[AT] A commentary on how to win friends and influence people at tractor shows
charlie hill
charliehill at embarqmail.com
Thu Oct 9 00:04:09 PDT 2014
Cecil, that seems to go on most places these days. This guy might well have
not been
a cop at all. He could have been someone in the group that they
put somewhere where they thought he could do the least harm. You know, the
village idiot.
As for real cops, in a town of less than 1000 folks near here a few years
ago there was an 80
some year old man who suffered from dementia. He was out in his yard and
his family thought,
for whatever reason, that he needed to be inside. He didn't want to come
in. They called the
police to come help persuade him to come in the house. "Barney" and
"Goober" showed up
and proceeded to try to intimidate the old man into going inside. He got
even more agitated
and picked up a short piece of 2x4, probably thinking he needed to defend
himself. As he this
frail 80 year old man stood some 20 feet from these two young cops he raised
the 2x4 in the air
and they shot him dead. District attorney said it was justified (nothing to
see here, just move along).
I'm not exactly sure that's what the mans family expected when they called
those sworn to
"Serve and Protect". I always wondered what it would have hurt if they had
let him stay outside?
Charlie
-----Original Message-----
From: Cecil R Bearden
Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2014 11:13 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] A commentary on how to win friends and influence people at
tractor shows
I have had very few good experiences with any law enforcement personnel
in my home state. However you have to remember, a cop from my home
town wrote a kid's mother a $2500 ticket for peeing in his own yard. A
bunch of cops from a suburb south of here killed an older fellow while
holding him down trying to arrest him for attempting to discipline his
daughter. ( he never hit the girl) His entire family watched as he
died. A cop from OKC is now back in jail after being out on bail for
making women perform sexual favors for him when he stopped them... I
personally think any law enforcement individual thinks they are above
the law.
I do not blame you for your attitude toward this show. however, I would
write them or send an email. My wife gets so irritated at me when I
write folks, but it gets results, and I want revenge!!!!
Cecil in OKla
On 10/8/2014 7:12 PM, David Rotigel wrote:
> I fully understand how you feel Charlie--been there, done that! However, I
> think it's wrong to stop going to a show because of how ONY GUY acts. I've
> never been to the show in Smithsburg (and don't know anyone there, or even
> where it is) but I hope you will reconsider after a while. Particularly if
> you have enjoyed the show (and its people) in the past!
> Dave
>
> On Oct 8, 2014, at 7:43 PM, charlie hill <charliehill at embarqmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> I won't be back at Smithsburg.
>>
>> Charlie
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: David Bruce
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2014 7:19 PM
>> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
>> Subject: Re: [AT] A commentary on how to win friends and influence people
>> at
>> tractor shows
>>
>> I agree with Charlie that there are better ways to get to the same point.
>> Tone does matter.
>>
>> David
>> NW NC
>>
>> On 10/8/2014 6:49 PM, David Rotigel wrote:
>>> I realize that a tone of voice can mean A LOT in this sort of situation,
>>> but, having said that, I do not see anything wrong with the words that
>>> the
>>> guy used.
>>> Dave
>>>
>>> On Oct 8, 2014, at 4:11 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
>>>>
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