Concern about door dings

Harman1 · Dec 23, 2003

How do you deal with concern over door dings and how to avoid them.
I get supper worried when parking my car in a public parking lot that someone will park next to me and ding my car.
How do you deal with this, is it just me or does anyone else feel this way. It's almost to the point that I won't park my car anywhere unless I can parallel park.
Is there a cure or do you just deal with it and hope it does not happen.

Tom · Dec 23, 2003

I try to avoid this by parking as far as I can from others. Even parallel parking is risky and can result in more damages than just a simple door ding.

codex57 · Dec 23, 2003

Nothing you can really do. I've tried parking really far or hugging the curb of the last spot in a row, but idiots park next to me even when there are plenty of spaces available.

Just be glad your car is made of steel so those paintless dent removal places can deal with dings easily. Or buy a beater to take to the really bad places.

Dinan55 · Dec 23, 2003

Tom said:

Exactly what I was going to say. I always look to park in the farthest, most inconvenient parking space possible. But if a jealous asshole parks next to you, unless you're there there's nothing you can do. Some time ago I went to this restaurant and parked across this really nice, brand new Acura TL. When I came back, it was still there, except that this time there was this piece of shit redneck pickup truck parked next to it. This thing was horrible, the paint was worn out and it was all dented up, in general nothing better than something you'd find in your average junk yard. A few seconds later these two jocks came back and got into the truck, except that when they got in, the kid on the passenger's side opens the door on purpose, with ALL of his might, and smashes it into the Acura's door. When I saw that I got chills down my spine, wishing I had a 12-guage in the trunk or something. I would have said something but I was more of a pansy than I am now, and there were two of them. The thing that stopped me the most though was the fact that saying something wouldn't change them from the worthless sacks of shit that they are into normal people.

All you can do is hope that your car never encounters people like this, and if it does, hope that you see it right as it's happening with 12 of your friends, each one of them conveniently packing a night-stick or baseball bat.

Average Jae · Dec 23, 2003

i don't think it really matters how far you park from the bldg. it's more for easing your mind. i remember some ja at work that parked his grand prix as far away from bldg as possible, i kept on wondering why, but eventually his car got dinged up.. so wth.

i don't really put too much consideration into distance, but rather the parking job of those surrounding the spot. if there's more than enough room, i'll park it there. and also try to avoid parking next to coupes, with their "i'm really long for no apparent reason" doors. (since it's still a pia to get into the back seat anyway ^^;;

Dinan55 · Dec 23, 2003

I love the doors on coupes they're so... "luxurious" and stuff.

AWD330XI · Dec 24, 2003

Park far away. Walking is good for you.

flashinthepan · Dec 24, 2003

Agree with all,

I dont mind hoofing it from a far away spot, especially if it means avoiding the worry.

DO NOT park in 2 spots, it pisses people off, including me, it gives an "elitist" attitude and is bound to ask for a key scratch from someone.

Be professional..walk the extra distance and relax. [:)]

MrElussive · Dec 24, 2003

If there are a lot of spaces to spare in a parking lot, I just take up two spots (park right in the middle of two spaces). If not, I park and hope nobody dings my car...but as I have the respect to never ding anyone else's car, most people have the respect not to open their doors into your car. It also helps to park in good company...park where there are nice cars around...nicer car owners have more respect than shitty car owners.

andreyiv · Dec 24, 2003

I never thought about this problem before but now that you brought it up I guess parking far away is the better choice. I never take up two spots and park as close to the middle of one spot as I can and always look before opening the door even if it's some pos 20 year old rusting truck. Maybe that saves me but I don't remember seeing a ding on a door when coming back. Ones there were some people turning left on a one lane road so I tryed to squeeze in between them and the car parked on the right and I got so close that my passenger mirror "closed" and what do you know, after a week or so I two small white lines next to the door handle, just like what a side mirror would leave if you get too close to a parked car. From that time on I don't do anything to people that I wouldn't like getting myself and everything seems fine.

Harman1 · Dec 25, 2003

Well all of you have good ideas how to aviod the dreaded door ding. What I do is try to find the first or last parking space in a row or try to find the first parking space near a handicap place and park as close to the line opposit the other parking spot as possible. The only problem with this is that there is always someone that will park right on the line next to you and have some child that will open the door all the way and slam it right up against your door. or there are thoes that like to rest there door on you car if there door does not open all the way. So no matter which way you put it it's still a pain to have to be thinking when I come out is there going to be a big ding in my door.

salvo · Dec 25, 2003

careful with the handicap spaces....old people dont give a sh@t! the other day, some old guy in a enormous caddy drove past me, literally 1" from my car....i laid on the horn and screamed in horror as he drove past me with a blank stare!!!!!!!!!! Its a lose lose.

lizattwu · Dec 25, 2003

I agree AWD330, having a nice car is such a pain ahhaha. I have problem with rock hitting the car, how are you gonna avoid that... drive far away from everybody .

Harman1 · Dec 26, 2003

Speaking of rocks, what sucks bad is when your on the interstate and dirving behind someone in the left lane and all of a sudden they decide to drive into the shoulder area where all the shit and rocks get kicked into. Next thing you know there are all manor of things including rocks being kicked up and slaming into your car.

lizattwu · Dec 26, 2003

KNow what you mean Harman, I have these little nick on my front bumper, and I dont know how to get rid of it.. good thing my car is not white..

Big Daddy · Dec 26, 2003

salvo said:

I always park in the handicapped space (I have a permit due to a physical disability) does that make me old at 49? Oh yeah and I do give a sh*t. hehe

Harman1 · Dec 26, 2003

lizattwu said:

The only thing you can do lizattwa is get a car bra. I use one on trips and then take it off when using the car around town. I don't drive my car everyday so that helps cut down on the rock chips. You need to touch up the rock chips you have to keep rust from starting, if it's already started it's okay most touch up paint has a rust stop agent in it.

Bmw 325i 7803 · Dec 26, 2003

Since the E46 325i has a rubber/plastic strip lining the door in what seems to be the perfect spot, I'm not nearly as concerned about door dings as I am about rear bumper dings. BMW used some kind of damn smooth plastic covering on their rear bumper and god knows where else (I'd rather not find out) so that if you just happen to get "touched" in the most gentle way by a compassionate driver (who seemingly recieved his license without knowing how to park correctly) there will be a dent of some type in the bumper, and if it is in any way a "hard" bump there will be either a break through or scratch in that stupid plastic bumper cover! [?|]

salvo · Dec 26, 2003

Big Daddy said:

You are an exception! I just love to generalize...no hard feelings.

Z3JT · Dec 27, 2003

I always park far away as possible but never fails that someone always manages to park next to me.

[bath]

Concern about door dings

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