Old Coots

[fantasygoat]

I've had my car "finished" (ie. drivable) for about a month now and I've been to a few of the local cruise nights.

The problem is, I can't stand a lot of the people at these nights. A good example was this past Monday - I was standing by my car and two dour-looking older guys wander up and start eyeballing my car with frowns on their faces, but I try to be friendly and say hello.

Without even responding, one of them asks if I'd done work on the quarters. The other one starts rambling on about the "Cleveland" engine I have in my car. Clevelands weren't available in '69 in Torinos and I say as much, and the guy frowns even more and tells me I'm wrong.

This is a typical story for these cruise nights - horrible 50's music blaring at full volume and cranky, sour old men who feel the need to put down your car or find some way to one up you, while looking down their nose at you as though you couldn't possibly know as much as them about your own car.

Don't get me wrong, there are tons of nice people at them, but it's these old coots who really put me off trying to make new friends in the car hobby.

Why do they even go to these things?