FastMarkA

Today we loaded up the S4 and I drove my mother, grandfather, and grandmother to visit my cousins. It's only about a 45 minute drive, but to my 80 year old grandparents, that's quite a "hike" as they put it.

I have no problems transporting passengers in my car -- in fact I prefer to drive. But I just did a wash after the big journey...and we have 2 new scratches on the black paint. (Not happy.)

My grandfather is a great person and I love him to death, but his mobile skills are not great and he refuses to use a cane or some other mobility aid. Hence, his hand, with wedding band on, slides down the side of my car to keep him from falling over. Upon seeing this I immediately have a panic attack, but how can I stop an 80-year old man who's been very generous to me?

Then, we have my mother...who needs to bring 50,000 gifts whenever she visits anybody. I think when she pulled whatever it was she was gifting from the trunk, it drug along my bumper and there is a new 1" line that I really didn't need.

So, bottom line...does anybody have some great lines or comments for their passengers in the interest of keeping one's car as perfect as possible?

nynyvtecjstkickdinyo

its never easy having passengers in your car that see a car as transportaion and nothing more. With that said, unless its a car that never does family duty or u are super **** about rules (which will make people think ur crazy) ya gotta live with it.

Generally most passengers know a person well enough to avoid their own bad habits when in that persons car, but the older folks usually could care less. "its just a car"...

With that said, help grandpa to his destination by letting him lean on you instead of the paint, and unload the trunk stuff for mom on your own. It will save you some aggrevation and you'll do the "good son" thing in the process.

axel

Good advise or maybe he can take Mom's car next time.

FastMarkA

That was an option, but I just like driving my car too much!

Troy H

saying (appx 3 minutes before arrival), "Now grandpa, when we get there I don't want you to get out, I'll come around and help you out, OK?" I find this works every time. It stopped my grandmother from always pushing the door open with her shoe whenever we'd arrive somewhere.

TOGWT

And then one day this young man got married and had children. His wife and kids had some regard for his car but it did occasionally get dirty and they left sweet wrappers etc behind, and eventually the bodywork will get scratched, but thatâ€^TMs what polish and a buffer were made to remove.
JonM

PS: great advice TROY H