In the minds of some people, the words “junkyard” and “etiquette” are contrary terms. In many cases, this is surely due to how junkyards are often portrayed in movies and TV shows. Screenwriters commonly use a junkyard as the scene for a wild fight, blazing car chase, and all sorts of other unscrupulous activities, but this is not how professional junkyards operate.
Instead of being disorganized and dangerous, professionally managed junkyards are easy to move through and have strictly enforced rules that are sometimes referred to as “junkyard etiquette”. Before you take a trip to a junkyard to pick your own auto parts, take some time to browse through the following list of rules that commonly comprise this unique form of etiquette.
No Drinking or Smoking
Drinking alcohol while you remove parts could cause an injury by making you uncoordinated. Smoking tobacco doesn’t cause inebriation, but it does pose a fire hazard, especially when someone leans over an engine that contains flammable residues with a cigarette in his mouth.
First Come, First Served
Many junkyards have a first come, first served policy that helps them sell auto parts as efficiently as possible. When you find a part that you need, remove it and buy it while you have the chance, because the junkyard probably won’t set the part on a shelf until you return.
No Cutting Torches
When it comes to fire hazards, using a cutting torch to remove parts can be more dangerous than removing them while smoking tobacco. This is because the torch propels sparks as it cuts. If one of the sparks hits the wrong area, it could ignite engine residues and incinerate the car.
Bring Your Own Tools
You-pick junkyards require you to pick your own auto parts using your own tools. The exception is when you need remove an entire engine. Because almost no one keeps an engine pulling A-frame in his tool shop, junkyards often provide customers with this tool free of charge.
No Open-Toed Shoes
Some of the parts you remove may be heavy enough to injure your foot if you drop them. This is why junkyards generally prohibit people from wearing open-toed shoes in the vehicle lot. If you have a pair of steel-toed boots, go ahead and wear them; they offer excellent protection.
Don’t Bring Children
Children are often in a playful mood wherever they go, but a junkyard is not a place where you would want your child to play. By running around the salvage lot and distracting you as you pick your own auto parts, a child can jeopardize your physical safety, as well as his own.
Visit Wrench-A-Part
If you need reliable, used auto parts for a great price, Wrench-A-Part is the place to visit. Unlike junkyards that you may have seen in movies and TV shows, our junkyard is organized, well-maintained, and has rules that we strictly enforce for the benefit of our customers and our business. To find the parts you need, visit our location in Austin, Belton, or Lubbock today.
