Why do people spit on my car?

You're willing to live with cosmetic damage to a very valuable Ferrari because you think it will discourage further damage. Either way, your fancy car is damaged and unsightly. Why would anyone accept that?

I strongly disagree with your and @Concretecomet 's idea that it's the cleanliness that invites the abuse. That has nothing to do with it. Neither does how many key marks it already has. People key cars for two reasons: Either they resent the wealth that the car implies, or it's retaliation for something you did that pissed them off. They're not going to give a hoot whether it's clean or not.

 

True, but clean older cars may look more valuable to random passersby than dirty older cars.

I've noticed people swerving into my lane 3 different times while driving the Ferrari. I don't know if it's just random bad drivers or people trying to unnerve me. But it's happened only while in the Ferrari.

 

I accept that because:

1. The performance is more important to me than the paint.
2. The form and shape of the car is still beautiful to me despite some scratches.
3. 'Very valuable' is a subjective thing.

 

I haven’t repaired a couple small dents and a few scratches on mine because a perfect car will not remain perfect.

However the idea that it’s ok to let someone scratch or vandalize your car is silly. It is never ok to ruin people’s property. If we lived in a civilized country you’d be able to extract retribution for that….

 

Sorry to see ans read!


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If you want to be invisible in an expensive car, buy a 911.

 

Wow Mike, I’m sorry this has been your experience… that sucks. I’m guessing it’s difficult to generalize to an entire city (Bay Area, or even the OP’s experience in Detroit). I’m lucky that after ~10 years of owning Ferraris in the South Bay and Peninsula, I’ve had nothing but positive comments and thumbs up (most entertaining was in the 308 when a guy and his buddy started singing the Magnum PI theme next to me at a stop light).

Mind if I ask where about in the Bay Area this happened to you?

Ruben

 

I’ve had this happen multiple times in my few weeks of ownership, people trying to get cute and purposely ride ultra close to you for no reason or switch lanes within a eyelash of you because they know you are protective of your car. Funny nobody bothers to do that to my lexus truck….

Another common one is somebody with an also “sporty” or nicer car flying past you to try and prove they also have a gas peddle then giving you a dirty look. I usually give them a smile and thumbs up and they realize “hey maybe I’m the jerk” and every time they have smiled back seemingly just happy that the guy in the Ferrari recognized they have a “cool” car too and doesn’t think he’s better than anyone….

 

I've been lucky to have been a Ferrari owner for the past 28 years. over that time, I've had the whole hey that's cool, and atta boy, and the F you, dirtbag. ... had people try to run me off the road - not sure if on purpose or not. I've been stranded with one of the cars, and had both people stop to help, and other geer and get happy that it broke down.... its human nature I guess. I'm sure it is jealousy and envy, and that is a burden you take with these cars. They say wealth whether you like it or not.

that being said, I have only had one vandalism incident - and that was in Pittsburgh - where someone smashed the driver's window to steal my date's leather jacket. .... I don't have that car anymore, I don't live in Pittsburgh, and definitely don't date her!!!

I've had people sit on my car, and had to yell at them... this has happened twice - and mostly in the last 5 years. when people are standing next to it or looking I have no problem, even with the odd touch (usually the scudetto ) but if they start to really manhandle it ... I get irritated - not because its a Ferrari but because its not theirs, does not matter if its a pinto or a Ferrari ... your property is yours and mine is mine ... I treat yours with respect - I expect the same in return.

I think its an overall decline in morals and manners in the country. about 10+ years ago I was at the GA tech car show, and Ed Wettach brought his 288 GTO, F-40 and F-50 to the show. we're were literally sitting behind the cars, and these 3 punk kids, about 9-12 yrs old started to touch them and even try to open the 288... Ed yells at them, and the kid says "you roll dis? " ... Ed says Yea, I roll that! get away from it. then the mother comes over and starts to get loud... its just a car, etc.... Ed had a great comeback, My cars are not bothering your kids, why do they have to bother my cars? .... the mother could care less, and just said lets go. never said - that is not yours dont do that or even offer an apology. when kids learn that - its in the culture.

hate that the OP had the issue. hope all goes well. however in the end it is just a car... use it in good taste & Fun! don't lock it away.

 

Fair enough my friend. To each his own.

 

My 1st Ferrari, a pristine 328, I drove quite often and took it to dinner one night and it rained.....dirty dusty rain..... Someone decided to take their finger and write "wash me" on the engine lid and they must have pressed their fingers so hard that it scratched "washed me" into the paint. I had to compound it 3 times to get the Halo out. Still haunted by it.

 

Agree on both. One...you bought it to drive it, not rub it with a diaper. As for the second, jealousy grows along with poverty. Failing to recognize what your doing wrong seems to be a problem for those with the jealously streak in them.

