Vulgar Music

[br549ms]

Just had to run off a customer who would not turn off vulgar music. First I asked to turn down, the we heard the MFs.... told him to turn off vulgar music. Full lot of people. He started acting stupid, thought he had freedom of speech on private property- he was wrong. I wish the other business would not allow this behavior.

 

[MEP001]

I've had a criminal trespass warrant issued against at least a dozen people over the years for vulgar music. There are city ordinances against loud music, but I have zero tolerance against the vulgar stuff if I can hear it at all outside their vehicle. I tried being polite, asking them to change it, but at least 95% of the time they get an attitude. Now I tell them once, then I call the police.

 

[Earl Weiss]

Once I figured out people don't like being told what to do I use the WIFM (What is in it for me) strategy and "Ask" Much better success rate. For loud music it usually goes like this. "High, how are you doing? Wait for response. - Hoping you can help me out. The neighbors call police for loud music and they issue tickets to the customer and us. We then have to wast a lot of time going to court and stuff like that so can you please turn it down. "

 

[br549ms]

Yes, I have a little more tolerance for "loud" music and usually "ask". But like MEP, I have zero tolerance for vulgar music. I use my hard hearing as a gauge, if I can hear it I know the other customers can hear it. I don't need that type of reparation.

 

[Damoni88]

I have zero tolerance for loud music with bass. If they have the music playing with no vulgarity and its at a nice volume i leave it be. But if i hear the f bomb or others I TELL THEM TURN IT OFF and if they argue i tell them they can do it or i will call the police to make them do it.This is your property and if you tell them to do something they must listen or tell them to leave. If they dont listen call the cops asap. Then you can get them for loud music and trespassing. I have a 6 year old that walks around with me cleaning up somedays and if i hear that crap i make her go sit in the control room so i can approach them. We deal with their messes, leaving hoses on the ground, running over our hoses, pulling hoses off the booms, in no way shape or form will i tolerate ignorant a$$ people playing loud vulgar music with women and kids around. Nor should youor your customers.

 

[MEP001]

Once I figured out people don't like being told what to do I use the WIFM (What is in it for me) strategy and "Ask" Much better success rate. For loud music it usually goes like this. "High, how are you doing? Wait for response. - Hoping you can help me out. The neighbors call police for loud music and they issue tickets to the customer and us. We then have to wast a lot of time going to court and stuff like that so can you please turn it down. "

Believe me, I've tried. It's like those who would blast vulgar lyrics have zero respect for others anyway, and asking just gives them the chance to say no and give me a "What are you gonna do about it?" grin.

I'm actually being a lot more lenient at the wash I just took over - I can be walking by cleaning or hanging up hoses and customers ask me if their music is too loud, something I've never had happen before. I haven't had issues with vulgar music there. The real problems were at a wash in a much nicer neighborhood.

 

[Randy]

Up here in the Pacific Northwest we have noise laws that the police enforce. If they can hear your music 50' away they'll give you a $495 ticket and it's a mandatory court appearance and they enforce it. Sometimes they'll sit across the street working radar and listening for the music. If I'm at the wash and that's not to often during the day and I hear loud music I'll ask them if they've got $495 I can barrow, they look at me like I have alligators climbing out of my ears an say No. Then I tell them that's how much the ticket is going to cost them when the police come. I had one guy tell me to go screw myself, about 3 minutes later a nice policeman showed up and gave him a noise ticket, talk about PO'd. I can't understand how the police got there so fast, somebody must have called.

 

[mjwalsh]

Just a thought. I have a decibel meter that is still on standby that I might use my phone audio-video of showing & hearing the perp. Just in case ... he is really bad & on top of that bad news officer or no police officer shows up.

I had a real spoiled rotten kid about 30ish who went into a threatening mode ... & kept asking for the owner ... even after I said I was the owner ... yes really I am the owner. He even called our business number going into the owner request frenzy ... he was so crazy.

Maybe he did not like the way I just motioned to him like a person turning a knob on a radio ... not sure but most appreciate the light quiet approach of that sort of pantomine. It is hard to predict.

There seem movement in the direction with both police & private body cams ... not sure where some of you stand on that extra precaution. We tend to carry a front pocket shirt which can a allow a good phone to sometimes substitute as a body cam if video record is pressed. We have a Wyze Pan Cam in the laundromat that records both sharp video & audio that is somewhat immediately accessible ... not sure how durable it is though. It kind of works the best for anything loud.

Especially ever since the near loss of life incident happened .... when the former emergency overnight shelter was about a block away ... we tend to try not to get too close to anyone who is too wacky .... but then again appearances can fool a caretaker of any facility for that matter. Also, they can even fool police officer(s) with their manipulation & denial etc.

 

[srr5008]

I ask them nicely (once) point at our "no loud music" signs (which no one reads) and if they don't cooperate, I flip off the breaker for whatever piece of equipment they are using. I've had a couple of times where people squawked about it, but usually they know they are in the wrong and just leave.

 

[seattleguy]

Up here in the Pacific Northwest we have noise laws that the police enforce. If they can hear your music 50' away they'll give you a $495 ticket and it's a mandatory court appearance and they enforce it. Sometimes they'll sit across the street working radar and listening for the music. If I'm at the wash and that's not to often during the day and I hear loud music I'll ask them if they've got $495 I can barrow, they look at me like I have alligators climbing out of my ears an say No. Then I tell them that's how much the ticket is going to cost them when the police come. I had one guy tell me to go screw myself, about 3 minutes later a nice policeman showed up and gave him a noise ticket, talk about PO'd. I can't understand how the police got there so fast, somebody must have called.

