Car shows can be a great way to get out of the house and introduce your family to the world of cars. Whether the show is tuners, exotics, or classics, there are car shows that can grab just about anyone’s interest. Before you head out for your town’s local Cars and Coffee show, there are some things you should make sure you – and especially your kids – aren’t doing at your local car show.

“Please don’t touch”

When you’re walking through a museum you’ve probably seen the sign “Please Don’t Touch” on expensive or rare displays, and even though the cars might not be sitting in an exhibit this rings true for cars in shows. Whether you realize it or not, leaning on or touching a car can damage the car’s paint, making it one of the biggest unspoken rules of car shows.

Not only can touching or leaning on car damage the paint, but it can also leave marks on the already-detailed wax or ceramic coating that most car owners use to protect the paint. While it isn’t necessarily damaging, having an oily handprint on the side of the car detracts from the car’s overall show quality.

Some shows are judged and car owners and their vehicles can win various awards depending on the type of car show you attend. Scratching the car or leaving marks on it, whether intentional or not, can also ruin an owner’s chance of winning an award.

Just be considerate

Chances are someone spent several hours worth of detailing and preparation to get their car ready for a show, and it requires a little bit more than your standard drive-through car wash. Owners are usually enthusiastic about answer questions about their cars.

Going to a show by yourself, with friends, or with your family can be a relaxing and even inspiring activity, and most of them are free to attend as spectators. Whether it is for an organization or a charity, however, most shows require a fee to enter, and that means car owners paid to enter their beloved show-cars and probably spent a lot of time making sure they were just right for display.

Using phone apps like VINwiki can make car shows more enjoyable for tech-savvy teens, and they can scan the VIN to check out the car’s ‘social media’ profile and even upload a picture.