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

charlie hill charliehill at embarqmail.com
Thu Oct 9 06:42:58 PDT 2014 

Richard,  I've been to that show too and enjoyed it but no show is worth 
being abused
over.   I have a favorite story about that Nittany show.  When we were there 
a guy
who clearly did not fit in with the rest of the show participants had a 
grossly over restored
Allis Chalmers B.  He had it outside the area where everyone else's displays 
were.  Between
the main area and the parking lot.  He had it roped off so no one could get 
close to it.  It had about
10 coats of clear coat on it.  The paint was so deep and wet looking that 
you couldn't tell where it
started.  Lynn made the mistake of reaching over and touching the radiator 
cap.  She knew enough
to touch it lightly with the back of her hand but she touched it and the guy 
jumped down her throat.
It was (if I remember right) a '39 model but it had the black block decals 
on the hood instead of the
blue with the long A and S.  I didn't say a thing to the man for jumping 
down Lynn's throat.  I just
quietly said to her "come on lets go".  When I got about 30 feet away I 
turned around and said
"by the way, you have the wrong decals on that tractor".

I could look at the guy and tell he didn't have the knowledge or skills to 
do the restoration.  I bet he
paid someone several grand to do it for him.   You should have seen his face 
when I told him it was wrong.

Charlie

-----Original Message----- 
From: Richard Fink Sr
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2014 11:52 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] A commentary on how to win friends and influence people at 
tractor shows

Charlie i had a incident some what the same at one of our biggest shows
near state college Nittany. That was about 8-9 years ago and have not
been back
R Fink
PA
>> 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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