From the day I was able to grasp the meaning of sarcasm, I've been what you might call a "smartass." (Big surprise, huh?!) Can't tell you exactly why, but wisecracks seemed to roll off my tongue quicker than compliments-well, at least for the majority of my adolescence...and into my 20s...and, OK, so I'm still a smart-mouth at times, but at least I realize that others can easily be offended by things I may otherwise take lightly. But, while I've been able to come to grips with my brass nature, I've noticed that a lot of people-mainly the younger generation-are fine with rudeness, disrespect, and just an overall lack of manners. Why is this?
Sure, my son has no problem telling me to "get out of here" or "I don't have to," but he's just barely passing the 3-year mark. He's got plenty of time to learn manners and respect for elders-15 years, to be exact. While I'm no expert at parenting, I do know my kid's not going to grow up to be like some of the teenagers I encounter on a daily basis. Whether it's media influence (TV, movies, radio, etc.) or lack of parental guidance, I can't say, but something sure has filled kids with a type of bravado that would have landed me in boarding school, if not juvenile hall, had I acted similarly at that age. It just boggles my mind that things have changed so drastically over the last couple of decades. And it's not just the youth, either. Many adults act the same.
Before I get off on a wild tangent, what really brought all this to mind was a recent occurrence while driving my '53 Chevy. You'd like to think that most average drivers, regardless of their personal take on vintage automobiles, would at the very least have enough respect to give someone driving a classic car or truck just a little extra room, be it on the freeway or city streets or even a parking lot. Well, it seems not. I can't tell you how many times I was tailgated (and by that, I mean no more than a few feet between their front bumper and my rear) and cut off by other drivers-and this all happened within a 10-mile radius. Yes, this is Southern California, the capital of idiot drivers, but it's also filled with more antiques on the road per capita than anywhere else. Rubberneckers I understand; they're just admiring, despite their tendency to distract. This type of behavior does somewhat explain something, though. It tells me why vehicle scrappage and emissions testing laws on older vehicles keep coming back, which has a lot to do with the average person's total disinterest in anything old. From the cars and trucks we love to build and drive, to the places of historic interest we love to drive them to (such as Harvey's Broiler or any other drive-in recently leveled), a lot of people in power are not the least bit concerned with Americana. That's sad...very sad.Fortunately, a lot of younger adults are getting exposed to classic automobiles, which is due in no small part to that very same media that's so detrimental to others: television. Without programs like Overhaulin' or American Hot Rod, many kids would go the typical Tuner route. Today, I see more and more teens behind the wheels of musclecars, '60s VWs, and, of course, classic trucks than I did when I was first learning to drive. That's encouraging, to say the least. However, I still encounter more disrespectful and ill-mannered ones than ever before, and I just don't get it.
Not long after my last encounter with the '53, I came outside one morning to grab a cup of coffee. As I approached the driver's door of my '72, I noticed something that wasn't there the night before: a huge dent. Actually, the whole door was caved in. Being an avid CSI fan (the original one), I examined the damage quite extensively. Before long, it became evident that the truck was not side-swiped, as I initially thought, but rather backed into, as if by a car exiting the driveway on the opposite side of the street. Any of my neighbors would have said something, even if it were caused by visiting friends. But no, it was just a hit and run, and I'm sure I'll never know exactly who caused the hit-except my wallet, having to repair damages myself. What gets me is, why do things like that happen? Why are people so quick to shrug off responsibility these days?
I love my cars and trucks. I don't expect every single person in society to share the same feelings, but it would be comforting to know that they at least had an ounce of respect for the time, the effort, and the money that I put into them by not treating them as just another vehicle. They're not...they never will be.