What Do You Do When Someone Opens Their Car Door into Yours?

thanatos350 on 02/03/2021 - 13:25

Hi guys,

This post isn't really for advice, but more out of interest.

I was sitting in my car having a coffee, while a small SUV entered the parking spot next to me. The driver parked very poorly, and their front tire was quiet obviously in my space.

The driver was a short, rotund lady who appeared to try to prevent her door from touching my vehicle. As she stepped down from her seat, the limited space between her car and her open door was obviously insufficient for her body - so the door kind of popped open and hit my car.

This isn't the first time something like this has happened. I don't doubt that it has happened numerous times when I haven't been sitting in my car too.

I put a lot of effort into caring for my car, so this kind of stuff makes me rage. For this reason, I avoid confronting these people as to prevent myself from causing an affray.

I do wonder, however, if you guys handle these situations differently? Do you just swallow it? Do you jump out and abuse these people?

Automotive

Comments

  • JimmyF on 02/03/2021 - 18:48
    -1

    You can return the favour after they leave without saying thing…….

  • original15 on 02/03/2021 - 20:17

    Our new car got a dent and paint mark in it from our local shops about 1 year in. Shake my head every time I see it lol
    We live in a small suburb with an aging population. When we walk up the shops we often see older drivers or less mobile folk basically kick open their doors to give them space to get out

    No note left on our car which I was pretty shitty about
    If I was in the car and someone did it I would get out and check for damage, if not just laugh it off, but if there is damage I’d expect that to be taken care of and definitely discuss with the person

  • FocusRider on 02/03/2021 - 20:54
    +2

    I always try to find a spot where there is a concrete bollard on either side makes it impossible for someone to door my car. If I can't find one I park as far away as possible where no one parks or if its a multi level I got to the top.

    Without fail there is always some cock who parks right next me when there are hundreds of other spots drives me insane!

  • King Tightarse on 02/03/2021 - 21:34

    Until about 15 years ago, every car had rubber or chrome strips protecting all doors. They were stock standard on every car.
    Now most cars little by little collect dings and dents and generally look tatty with in a few years, pock marked in ways they never used to.
    I have to think its planned obsolescence

  • Stimps on 02/03/2021 - 21:52
    +1

    I have a crap car. If someone dings it with their door I just don’t care.

    • OneJay on 03/03/2021 - 09:03

      I drove a $1500, storm grey 2001 VX Commodore for a year. Couple of scratches and dents. People go out of their way to park away from you.

  • jason101 on 02/03/2021 - 22:07

    Makes me rage too, I feel your pain. It’s happened to me twice, first time at Bunnings - dude thought he should open his door 90 degrees to put his purchases in - tried to tell me the damage was minor and I should get over it. Second time old man in a pharmacy car park too old to care and couldn’t work out why I was yelling and getting sweating. In both instances my ranging only led to me being stressed and gaining no benefit other than shortening my lifespan.

  • The-Kremlin on 02/03/2021 - 23:11

    Rotund people and their rotund ways…

  • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2021 - 01:23
    +1

    I was at Bunnings loading my car, which was parked near a trolley bay. A (profanity) came along and half heartedly put his trolley in they bay, which proceeded to roll out 30 seconds after he walked away and smash straight into my car door. It pains me to see that little dent in the door when the light catches it right, every now and again, but the guy smoke bombed and there was nothing I could do about it. Battle damage I guess.

    • andresampras on 03/03/2021 - 06:07
      +1

      argh i hate battle damage.

      my parking policies:
      1. never park next to a trolley bay, or anywhere near loose trolleys
      2. avoid parking next to older cars
      3. avoid parking next to damaged / tatty / dirty cars
      4. if possible park next to the passenger side of cars that meet criteria 2 & 3 above (actually this one i stick to but can go either way - my reasoning is that if there are no passengers there's less risk…but if there are blase passengers, then….)

      • Zachary on 05/03/2021 - 00:58

        so basically park next to brand spanking new cars, expensive looking cars or cars that have nice shiny paint job with zero defects that the owners will obviously not damage in anyway shape or form against your own shiny defect-less paint-jobbed car….?

