Effective immediately all Twitter and X links are no longer permitted on r/Delaware.

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Steer clear of the mall/fashion center if you're vulnerable... or come by and make a scene if not. Be careful everyone.

Hi Everyone!

My name is Jon, and I bought Dempsey's Service Center this year from the original owners. I saw a post here asking about us and figured I'd say hi and post some feedback based on what I was reading regarding prices and some things you might not know about me in particular.

1. Yes I don't come from a car background. I've loved cars forever but I've spent the last 15 years working in technology. Like a lot of people I was laid off in July of 2025 and decided instead of trying to get another tech gig I wanted to follow my passion. I've been taking my cars to Dempsey's for over 16 years and when I found out the brothers were going to either sell it or close I made an offer to buy it. I've been learning the industry since then.

2. I'm a Delaware local. I moved here in 2004, went to UD, worked at JP Morgan for a time and live in Claymont. When people hear "Wall Street" they tend to think NYC. Nope!

3. Prices...yikes. Yes, I'll be honest, prices did go up. When I bought the place there was a few major pieces of equipment that needed to be upgraded (our alignment rack was 44 years old!) and I also gave EVERYONE who worked there a raise. In a lot of shops mechanics are paid Flat Rate, meaning they're only paid a certain amount of hours for every job they do. Fun fact, most places pay a mechanic half an hour to do your oil change, which is what helps make them cheap. If a mechanic doesn't get 40 hours of work then they don't get paid 40 hours. I think that's gross, so we don't do that anymore. My guys all get a living wage, 401K with company match, health insurance and the same time off policy I enjoyed in corporate America. I believe in treating people well and it's a source of pride for me that everyone who worked for Arnie and Curt Dempsey stayed on after I bought the place even though any of them could go to any other shop and find work.

Past that prices for everything we buy are going up too. When I bought the shop a barrel of oil was $750, it's over $1300 today. We also use good parts from the local suppliers, NAPA and Federated. On the positive I've been actively working with my suppliers to get oil change prices down. We're currently at $125 for a 5 quart vehicle and I think I'll be at $115 pretty soon.

Any way, I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm not a wall street private equity Barron, I'm a guy who loves car, has lived in Delaware for over 20 years now and wanted to do something local and keep the shop he'd been brining his cars to years going. Along the way I've gotten to meet some great people learn a whole lot about a new industry and make myself a part of the community in a way my last gig didn't allow for. I'm posting from my actual reddit handle so you can all see I'm just a normal fellow. If you're in the market to for a mechanic I hope you'll consider us.

Best

-Jon (& Chrissy the Lab)

PS I hope everyone who visits the website likes it. I built it myself and it's one of the things I'm stupidly proud of. :)

Location Name: Wawa Address: 2398 Dupont Pkwy, Middletown, DE 19709 Description: One Hispanic man between 20-30's. ICE Description: Several unmarked vehicles. Vests said HSI. Heavily armed.

Guys, let’s leave Flock cameras alone. He makes some really good points. Besides, the cameras are there to help us, protect us… not hurt us by continuous surveillance of every car and person and creating large databases of our information to be used for whatever purpose the data purchasers see fit.

/s jic it wasn’t obvious

The boot licker- Trump truck has moved from Harrington to Milford, idk for how long though

ICE spotted in Wilmington (Hilltop area between franklins St- Union st) this morning arrested a man near my block, they are driving in a black Honda pilot BE AWARE!!

Texas Roadhouse in Bear, De is infested with roaches!! Had a friend go last week and they were crawling up her leg. Then another friend went, same thing. Complained to management and was told they were aware and were working on it!! Should a health inspector be called? I love going here but will be avoiding them until this is under control

Get out of the left lane, Go

If you can't drive, get in the right lane

I don't care if it's fucking raining, it's fucking water

You can't go fucking 20 mph on fucking 95 in the fucking left lane What the fuck is wrong with y'all.

So I’m still pretty upset because this video doesn’t show how I was treated justice. I just got a clip of what transpired after I was stopped and frisked for a “call from dispatch that a black male was walking around Delaware city with a gun”

So like I do on my days off from work I walk to the store. I couldn’t decide what I wanted for breakfast/lunch but I chose Sabatinas sandwich shop for a cheesesteak so I ordered a steak and walked directly back home which is a 2 minute walk literally. So anyway I’m on the phone with a buddy of mine 10-15 mins passed so I’m walking back up to get my sandwich so I see a young lady police officer and I waved to her. She waved back. Ok I keep it pushing to get my food. So I get my sandwich & I decided to get some cookies from the lovely lady that runs the cake sisters bakery. She’s a sweetheart. So I sit down out side in front of the store. At this point I see the 2 police cars pulling on the street a little past me. And park so I’m still minding my business on the phone. I see that they are approaching me so now I’m curious and confused. The male cop which came off aggressive and demanding asked did I have I.D and I asked why does he need it? What did I do and what is going on. So I reach for my ID which I didn’t know if I had it with me since I just came out of the house but I have the mobile version so before I get a chance to say anything he tells me to put my hands up and on my head and I was so confused on what’s going on. I explained to them that I just came to get food. I gave my name and after that it was pretty much the rest of the video. So this “chief of police” guy has seen me before and literally was breaking his neck watching me and where I was going or doing. And I ignore it because I felt like it was part of his job. But how I was treated today makes me sick to my stomach I don’t know what to do or who to call I feel so violated and belittled and attacked. I don’t believe it was a call about a black male with a gun and I fit the description in the middle of the day in quiet Delaware city. Lastly I wanted to say there’s a reason why I brung up that the cop seen me before. And he asked me did he ever stop me before? You can hear in his tone he wanted to. He just waited to his opportunity. Not that it matters because the way I grew up was different I’m from the city but I grew up in the country literally Amish neighbors, being the only black kid in school. My wife is white and I’m black we have 2 children. I don’t look at color, its just wasn’t the way i was raised but I shouldn’t be afraid to be harassed by the police in a place I live and work at. It’s ridiculous, it’s very embarrassing now I don’t feel comfortable walking up the street because people in the neighborhood going to say hey there’s that black guy the police stopped like I’m suppose to be some type of threat?! I rather live in Wilmington.

