Neighbor-phobia

I've had the same experiences lately.



I work 5 days and then have 4 off, so I'm always washing my girlfriend's and my car.



The comments first started off as "wow, I'm next."

It moved to "you're going to polish that paint right off."

to "guess its your day off again."

to "you make me feel like I should wash my car but itll just get dirty right away so its a waste of time"



One evening I was washing it and it got dark so I set up my work lights and ran inside to get some more product. As I came back out my neighbor was getting into her car, and I heard her make a snide remark about how ridiculous the lights were to herself.



Now, I get the "***" look and a cheap snicker/smile.



The other day I was doing a QD and pretended like I was doing something else when the neighbor pulled up.
 
Meh, you guys are not along. I wash my '07 OB every other weekend and I *almost* detail every single weekend. Yes, my neighbor does think im looney or somethig. Sometime when I cleaning the interior, I can heard them walked pass by and make comments like...."Oh my God this guy got no life or somethig.....every weekend he's out here.." I go to my self..who cares what they said.
 
Most of my neighbors are pretty nice. Everyone waves or says "hello". The lady next door to me always asks if hers is next and I always tell her the same thing. "Yep....as soon as I am done with the paying customers I will do yours". She just smiles and goes about her business. This last Saturday, same thing, only this time she actually listened to what I said and inquired further. "So...you do this for money"? I told her that the SUV I was doing was costing the customer $400 and that smaller trucks like hers started at $200. She said "$400 to wash a truck"? I laughed and told her that I did a lot more than wash the truck and gave her a quick run down on what I did. Her eyes glazed over and I knew that I was wasting my time. She's a nice person and I will probably wash her truck oen weekend just so she can see the difference.



My other neighbor does the "You have the cleanest car in the neighborhood" thing. I told her last weekend....."Sweetie.....it's a different car every weekend"...she blushed and laughed and said "Oops....that shows ya how much I pay attention"! Exactely.
 
thesacrifice said:
One evening I was washing it and it got dark so I set up my work lights and ran inside to get some more product. As I came back out my neighbor was getting into her car, and I heard her make a snide remark about how ridiculous the lights were to herself.



Now, I get the "***" look and a cheap snicker/smile.
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Or you could tell her that it's a better hobby than saying rude stuff to people. :hm
 
Part 2:



You are outside, doing something you enjoy and have a passion for and not hurting anyone. While they have nothing better to do than keep an eye on you....and you're the weirdo? Yeah.....not so much.:bat
 
Compared to 95% of the people I see in Walmart; I pray that I stay wierd.



.....you could always say: "My therapist said; since I was going to be washing my hands twenty times a day. I may as well accomplish something."



Have fun ..enjoy yourself.



j i m
 
I'm sure the neighbor spends a lot of time watching TV, so what's the difference? For me being Dutch, I look at the money side of things all the time. I figure if I'm spending five figures for a car, I'm going to keep it looking nice.
 
I live in a condo as well and get the same odd remarks. One of my favorite ones:

"You're gonna polish the paint off that car" :werd:



Since my car is always spotless, it has prompted several owners to keep their car as clean, then I get the ones who are interested asking questions and what to use etc.



This is one good way to gain new customers if you do this as a business as well. I've gained numerous ones from our condo.



I even setup the Easy-Up tents and went to work on a few that wanted some minor corrections done. Since I was doing my car, what the hell right? Well, along comes the board prez who then makes a big issue out of it. Following week, I get a "God Damn You Gram" from the management firm about this. Go to the board meeting and ask them to bring their cars over and I'll correct those as well. Geezz, they have such a hard-on for me there, but I just laugh, pay the fine and still offer to do a car. Board Prez car is fully oxidized...:p



Anyway, I try to help the other owners whenever I have my car out and under the tent. As long as they don't see a bunch of them, they cannot do much.



I really don't care what the board or those that will give be problems say, I just continue with what I'm doing. It's the argument they want.



Regards,

Deanski
 
My neighbors probably think I'm obsessed too, but it really doesn't matter what they think. If this is your hobby, than so be it. Do what you like to do as long as its not hurting anybody else.
 
Deanski said:
I live in a condo as well and get the same odd remarks. One of my favorite ones:

"You're gonna polish the paint off that car" :werd:



Since my car is always spotless, it has prompted several owners to keep their car as clean, then I get the ones who are interested asking questions and what to use etc.



This is one good way to gain new customers if you do this as a business as well. I've gained numerous ones from our condo.



I even setup the Easy-Up tents and went to work on a few that wanted some minor corrections done. Since I was doing my car, what the hell right? Well, along comes the board prez who then makes a big issue out of it. Following week, I get a "God Damn You Gram" from the management firm about this. Go to the board meeting and ask them to bring their cars over and I'll correct those as well. Geezz, they have such a hard-on for me there, but I just laugh, pay the fine and still offer to do a car. Board Prez car is fully oxidized...:p



Anyway, I try to help the other owners whenever I have my car out and under the tent. As long as they don't see a bunch of them, they cannot do much.



I really don't care what the board or those that will give be problems say, I just continue with what I'm doing. It's the argument they want.



Regards,

Deanski
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So what exactly do they fine you for? Setting up the tent? I decided long ago I don't ever want to live in a condo or similar subdivision. The idiots running them with all their stupid rules would just drive me insane.
 
Wetstuff said:
Compared to 95% of the people I see in Walmart; I pray that I stay wierd.



.....you could always say: "My therapist said; since I was going to be washing my hands twenty times a day. I may as well accomplish something."



Have fun ..enjoy yourself.



j i m
Click to expand...



That's funny..... I said almost the same thing to a neighbor that made a comment about me cleaning my Lightning.....he wasn't rude at all, but I said "some people pay good money for therapy.... I just clean my truck"



works for me.....find what works for you and stick with it.:2thumbs:
 
Unless you're breaking some rules don't sweat that guy. The next neighbor that comments might be super nice. If he asks you the same thing again ask him if he can come up with some better lines to use.
 
One of my good friends lives across the street. I have taught him how to properly wash his car (no dishwashing soap), how to wax it, even how to use a PC (with limited success). I took him to the local auto store and told him what to buy and how to use it. I have actually detailed both of his cars for free. That having been said, he STILL makes comments like "you are obsessed" "you are crazy". I just laugh at him. Another neighbor gave me a home theater projector and second, new bulb (the bulb itself worth $300) for it, because I detailed his car. Even his kids make comments to me and threaten (jokingly) to touch my car with their fingers - ha. My other neighbor has made the comments about washing off the paint. I sometimes feel weird, but I enjoy it. My wife also thinks I am weird. Oh, yeah -- I won't use the leaf blower any more. Used it once and I think my wife and the neighbors were going to have me committed to a mental asylum. hehe All of your neighbors that matter are secretly jealous of your spotless car.:hifive:
 
If it had of been me I would have just kept a straight face and said, It's devil worship club night, and I want it looking sharp. It's my turn to drive when we pay visits to the *** holes in the community!
 
I know exactly what you mean, kind of like feeling guilty when working on the car. It might help if you accept that you are weird! I mean, spending so much time on the car as most here do is not "normal", so people will notice. I wish though that I could convince myself that it doesn't matter what other people think/say. But I've only been able to really relax when working on my car after I rented a garage/shop for doing this professionally. It has been really great to have a place where I can work on cars day and night if I fancy, without worrying what people might think :)



I don't know, maybe some of us need to see a shrink, so we can come to peace with our obsession :D
 
I work in my basement garage in my condo; you can imagine the remarks I get. I just smile and nod; screw 'em; let them be petty and grumpy, they probably cry themselves to sleep at night.
 
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