Editor’s note: This month’s Stationary Engine List is a continuation from last month’s column discussing the rules and regulations that govern old-engine shows.
Butt Buggies
– If you have a need for one, you can have it but you must register it. Despite the rule, someone gets mowed down by a manic golf cart pilot every year. If you are a worker, like the flea market czar or the photographer – or have a medical need – you can use one. We don’t give anyone the third degree on how handicapped they are, no sense belittling anyone. Still, a lot of folks sneak them in to cruise the flea market. Does any club have a handle on this?
– Butt buggies should be available only to the handicapped. Portland requires not only a handicapped tag, but also a letter from the individual’s doctor, which has cut down a good bit on the ‘borrowing’ of someone else’s tag.
– Butt buggies are a difficult topic. When I was younger, I got around pretty good, and it wasn’t needed. Now with some age on, it’s nice to visit friends across the show grounds before 8 a.m. and after 4 p.m., which is allowed now. Sometimes they’re needed to pick up some heavy engine part from the flea market.
– Your club’s existing rules are good but should be enforced better in the flea market areas, where there are too many capable folks driving lawn tractors where there are a lot of people.
– Yes, they should be allowed for the handicapped and for those who work at the show. But, you must have someone willing to enforce your rules.
– (UK) Only powered invalid carriages are allowed in the shows.
– This is a big problem with each and every show. They are needed, but at certain times they shouldn’t be allowed into certain areas. A thought coming into Portland is every buggy is numbered – no number, no move. If abuse on a buggy is reported by one or two people, then that buggy will have its number removed.
– If it’s an exhibit and driven with respect, okay. But, many people use butt buggies or golf carts to ride up and down the vendor isles viewing what’s for sale. How many times have your ankles been run into by idiots in golf carts not paying attention to where they’re going? And the worst offenders seem to be the management!
– If there’s space, there should be a designated area to go and drive around away from the people. But, keeping it fair, why not just have the person hang a normal vehicle handicapped tag on what they’re driving? This also provides a good identification number in case there are problems. If they’re caught abusing the privilege, they get one warning.
– The second time, you are escorted to the gate, where you either leave, or leave your butt buggy parked and walk.
– Ninety-five percent of the butt buggies aren’t a problem, and I think the 5 percent remaining will always give us grief. The big thing is to not be afraid to confront someone abusing the rules.
– (Australia) They’re almost non-existent here. There’s the occasional electric wheelchair or small garden tractor, but that’s all I’ve ever seen.
Alcohol
– We don’t sell it. The insurance company had a cow when I asked, and I was against it. It’s cheaper to bring your own, but you better not be running machinery while partaking. What rules on this do other organizations have?
– Selling is not necessary, but please don’t make it illegal for consumption (in moderation), you’ll turn a lot of us away.
– No!
– (UK) I only know of one large show that has stopped selling alcohol, and that’s only in the evening. (Trouble was caused by visiting campers, not exhibitors.)
– If used as refreshment -okay. If used to get drunk – no.
– Quite simple, it should be allowed, but if anyone decides they’re there to get drunk call the police and don’t let them display for the remainder of the show weekend.
– The official word is no alcohol during show time, 8-5, but we aren’t about to go around giving folks a ‘whiz-quiz.’ Do what you got to do, but you can’t buy it on site and be discrete.
– After the show is done and things have settled down, a few beers go down pretty good, and a bit of fellowship is welcome. So far, we’ve had very few instances where things got out of hand, and we dealt with them swiftly.
– (Australia) Again, use common sense. We bring our own and enjoy a good drink or 12 at the end of the day!
Camping or Parking
– Camping or parking with your exhibit, we don’t allow it, but there are always a few who sneak in. I know it ticks folks off, but I’ve seen a lot of shows where it turned the display area into a parking lot. I have a lot of people grumble about it, but they usually come back.
– I like to park with my display, but if the rule says no, that’s okay so long as it’s enforced for everyone.
– Parking is a big problem at all shows these days. Most of us know to come early and usually get a fairly close spot to the displays, but it would be nice to be even closer.
– (UK) Only at the smaller shows. They put the engines in a line all around the field, and the exhibitors park between the engine and the fence. At the larger shows, the engines are in compounds and camping is nearby.
– It depends on the show. Most shows are put on for the public who pay to enter, and they want to see exhibits, not a bunch of trailers, mobile homes, tents and whatnot.
– If the vehicles can be lined up in an orderly fashion, and the exhibits to the rear of the vehicle – we can satisfy everyone.
– Depending on space, if there’s enough room, sure, as long as you clean up after yourself and not let your display area look like a trash heap. Spectators are here for one thing – to see history, not to check out your messy area.
– (Australia) There’s never any camping with the exhibit, and parking is usually close by. I much prefer seeing rows and rows of engines without vehicles or tents in the way. The only common things are shade tents in the middle of the enclosures at locations without shade.
– Most shows are put on for the public who pay to enter, and they want to see exhibits, not a bunch of trailers, mobile homes, tents and whatnot.
Engine enthusiast Helen French lives in Leicester, England. Contact her via e-mail at:helen@insulate.co.uk You can join the Stationary Engine List on the Internet at:www.atis.net
