Is it possible to have nice things?

[Grant Lamontagne]

You are right, it is not the same.  Spit washes off.  Scratches and dents don't.

Def

[Rory]

Driving without a door.

You say that like it's an odd thing!

[nuphoria]

You are right, it is not the same.  Spit washes off.  Scratches and dents don't.

Def

Both types of behaviour need a good though!

[Mercury]

I feel ya micah, and I'm totally with you too grant.  My truck cost me a good amount and I do consider it an investment.  One that I pay handsomely to insure, and when I got in an accident the moron responsible didn't even care to insure the pile of crap she hit me with, and fled the scene to boot.

 People who don't gice a smurf about other peoples smurf deserve a good ass kicking.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using crapatalk two point oh.

[dks]

-Several year ago I had my car parked (UK) behind a pub, under a spotlight and in direct view of the security camera. The car was alarmed.

Someone broke in using a screwdriver to turn the lock open had a look in, took nothing (The stereo had a removable display) and left.

We gave the video to the police but since he was wearing a cap they could not find out who he was.

-A mate of mine caught someone with such tools across from the pub a few months later and was "explaining to him the err of his ways" but had to let him go as people heard him scream and thought he was the victim and started threatening to call the police.....

What I realised was that it was better to leave the car unlocked, so that anybody interested could just open the door, have a look, and go away without doing any damage to the locks or windows.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Sean, this is not meant to belittle your recent experience but I'd almost rather that someone ran into my car than ding it in a parking lot since a full blown accident means the insurance will pay for it. There's really not much you can do about a scratch or small dent. Really, what are you going to do? Charge them $6 for touch up paint?

This is why I equate it to spitting in someone's face- its ignorant although no real damage is done.

Def

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[Whoey]

While for me it's also about the investment, as I probably will want to sell my car at some point, and every little added defect will no doubt affect the price I get. Sadly my car has a rather hard to match/touchup paint. I have seen kits that look like they'll do a great job, but as of yet only seen them in the UK (and as they are aerosol based, it's a no-no to send via mail). I also don't fancy paying a body shop to do it.

I guess the longer I own the car, the more little defects I notice on it, including a few defects that have been touched up badly, so much so they're more obvious touched up than they would be left alone (also the touchup paint doesn't completely match  ).

Then I see my niece's car, which she got brand new a couple years ago, and it's in pretty rough shape already. Granted she's not handy with little repairs like I am, but she's also had some bad luck due to the nature of her job and where she has to park.

There's a Ford Focus of the same year as mine (same license plate range) locally that has been keyed up and down both sides, has several dings and even the body colour matched caps on the front of the mirrors are missing. I guess it really is up to the owner how they keep their car.

My big fear is the day I can finally afford that dream car I've always wanted that some clown will do something nasty to it and I'll be gutted and left with a repair bill that isn't my fault.

[Grant Lamontagne]

That's the frustration every car owner has.  My boss has a Jaguar worth over $100k and when I look at it all I can think of is how terrified I'd be to own a car like that.  It would be fun to drive but I'd agonize about it every time I park somewhere and let it out of my sight.

Def

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[Whoey]

It's not even that my car is an amazing car it's a baseline model (Focus 1.6 TDCi Trend 90cv)

[Grant Lamontagne]

It doesn't matter. Its your car and people should have enough respect for other people's things that they don't damage them.

Def

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[Syph007]

Well if it makes you feel any better a car is a depreciating asset anyway... not really an investment since taking care of its just slows the rate that its value drops to nothing.   

Thats how I think of it anyhow... I do my own car maintenance and fix dings and paint chips too though.  But I gave up long ago about keeping it perfect.  Also the 2 smurfholes to drove into my bumper in a parking lot when the car was only a year old helped that too.  Or the people in huge trucks that opened their door into my car since they parked in a spot too small for them.    

It is frustrating though I agree.

[Syph007]

Driving without a door.

You say that like it's an odd thing!

(Image removed from quote.)

Oh I see the rope there is the seatbelt! 

[Grant Lamontagne]

You are absolutely right- they do depreciate fast, but that's no reason for some smurfhole to speed up the process!

Def

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[AdmSlc]

I have one boy and one on the way= no nice undamaged things ever.

[Mercury]

Sean, this is not meant to belittle your recent experience but I'd almost rather that someone ran into my car than ding it in a parking lot since a full blown accident means the insurance will pay for it. There's really not much you can do about a scratch or small dent. Really, what are you going to do? Charge them $6 for touch up paint?

This is why I equate it to spitting in someone's face- its ignorant although no real damage is done.

Def

Sent from a digital multitool

You are right def, they are two different things.  I am surprisingly calm about my accident because i do have insurance but if I get a ding in a parking lot I am furious.  Its inconsiderate and a result of laziness and disregard for others property. 

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using crapatalk two point oh.

[ryan1835]

You are right, it is not the same.  Spit washes off.  Scratches and dents don't.

Def

 

well i can happily say i scratched a brand new honda jazz today. the gentleman who owned it had only just picked it up. He drove into me whilst i was on my bicycle and i now have a mangled bike and a broken finger -.- all his fault too, seems you cant have nice things!