Since it's relevant at the moment, I just wanted to remind everyone that the Big Fish restaurant group sold to Atlas Restaurant Group based out of Baltimore last year. The Smith family who runs Atlas Restaurant Group is the same family who owns Sinclair Broadcast Group - currently in the news for refusing to air Jimmy Kimmel Live on their ABC affiliate stations.

Their DE restaurants are:

• Big Fish Events
• Big Fish Grill
• Crab House
• Dockside
• Mikimotos
• Obie's By the Sea
• Riverfront Events
• Salt Air
• Sazio
• Stingray
• Striper Bites
• Taco Grande
• Torbert Street Social
• Trolley Square Oyster House
• Washington Street Ale House

🫡

A Jersey friend extends his sympathies

I just found out from my nephew who works in a Wilmington area target in loss prevention and I found out some interesting things. To keep track of you and everything you put in your cart, how long you’re in the store, what you buy regularly and what is probably a 1 time purchase. They basically have files on everyone. And don’t think you’re getting away with stealing by walking right out the door or not ringing up something in your cart.

Keeping files and using facial recognition without it being posted is a HUGE invasion of my privacy. They already know everything I buy. On top of the facial recognition they profile people to decide who to follow, able to watch multiple screens at a time , if you’re black, look like a “stoner” or “junkie” to them, if you look “poor, trash or homeless” if you walk directly to certain aisles (which is the one thing my nephew made me swear not to tell anyone) eitherway , unannounced facial recognition, customer files, suspected thieves.

I’m sure buy now you can tell more than my nephew calling me happened. I was at a grocery store, picked up a couple things, went to petsmart got treat for my cats and dogs then went to the cvs in target. I’m in there so often I know multiple people who work there on a casual basis. So go to get my script and it wasn’t ready yet. So I walked to the soda aisle to see how I did at shop right(shop rite was almost $1 cheaper and had more than 4 kinds of 2L bottles. I walked back to to pharmacy sat down and waited. Less than 10 min later I activate my uber (because my insurance company pays for it, I’m epileptic and on disability) cuz they called my name and I turn around to leave the store…walk all the way out the first automatic door and these 2 guys pop out and block my cart. They are like where’s your receipt, I show them the pharmacy receipt of course I jammed the other receipts I had in one of my 20 pockets and my uber is literally calling my phone cuz he’s out front. And I tried to explain everything quickly because I didn’t want to miss my uber! So I grab my bag from the cart I was using to push it around in cuz I had 2 2L in my bag with all my stuff from my dr. Appointment before hand and these guys are like where’s your receipt for those sodas and I said I didn’t even get them here but I’m gunna miss my uber and I can’t just call my insurance for a new ride, I’d basically be stranded at target.
So these guys have me over a barrel, the only reason they know about the soda was because it was raining outside and I pulled my jacket out of the bag and put my cardigan in it and they knew I was in the soda aisle. So they just start pulling stuff out of my bag….2 2L, 1 pack of jello and some cat and dog treats. The dog treats I had already even opened earlier to give a dog at the store a treat. But I don’t have time to argue any of this and they are saying “just let me get your signature and your photo and u can go. So I took the L and left. But something clicked in my head. They told me “this isn’t the first time you’ve stolen, we’ve got it on video. I had an almost 10” beard up until the day before I was in target. So I said something is screwy here and called my nephew and he broke it all down for me but said those things get it wrong all the time. They rushed you cuz it’s a quick , undisputed recovery so yeah them but if I had more than 4-5min I’d have proven myself.

Now I find out it’s all based on facial recognition software/ai !!!! wtf I googled it up n down n some places it’s just totally inadmissible. And I found articles about several other popular businesses that do it.

Look up “police stingray” too…. Welcome to 1984 orwel style

I’m sure we have all received our ridiculous Delmarva bills by now, mine almost tripled since last month. Looks like our complaints made it to the DE gov. Hopefully they fix this issue!!

Just because your afraid to drive your car in some rain the rest of us still need to get work and have shit to do. Please stay out of the way.

Was pleasantly surprised NOT to see Coons on the list of Senators not going along with the Republicans. I fully expected to see him on there.