Just a couple weeks ago, I let a relative 'borrow' my GOTM to show a bandmate of his -a reasonable enough request I thought, since he's a responsible father of two in his fifties and a medical professional. He said I could pick it up the next day at his office -that he'd have it in his TRUNK!!! What??! I said. It's the middle of June and you're going to leave a glued-together comglomerate of oil and tempermental wood in your steaming-hot trunk all day? I don't think so. At least treat it like you would your dog. Don't leave it in a hot car. Go figure, he's a horn player... at least he told me before he actually did it.
So, I get the thing back the next day (fortunately) and I go to play it that night and the action seemed a little high. Turns out this 'bandmate' of his had taken the opportunity to re-tune it. I guess he wondered why it was tuned so low and cranked it up from B-to-B to standard!!! I don't even know if that was enough to do any damage, but I freaked nonetheless. That's the last time I let it out of my possession! I hope I am mentally able to cut the cord when I deliver on my first paid job.