin, possibly red meat, Sweat, huge time, and $$$$ on a Car, or whatever physical Project.

Babies. They do NOT know better. Marc

 

[aka Larry]

IMO it's all about respect, but it's easy to tell a 'car guy' from someone who isn't. If you see a really clean car and your first urge is too touch it like to see if it "feels" clean, you're not a car guy, so stay the f*ck back. Any car guy who really wants a closer look (like under the hood) would ask the owner "Do you mind showing me under the hood?" He wouldn't reach for the latch himself though.

I'd never lean on another man's car either!

 

[Bretny]

One other thing i do is not give people my house number until they call me and are on the way. No need to know my full address unless your on the way.

 

[ford fanatic]

Wow.
Most of you seem to live in places I could not imagine. I cannot imagine being in a place where every potential visitor or customer is a thief or ruffian. I have occasionally sold stuff on CL and have never worried about them in my garage or shed. I've also bought stuff and never had anyone treat me like a suspect. Never had to meet in a neutral site. Heck, when I sold my F150 the guy and his dad left his 10 yr old boy at our house while he test drove it. The boy played with my kids.

That being said, etiquette is important. I always look -- eyes only -- around a guy's shop/garage when I'm there. No touch, but if there is something intriguing I ask permission to check it out more.

You just haven't had anything bad happen yet...

 

[Teamelva]

I don't let anyone I don't know in or at my shop/house. Letgo or Craigslist deals are all done away from both places. Period, I don't care what it is.

There was a dude in the parking lot at the grocery store leaning on my truck (2014 Dodge 2500 diesel, new was 70k+) talking to his buddy. I walked out and said, "Hey man, thats a nice truck...what's your payments?" He said, "oh man, that ain't mine..." I started it up and said, "I paid cash get the F off..."

Bottom line if you can't afford it...don't touch it. If you like it, own one.

great response D rock...well done!

There have been a lot of good suggestions on this thread...some I may even "borrow" B^)

I recommend a slightly different version of what buddyboy suggested earlier. Before you let a trusted person into your garage, you're better off clearly setting the ground rules. If they still do something inappropriate, tell them clearly and candidly to stop the offending behavior. If they still don't get it, walk them right out.

I think you're much better off just being straight forward and clear rather than trying to be polite. The downside consequence of unintentionally hurting someone's feelings is always going to be less painful than the cost of re-finishing the perfectly painted fender (or repairing the broken wooden airplane). I don't think this is simply a cultural issue. There seems to me to be a growing percentage of the population (percentage seems to increase as you drop in age group in my limited observations) of people who lack EMPATHY...meaning they are totally unable to consider someone else's perspective. They will never understand 'why' you don't want them to ask before touching your tools, leaning on your prize hotrod, or picking up fragile components without asking. There are plenty of exceptions, but it seems that many of the 'participation trophy' generation view the world around them as their's to experience however they want to. They won't ever understand your concerns and they'll think you're the one with the problem.

I'm not trying to insult younger people. There are plenty of people in my generation or older that suffer from such narcissism. My theory (and I admit I'm not at all qualified to make such a diagnosis) is that their parents didn't sufficiently discipline them or told them "no". My 16 year old neighbor (and many of my friend's kids) couldn't be more respectful when they are in my garage. Not true, however, for my 45-year-old, seemingly well-educated and very intelligent SURGEON neighbor. I had to ****** him out of my garage for picking up very fragile work-in-progress off my workbench, putting it down on the hood of my son's freshly painted 69 mustang fastback (a restoration project we have been working on for 5 years!) and then immediately leaning back on the freshly painted fender of the same Mustang. I was shocked! I explained clearly why he needed to step out of my garage and he gave me a look like "really, are you serious?!?!". He is unable to internalize the feedback from me and still doesn't get it. From his perspective, my concerns don't outweigh his desires. He won't be invited back into my garage or my house.

