I can understand where some of you are coming from with not having the mention ethnicity. But, I also think there isn't a need to be so sensitive to it. However, seeing things from another side, New Zealand and Australia are very different from the US(I spent a little over a month there). People there are generally more friendly. And I'm saying this having lived on both coasts and having been in all but 6 states in the US. BADSVN2000, I would have done the same. And as a whole, I think all of us rotary guys are a bit apprehensive about getting help from people that aren't in a rotary themselves. I had the hood up one time and someone told me I had a nice looking 4 cylinder, then proceeded to give pointers on what I should do to mod it. We are not your normal car owners.

 

Why aren't you listening to the debate? Isn't there anything that might inform you? Or will just wait and let Rush tell you what to think? (Just kidding).

I'm listening to the debate as I surf. It actually is going pretty well, as far as the candidates articulating their positions.

As for the Asian reference, I generally give folks the benefit of the doubt and I took it as simply additional information designed to illustrate the communication and cultural problems. Sounds to me like the (Asian) guy may have been unsure about the overtures from this seemingly friendly white guy in a van.

I understand Phoenix's point however and it is a "PC" issue. Do the non-North American's even know the "PC" reference?

 

Actually I'm recording it on the DVR to watch later, if for nothing else to get some kicks out of seeing them squirm as they attack each other. Whatever they say now means absolute jack if either of them gets elected anyway, and I have serious doubts that will even happen. Back on topic, I understand if the guy was scared of a stranger (even at only 5'9 he must have been intimidating! )and also understand the frustration of the guy not being able to help out an FD in need due to the language barrier or whatever. As rotorheads we all hate to see a 7 suffer!

 

I have to agree with money there. Like you say a complete stranger, is hard to trust. Just image you are the guy that having problem and me a look a like thug with you rather wait for your friend help or go with me?

 

I'm hoping for a race between McCain and Obama. My hunch is that would be a more intelligent and less partisan process. A race between Clinton and Romney OTOH, would be nothing more than a mud-fest. Just MHO of course.

 

Your asian? Wtf..

 

so are u whats your point

 

I hope you mean that you appreciate all races equally rather than just because you "deal" with "them" while working.

 

Umm - I do not care what race, or spelling or possible inflection he had, if the car should die we all win, lots of extra parts for the brotherhood and one less chasis to choke up the works.

 

I hate all you people the same. Especially people like 7 rocket. That damn Canadian can eat my sh...NAHNAH J/k Dom. That "Little Asian guy" with the leaky intercooler was me by the way...HAHA! Freaking BADSVN2000 was just pushing me to go to his friends shop. I thinking he liking me or something....NAHNAH J/k again.

BADSVN2000 if I was in that guys position, I would have taken your help. Given the fact I didn't even know that the intercooler didn't have water in it...******* guy.

 

LOL funny vid

btw who cares if he plays on the steriotype? You think if I went to Japan and acted like that with an FD they wouldnt say "dumb american". Honestly, it adds to the story.

 

I guess if you were driving in your 7 and pulled up along side of the guy in trouble, he would have felt differently. You were in your work van and as far as the "asian" guy knows, you are sending him to your friends shop or some alley way to beat him up or hack up his car. If you were in your 7, the two of you will probably be sharing your car stories right now.

I understand that you were trying to be helpful but you have to look at it from his point of view.