        • andresampras on 05/03/2021 - 10:05
          +1

          where possible, within reason….yes :)

    • Banj0 on 03/03/2021 - 07:56

      My father-in-law's car got hit by a runaway trolley (full) in a carpark. Got the guy's contact details, but I don't think he actually managed to get recompense out of him.

  • singingwolf on 03/03/2021 - 08:07

    I ask for their licence and get insurance to fix it. Mind you, after 30 years and hundreds of dents from others over the years, only been present due one.

  • b0rnwithabeard on 03/03/2021 - 08:52

    i guess it all depends on how badly it was damaged and whether or not it’s a hill you’re willing to die on

  • OneJay on 03/03/2021 - 08:58
    +2

    Happened to me a few days ago. Parked next to a black BMW SUV and was waiting in the car with windows down. Mother, ~10yo son and 2 friends returned and took a few mins organising themselves. The 1st bump I leaned out and in a friendly way said “Hey guys, just be a little bit careful”. Mother was apologetic and warned the kids. 2nd bump rocked the car (which I knew probably left a dent but just sighed and didn’t bother looking). Mother quickly came up and apologised profusely again and left.

    Left a sizeable dent near the fuel door. Mildly irritating but I drive a white 21yo Subaru and put it down to kids being kids - I’m not gonna lose my shit at some 10yo’s. If I wasn’t there the result would still be the same. This is why we can’t have nice things.

    Simply put, when I had a Mustang I would park further away by myself, and with the Subaru I park wherever I want and take it on the chin.

  • Powlie85 on 03/03/2021 - 08:59

    Happened to me as well - it left a scratch. When I confronted the person that just did it, she claimed that the scratch was already there. I then demonstrated how her open door touched the exact same spot the scratch was in. Now her partner joins in and says it didnt happen - despite perfect alignment of their door and the scratch.
    She then said that my car has loads of scratches anyway - that's when I lost it and told her that that is the case because of c**** like her…

    • OneJay on 03/03/2021 - 09:12
      +1

      Feel ya. People are defensive and in denial - when you call them out on it they become aggressive. You can’t do anything about it and if you lose your cool and engage further it won’t make a difference knowing there’s someone just like them tomorrow, the day after, next week…

    • jsrz18 on 06/03/2021 - 11:40
      -2

      You should have waited for them to leave and then keyed their car like I did.

      • Powlie85 on 06/03/2021 - 22:52

        They were leaving and so were we. They had a kid in the car and so did i. But inside of me i was keying their ugly faces…

        • jsrz18 on 07/03/2021 - 20:15

          ahh thats unfortunate. Did the right thing in the circumstances though.

  • timetoquit on 03/03/2021 - 09:08
    +1

    Incident happened with my wifes new car. In a car park, returning we noticed some family members getting out of their car. A family of 3 kids and 3 adults. As we arrived closer we realised their door looked very close to our car. I pulled out my phone camera and started recording as we arrived. Their door was actually leaning and pushing against our rear passenger car door, flexing our door, they essentially used it as leverage so their kids could get out. Slight dent and paint damage. After confronting and asking the husband to provide details he reluctantly agreed. Gave him options and I would contact him. Weeks later I organised a few quotes ranging from 300-400 - made initial contact but then he stopped responding from that point. I decided to write a letter of demand. Made one last call before I would contact my insurance company with all his details, recorded incident. A lot of effort? yes but the disrespect for others property and behaviour during the confrontation pissed me right off. I was going to see through that this family were going to respect other peoples property. He eventually paid, I sent him another letter confirming the matter was resolved.

    Normally I would ignore it but my wife was visibly angry and the family were completely blasé about it all and said it wasn't a big deal. Their disgusting attitude and disrespect for others property is what fuelled my need to see this be dealt with appropriately.

  • TransportPosters on 03/03/2021 - 09:19

    Yeah, I'm saddened that our once-like-new exterior is now dotted with small blurry white dents along the doors. The majority of people just don't care.

    I was sitting at bingo waiting to go inside in my older car one night and a family in a big SUV parked next to me. I counted three knocks into my car as two doors were opened and they all got out. I got out and came around as they were preparing to leave and did the raised-eyebrows and "ohh" mouth thing, and they knew why I was there. They apologised, and we inspected it together and there wasn't really any damage luckily. But the way they didn't really want to interact with me told me they wouldn't have cared one bit if I didn't come out. Great way to raise their kids.

