Coleman

SO i park in a big lot away from everybody waaaaay out in the back and there is just my car with 50 spots until the next car.. I return and a POS Audi A4 is like 6" from my passenger door and there is a big ding in my door.. I know it just happened there, as there was a thin layer of dust on my car, and the door ding was scratched free of the dust, a fresh wound lining up exactly with the Audi's door- whose California plate is 5PIP007

Keeping in mind that I am a gentleman at heart and view it unsportsmanlike to key his POS audi, I leave a note stating that he has damaged my car and he should contact me to square up for the damage incurred.. I leave my contact info and thus far, (obviously) he has not contacted me..

Do I have any recourse from this incident? Should I just forget about it and let water pass under the bridge? recalling Sartre's famous quote that "Hell is other people" Or should I track the bastard down and.. (okay I'll just forget about it..)

Coleman-

Air Kuul TT

Coleman,

Sorry to hear about the ding bruddah. I'll give you a dollar if that bastard calls you to square things up. It seems to be the fact of life now a day with people don't reallyl take responsibility anymore. I hope the scratch is minor and the ding can be popped out by a dent dude.

Good Luck my friend.

mborkow

can it be pulled out by a paintless guy?

Coleman

Yeah, I think I can get it out with paintless, but there is a nice scratch there.. so I may have to re-spray the door.. sheesh..

C/

Svaha

Sorry to hear this... I've taken strategic parking to a new level (for me) since I've owned this car, but incidents like the one you describe seem inevitable over time. I do check for damage any time that I return to my car and find another parked nearby. I hope that I can follow your example when the inevitable occurs... I like the way you handled the situation.

MikeAlwaysWins

Coleman that sux... I always look for a space near vacant handicapped parking and get as close to the right side blue line as I can... Odds are it'll stay vacant for a while.... and if someone does use it, the "buffer zone is pretty large.... I hope you get a good result...

FisterD

I would have been so ticked, I would have waited for the scum to come out, and confront him face to face. That type of behavior bugs the sh*t out of me.
I hope it turns out well for you in the end.

SinVancouver

Ouch.. we have one Insurance provider here that handles everyone.. on my boxster a similar thing happened.. I took digital pics and filed a claim reporting the other car. ICBC waived my deductable and i had the door resprayed for free.

Marv

I would have waited for the owner or called the police to take a report. That way if it gets down to a court case you have a preponderance of evidence that will clinch the case.

Might not be a bad idea to have a cheap digital camera in the glove box for additional evidence.

TMc993

Coleman...IMHO you took the correct action. The culprit may have just been a jerk like you described (Or an old lady or any other of a number of everyday types), but he/she could just as easily have been a meth addict who, when confronted, pulls a gun or knife in a meth induced rage and leaves you laying the parking lot bleeding to death.

You gave the culprit an opportunity to do the right thing and unless you just enjoy conflict and acrimony, the pursuit of "justice" will cost you much much more than just repairing your car and moving on.

As the old saying goes, sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.

TMc

Mark in Baltimore

Join my name to the "I would have waited" contingent. Since you didn't, it's best to move on.

Caveman

ALWAYS carry a disposable camera in your glovebox for any kind of accident; then you have evidence... Sorry to hear about your ding. I would of waited for them.

Cheers,

David

Bull

I likely would have waited too. But these irresponsible acts are made even more maddening by lack of anyone's ability to "prove" what happened. Only you and the guy who did it know what really happened. Showing a picture of a car with a ding sitting beside another car isn't going to prove anything to anyone. You and I park beside cars with dings every day. If a picture of that could cause us to be responsible for repairs, the market for disposable cameras would be a strong one, given the state of affairs these days.......

Caveman

Hi Bob,

Granted the camera is more useful for "real accidents" where you can show position of cars, damage, etc, etc but you can at least scare the ding perpetrator a little by letting them know that you have a photo of their miserable car, licence plate, etc and hence "know who they are". The look on some old dear's face when I took a photograph of her in her crappy minivan as she tried to drive off after bumping my wife's car was priceless!

Cheers,

David

Kigiin

Would have waited too!