Be careful about your use of "in the Pacific Northwest." Up here in Seattle we've stopped enforcing most laws. Pretty much a free for all. I'm sure you've see the Seattle Is Dying episode.

 

[Alpine Dreams]

...There seem movement in the direction with both police & private body cams ... not sure where some of you stand on that extra precaution. We tend to carry a front pocket shirt which can a allow a good phone to sometimes substitute as a body cam if video record is pressed. We have a Wyze Pan Cam in the laundromat that records both sharp video & audio that is somewhat immediately accessible ... not sure how durable it is though. It kind of works the best for anything loud...

Recently a guy came to my car wash to pay for a hit and run that he did 4 days earlier. I went to the sheriff's department and they told him to come pay or get indicted. He asks for receipts of what I replaced when he arrives and I told him that I'm not playing these games he can pay or leave. He started to cuss me out and I walked away and drove off. I called the deputy and told him to press charges because he's here, but is unwilling to pay. The guy called the deputy before I did and said I refused payment. I thought about getting a body cam for just such an occasion for if it happens in the future.

 

[mjwalsh]

Alpine Dreams & others,

We had a hit & run from a large semi. We tried to avoid police because we knew which outfit by the color of the truck. The receptionists at the local office lied & said that there was no way they could determine which driver out of their hundreds of trucks. The scary part was our camera did not show license or the # of the truck. They turned it over to some former Minnesota collegiate star wrestler barely out of college that was their in charge of similar problems person. Only after letting him know of the "hit & run" criminal penalty side of the situation ... & giving him an ultimatum did he come around. I went by some old estimates from similar damage & sent him those as our basis. He said .... that the company required at least two brand new estimates by certified overhead door companies.

Long story short the two new estimates came in higher so all he did was cost them more in the end ... which I tried to reason with him with. He was in the Fargo area 200 miles away .... so I called Whale a Wash (one of our members) & his go to company was good enough to whip up an estimate for me ... so the rascal had even within his own area (a verification) the cost of replacing panels on our polycarbonate Alaskan door.

I will give the credit to the former wrestler ... when unlike the receptionists (who may have been under orders from higher ups to do so) ... he did own up to the fact that the GPS on all their trucks makes it so they can track exactly the whereabouts & at the exact time when. I am glad it did not get into a law enforcement situation because you never know ... when you might get an officer who would not bother to force or set the stage for a release of that GPS info!!!

What gets a bit tougher in these situations is when the car wash owners do the repair of a portion of it themselves because they are the only ones that have the panels or whatever in stock ... the perp sometimes uses that as a way of challenging & wasting a person's time even more!

So when you said the guy was playing games with you ... it probably resonated with more of us than you might think.

In your case where the accident guy voluntarily came back ... that could change the dynamics a bit???

The uncertainty of getting an "anti car wash leaning" judge carries some weight too.

 

[Alpine Dreams]

That's a lot of headache, MJW. Sucks that you, and others, have to deal with this so often. I had another hit and run yesterday. Haven't even settled the last one. This one left the bar next door, drove through bay 6 and then drove off without even slowing down. It was an equipment rental truck. I had an estimate given to me by a repair company of $1300. Can't wait for them to see that bill.

 

[Earl Weiss]

.. the perp sometimes uses that as a way of challenging & wasting a person's time even more!

Insurance companies are just as bad. Was not a hit and run. Repaired damage ourselves. Charged only for parts. Mostly plumbing supplies and the driver's insurance company deducted a depreciation factor.

 

[washnvac]

I have been in this biz since 1994. My tolerance for these idiots is less than zero. Since most of them are idiots, I treat them as such. They are at a place of business, not their homeboys garage. I do not need their few dollars and will not put up with their crap. Therefore, they get told to turn the shiz down or leave. Sometimes, I will reach in and turn it down for them.

Someday, I would like to install loud speakers over every vacuum and have the ability to blast John Denver's Thank God I'm a Country Boy. I guess this is just wishful thinking, though.

 

[Damoni88]

Some of these (i think im in my home boyz garage)when asked to turn down tell me they are leaving. I say good dont go to my other 2 washs and dont come back here. ZERO TOLERANCE F$$K THEM. MR I THINK IM ON THE BACK ON THE BLOCK!!

 

[soonermajic]

How bout tell them "listen up you piece of $hit, I don't wanna listen to no fukin cussing, next time I hear it, I'm gonna kick your pu$$y A$$!" Make sure they know you are carrying heat to.

 

[mac]

There is an opportunity here. I have always thought that someone should come up with a small hand held device that when pointed at a car with a boom box, it would make the amplifier emit a loud squealing sound. Imagine the fun the next time you’re stopped at a light and one of these pulls up next to you.

 

[jsoriano]

Just had to run off a customer who would not turn off vulgar music. First I asked to turn down, the we heard the MFs.... told him to turn off vulgar music. Full lot of people. He started acting stupid, thought he had freedom of speech on private property- he was wrong. I wish the other business would not allow this behavior.

Hello, we used to have many problems with loud and vulgar music. We installed XM radio in each one of our self serve bays and couple of speakers near the vacuums and play oldies, motown, etc.... also since we can play recorded messages we use it for publicity and security during the night.
Since we installed no more loud music.....everyone likes oldies. I have found some customers even continue spraying his cars just to finish listening the songs...lol

 

[soapy]

I found that if you play some old Carpenters tunes when they are playing their vulgar music they will scatter like flies.