Not that that stopped him. Here's what you get for being polite: A few weeks ago the same surgeon neighbor invited himself to dinner when we heard we were having some friends over for dinner (he heard about it from one of our friends who was invited). He showed up at dinner time with a bottle of wine and just walked in. My wife didn't want to be rude so she invited him in for a glass of wine. I assumed (but was surprised) that she had invited him to dinner. Of course, he stayed for the *entire* dinner.

It was only after the dinner was over and our guests (and dinner crashing neighbor) had left, that I learned my wife hadn't invited him and that he crashed the dinner. I should have asked her when he first showed up if she invited him then should have walked him out before dinner began.

I've made a choice not to have relationships with people like that.

 

[bwringer]

Weird how a thread about idiots who lean on cars triggered all these displays of naked paranoia and semi-macho posturing.

 

[beatcad]

i guess i'm lucky. dont invite strangers to my garage unless i get a good feeling about them and my friends that do hang out with me know not to bring strangers/new guys around unless they can vouch for them.

the first thing that came to my mind when i read the title "garage etiquette" was smoking cigarettes.
when i've been invited to a strangers or a friend of a friends garage i wont walk into a garage smoking.
now if i see the garage owner smoking or ashtrays around i might follow the garage owners lead, but i most likely will ask if they mind if i smoke.

some garages are obvious that its a non smoking zone and i wont even ask.
i'll just step outside.

it seems to work the other way round at least for me.
a new guy might see me smoke and assume its cool and they'de be right.
also i've had guys ask if it's cool.

some of my best buds have non smoking garages and that's cool and they're cool. theyll have a bucket or ashtray outside.

same thing with beers

 

[Hubscrub66]

Nobody in garage except family and good friends rarely anyone but me. No craigs deals at my house usually Walgreens or Wal-Mart . I was at someone's house buying last year in another town. As I was loading truck and an ex husband stops in the talking **** to current husband. Glad I was leaveing. Lol

 

[nes999]

I wish I could find one person in my life who would understand the whole not leaning on vehcikes thing, The day after my truck got back from the detailers I was checking over the front breaks. My father stops by put a big old coffee ring on my my hood and leans on it with metal shavings on his arms. When I ask I'm nicely not lean on my freshly detailed truck I get my *** reamed because "its just a truck". He leaned on my truck 3 times before I went inside dragged out a chair.

I HATE "Its just a truck". I understand why people can't get the difference between working a truck and abusing it. I baby my truck but at the same time ill gladly load logs, scrap, garbage. Instead if dumping the load from 6 feet up ill lower the bucket. Maybe that's why my vehicles seem to last longer than my friends and family or maybe I am just an ocd *******.



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[rmmiller]

I don't let anyone I don't know in or at my shop/house. Letgo or Craigslist deals are all done away from both places. Period, I don't care what it is.

There was a dude in the parking lot at the grocery store leaning on my truck (2014 Dodge 2500 diesel, new was 70k+) talking to his buddy. I walked out and said, "Hey man, thats a nice truck...what's your payments?" He said, "oh man, that ain't mine..." I started it up and said, "I paid cash get the F off..."

Bottom line if you can't afford it...don't touch it. If you like it, own one.

Panic button on the key fob!

 

[Teamelva]

Weird how a thread about idiots who lean on cars triggered all these displays of naked paranoia and semi-macho posturing.

Thanks for the nice example of the sort of constructive comments it takes to become a "Senior Member" of GJ. Seems this would be a great post with which to start your own "Forum Etiquette" thread.

 

[rharman]

I don't let strangers into the shop.

Correct answer....

 

[CJ7VFR]

Weird how a thread about idiots who lean on cars triggered all these displays of naked paranoia and semi-macho posturing.

That's because no one wants naked semi-macho people leaning on our cars!!! Ewwwww....I can just imagine the mark it would leave....

Jim

 

[Teamelva]

CJ7VFR,

B^) +1

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[FRANKIEWHIPIT]

Yeah, If I don't know you......You're out!
Anytime I'm selling something It's usually outside or in the church parking lot across the street

 

[Soda Jerk]

I like the local law enforcement parking lot transaction point. Some of the local Walmart lots in my area leave a lot to be desired.

