Thought Car Damaged By Large 4x4 In Very Tight Space Behind My Car

[Brenbo]

I thought I would start a thread on the topic of idiots who park big vehicles in car park spaces far too small for their car (no road markings on this occasion) and potentially damage your car in the process of their parking.  I went to the local beach yesterday There is a residential street where we park which we also have a right to park on, which is also down the side of the canal/beach.  My car was parallel parked there all day with more than enough space front and back so no worries.  Then in the evening when i came back to the car from the restaurant I discovered some absolute idiot had parked his Land Rover Discovery in a space which literally was no longer than the car itself.  To get his car in the space he would have had to hit both my car and the VW Transporter behind it several times to shuffle his car in (it really was that tight).  I could not even get to my boot it was such a tight space between my car and his.  So I instantly thought he must have hit my car and slid a hand across my bumper to check for damage to the paint etc,.  The result was Yes, he had indeed damaged my car I found what i thought was a long scraping of paint about 4 inch long along the most prominent edge of my bumper and an equivalent mark on his number plate.  But the light was fading so I decided to check it closer at home. So I hit the roof and took photos of the damage and his number plate etc, incase I need it for future use.  Then when I got home I got out my car cleaning stuffand had a go at the damaged bumper only to discover to my surprise the mark eventually came off and disappeared leaving no visible scratches underneath either (this did take a lot of work on my part).  However the reason I am writing this is to say I had a very lucky escape this time.  But why do some people insist on parking their oversized cars in spaces which are far too small and have any of you had similar lucky escapes from similar scenarios while your car was parked. Also what would you have done if you discovered your car was damaged in the car park and the car which had done it was still there.  Over to you guys..

[Watts]

Unfortunately most people view their cars as a workhorse and assume everyone else does too and bumpers are there to assist in parking. Glad yours has turned out okay. Mine gained a chip in the clear coat by a door in a tight space recently, I knew it was going to happen but there were no better spaces and I thought if I moved to another space and the car got damaged I'd blame myself for moving!

[kalimon]

I'm one of those sad people who frequently drive to the Trafford Centre or Tesco and return home without parking up, due to not being able to find a space I'm happy with
I often just go to these places in my van

[SRGTD]

Glad there was no permanent damage Brenbo. I dislike having to park in public spaces or use public car parks and supermarket car parks with a passion. Some years ago while at work, I had my car damaged on my work car park. I found out who did it and confronted them and they still didn't have the decency to own up. Also had a car door damaged on an airport car park while I was on holiday.

More recently (last year) I had someone plant a nice ding in my nearside rear wheel arch on my car in a public car park while I was at the dentist. The only option for parking was that car park.

These days, I'll only go to supermarkets at off peak times when there's plenty of parking spaces and less risk of damage. Even then, when the car park's pretty empty and I've parked in one of the spaces furthest from the supermarket doors, I often find someone parked next to me when there's lots of other spaces. Why?

[Booth11]

Sorry about your car Brenbo, glad you were able to remove the damage.

The problem is not just exclusive to big 4x4's though, but I know exactly what you mean. We have an Amarok, and finding a space it can fit in is often difficult but with a bit of searching, it is possible to usually find somewhere that doesn't pose a problem for others.  That said, I've had 3 lots of damage to my R sustained in car parks, all inflicted by cars, and in one case a very small fiat that bashed its door into mine as I was sitting in it!  Consequently we now use the big 4x4 for supermarket duty because of this!  So it's more a general couldn't-care-less attitude that seems to have pervaded some of society that leads to this situation where you take pot luck when entering any car park.  And the usual precautions of finding isolated far flung spaces is no guarantee, not when a car will drive across over a 100 empty parking spaces to cosy up next to the only other car in sight, as was the case with the fiat.  This coupled with the fact that parking spaces are still quite small despite the general move towards larger vehicles, which needs to be addressed by councils and providers of car parks, means public parking is Russian Roulette. 

[Brenbo]

I am lucky in the sense of supermarket shopping as our local Tesco has a few parking spaces with narrow chevrons either side which you can double park half on chevron/parking space to widen the parking space further.  I have been very careful where I park.  My wife will often roll her eyes as I search for that ever so rare larger space which will avoid any potential damage frrom other cars.  I feel all of your pain when you had sustained the damage to your cars.  The first thing which entered my head when i thought it was damaged was when does the local body repair/paint shop open and how much will it cost for Oryx White to be resprayed this time (will it be over £300+, the same as last time).  Luckily I managed to avoid this happening by the skin of my teeth. 

[dubber36]

One thing I have noticed with my Amarok is that people tend to give it a wide berth when parking. I guess assuming that I'm going to be careless towards their cars as I drive a big, stupid 4x4. I have to say that I find it easier to park that the Golf and certainly my Passat estate. The mirrors are huge and sitting up high gives a great vantage point. Front and rear sensors and a rear camera make parking a doddle.

Often parallel parking can be a chore due to tight spaces and it's length, but with the aid of the sensors and reflections in shop windows, it will go it without inflicting any damage.

[Brenbo]

I guess its not so much about people owning 4x4's but more the attitude of individual people who own them.  You guys who also own 4x4's will most likely be super careful as you see the ownership of your cars as a pride and joy kinda thing.  However some others don't.  To them a car is just a thing which gets you from A to B and god help anyone who's car comes in to contact with theirs enroute. 

[Briggsy]

I often find someone parked next to me when there's lots of other spaces. Why?

That is one of the many unanswered questions we face on earth, that needs answering, alongside other questions like why are we here?

It does my absolute nut in when you've parked a million miles away from anyone to come back to find someones parked next to you when theres a ton of spaces that are not next to any other cars and nearer the shop/location wanting to park up for.

The mind absolutely boggles, I think some people are so inept at parking in a space that they use another car as a guide.

[Guzzle]

when the car park's pretty empty and I've parked in one of the spaces furthest from the supermarket doors, I often find someone parked next to me when there's lots of other spaces. Why?

I was about to write almost exactly the same. What irks the most is when a high sided vehicle such as 4x4 or tall van that parks right next to you so your view is obscured if you need to reverse out.