[AT] A commentary on how to win friends and influence people at tractor shows

charlie hill charliehill at embarqmail.com
Wed Oct 8 13:11:30 PDT 2014


I offer this as constructive criticism to folks that volunteer with tractor 
and engine shows.


Weekend before last we were in Hagerstown, MD visiting Lynn's parents.   We 
usually go
about this time of the year and come back with a few bushels of apples from 
our favorite
apple farm.  The farm happens to be out very near to Smithsburg, MD where 
they hold an
annual "Steam Show" on that very weekend.  I've been before and enjoyed it 
very much so we
decided to ride by there after we left the orchard.  We didn't have time to 
take the show in
and do it justice so we were just going to stop long enough for me to take a 
quick look around.
I just wanted to see if they had a good crowd and if they had the same sort 
of displays they had in years gone by.  Plus I had
my Jack Russell Terrier with me and there is NO WAY to take a Jack Russell 
to an engine show.
I don't think that Mike Rohr (sorry I that is probably misspelled) who is 
part of that show still reads this list
so I don't know who I'm addressing this too if anyone so I guess it is 
addressed to whom ever might
benefit from it.

Now let me stop right here and explain that I know full well that the folks 
at the show had no
way to know what I just told this group and I fully understand that.

As we started to drive into the show grounds parking lot there were signs 
EVERYWHERE, probably
dozens of signs, saying No Dogs allowed but before I saw any of those signs 
I was in the driveway
headed to the parking lot and as  I said I had no intent to take the dog in 
anyway and no intent to
even go in unless I had seen something particularly interesting worthy of a 
quick hop out and look.
There was no way to turn around and go back out.  We were committed with a 
line of cars behind us.
I told Lynn well we'll just drive on through the lot and see if we can see 
anything from the parking lot
and go on.  Then I see a group of ladies who are taking donations for 
parking.  As we approached them
Lynn and I discussed it and decided we'd go ahead and give them a donation. 
As I handed the lady
a five dollar bill the Jack Russell was standing in my lap.  She took the 
money and didn't say a word.
We pulled forward.  There was an open road to the exit straight ahead of me 
that would have taken me
right down the side of the show where I could have looked briefly at the 
displays but there was a fellow
standing there motioning me to go left.  I did so without any discussion or 
argument.

That's when it happened.  This fellow who waved us left, probably mid 40's, 
about 6'2 maybe and stocky built but not overweight,
with short cropped hair and looking every bit like a cop in street clothes 
let me turn left with the dog, now on the other side, hanging out the
window  of the truck in plain sight and then he YELLS OUT, again like a cop 
at a DUI check point,
STOP RIGHT THERE SIR!!  I NEED TO TALK TO YOU.   Then he proceeded to walk 
over and start to lecture me with....
Sir "I" can't allow YOU to take THAT DOG into the show.  As he was about to 
continue I said in a polite but direct voice,  Sir the dog is
not going to get out of the truck.  At that he backed off and left me alone. 
We proceeded out the back of the parking lot
and left as we had intended to do all along.

I hope the Smithsburg Boosters club puts the 5 bucks to good use because 
it's the last time they'll get a dime from me and the
last time I ever intent to attend their show.  It's not the shows fault, I 
have no argument with them.  It's not the booster clubs
fault, I have no argument with them.  I fully understand why they don't want 
dogs running around in their show and I agree.
What burned me was this guys power trip attitude which I'm sure no one can 
properly read into my writing but I understood
loud and clear.   I didn't mind one bit being asked about the dog but he 
could have done it in a friendly manner.
I don't go to tractor and steam shows to be talked to like a street punk and 
if I subject myself to it again it will be my fault.

Everyone at that show appeared to be friendly and welcoming this time as 
they always have been in the past EXCEPT this one
bully.  Obviously they have had a previous problem with dogs or they would 
not have spent a small fortune on White signs with
bold RED print saying NO DOGS but they need to understand that someone from 
400 miles away can't do anything about having
their pet with them when they turn into a parking lot where there is no way 
to turn around and at least be polite about it.   He seemed
to have the attitude that "THIS IS MY SHOW AND BY GOD IF THESE JERKS WANT TO 
COME TO IT THEY BETTER TOE THE LINE AND
DO LIKE I SAY!"  The only thing that kept him from looking like Barney Fife 
is the fact that he was big enough so as to avoid being
construed to be a comical fool.  A fool yes, just not comical.

All the man had to say, if anything, was a polite "sir, I assume you are 
going to leave the pup in the truck" or something to that effect
but no he had to throw his weight and assumed authority around.  If anyone 
from the Smithsburg Steam Show or anyone who runs
a show reads this, please take it as I intended, as constructive criticism 
and realize that folks who go to your shows, sometimes from
great distances, don't go there to be harassed and treated like criminals.

Charlie 




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