 

[LXCam]

Weird how a thread about idiots who lean on cars triggered all these displays of naked paranoia and semi-macho posturing.

?, says the man who doesn't own a ride he values more than his own life nor has ever been ripped off.

I don't know about you but I work my *** off to own nice things and I happen to value them. Add to that I've been ripped off to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars they the years so ya, I'm a bit paranoid.

 

[ffast65]

Many times I do the local PD, you would be surprised how many dont show...

if its larger, or electrical...I have my NRA Sign and a Bat in plane sight... Leaving them to wonder where I have the guns stashed. it also helps to live on a dead end street off the road making it so the neighbors can see anyone driving in.

You would be surprised how many still cant keep thier hands in the pockets.. I tell them thats not for sale and put my hand out to grab it. Then if they dont get the hint I say, I have someone else interested if they arent buying in short order. Just let me know so I can call them now right in front of them. HEHE

 

[HoosierBuddy]

This post describes the very reason we quit having yard sales.

We'd always end up with a bunch of people on our property that any other day of the year I'd call the police if they showed up. The wife always had to watch her money box like a hawk, because some of them had no qualms about just walking away with the cash if you turned your back. Then they look at all this stuff we paid $100 for that we're asking $7, and try to knock you down on price or just badmouth it with no intention of buying it.

Take it to Goodwill and you end up with more value for the tax deduction than you'd ever make at the yard sale without the aggravation.

Phil

 

[FRS FAN]

Honestly, you are attached to material possesions.

Your material possesion was more important than your human interaction.

Hurts to hear. Just remember in time, none of those items, your garage, your car will be yours. Nor will they matter.

And don't get me wrong I get the jist of what you experienced. But you handled yourself poorly. Its an opportunity development. You could have smiled and said this is my baby, I've had it for 5 years etc etc at which point you could have redirected him to move away from the car. But you corner eyed him. Your a ****. You probably will just refute my post and get mad.

Cheers, and remember its not just garage ettiquite its your character. You can only blame yourself and not others. Remember you asked for this feedback.

(A little post script, I took my treasured ZR1 Corvette to a local shop for some work and it was returned to me with some surface scratches on the fender from the tech leaning into the engine bay. I could have corner eyed him and been a complete ****... small town shop, I went and bought a $24 pair of padded fender covers. Gave them to him. Mentioned the marks on my fender. I'm not **** hurt over it. It will buff out. Life goes on.)

 

[driftpin]

Strangers can keep their hands-off my children, my grandchildren, and my wife. Just because a stranger is in proximity to these people does not in any way imply the stranger has the ability to touch them. Same goes with a vehicle, it's not a 'flesh & blood' member of the family, but it is a possession you have no right to touch, just because you happen to be in physical proximity to it. It's not your resting post, your stool, or a place to throw your trash (how many of us have found someone's garbage in the bed of their truck?).

Legally, now one in twenty residents of Florida have concealed carry permits. If you think that because no one's around the vehicle, that gives you the ability to open the door and rummage through its contents, looking for a handgun, rifle or ammo (the NRA sticker on the window), or anything of value you find, well, you are taking a big chance when I show up after getting a silent page and find you, the thief, inside.

Sitting on a vehicle or leaning up against it is just a stupid, careless, and aggressive thing to do, it's inconsiderate, and as far as I know, when I see someone leaning against my vehicle the reason they are there is to victimize me in some way.

If you say, "hey, I wuz jes' hangin,' chill!" that doesn't turn-on any 'warm & fuzzy' kumbaya for me. I still perceive you as a threat to my safety and the safety of my family with me, until proven otherwise, and I'm not staying around long-enough to wait for an "opportunity development" moment to occur, back the &^$$#-away from my truck, or car, or motorcycle, or my family. My family's safety is more-important to me than your need to rest your sorry *** on or against my vehicle.

 

[rayra]

Personally I wouldn't even open the garage since i am worried about security. Whatever i am selling will be sitting in the driveway or in the back in my truck when they get there so there is no peering eyes at my stuff in the garage. I'll even have an extension cord pulled out there so if it's something that requires power they can plug it in and test it


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This. I try to not let strangers or even acquaintances eyeball my stuff. Too many thieves.

