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Frank and others
> That may be fine where you are, but if someone climbing on my tank or
> armored car slips and falls I get sued and they may own both. I have a set
> of steps I set next to the M20 but as for as the tank goes unless I know
> them it's look all you want but, no climbing. Lawyers make it this way not
> me.
The suggestions that Frank has commented on are great. I too would like
to see the reality of this sort of thing. But, I also share Frank's
concerns.
Short of sitting inside your vehicle, with at least one or 2 mates
on guard duty on the exterior (attentive and not star gazing) then
you are asking for trouble. The reality of kids inside something even
seemingly indestructible as an AFV is that they BREAK THINGS! They
walk on, swing from, fight over and pull your rare headsets, unless
you have locked everything away that is. Even when you lock things down
they will try and break them open "to see what's inside". Expect to find
every control (including parking brakes) altered, light switches broken
(not at all helpfull for the trip home), wiring torn from accessories
etc.
Ever had someone (usually an adult) get into your engine bay and remove
radiator caps, dip sticks etc, of course they don't put them back, and
if you don't discover what they have done you could end up with a seized
engine.
I won't go into the aspects of deliberate theft.
A while back I caught a 16 year old girl and several friends actively
destroying some of my property. When told to stop the response was
"nobody owns it" when it was quite blatantly mine. How do you stop them?
Try and find out who the parents are amongst thousands? Physically
remove them? (Wouldn't that be great, instant label of child molestor).
I succeeded by intimidation, but whilst I was talking to them, they did
not stop what they were doing.
Then there is the classic military AFV problem, each year, everyone's
Armies have the problem of these fit/healthy young soldiers who fall
off stationary AFV's and break parts of their anatomy. Let average
Joe public loose on the top of your vehicle and after one or 2 incidents
you are going to be uninsurable.
I don't wish to be negitive, but it is necessary to be realistic.
I attend an annual charity event where I did volunteer to provide tank
rides, the organisers thanked me but declined as they perseeved it to
be a Pandora's box if opened.
So we answer questions, let people peer in through hatches etc: but
only for 10 minute stretches allow people on the vehicles, when we do
we stand there (at least 3 of us) and hand kids down and stop 5 kids
all trying to use the one set of hand holds at once etc. After that
we need some time to recover. It is not a case of just letting 2 on at
a time because the instant one kid see's another on a tank, they all
come running - they pay no attenion at all when you say "2 at a time".
I think this is why you will find it is only the newer owners who
allow access to their vehicles.
I don't have the answers, am just pointing out a few things.
Regards
Doug
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Armoured Vehicles Collector
_______
_/_(_o_)_\_ ____
_/|___|_|___|\_ /____\
/ [___] [___] \ Douglas Greville _/[o]___\_
/\_ [o] [o] _/\ Broken Hill __/=_|____|_=\__
|w||___________||w| N.S.W. /__\__________/__\
|w|\u u/|w| Australia |w| \ / |w|
|w| \_________/ |w| |w|$ \______/ $|w|
[w] [w] [w] [w]
M8 Ferret
dgrev@ruralnet.net.au
Web Armour site at: http://Fast.to/DG
(http://members.xoom.com/dgrev/index.html)
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