I had a similar experience about 10 years ago, (except there was no broken car or anything) but I had my 7(fd) parked outside a parts shop and was inside looking into buying some parts from a wreaked 7. I come out and there was some guy looking at my car and he was really wanted my to follow him to his house because he said he had a 7(fd). I hesitated but my curiousity made me follow him. I follow him to his house and the guy tells me to park outside and follow him to the back, all along, I'm thinking to myself If I should do this or not, but I figure I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Sure enough, the guy had a 7 in the back, so I said to myself, okay, at least he has a 7. I car was missing the whole front and had no plates and this complete stranger is now asking me to leave my 7 on the street (this was in Brooklyn, NY) and drive his car around to see if everything is working correctly. Now I hesitated again, seeing that he is in need of parts and there are no plates on the car, do I want to leave my car and go for a drive in his car while leaving my car on the street (all different senarios is going through my mind, ie...will my car still be there when I come back, etc...) but back then there wasn't that much of an opportunity to drive another 7 (fd). So, I've gotten in this complete strangers car and went for a drive. We're on the parkway, with no front bumper and I think, there was no lights either, and the guy tells me to do some speed runs to see how it feels and he kept on telling to go faster on the parkway (Belt parkway for those who live in NY), and when we were off the parkway, the guy starts to tells me to blow all the traffic lights that was red. The whole time, I'm thinking to myself, this is nuts, I'm the one who is going to be locked up if a cop pulls me over and for all I know, I'm driving a stolen car and my car is being parted out as I'm out for the joy ride. I'm breaking every traffic law there was and to top it off, the guy tell me he was a cop and everything will be alright if we get stopped, now I really starting to wonder, I didn't see a badge or anything. I drove his car back to his house, my car was still there, but, I was still having doubts about the cop story considering that he was telling to break every traffic law there was in the middle of Brooklyn. His car felt fine and we went on our separate ways.

A couple of weeks went by and and I'm driving on Belt Parkway, I see an undercover cop car following me for a stretch of the parkway, all along, I'm doing the speed limit. I got off the parkway and this car follows me off and then the cop turns on his lights and pulls me over. I wasn't able to see at first who it was because the windows on the undercover car was heavly tinted. I pulled over and I looked in my rearview mirror, I see his big grin. We joked about it for a while and it wasn't until that moment, I felt comfortable to let him try out my car.

 

man just let the man tell his story n chill...don't need to get all offensive

 

i agree that he didn't intend it to be racist..or else he wouldn't insist on helping him in the first place. where were you at when my car broke down..lol

 

I was probably workin on my own car, putting it together oh and I live in NZ not the US lol otherwise I may have been able to help.
I think its funny, people jumping on the racial bandwagon. I am in no way racist, not that I should have to defend myself but one of my best mates is Maori, the bassist in my band is Samoan hell I could go on all day! I really couldnt care less where you are from or what colour you are as far as im concerned if your a good person thats all that matters.

I can also understand now thinking about it why he may have been aprehensive about the whole thing but my freinds workshop is a reputable business who does most of the work on performance cars in the area but he was with his sister and his friend so I dont know why he would have felt unsafe. I was patient with the language barrier but he may not have been.

Ha ha I didnt think I would get this type of responce its good fun reading!

 

You guys (US ppl) wory too mutch about racism..... BADSVN2000 never had any type of racism in that story....

I would of accepted your help IF: i was really in a jam AND you looked like you really knew wtf you were talking about

 

if in Sth AKL i can imagine that happening or even out West(Henderson) but I reckon some places have just caught a bad rep because of past incidents.( and i am not saying they are bad places.... coz i am a Sth AKler...)

BadSVN2000, this friend you speak of; that has a garage - he be located in ET??

 

Ooo, whats your band called?

What area would that be? :O

 

I'm a friendly person, if someone came up to me in a kind manner asking if I need assistance after saying they own one, i'd love their company... there's not many rotary owners where i'm located let alone FD owners, so it would be cool in a sense.

 

I have tried to help a few in motoring trouble ,car people do not respond well so I give them a business card and go .Motorcycle people will take the help and the card plus return for more busness .I noted this after forty to fortyfive years of doing custom and repair work .

 

agreed. considering how rare it is to have another fd owner offer there help...anywhere

 

Great story! And I agree... If you were in your FD, I would of followed you.. But some stranger in some shady van, probably not.

fd3rew, I lived in Brooklyn... long time ago.. I went to PS230 for grade school and lived off of Beverly Rd off of Church ave.

 

Good luck with McCain nomination!

 

After watching the debate last night I was thinking its quite possible we could see an Obama/Clinton or Clinton/Obama ticket. That would be a force to be reckoned with no matter who the Republicans offer up.

 

There are a lot of things much more disturbing than one guy noticing and mentioning that another guy is little and Asian, IMO.