 

[JJ13]

Anymore, I watch people when they pull into my driveway. Too many low life thieves around.

I don't have many people pulling into my drive but there are a fair number of people that walk past all hours of the day. When my brother first moved to Minnesota he asked me what was up with people staring at him. It seems if you aren't being actively ignored (very common), they stare far, far too long.

When I bought the house I quickly learned that I need to keep the door closed or only partially open, especially as dusk falls. My garage sits 3 car lengths from the street and people will stare in the entire time they are walking past. It's not the normal reaction of seeing movement and/or hearing something and making eye contact with a neighborly wave or nod of the head before looking away, it is an intrusive, continuous stare like they are casing the place. Basic etiquette is getting worse all around...don't even get me started on cell phone usage!

After many weird, and one potentially dangerous Craigslist sale, I keep the gun that I inherited from my grandfather hidden nearby within easy reach IF a buyer needs to be in my garage. If not, the gun sits just inside my front door on my shoe bench if we can't meet at the police station due to needing electricity. I really should get training and a permit to carry! ...A few years ago I sold a nearly new engine stand and hoist with leveler attachment. It was sitting outside the garage in the drive, bolts loose so the buyer could see how it was assembled before loading. Two guys showed up in an SUV with tons of **** in the back. We agreed on the price and I started disassembly as they made room. I was keeping a close eye on them and nearly sh1t a brick as the driver started to unsheathe a scimitar sword to show his friend his new toy.

I started backing up towards the front door as the kid realized how bad it looked from my perspective and wisely put it away. That was the first time I realized how quickly life can drastically change. Most people are honest and harmless but it only takes one bad day to lose everything in the house/garage or maybe a limb or your life.

Sorry for the thread drift but it's etiquette related.

 

[NewShockerGuy]

I'm not defending the dude AT ALL, so don't take what I say as such... but. MOST people look at cars as cars and only cars. I love cars. I'm very respectful of people and their **** but a lot of people look at said **** as either a tool or item to be used.

I continually call out my wife for leaning on her own damn car. I say "What are you doing??" She responds I'm leaning up against my car. I ask her why and she replies, IT's A CAR.

People don't realize swirl marks/scratches... all the little things that I see people doing to cars makes my brain hurt most of the time. A really common thing you see is people putting their bags on the truck or hood. I can't imagine doing any of that **** but go to any supermarket and you will see it.

I would have politely asked the dude not to lean on the car. Hell I call people out all the time when they come over and they attempt to touch **** in my garage.

I had one jack *** contractor installing outlets in the garage many years back. He didn't have a tall enough ladder to get in the ceiling and he asked "Can I stand on your tool chest to get into the ceiling" I said "**** no, that's not a ladder". He looked EXTREMELY surprised that I said no, if I'm honest. I told him he can either go to lowes and buy a ladder or I will find someone else. Twenty minutes later he had a taller ladder...lol

When I have sold stuff on CS I will open my garage. Hell sometimes I had people in my house that now looking back I'm wondering wtf I was smoking, but all always worked out.

People simply don't have respect for other people's properties. Perhaps they really don't know how to be courteous or perhaps they are simply ignorant on the matter. Before I touch anything of anyone's I always ask. If they say no at least there is ZERO misunderstanding or people getting pissed because I did something assuming it was OK to do.

One time I had a friend leaning on his own car. I said stop leaning on your car. He replied something along the lines of: why, it's my car?! I said you are wearing jeans, look at your back pockets....see the metal rivets... that **** is touching your paint. It wasn't until I pointed it out to him that he "got it", and never did it again.

Too many DONKS in the world.

-Nigel

 

[lowbucktruck]

Paint jobs cost money. Good paint jobs cost even more.
All of the thoughtless individuals mentioned who used a prized vehicle as a leaning post are among the reasons why I keep my vintage truck in original patina.

Maybe its just me, but when visiting a neighbor's garage, I keep my hands in my pockets and do not act like I'm at a flea market. Respect for the belongings of others.