Doc1647545523

That's kind of you to say, Brian. The truth is that meeting people on CR has enriched my life, and the little bit I give back is meager by comparison. I will keep the thread updated as things begin to take shape. I see that there is enough interest in this type of thing for me to continue to plan and negotiate the lease. Thanks to everyone who has brought up ideas. I hope I can put together something which will meet at least some of the needs and wishes that you've all expressed. Please realize that in its final form, it won't be exactly what any one person wanted, and it's possible it will be something that some folks may not want at all. But that's okay.

I'll be up for something. Last night the rain had me feeling like I was grounded. No grudge racing, no ricer meet, no fun at all

It's riffraff like you that I have to make sure to keep out. :lolguy:

This would be the type of thing we should watch for, but I would hold off buying anything (unless you want it for yourself) until I make the lease and we set-up and agree on a plan. Although I'm pretty sure I'm going to get the lease, clubhouse or not, everything should be considered to be in the pipedreaming stage for now.

I guess the locker idea is pretty popular. Yeah, well there could be crude lockers made, or an old one located and brought in, and folks could put their own padlocks on their bin. My prejudice against lockers is that in the event a thief gets access, it tells him where the valuables are.

All good comments. Thanks. I hadn't thought about lockers or locking storage, Gabe. In fact, I'd like to stay away from that, although I understand your concern. Perhaps people who feel they want that can bring some means of locking up their stuff (such as in a car trunk). There is, however, a separate room behind the office, heated but no a/c, which could be kept locked and could have tables or shelves for valuables, toolboxes, and the like. But, again, when you have more than one person with a key, there could always be the question of something being borrowed or stolen. And then there's the issue of having other people around during meets ...... will your "buddies" feel they have permission to check out your build? Most people really hate that, and I don't blame them. How about your brother-in-law who is just dying to see the Century, or the Bentley? It would be so tempting to bring him along in the spring when you pick up your bike from storage and give him an unofficial tour. I think I'm resigned to going with key cards and cameras, and not trying to have individual locking storage. I'll have to figure a way of assuring security during a CR meet or open house. As you can see from the thread, some people are willing to donate items and loan tools and equipment; I don't want to have any of that put at risk. I'm torn on these considerations. I'd still like to keep it very informal, just as I have it at my garage now: some on CR have a key, sometimes people come around in a group to work on cars, some have things in storage there. It all has an "over at a friend's garage" feel to it. No one would consider trashing the place or stealing from me. To keep this feel, it may need to stay very small, like maybe 6 or so storage/mechanic spots, all of whom know each other and trust one another. Perhaps the social members (limited to 30 or so?) wouldn't have access to the main garage unless I'm around. Still a lot to think about.

That's the only bug I get. Exterminator says they are harmless. They sometimes eat plants, but usually other insects. Typically I find them at night, and they move pretty fast, like silverfish almost. Sometimes one gets into the bathtub or sink and gets trapped, which is weird, because they seem to be able to climb walls okay. I'm told they come up from basements and foundations, especially after a lot of rain. Spraying twice a year eliminates them temporarily. I believe they are a type of house centipede. Kids should not handle them, as they can bite, and it can feel like a bee sting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scutigera_coleoptrata

Doc 12.81@107.97 1.93 60' 5-13-11--Bentley Continental Flying Spur--twin turbo http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/Bentley%20at%20National%20Trail/timeslip.jpg video: http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/Bentley%20at%20National%20Trail/th_NTR.jpg

http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/ratingSystem.jpg

Your thoughts are much appreciated, my friend. Sometimes, that one bad thing outweighs all the good things that come along with it.

I was thinking the contrary: every night is ladies' night ..... free social and mechanic's memberships to females.

My preliminary thought is, he couldn't. No guests. It sucks, but we'd have to have that understanding in advance. This wouldn't be acceptable to many people, but that's okay. I'm not interested in expanding a business, I'm interested in keeping it small, simple, safe.

Very good points. I hadn't thought of the individual access codes. That would be an extra measure of accountability. The lift adds additional problems and risks, no doubt about it. It would be so nice to have, though. Much to think about.

Neal, there'd be no need for background checks. If I didn't know and trust someone, I wouldn't allow him to store stuff there. It would be limited to someone I personally knew or someone that a trusted friend vouched for. My tentative idea would be that it would be a month-to-month thing, and I'd have to see how it worked out. It will be small on the storage and mechanic end, because space isn't unlimited and we don't need people fighting over scheduling the lift. It will have a security system, and I suspect Thorne will help me with security cameras. This would be for everyone's safety and peace of mind. He has a system that you can access on your phone to check the place when you're away. We'd probably have to agree to a no-guest rule. Things could go bad if someone decided to start giving tours of the place. :gtfo:

Good point, Jeffro. I've thought about the liability. The liability is only manageable for me if this is limited to trustworthy, sensible individuals. I really appreciate people looking for possible problems with this idea and posting their thoughts. There are bound to be angles I haven't considered. But, in the balance, we all have many liabilities in our daily lives that we accept and try to keep at a minimum, but we don't limit ourselves because of our fear of what might happen. I had quite a few people warn me not to have a CR meet at my shop because of all the legal risks, stuff that would be stolen, damage to the place, and trash that would be left behind. Yet, people worked together, were reasonable, respected the place, and there were no problems I was aware of. Maybe I was just lucky? I'd like to think that good people, given the chance to make good choices, will try to do that. People I would allow in my place would have to be friends from CR I knew and trusted, just as Kill Joy said. This wouldn't be an offer open to the public, or even open to just any CR lurker who thought he could take advantage of the offer. If someone breaks the rules, they're out.

