GOOD READ ABOUT OUR "SCENE"

Edited: 4/21/2009 7:47:26 AM by thenephilm

---------------------------------------------Originally posted by DILLARDWell I must say Im a little confused   If you all recall it was me that chose to have him arrested! I have a family myself and intend on keeping LOATP a family event. Furthermore the parking lot at the Hotel should not reflect on what rally happens at the show....  Like I said Im really confused by this whole ordeal BUT I ASSURE YOU.......A LOT more stuff happended that weekend that no one even knows about because I took care of the situations before getting out of hand.   Please dont read this thinking I am upset just wanted you all to know that I TRIED my BEST to have a fun safe show for everyone to enjoy with hopes you will be back APRIL 2010!!!!!  ---------------------------------------------I just want to clarify that what I wrote was no way a reflection of the great job that Jeff and the others did to make Lay'd Out happen again because the show itself was badass and a job well done.  Sorry if anyone didn't make that distinction because I figured no one would actually believe that the staff played any role in those sorts of activities.  The same goes for most shows as well because you can't be everywhere at once and you're not babysitters.  But again, I apologize for any mix up of the sort.

I like attending the hot rod shows too because they have the same after parties at the hotels as we do but they keep theirs under control. Usually you see folks doin burnouts, havin a few beers, and shootin the shit. We just replace burnouts with draggin. I have been to several drag sessions that were held on desserted back roads where every one used common sense and everyone had a great time. Draggin does tear up stuff and when my '69 is done I will not be draggin it but I still enjoy seeing the people that want to drag. Like I said before draggin and drinkin are part of the minitruckin scene.  People just need to stand up against those that take it too far.

Well I really didn't want to get into this whole thing because, yeah, it has been beaten into the ground over and over. BUT! I am 40 now and I remember going to shows in the late 80's and early 90's in Pigeon Forge, Charlotte, Hamilton OH and others that the same crap went on then and those shows aren't around now. I read people saying their going to be hangin with the Hot Roders because they know how to have a good time and you know what, their right, But 20 yrs ago those Hot Rodders were 20 somethings. You know why those guys act right, because the guys who they looked up to when they were 20 somethings acted right and if someone wasn't acting right they got told or got run off. Not by the cops or the show promotor ( who shouldn't have to come to the hotel) or the Hotel staff, but by the people that were there to have a good time enjoying other peoples company who had the same interests as they did. I remember thinking as a young minitrucker that when I got older I would get an old car to fix up and join the adults; so I did, I got out of minitruckin, bought an old car with the intentions of fixing it up and showing it with the old guys, but that never happened because at heart I was a minitrucker and I thought why can't we be adults and minitruckers? I mean those guys who were hot rodders were hot rodders because thats the kind of cars they had when they were 20 somethings and they just continued to progress in that medium, why couldn't I continue to progress in the style of custom vehicle I liked and be an adult? So with that, at 40 yrs old I'm still a minitrucker. Minitruckin is essentially in toddler phase right now. Why? Becuase the hot rodders have been doing this for 60-70 years now and I'm sure we have all heard stories of the illegal drag races and the hassles they got from the cops for loud pipes and stuff. They have matured and evolved into a group that knows better because they have seen their rod runs fade away just as we are seeing ours disapear. So it's up to us to LEAD BY EXAMPLE, put the childish in their place and allow this lifestyle we love so much to mature and evolve into what we know it can be.  Unfortunately I was at the Ramada and saw the situation first hand. Because of that I am sorry I did not feel like I could do much about the situation other than walk away, I stood by and watched a bunch of idiots make us all look like idiots, I heard many say this is why we can't keep shows anymore but we all just stood by and watched. When the cops came we pointed them out and made sure the one's responsible were taken and tried to smooth it over with the cops ( who were very cool and understanding) but in the larger picture that doesn't matter because the damage had already been done to our reputation as Minitruckers. Again I apologize for not recruiting an army and getting rid of the people myself. It won't happen again! WHO's With Me? So with that said I assure you, if we all stand together when the dumbasses start acting dumb and get rid of them ourselves not only will we have a better time but we will start to earn the respect of our peers, the other car clubs and the communities we visit. It won't happen overnight but i's got to start somwhere. So think about your actions from the last show you were at, did you set a good example for that new club member or for that kid that so and so had at the show or for your kid/s?  It's time we stopped being toddlers and falling on our faces every weekend in another city or town and started walking straight growing up and maturing into adult minitruckers.  

here is my 2 cents on this  when i started the MINITRUCKER Lifestyle it seemed like everyone was in clubs and every club had it enforcers in them so when a Member of the club got out of hand at a show or run it would get handled fast and that member would be put in their place it sometime took the whole club to step up to this task. Every club or Group of people know which one of them is going to act a fool when they get drunk and you know that when they got into the club or when they started to hang out with your group. You let them come to the show or Run you got to babysit them.  If your club our Group just lets it happen then maybe you shouldn't be allowed to attend shows and runs until you can prove you can acted like adults. This would take all clubs and show promoters  to step up and make sure these banned clubs and groups don't get to attend the shows. I think it would make people think twice before doing something foolish. We need to govern our own scene to make sure it will be here to become what Hot Rodding has. We have somethings in place already in the MiniTruck/custom world that can help to govern our scene like SCMTC ( I was proud to be a member of this for 8 years )SSM ( the fastest way to get the word out on clubs and shows today ) Let's all just step up to the plate and put the scene where it should be and put the spark back into the young ones eyes like we once had