Normally the Austin FIAT Club meets on the 2nd Saturday of every month, but unfortunately that wasn’t possible with the city in lockdown because of COVID-19. There is a solution, however… A virtual car meet! It actually worked quite well.
Zoom was already gaining favor as a video conferencing software, but with the majority of people now having to work from home and separate from their loved ones, it has really taken over the world. So when it was apparent we wouldn’t be able to have our normal monthly get together, I fired off a Zoom meeting invite to the club.
This being our first virtual car meet, things started off a bit awkward, but we quickly got over that. Most of the members joined from either their phones or tablets so they could be mobile. I used my Chromebook which Zoom performed much better on than my desktop. We took turns walking around our cars and showing off what we’ve done to them; just like a normal car meet. The one thing we were able to do over Zoom that we can’t at an in-person car meet was give garage tours. It was great seeing how everyone’s garage was laid out, and poking fun at each other’s clutter.
I really hope we can get back to having in person car meets soon, but don’t dismiss the value of a virtual meet. It’s a fun way to stay connected to the rest of your club.
…and ssshhhh, don’t tell anyone. Myself and another member who lives nearby decided to go for a quick drive together. We of course stayed in our own cars to practice proper social distancing.
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Dan is a DIY zealot and autodidact. Real science, pseudoprofessional.
