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

[David Rotigel]

I'm sure that the majority of us have had a "bad" run-in with a police officer (or a rent-a-cop) in our lives. What I have found over the years is that most of then are just regular guys doing their job. And it's, most of the time, a thankless job at that! I, for one, am thankful for them being good guys MOST of the time! I've learned over the years not to use a brush that paints too wide and not to hold an entire group of people (or organization) responsible for the actions of one individual. 
	Dave
PS, Forgetting what I have learned over the years is something I do all too often!

On Oct 8, 2014, at 6:01 PM, Mike <meulenms at gmx.com> wrote:

> A couple years ago, their was a security threat and a local bank that I 
> banked at. They hired a security guard to keep watch over the place to 
> make sure nothing bad happened. It was a bank with a very small parking 
> lot that ran parallel to a 4 lane road, it only had around 8 parking 
> spots. As I pulled my truck into the driveway of the bank, I noticed 
> that all the parking spots were filled. So I put it in park and was 
> going to wait until a customer left so I could park in their spot. I had 
> been sitting there a couple of minutes when the security guard pulls up 
> behind me, I didn't think much of it until he gets out of his car and 
> storms up to mine. I turned down the radio, and rolled my window down, 
> and he tells me, "Sir, you are going to have to move your truck you are 
> impeding traffic." I told him I was a bank customer and had business I 
> needed to attend to in the branch, and that I was waiting for a spot to 
> open up. He starts getting very angry and loses what little politeness 
> he originally had and starts yelling at me that I need to move my 
> vehicle immediately, or he was going to call the police. So I said to 
> him, "well if I move my vehicle and you pull into the spot I am 
> occupying won't YOU be impeding traffic?" With that he went nuts, about 
> turned purple, and told me he was calling the police. While he's back in 
> his car calling the cops, sure enough a customer pulls out and I move 
> forward to take that spot, and walk into the bank.
> 
> When I was done at the teller window, I asked to speak with the branch 
> manager. I asked her if she was aware that the guard was harassing and 
> trying to intimidate customers of the bank. I then went on to explain 
> what had just occurred.  I went on to tell her that I was glad it was me 
> and not my wife or mother, that this jerk went off on. She excused 
> herself for a moment and made a phone call, and when she returned she 
> informed me he was being replaced with another guard.
> 
> Like Bo said, give a guy a LITTLE authority..
> 
> Mike M
> 
> On 10/8/2014 4:57 PM, Bo Hinch wrote:
>> That is the way a lot of guys respond when given a LITTLE authority .
>> 
>> On Wed, Oct 8, 2014 at 3:11 PM, charlie hill <charliehill at embarqmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> 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
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> AT mailing list
>>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> AT mailing list
>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> AT mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at