</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by ZAMIRZ:
<strong>...Door dings are part of the reality of driving/parking your car in public places...</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Why?!?!

I strongly disagree. Maybe that's the case but I ain't accepting it.
From where I come from, people don't act like that. And I think it's right, everyone should respect other people's belongings.

It's like if you walk in the park & someone beats you up, you could say it's part of the reality of walking in public park. Little extreme but you'll get my drift.

I hate people who don't care & just smash their car doors or shopping carts to other people's cars.

 

I tried that in once Boston and the cone was thrown into the gutter within 10 minutes. If you weren't the boss those cones would be an invitation for vandalism.

By the way, I think it is great that the boss drives a 911 to work, just like Lumberg in the movie "Office Space". If anyone tries to park next to you, have their desk moved downstairs to Storage B.

 

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Flying Finn:
<strong> </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by ZAMIRZ:
<strong>...Door dings are part of the reality of driving/parking your car in public places...</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Why?!?!

I strongly disagree. Maybe that's the case but I ain't accepting it.
From where I come from, people don't act like that. And I think it's right, everyone should respect other people's belongings.

It's like if you walk in the park & someone beats you up, you could say it's part of the reality of walking in public park. Little extreme but you'll get my drift.

I hate people who don't care & just smash their car doors or shopping carts to other people's cars. </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">I agree with the first paragraph wholeheartedly, I hate to see a new ding on my 911, but hey, **** happens and there's no point in getting emotional over a small blemish IMHO.

2nd paragraph's a bad analogy, I would say it's more like walking in the mall and somebody is busy yapping to the person next to them and as you cross paths they bump you. Not intentional, but enough to knock you slightly off balance.

I can't say I hate people that ding my car, I honestly believe they don't mean to, and I have been guilty of accidentally dinging another person's car. It was a windy day, I opened the door and made sure it wasn't against the other car, a gust came and swung the door open and it hit the other person's car. They didn't see, but I walked over and told them and the other party just shrugged and said "well, it's not my first one and it was an honest mistake, thanks for letting me know" and that was that.

 

I always park in an end space, and as far from the line as possible. Most of the time it works. However, not long ago, I parked my '81 SC (completely ding-free) this way and, when I returned, there was a beat-up Ford Taurus parked well over the line in my space with me . I could hardly believe it. Just as I began to inspect my car for damage a somewhat elderly couple approached the Taurus. I didn't say anything to them, but I looked at them and I'm sure my annoyance was apparent by the look on my face. I continued my inspection, and the woman asked me what I was doing. I told them, pointing out that they parked within my parking space. They instantly became angry and started yelling at me. I tried, briefly and in vain, to explain that I take very good care of my now 22 year old car and want to keep it undamaged, hence my choice of parking space and my alarm at 1/4 of their car being in my parking space. When they continued to yell at me, I told them exactly how I felt -- they then seemed to become somewhat afraid of me . She flung her door open -- I caught it, though it was not quite long enough to reach my car -- fortunately, no damage was done.

Zamirz,
While I doubt that many people who ding other cars' doors do it intentionally, their carelessness and lack of respect for other people's property is not excusable, IMO. Your one "offense" was clearly an exception -- you made an effort to be careful, and when it happened anyway you told the owners. Most people just don't care .

 

If you're the boss, I have an easy solution:

Paint over that white line that is lying in the middle of your one very large parking space.

 

I can't stand it when I see someone carelessly stradling a parking space line - especially if it is enough to prevent someone from being able to use the encroached on space. I see this SO often when SUV's pull into "compact" spaces. Several times, I have taken the opportunity to pull my old VW Rabbit within a couple of inches of their drivers side door so they have to use the passenger side to enter the car. I consider this my contribution to educating the public. What are they going to do.... hit my door?

At the same time, I would NEVER take up two spaces in a crowded parking lot as a way of protecting my car. This comes across as a holier-than-thou attitude. If I can't park in a far-away space, then I just inch towards the left side of the parking space to avoid driver's doors... and pray that they don't have a passenger! <img border="0" alt="[crying]" title="" src="graemlins/crying.gif" />

Erick

 

I find that parking far away is quite healthy for both the car and myself.

Car = less damage
Me = long walk is a nice little workout

 

I always park as far away as possible where no cars are at least 10 ft. away. (If possible). The funny thing is that I almost always come out to see someone parked right next to me. It almost never fails, the P-Cars are real magnets for attention!

Robin, you also have another few inches to pull over on the end there, having the P-Car for a few years is making you sloppy!!! :-)

 

"Outstanding". Plus you parked in the shade.
Good going . . .

 

Door dings.....AAAARGH. I am allergic to anyone parking next to me regardless of which car I am driving. In my mind damaging someone else's car like that is the ultimate expression of a (mindless) consumption society. Most if not all of you, are the opposite, witness the devotion to a timeless piece like a 993.

I always park in the last parking spot (who doesn't need the exercise?) furthest from the entrance and I am also always completely blown away by the fact that somebody takes the effort to park right next to me. What on earth makes them do that??

Thank heavens that at the office there a couple of really tight single slots that very few people have the guts to attempt parking in.

Cones.... maybe something a little less obvious like a couple sand bags.... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

 

Agree with local "cultural" variability, In LA this would give %100 door ding protection but leave you high risk for intentional vandalism a la Dan's recent experience. I try to park in the widest space available and alway look first at the car that would be next to the passenger side. Clunker, wide door coupe or parked to close to the line, forget about it. I try to be as inconspicous as possible as I have already had my MB keyed, egged and relieved of it 's hood ornanment on various occasions. There are alot of a$#holes in SoCal and unfortunately all of them seem to have cars but are jealous of yours.

 

That wouldn't work here in Texas. There would be an F350 rolled over top of those ant hills. :-/

 

Nice Park job!
My solution to door dings is very simple.The best way to avoid them is to keep the car moving .It is way more fun to drive these cars than to park them. Besides the only true same place to park is in your own garage.
Jeffry

 

One time I was sitting in my parked car waiting to pick someone up, and a people mover (I think they are called mini-vans in America, although I don't know where the "mini" part comes from?!?) pulls up beside me. A kid in the back of the car flung his door open and hit my car. I got out and explained to the driver what had happened (the kid said "I didn't do it" ha!), and she said "well there's not much I can do about it." I said "Bulls#!t, you can give me your details and pay for the damages. So 2 quotes and a few weeks and "polite" phone calls from my company manager, I had a cheque for $450.

Just goes to show that people don't care at all even if you are there to witness them damage your car!

If I see a Porsche or any other type of "enthusiast" car (usually an HSV of some sort in Australia), I park next to that because I know those people will take greater care than the average person.

 

Langers, I wonder who that kid learned that behavior from... it's sad when kids are taught to behave like that because it often affects them throughout their entire life.

The term "people mover" is genius, hadn't heard that one before. Did a search, check out the people mover theme-song:
<a href="http://www.thepeoplemover.com/" target="_blank">Mo-Town People Mover Theme Music</a>