    Having kids, I am so wary of this happening in even the slightest of wind or assuming it will be bumped and pushed by accident, even when an open door is in the "indent" in between closed and open. If there is not enough space for it to fully open I put a towel or something between my door and the other car and open the door against it so it holds it. I've had people come back to their car and see it and they appreciate the care.

  • Hangryuman on 03/03/2021 - 09:38

    why I don't want a new car.

    the first time it gets a ding (it's gonna happen!) it makes you rage

    I drive an old car worth almost nothing

    if it gets another ding - {shrug} - and continue on my happy day

    one of the expensive parts of buying a used car is the paint - it often adds at least $2000 to the price you pay

    I once got a crappy paint kombi van with a reconditioned engine - for $500 - it ran perfectly and I drove that baby all over Europe without a breakdown - I actually enjoyed the snotty looks down the nose from well-dressed pedestrians - ooh !

    I once rented a brand new car in LA - within 24 hours an idiot in a giant 'truck' (you know those 6' tall utes) had backed into it with their towball dead centre to the brand new grille and ripped out the logo badge - and in subsequent days lazy parkers scraped both rear corners sliding into slovenly angle shopping centre carparks - luckily I had zero-excess insurance, and when I returned that baby, the guy checking it ran his finger over each of the several damages, printed out a ticket and handed it to me … free to go - sweet !

  • achew on 03/03/2021 - 09:47

    Don't say a damned thing to them.

    Get out of your car when they're gone, capture details and damage - and contact your insurance agency.

    achew
    'scuse me

  • skillet on 03/03/2021 - 10:07

    Unfortunately this is life, and there are careless people all over, that is why insurance exists. My dad love cars and he spend quite a bit of time detailing his cars when he was able. Now that he got older he has lost fine control over his movements so he needs a bit of support getting in and out of the car so he carelessly lean the door against another car if it was a tight spot. He has been told off a few times and this saddens him to the point that he refuse to get out of car in a tight spot even with someone holding the door for him. I am considering buying a car with van type sliding door in the near future which means he can't be the driver.

    • andresampras on 03/03/2021 - 11:04

      attach a cushion strip to the edge of his doors?

      • capslock janitor on 04/03/2021 - 12:27

        aint that what those rubber bump-stops are for ..

        • andresampras on 04/03/2021 - 12:35

          yes, that's what i meant. most cars don't have them these days.

  • OzHunterNSW on 03/03/2021 - 10:10

    You should see the amount of damage upon my vehicle's panels from inconsiderate flinging their doors out. I believe they do it deliberately.

    If you witness them in the act, you can take their details and contact the police.

  • Peck on 03/03/2021 - 10:22

    Full length rubber door edge covers, if they existed, should be mandatory. A lot of people don't try hard enough and don't give a sh1t about other people's cars. Meanwhile your car deteriorates with a scratch here and a parking dent there.

    • andresampras on 03/03/2021 - 11:06

      the problem with this approach is it caters to the lowest common denominator, meaning the cretins will be even more likely to swing their car doors open full force into yours.

      scratch avoided, but dents galore.

  • nascar77 on 03/03/2021 - 10:43
    -6

    Don't buy a car u can't afford to see a scratch on. Generally I put door edge protectors on all my cars so even if they touch other cars no damage is done. U can't control kids and other people sitting in ur car.

    • nubzy on 03/03/2021 - 10:50
      +1

      If you have children then it is your job as a parent to control them. Leave the child locks on and open the door for them if they are young or incapable of respecting others property. I don't know anyone who carelessly opens their doors into stationary objects so those people will never be sitting in my car. My car is old and it is just about immaculate as I take care when choosing a parking spot and dashcams always running just in case anything does happen there is proof.

      • nascar77 on 03/03/2021 - 11:45
        -3

        Life has so many better things to enjoy other then worrying about scratches on ur old immaculate car.

        With Helicopter parenting/opening doors for ur kids, they migh never really learn how to properly open doors in life.

        Car is there to serve u not the other way round. Its just a different perspective on life. With Age and maturity u learn many things, sadly only some people grow up.

        People need to learn to ignore things that have no significant impact on their quality of life.