 

Las Vegas is great for exotics. Almost no haters, the social culture likes "nice stuff" - like LA, Miami, North Dallas, etc. The trade off is we have a lot of poseurs and "$30k Millionaires", but it's fine as long as they don't throw things at the car.

You must leave Detroit. Seriously. I can understand the appeal of Northern Michigan lake country but Detroit is such a freaking hole.

 

New years day week a couple years ago I drove downtown and parked outside my friends surf shop. It's the only place I park because he has cameras looking out on the sidewalk and my car was like covered... I'm chatting with him inside and this maybe 20 year old girl hops up on the front hood/fender. She says "take a picture of me!" Her Boyfriend on the sidewalk looks at her and says "Get. Off. The Car." Which she did.
Luckily no scratches. Part of me is like "That's so rude." The other part of me thinks "ahh. a car guy with respect for other things".

It's this Instagram **** mixed with a little alcohol and no manners. Cars and Coffee is the worst. Generally I find the higher socio economic areas are more favorable.

 

It’s not actual Detroit we live in god forbid that, it’s the suburbs but yea I’m with you. Believe me if I could take my parents and sisters with me I would have been in Scottsdale a decade ago if not more, I used to say also maybe Texas but man has Texas changed in the past decade, unless you’re in the middle of nowhere it has no charm left just a disaster show.

Each of my parents has 9 siblings, I have endless family and pretty much everyone in my family tree is a multiple business owner. For better or worse this is home, the roots are too deep to pull out…

 

With that many of them, they'll be just fine without you!

 

I admire your self-sacrifice. My entire family is still in Ontario, except one cousin in LA who never visits anyway. I made my choice at 17 to come to the States, chose my locations for college, grad school and then my business and have built up a great life for myself and my family here in the desert. My mom did about 5 years in LA and Santa Barbara but had to return home for health care.

I will admit I sometimes daydream about getting a home in Niagara to visit and to spend more time with my family in the summer. But the reality is that they don’t even spend $250 to fly here from Buffalo to see me, even with an extra bedroom and cars to borrow, so… whatever. Everyone makes their own priorities and for a long time we’ve been the ones to take time and spend the money. When we didn’t make the effort ourselves then we see my parents every 5-8 years.

 

Haha that’s one way to look at it!

 

It’s not something entirely impossible but i feel like maybe it’s a little late to uproot and start a life somewhere else, even if it would be a happier life. My business is easy I can operate it from anywhere and my other investments here don’t need me to be present. I probably should have done it when my parents were younger though, to leave them now when they are elderly and need me the most I feel like would be wrong. If I had done it 15 years ago after college they would have adjusted by now to not having me there, much more difficult to do now. I’m the only boy and while my sisters are tough and smart I couldn’t just drop it all on them, that’s a cultural thing I suppose.

It is what it is, funny how this conversation has turned into this. I’m not even worried about the spit anymore, today was probably the last day I’m going to be able to put the top down until spring and it was a good day.

I sincerely appreciate all the conversation and input

 

From a practical standpoint get PPF for the car, or wrap it, and it will relieve 95% of your stress.

I have wrapped my last two Ferraris, put about 1k/mo on them and park them everywhere… and keep a small bag of microfiber towels, a duster, wrap cleaner spray (or ammonia free Windex) in the trunk. Whether it’s bird poop or soda or spit it is super easy to remove.

 

Same, except I was born in '74, and left 10 years ago. I miss CA every day, but it is a shame what it has become.

 

Lol, That is exactly what I did. Sold my two Fcars and bought a 911 Carrera Cab.

Problems went away instantly and I didn’t have to worry about where I parked it.

 

Back in the 90's I had a Diablo. Without fail if I drove it to the mall and I always parked far away from everyone else, I would still find someone left me a "spit" package on the car. This turned me off having overtly exotic cars and why I went exclusively Porsche for more than 20 years afterwards.

 

It is much easier for anyone to destroy than it is to create, which is why these people feel empowered by damaging things. It takes a second to key a car, but how many hours of sanding, preparation and paint work does it take to make it in the first place.

I do think it is a lack of values and dedication to get to where you are. A lot of people just think one day people wake up with the means to buy a Ferrari overnight. My father grew up without running water and electricity and in one generation his son owns a Ferrari. Only in America is this possible and let me tell you it was a lot of work.

I always tried to learn what others did to achieve success as with that information you can build a roadmap to success. Learning from others is the key to growth.

Rome was not built in a day, but it was destroyed in one.


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I agree with dbomb117 , and I might add that people don’t fear a reaction, even if you catch someone vandalizing your car the police likely won’t do anything, unless you deal with them yourself, then your arrested. Unfortunately scum know this and enjoy more protections then those with something to loose. Also as a side note to dbomb117, my father also grew up with no water in the house and sometimes had to gather to eat, yet was never raised to be jealous, it’s not poverty that makes people do bad things IMO it’s what they use to justify it