I guess in some ways, I'm already doing this. I open my shop for people wanting to clean their cars in the winter, I have allowed people to store bikes and cars there, we've had a meet there. My frustration is that there isn't a lot of room right now, so I've had to turn people down when they've asked to use my place to work on a car for a few weeks. I can't give up that space and also get my stored cars in & out. I also don't have any comfortable "lounge" area to just hang-out. Having a few hundred square feet with heat & a/c would be much nicer. If I had the funds, I'd just do it and say forget any fee. But I'm not at the point where I can install a lift, pay to heat such a big place, and keep it all clean myself. Yet I'd like to provide a space like this for my friends. I wish I'd had access to something like this when I was younger.

Thanks for the feedback, but we actually agree on this. It would not be open to everyone. I would have to be careful who would be allowed to do this. I guess everyone storing things with me would have to trust that no riffraff would be let in. However, anyone who paid a cent would need to have a key.

Long read -- Cliffs @ end I had an idea something like this around 3 years ago when I was looking to rent a large space near Polaris. Just lately, flat tire and I were brainstorming on a similar theme. Here's the vague idea: On the south side of Delaware, where I currently lease a 3,000 sq.ft. storage space, I have the opportunity to rent 5,550 sq.ft., with 5,000 sq.ft. of that in a well-lit, heated space with epoxy floors, 35' ceiling, and two car wash bays with drains. There is about 400 sq. ft. of nicely finished office-type space with individually-controlled heat and a/c. There are two huge overhead doors with openers and man doors into the office area on one side and into the "garage" space from the other direction. There is a huge outdoor parking area well-lit, not within sight of the public road. There is a slop sink in the garage area (hot and cold water), but the public rest rooms require you walk to another part of the building. Access is going to be all paved, unlike my current situation which has part-gravel. I have considered installing a lift in the garage area and furnishing the office area with sofas, maybe a big screen TV, video game console. From my experience with my current garage, I can tell you that heating all this space and keeping it clean is more expensive and time-consuming than I can commit to alone. So, my goofy idea would be to offer some combination of the following: 1) monthly rental space for CR members/my friends to store cars or bikes ($50 for car/$15 for bike?) 2) a monthly "mechanic" membership to allow access to the garage to work on your car, use the lift, use the indoor wash bays in cold weather (maybe $25?) 3) a monthly "social" membership ($10?) allowing you a place to hangout, watch movies, use of the fridge, sound system etc. 4) a place capable of hosting a large meet, away from watchful eyes, with plenty of indoor space in bad weather, room for a portable dyno, etc. 5) a place for RC cars in winter, maybe build a slot car track, ????? This would have no connection to CR; it would be my responsibility and transactions would be through me. The fees are needed to offset the utility costs (huge heating bill) and help pay for the lift and the overall wear-and-tear. There could be no illegal drugs or reckless behavior on the premises, no parking lot ricer antics, no disrespectful behavior. I would like to keep the number of "members" small and the arrangements informal. I'm not about to let just anyone have access to my cars, my tools, my space. Everyone would have a key to the place. Members who can't afford the fees would do some cleaning or routine maintenance in lieu of all or part of their fees. I'm open to input/suggestions/criticisms. The idea is pretty vague at this point and I'm sure there are lots of things I haven't thought through. My biggest reservation is that lots of people may not be keen on having this in south Delaware, 15 miles north of I-270. However, if it's something I'm doing, it would have to be here. Cliffs: Wanna come to my Clubhouse?

Ohio weather never fails to disappoint ..... looks to me like rain's heading in from the west. :fuuuu:

Damn straight. :fuckyeah:

And remember what I told you the reason was for the Century having fender mirrors? http://i355.photobucket.com/albums/r445/martyr65/2-1.jpg

Farkas and I don't bet each other -- there's simply NOTHING he has that I would ever want.

But I don't have any grudges ........ can I still come out to race?

Nice work, Brady. But, remind your customer, it won't really be a Harley edition until he removes the mufflers.

Emerald Isle is on the Bogue Banks, not part of the Outer Banks. But I admit, I've never been there. I spent a lot of time on the Core Banks (primitive, no public transports), which is between them. What's the attraction to Emerald Isle? I thought it was mostly private homes, not much in attractions. This might be worth a trip.