  • tryingtohelp on 03/03/2021 - 11:16
    +1

    My cousin from overseas was here for a holiday and he opened our car door in a rush which scratched the neighbouring car. No Doubt, it was our fault, the car owner (must be in late 50's) was in the car and was on phone, immediately stepped out YELLING at my cousin.

    The behaviour was rude, I said sorry and told her that we'll cover the damage cost, she again yelled "YES YOU WILL". Don't understand why people have to express their frustration all the time, The things that could have been easily dealt with weren't.

    Since then, (I'm not sorry for this), I intentionally developed a low tolerance towards old people trying to snatch parking spot, and very strong if someone even causes a minor scratch.

    I'll say that my attitude towards this type of issue changed because of the way i was treated.

    • netjock on 03/03/2021 - 14:41

      Buy a Citroen C4 cactus with the side protection bubbles, problem solved.

      Smart cars have plastic panels that flex. No dents and light weight.

    • andresampras on 04/03/2021 - 12:46

      So one older person was upset when your cousin damaged their car, so you feel the need to make every older person in the world pay for it?

      If so, you have become just like the upset older person - in other words, you're now contributing to the thing that you hated in the first place.

      See this previous post for a more mature (and blood-pressure-friendly) approach.

      • tryingtohelp on 04/03/2021 - 15:53

        I can't agree less, trust me. And I'll try adapting it :-)

  • ahly92 on 03/03/2021 - 11:23

    on a side note - on PAID parking bays, can one park in the middle of 2 parking spots and pay for both, or is that not allowed? (if one has a luxury/expensive car for example)

  • digitalbargain on 03/03/2021 - 11:39

    Bikies

  • Abaddon on 03/03/2021 - 11:54

    I had an older lady do this to me recently, she made no effort to avoid the door hitting my car, just opened it straight into my car and got out.

    Pissed me off as the car is only a few months old. I didn't want to scare her or make a scene, so I just got out of the car as normal as she walked off to check for damage. Given there wasn't any I just left it.

    If it was a younger person, or a man I would have given a piece of my mind regardless.

    • Zachary on 06/03/2021 - 11:08

      If it was a younger person, or a man I would have given a piece of my mind regardless.

      Should have pulled out some brake fluid and poured it over her car….don't have to get physical if you're a fragile woman….

  • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2021 - 12:28

    i have to say , i have never been the unfortunate victim of a car-park incident where someone has opened their door on mine. why you ask?

    because i take that extra 60 seconds whilst parking just to ensure the gap is perfect on both sides but where applicable i ALWAYS let the passenger out first and park within an inch and a half next to a pillar with the mirrors folded in so leave plenty of room for a wide door swing on the other side, i am not a perfectionist but just how in sydney you drive for other people and not yourself , it doesn't end when you have pulled off the road either. you park your car to avoid the shortcomings of other people too.

    also because i park my car away from the majority to get some exercise as i know most people are lazy and try to get a spot closest to the door

    you could say i have just been lucky , but the reality is if you park properly in the first place given the conditions around you , theres a very slim chance something can go wrong.

    also helps to have a hardwired front and rear facing dash cam with a 140 degree angle to avoid the other types of car park bingles.

    but to answer the original question OP stated , what would i do if faced in that situation…i understand life is short and there are better things worth worrying about then damage to a depreciating asset as others have mentioned but my car provides more value and enjoyment to me then the simple dollar figure that people think it is, it is something i worked hard for with time that i have spent in my life that i will never get back and i deserve to enjoy it as-is even if other people take it for granted.

    for me its the principal behind the action even if the person "accidentally did it" , i am not a confrontational sort of person but i can gaurantee the other person is going to have a worse off day then myself especially if they try to lie or weasel their way out of the situation.

    if i am going out of my way to ensure no-ones car gets damaged whilst parked and if you then so-happen to damage both our cars in the process due to carelessness or stupidity or both…well at that point you just shot yourself in the foot and you deserve whatever arises out of it.

    • psdillon on 03/03/2021 - 12:32
      +1

      I do this also and it drives my wife crazy.

    • thanatos350 on 04/03/2021 - 10:30

      I actually parked fairly close to the line (on the side she did not hit), as I was in a corner spot. I did this to avoid being dinged by the driver before her. She had so so so much room and still managed to park over the line, diagonally, and surely knew that she would not fit.

