Clash at Coffee and Cars

[Dwight]

first let me say that I did not read all the responses and my Cobra has 39,000 miles on it with lots of rock chips.

I have six kids, now 28 to 42 years old and six grand kids, so my response is different than some.

When we ( several of my Cobra buddies) attend a cruise or car show and see a kid (any age) overly interested in a Cobra we ask them if they would like to sit in one. On many occasion I have give some a ride in my Cobra. I hope this will increase their love of cars.

At a local evening cruise a few years back a group of out of towners were looking at my Cobra and the youngest boy was telling the others "that is a Cobra". He may have been 8 - 10 and most of the others were 12 -16. And the two mothers and one dad.
I ask the young man a couple of questions about Cobras and he answered correctly. Then I ask if he wanted to sit in it. Big yes. Out came the cameras and several pictures were taken. Then I ask if he would like a ride. Of course he said yes and I got his mothers permission. We were in a large parking lot with no one parked in one end. I took off slow and then spun the tires a little in second, then to the end of the lot and behind the buildings. Then I told him we could not spin the tires and act a fool on the hiway, gave him the safe driving speech before turning onto the hiway. We drove a couple of miles down the road turned around and returned to the cruise. While driving I asked about his school and what he liked, age, cars, etc.
When we got back one of the older kids ask if they could go for a ride. I got permission from the parent and away we when. Then the next kid, and the next till all eight (boys and girls) got a ride. Each with a little tires spin in the safe end of the parking lot with in site of their parents. All received the safety speech before enter the hiway.

Before they left the parents thanked me numerous times. The kids were well dressed and the parents appeared to be well educated.

The next week, a couple of local teenagers who saw what happen the week before ask for a ride.

I have read many stores about members of this site first Cobra experience, some got a chance to ride in a real Cobra. Something they never forgot.

I hope I have given a few that kind of life long memory. On a closing note I have give several of the dads a ride also. I get the same response as the youngest.

Dwight

[jhv48]

Wow, you guys sure have it good in Alabama.

In California, if we took a kid for a ride and he so much as bumped his knee, his parents would sue.

Sit-ins are even a stretch. Rides, normally out of the question.