[AimlessWanderer]

Cars are going to get scratched, just like multitools and SAK's are going to pick up character too- it's part of using them all as tools. Whether it's from bushes going down a narrow drive or country road, stone chips, or an inadvertent graze from someone's backpack - the cause is irrelevant, and it IS going to happen. One that used to happen occasionally at a previous address was ignorant parents walking to school with their "little cherub" trailing behind, driving his toy car along parked cars as they went past. Never caught them, but the perfectly parallel marks in the paint were a dead giveaway

Finding a scratch on my car isn't really worth me getting upset about. The one that really winds me up is finding that someone has clipped my wing mirror while I've been parked up on the street. This affects function, means I DO have to spend money, yet isn't worth dealing with the insurance company for

EDIT: Ouch! Sorry to hear that Ryan

[derekmac]

I think the biggest offenders for door dings are kids and seniors.  It drives me nuts to see parents with their kids getting into cars and letting the kids open the doors themselves when parked next to other cars.  There are not too many young kids that can handle a car door if there's a little bit of wind.  Both of my kids (3&5) can open the doors on our cars, but they both know that they are not allowed unless we're there to help them.  We taught them that the doors are heavy, and that they can damage another car if they hit them.

I've also seen quite a few older folks hit other cars when opening doors.  Some acted like nothing happened (maybe they didn't realize they did it), and have seen others leave notes explaining what happened.

So what are we to do in these situations?  Do we tear a strip off of a senior because they no longer have the strength to control the door?  Do we yell at a kid for not being careful, or at their parents with the kids present causing them to be upset because their parents are not responsable enough to help their own kids in/out of a car?

If it's just some jack smurf, then yes I agree 100% that it is disrespect and should be dealt with as such, but if it's an 80 year old woman with a cane??

[Pacu]

when i have a new vehicle i'll park way out there...after a couple of scratches/dings i'll wedge my auto as close as i can to the front.

My ole pos saturn i had i would park right next to those jackasses that would take up two spots or park askew.

[Philby]

Remember the story on home alone 2?  Kevin is telling the woman in the Parc about his roller skates. He had a pair of roller skates that he liked so much he was afraid of scuffing them, he kept them in the box and took them out to look at them from time to time. One day he decides to wear them, but when he tries them on, they no longer fit him!

[Grant Lamontagne]

I usually park at the far end of a parking lot just to get some space around my car. I don't take up multiple spots or park crooked so people can't park near me but I do see why people do.

Derek- we were at Penhorn Mall once and a family pulled in next to us and the little girl lost her door in the wind which then hit our car.  Her parents tried to deny that it happened then gave a half assed apology and walked away.

If that had been me when I was a kid I'd have been whooped on the spot and had to do chores or something to pay for it.

Def

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[derekmac]

I usually park at the far end of a parking lot just to get some space around my car. I don't take up multiple spots or park crooked so people can't park near me but I do see why people do.

Derek- we were at Penhorn Mall once and a family pulled in next to us and the little girl lost her door in the wind which then hit our car.  Her parents tried to deny that it happened then gave a half assed apology and walked away.

If that had been me when I was a kid I'd have been whooped on the spot and had to do chores or something to pay for it.

Def

Sent from a digital multitool

It times like that when you want to say something to the parents (or deck them), but for the sake of the child don't.  People should at least have the decency to own up to what happens and offer a sincere apology and offer to cover any damages done.

The way I look at it is, smurf happens, and sometimes you're lucky and the others involved are decent people, but unfortunately, sometimes they're douche bags.

[gregozedobe]

I usually park at the far end of a parking lot just to get some space around my car.

Me too.  Not long after I bought a brand spanking new Skoda Octavia VRs (not sold in the US) I was doing my shopping at the local shopping centre when there was an announcement over the PA system "Would the owner of car registration YFN xxx please return to your car"

So I skedaddled out there to find an old biddy had mistaken the accelerator pedal for the brake and managed to punt her car on top of the bonnet of the car parked in front of her, then her car slid off that one onto mine, wrinkling my front mudguard (fender) pretty bad.

No-one was hurt, and her insurance paid for the damage, but I now try to park well away from the popular spots. I usually try to park on the end where only one car can park next to me.  I am surprised at how often I return to find some smurfheap dunger parked right next to me when I am way away from everyone else.  I can only assume they do it to annoy me (and it works). 

"Just because I am paranoid doesn't mean that they aren't out to get me (or my car)."   

[Grant Lamontagne]

A legitimate accident is a legitimate accident and they happen. Plus, since you know the insurance is going to take it out of them, at least there's a consequence.

Some jack ass just not paying attention is not an excuse.

Def

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[Whoey]

Seems I'll have less idiots to worry about as the person who was renting our parking spot in the garage has decided to give it up, which means I'll have a secure parking spot from now on. So I only have to worry about the idiots everywhere outside, and my own ineptitude at parking But hey, it's an improvement!

[Grant Lamontagne]

That's good news!  It's still worth being careful though since parking garages can be fairly tight to park in and you may still get dinged be your neighbors.

Def

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[Likeablefish]

Trolley dents picked up in supermarket car parks are the most common damage to my car that I've found. Since I upgraded I try and put the odds in my favour by parking away from the store and parking directly over the white line, taking two spaces. This has worked for the last year and my cars still a1 

[Grant Lamontagne]

The nice thing about a Jeep is that it has plastic armor all the way around it so carts can't really do any damage.

Def

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[derekmac]

Trolley dents picked up in supermarket car parks are the most common damage to my car that I've found. Since I upgraded I try and put the odds in my favour by parking away from the store and parking directly over the white line, taking two spaces. This has worked for the last year and my cars still a1 

You wouldn't want me coming in to park with my Jeep if you're parking on or over the line!  I'd park within inches so you couldn't even squeeze in to get at your door.    Now mind you, if you were far away and not taking up two spots close to the door, chances are really good I wouldn't do that, but park like that in prime real estate. 

The nice thing about a Jeep is that it has plastic armor all the way around it so carts can't really do any damage.

Def

Sent from a digital multitool

And if it did do damage, we'd just say it happened on a trail. 

[Grant Lamontagne]

I am thinking of spaying my new Jeep entirely with bed liner so no one can scratch it.

Def

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