  • psdillon on 03/03/2021 - 12:30

    For this reason, my next vehicle will be a Plasan Sandcat in matte sand colour. It's the type of vehicle where rust and dings only add to it's character.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasan_Sand_Cat#/media/File:Pl…

  • MontyMacaw on 03/03/2021 - 12:38

    OK let's be honest. We have all bumped up against somebody else's door or had a passenger in our car, like a grandchild do it. It's a pain in the arse and it is bloody annoying either way. We all want revenge when it happens to us but most of us won't do anything if we are in some way the guilty party. The best defence is to use those parks especially provided, you know the ones that are as far away as possible from the place you are going. The place where all the other paranoid drivers park.I have been furious when it has happened to me and 99% of the time I could have avoided it by parking in a "safer zone" or parking in such a way as to minimise the chance of it happening. That doesn't excuse the prick that hit my car but it did over time, teach me how to avoid it and the stress associated with it. This has stood me in good stead over the years. Having said that I pity the fool I catch dinging my car NEXT TIME!

  • jamesb33 on 03/03/2021 - 12:46
    +5

    I do this: https://youtu.be/OqqKEgrPhHo .

    • Zachary on 05/03/2021 - 01:00

      Man I need a beater box just for this….

  • john_conner on 03/03/2021 - 12:54
    +1

    Where’s the poll?
    Anyway while yes technically if you door ding someone’s car you should compensate them, 9/10 you either aren’t going to be there or the person won’t care anyway.

    Unfortunately there are always going to be people who don’t care, aren’t paying attention, in a bad mood or are just kids (literally or mentally) who might damage your car.

    Personally I only drive a car I’m willing to get scratched up (can afford to repair or don’t care about it).

    Life isn’t fair and unfortunately there are risks associated with parking your car in a public place.

  • BertieBrown on 03/03/2021 - 13:20

    I wish I had the confidence of some of you folk. I despise confrontation, so I know that in my gut I would want to say something but I would hesitate, and do nothing, and then just simmer and stew that my car had been scratched.

    I know I’d do that because that’s exactly what I did. I was parked in the Spotlight car park of all places and this older woman hit the car with enough force that it made the car move. Full on clunk noise. But, what did I do? Nothing. Fortunately it was an old shitty Kia so didn’t mind that much, but I was angry at myself for not saying something.

    • thanatos350 on 04/03/2021 - 10:27
      +1

      Kinda my situation. I try to avoid confrontation unless it is absolutely necessary and I'd never actually abuse anyone - just thought it would get me a couple of funny stories.

      It goes without saying that physical confrontation should be avoided, but my major concern is more to do with causing a scene with a Karen who holds a much greater proclivity for piping up than I do.

      • BertieBrown on 04/03/2021 - 15:02

        I’m the same way I wouldn’t ever go out of my way to abuse anybody, as in worrying about a particularly verbally aggressive ‘Karen’ type individual. I’d agree that physical confrontation is fairly unlikely as well, but I hate any sort of confrontation so often my mind goes to assuming I will end up in a confrontation when that’s not necessarily realistic.

        More often that not the quite frightening crazy drivers have been road rage where I’ve accidentally cut someone off. At least in those situations I can just stay in my car, and drive to the cop shop if necessary.

    • baskinghobo on 06/03/2021 - 06:56
      +1

      Confronting people is a skill imo. I can confront people when I need to but sometimes it's hard to keep your temper under control. Also most people are bad at dealing with confrontations as well which has a domino effect so you have to be very careful with how you word things. I think looking scary helps when confronting people.

      • BertieBrown on 06/03/2021 - 09:35

        You’re right it’s definitely a skill. It’s one of those things that would be good to practice in group sessions or something like that, but that sort of thing doesn’t really exist for adults I don’t think.

      • Zachary on 06/03/2021 - 10:58

        I think looking scary helps when confronting people.

        Need… …to …look …menacing…with …a …mean …looking …muscleman …body build… thanks!

  • bakko on 03/03/2021 - 13:58
    +1

    I consider myself to have an unhealthy obsession with my vehicles and I try my best to avoid putting them in a position where this could even happen, so if it did happen I'd be pretty upset. I'd jump out to inspect the damage but I'd like to think I wouldn't abuse the other person because I'm not a big baby. Of course that would quickly change if I found there was noticeable damage and they refused to acknowledge it, apologise or exchange details. The way I was raised I can't understand how some people can be so careless of other peoples' property but unfortunately it seems to be the norm.

  • GG57 on 03/03/2021 - 14:54
    -2

    Am I completely out of sync with the rest of the car owners in Australia?
    I have a 'nice' car; probably cost ~$45k when new a couple of years ago. I bought it primarily because it suited my driving / transport needs and it had a lot of safety features that I wanted. I give it a wash even month (or so), and a vacuum less often.

    Sometimes, accidents happen.
    My car has a couple of 'door' dents; I doubt that anyone intentionally caused them. I haven't bothered with getting them repaired as I consider them to be normal wear-and-tear and not worth the hassle to get fixed.

    I know some people focus on their cars as status symbols, or luxury items, or whatever. I can certainly appreciate that for restored cars, or classics. But for run-of-the-mill common models, nah.

    • MontyMacaw on 03/03/2021 - 19:39
      +1

      You obviously get paid way too much

    • thanatos350 on 04/03/2021 - 10:20

      Did you buy it with cash or on finance? I ask because, while I bought upfront, I would be pretty upset about making new car repayments on something that was quickly turning into a beater.

      If you are content with damage, you probably could have bought one with a couple of dents for much less as opposed to buying new?

      Edit: sounded snarky, didn't intend

      • GG57 on 04/03/2021 - 11:33

        I don't think a couple of small door dents makes a car a "beater".
        I have some other things in my life that are much more important than worrying about it, and I wouldn't go with the violence and intentional property damage that some others here are stating they do.

        As I said, this is my view. There are bigger things in life to worry about.

    • Brick Tamland on 05/03/2021 - 16:38

      Totally agree. Cars depreciate with KM, age, wear & tear and car park scrapes. Your 3 year old golf is still unremarkable with or without a car park scrapes. If you can’t bear the the thought of it being scraped and losing value then take the bus and leave the Golf in the garage.

  • jsrz18 on 03/03/2021 - 15:02
    +7

    Happened to me years ago. Sitting in the car. Some idiot parks next to me and flings the door open, smashes into my car (2011 corolla so nothing special, though I still care about it). I confront the person about the dent left, person denies it. Pretends they have nothing to do with it. I then pretend to let it go and say its fine its an old car. Get back in my car. The other person goes into the shops. I drive off and park the car elsewhere. I walk back and I key their black golf from taillight to headlight on the drivers side. Granted, the golf had some dents and scratches so clearly person didn't care too much but still, best feeling ever.

    • GG57 on 03/03/2021 - 15:12
      -1

      Best feeling ever? For damaging someone else's property (intentionally).

      • jsrz18 on 03/03/2021 - 15:12
        +5

        after damaging mine and denying it, yes it felt great

    • King Tightarse on 03/03/2021 - 16:39
      -3

      "I then pretend to let it go and say its fine….and I key their black golf from taillight to headlight"
      So you drop the issue while talking to them and get them later when they are not there? That's a straight up gutless move. You should have the courage to deal with it properly while you were right there speaking with them.
      Key-ing someones car exposes you to criminal prosecution - someone could easily film you, and/or getting your arse handed to you if caught by the owner.

      • jsrz18 on 03/03/2021 - 18:10
        +2

        Nope it was the smart move. Bloke was extremely defensive and getting agitated. It was constant back and forth going nowhere for a few minutes, despite the fact that I was literally in the car when it happened? Obviously didn't want to pay for the repair of minor damage on a base spec corolla. So I pretended to let it go and already knew that I was going to destroy his car afterwards. The difference is that if I was confronted about it, I wouldn't be denying it like the stupid clown lmao

        • Zachary on 05/03/2021 - 01:01
          +1

          what would you do if he comes back for revenge?

          • jsrz18 on 06/03/2021 - 11:42
            -1

            @Zachary: Well this was 5 years ago now. If we ever met at the carpark again and he keyed my now 10 year old car, then so be it. I would just smash all the windows of his car:)

            • King Tightarse on 06/03/2021 - 20:38
              +1

              @jsrz18: You will get yourself arrested or bashed carrying on like that.

            • Zachary on 08/03/2021 - 01:13

              @jsrz18: What if he drives his car into yours for smashing his windows?

    • lltravel on 03/03/2021 - 21:25
      +2

      i approve of this. If the scumbag denied it then i dont see any issues here.

  • lonewolf on 03/03/2021 - 15:23
    +1

    I dont think its always avoidable though, I was in canada once where the wind caught the door and just pushed it further than i had already set it open and it did hit the other car luckily no damage as usually when i open it, i open it to the point where its at the levered hold section (dont know how to explain it but there is usually a point at which the door stops opening automatically but can open even more if you want it to but it can also stay in that spot. Like 3/4 open. The wind was so strong, even though i had a hand on the door, it still was able to push it further open.

    I think it depends on the cars, some cars have heavier doors than other cars and hence can easily open more than you had opened it initially if there is a slope and the door is opening at an angle downhill. There was one time at uni where a student had parked after i had parked but i was in the car getting my stuff organised. Then I got out and there was enough room to get out, the door was open and about an inch away from the other car. Then she came around to get something from the back seat, and i stepped back into my door and my backpack pushed the door further and it hit the other car. There was no damage we both checked, but the 19yr old girl completely lost it at me , she was about half my weight and several inches shorter, but was swearing her head off at me. I apologised literally about 7 or 8 times and tried to explain that the door was already mostly open so thats why there was no damage. Its not like i intentionally did it, i backed away so she could open her back door. But she wouldnt have anything of it and kept swearing and shouting at me, till another lady (staff) driving by, stopped and told her to not speak to anyone like that. I gave up trying to apologise and said looked i have tried everything i can to appease you and just left.

    Interestingly later that day when i came back, she had left a note on my car apologising for losing her cool and that she had exams that day and was stressed out.

  • aedeau on 03/03/2021 - 16:11

    TLDR: fat lady dinged my car

    • CalmLemons on 03/03/2021 - 18:30

      This.

    • thanatos350 on 04/03/2021 - 10:09

      Pls I don't wanna be cancelled.

  • Boogerman on 03/03/2021 - 16:55

    I park away from all other cars for this exact reason or try to leave a space between me & any adjacent cars if I can’t
    Happy to walk further
    One of my cars has paint protection film, the other doesn’t. When I replace it I will get PPF

    • thanatos350 on 04/03/2021 - 10:09

      I took precautions, tbh. Parked in a corner spot, and on the far side of my space as there was another incompetent driver there prior to her. So she had approximately 1 and a quarter car spaces worth of room and still managed to do this.

  • funnysht on 03/03/2021 - 17:18

    i'd have a look- if no scratch i just move on. if scratch i may leave a note - i prob will but take a clear photo etc or just leave a$50 note so they dont ask for more

  • Banj0 on 03/03/2021 - 17:21
    +1

    I opened my door into the gutter once. Think I left a little paint on the concrete. I drove off without telling anybody!

  • Blargman2001 on 03/03/2021 - 17:42
    +1

    If they apologise, let it go. If they don't and are leaving their car to go somewhere, open my door in to theirs when they can't see. If I don't have a chance then just let it go. Cars don't stay new forever anyway.

  • Championxlr8 on 03/03/2021 - 18:46
    +4

    i hate this, for the reason that you spend your hard earn cash on something you cherish and because someone cant park or have a 3k shitter and they dont care about others around them. i recently had someone reverse into me whilst i was at work. they didnt leave a note. i reviewed my dashcam footage, sent all the info to the cops. and they tracked him down through their number plate. turns out it was a company car and the driver said, when he looked "there wasnt much damage" he literally repeated this to the cops and my insurance company. i dont care if you didnt think there wasnt much damage, "you" damaged the car. estimated damage about 15k later.. haha

    TLDR- get a dashcam that runs 24/7.

    • lltravel on 03/03/2021 - 21:24

      lol what a joker

      15k damage is heaps. Imagine if he actually backed into a proper luxury vehicle like a Lambo or Ferrari. Not much damage would turn out to be 50k+

      • Championxlr8 on 03/03/2021 - 21:29

        Exactly what happens when you do not much damage to the last made Ford falcon fg GTF 351 haha
        Especially since there are only 22 or less new front bars left in world.

    • thanatos350 on 04/03/2021 - 10:04

      Wow, you're really lucky to have had the dashcam. If it's a company car, I'd expect it to be recent, so it is likely to have had a reverse camera. I don't know how you can make that mistake with the state of current car tech.

  • Jackkkkkk on 03/03/2021 - 19:21
    +2

    This is the sole reason why I'll never buy a new car again.The amount of stress increases daily with the number of careless people who DGAF. My second hand Jazz is great :) Now I can be carefree too!

    • thanatos350 on 04/03/2021 - 10:00

      Makes me miss my shitbox. Hit a ditch, meh. Silly friend opens door into gutter, meh.

  • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2021 - 19:46

    If you have a nice (or well-maintained) car, try to park next to an equivalently nice (or well-maintained) car.

    Do you just swallow it? Do you jump out and abuse these people?

    If no damage was done to my car, I'd leave it. Since you were sitting in the car, if there was damage, and you caught the act "red-handed," I'd say that's an opportunity to have a civilised chat to the person and inform them of what's just happened.

  • BinnyC on 03/03/2021 - 20:46

    Someone slammed their door in to mine leaving a big dent that cannot be repaired and did not leave a note. The door needs to be replaced kow and i have to pay for it:(

  • srr on 03/03/2021 - 21:04
    +1

    Well, this is just a car. As long as it’s a small scuff an apology would be enough.

    • thanatos350 on 04/03/2021 - 09:57

      I know, but in the spirit of this site, it is a chunk of money that is getting less valuable by the day. You don't wanna speed up that process.

      What would you say if you were using your phone, standing at a bus stop, and someone barged by and caused you to drop and chip it? It's minor damaged caused by someone else's carelessness. If you intended to upgrade your device and sell, you'd have hundreds wiped from the value instantly.

      • srr on 04/03/2021 - 20:08
        +1

        What would you say

        Shit happens.

  • lltravel on 03/03/2021 - 21:20
    +2

    As a person who has experienced this bs many times, I can tell you it really pisses me off. People lack the respect for other peoples property.

    You may not care about your car but please respect the fact other people take pride in their vehicle.

    1. I had to get some groceries so I drove down to the local Woolies. I come back and some old guy is leaning on my car talking to his mate in the car next to me
      I told him off and had a look for any scratches.
      You can't just go around leaning on people's property. Now people may think, oh yeah he was just leaning on it, however, micro-scratches can occur from zippers, buttons from your pants, or shirt. This is a complete pain to remove as I had the car fully detailed 2 weeks prior

    2. Was parked in a coles parking lot
      An old man parked next to me pushes his trolley between the wheels of my car and his.
      I had a go at him and told him all he had to do was go around and he wouldn't have had to do that.
      Yes there was a mark on the rim. Lucky the rim was black so it was only minor and only visible if you looked closely. He could have easily scratched up the fender which is when I would have made it into a big deal.

    3. Car was completely keyed on one side for no reason. I am assuming of jealousy. Cost me 1.5k to get this fixed.

    As someone who has saved up for ages to buy their dream car, this is not acceptable.

    People here stating oh its ok, its just a car, no its not ok.

    As most people who like thier car I always park away, at the end of the carpark so theres only one car next to me, or between bollards etc

    For clarification this was 1 of 400 cars bought into australia.

    • Championxlr8 on 03/03/2021 - 21:35
      +1

      100% agree.
      Some people don't see value or respect for others.
      But I bet if I thew a brick at their front window of their house and said it's only just a glass window. I'm sure I wouldn't get away with it.
      And to the people that damage cars and say it's just a scuff or a small dent. I'd salt your front lawn and say it's just grass.
      It absolutely infuriating.

      • GG57 on 04/03/2021 - 09:07

        This topic relates to accidental damage.
        You are talking abut intentional damage, which should be prosecuted.

        • BobLim on 05/03/2021 - 01:30

          "Reckless" or "negligent" might be more apt than "accidental"?

          • GG57 on 05/03/2021 - 09:50

            @BobLim: Sure, but certainly not intentional.
            Not like some on here talking about keying cars, deflating tyres, etc. That is intentional and should be prosecuted.

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