A note, a $50… or nothing at all!
Those were the answers to the parking ethics question, “What would you leave behind, if you dinged the door on an SUV that was parked a wee bit too close?” Our caller to this week’s show, Eric, fled the scene. Should he have done more?
Tom suggested leaving behind a note (with his actual phone number, no less!). Ray blamed the other guy, saying he parked too close, and opted for an anonymous $50 bill under the windshield wiper.
What would you do?
I agree with Tommy. You have a responsibility to leave a note. Go back into the store or restaurant and ask for a piece of paper. In this day of cell phones with cameras, take a pic of the way the car is parked plus a pic of the damage. Ray, I am disappointed, but will give you the benefit of the doubt - you are just trying to provoke discussion or can’t bring yourself to agree with your brother, right?
Sorry - I don’t agree with Tommy. Each parking area is delineated and those people who take up other people’s space are putting their vehicle in harm’s way. It is their responsibility to make sure that their vehicle is totally in the allotted area, and not infringing on another’s space; and if the thing they are driving is too big for the spot, MOVE! Don’t make it someone else’s responsibility to correct something that occurred because of your laziness to move, or the attitude that says, "I can park anywhere I want, even if I know it’s an inconvenience to other parkers.
(Clearly, I have an issue with this large SUVs - i.e., if you’re parked next to one, you cannot see to back out of your space. How safe is that?)
The ethics are a problem, but leave out a major player…the person(s?) responsible for shrinking parking spaces. Other the last several years parking places have been made smaller. Much like airplane seating, the masters give the dogs less space to fight over. Unfortunately one can not buy first class parking to get the appropriate space and must fight it out in the parking lots while limousines with drivers seem to park most anywhere they like. I’ve yet to make up my mind if this is simply to fit more places in a given area and/or a result of overcrowding in general.
Once I parked near downtown Sacramento on a weekend for an Amtrak trip. When I returned after a couple of days, the curb had been painted red and I had been ticketed!
So, there is stealth striping…
Most people don’t think too much about this sort of thing, but I choose to park where other cars are not parked, even if it means I have to walk an extra 50 feet to get into the store or wherever I’m going. The walk doesn’t hurt, and I don’t have to worry about my car. It doesn’t need to lose any more rust anyway. I also avoid the risk of having someone park ridiculously close to me and having to crawl over from the other side or risk serious groin injury trying to squeeze into a door that will only open five degrees because of the putz that parked six inches from my car. I say avoid the scenario altogether by parking a little farther away. The walk will do you some good.
you dinged the door on an SUV that was parked a wee bit too close?
Why did you choose to park in a spot that was too small for your car? Yea the original driver is pond scum for not parking properly, but the second driver choose to try and park in the now reduced space.
While I suspect both drivers were in error, the driver of the car that was moving at the time of the collision, is at fault.This is a 2-case scenario.
Case 1: They’re over the line
First, all these jerks with their huge SUVs need to learn how to drive and park their vehicles. I see this all the time at college, somebody with a monster SUV parks a foot over my side of the line and leaves 3+ feet empty at the other side of their own space. I wish I had a junker truck (as they say on CarTalk - "just the right amount of rust but not enough sheet-metal) then I wouldn’t have to worry about having my door bash into theirs. It’s their fault for parking on MY side of the line. It’s their own fault if they take up multiple spaces…especially when they leave half their space empty.
If their vehicle is just too big to fit in the lines (I had someone with a monster truck and monster tires that parked perfectly centered in their space but was sticking over both lines far enough I couldn’t fit my body between the two vehicles and spent 10 minutes trying to climb over the center console and gearshift) then they need to find a spot farther away from everyone else where they can fit. This includes 4-door extended bed pickups that are too long, they need to find a spot farther out where they can pull through and not inconvenience people with normal size cars.
I won’t go into the (insert choice words here) who park at a 30 degree angle taking up 3 spaces…
Case 2: If they park inside the lines
On the other hand, if they park correctly, within their lines (I make a point to do this - even if it means getting back in and re-parking) then it’s your responsibility to make sure your door doesn’t hit things outside of your parking space.
And for the record, we’ve had a few small dents and had to fix scrapes in the paint on the metal part of our car doors by other people who never left any note.
“Why did you choose to park in a spot that was too small for your car? Yea the original driver is pond scum for not parking properly, but the second driver choose to try and park in the now reduced space.”
What if that’s the only space left? We have this regularly at my college where the only space left is 3/4 of a spot and you have to either wedge in or drive in circles until someone leaves.
If they can’t park in the lines, it’s their fault when something happens. It’s that simple.
No note, no $50 bill, but if you have to choose one, go with the $50, because if I’m walking by and I see it, I’m taking it.
I haven’t listened to this part of the show yet, but if the close parker was there when you pulled in, it’s kind of your fault. If he came after, it’s his fault.
In either case, someone would ding his car anyway, so don’t worry about it. But do leave me the $50.
Leave The Note With Phone Number And Pay For The Damage Or Work Out An Amicable Settlement With The Vehicle’s Owner. $50 Won’t Cut It After You Carelessly Damage Another’s Property.
What’s with all the bitchy people who think somebody’s a jerk for driving the vehicle of their choice ? I don’t drive an SUV and don’t care to, but I’ll defend to death anybody’s right to do it or to drive any legal vehicle of their choosing.
Be careful what you wish for (You people who think others should drive what you drive.). Sooner or later something you like to do will be the target of some other bigoted, self-righteous person or group.
Also, jkd80401 has it right. Parking spaces are too ridiculously small and getting smaller. Much of the blame has to fall on businesses or facilities that offer parking, but didn’t buy enough property or are trying to make too many parking spaces. I like the lots with nice wide spaces and double lines between them, creating “buffer zones.”
CSA
If they took part of my space, $1 and I choose a different space. If they didn’t, $30-50 (depending on damage).
"What’s with all the bitchy people who think somebody’s a jerk for driving the vehicle of their choice ? I don’t drive an SUV and don’t care to, but I’ll defend to death anybody’s right to do it or to drive any legal vehicle of their choosing.
Be careful what you wish for (You people who think others should drive what you drive.). Sooner or later something you like to do will be the target of some other bigoted, self-righteous person or group."
The issue isn’t the big SUVs themselves, it’s that the general trend is people driving said big SUVs either can’t or don’t care how to park inbetween lines compared to people driving smaller vehicles.
Will you also defend their right to park over someone else’s line and leave half their space empty?
Obviously, you’ve never come out from somewhere to find your car “parked in” with a SUV or other large vehicle 6 inches from your driver’s door, forcing you to climb over the passenger seats.
Why do you NEED an SUV ? Unless you live in an area without paved roads there is no reason to buy an SUV other than to present a ridiculous facade of ruggedness. The “safety” reason only applies if YOUR SUV hits someone in regular car. SUVs are inherently less safe (higher center of gravity) than regular height cars. Yes the are legal but if you choose to drive these road hogging, view blocking gas guzzling behemoths, then be prepared to feel the wrath of the “ordinary” car drivers who have to suffer the consequences of your choice, ie inability to fit in normal parking spots.
“Will you also defend their right to park over someone else’s line and leave half their space empty?”
Yes. I appreciate nice, well-cared-for vehicles and with too narrow spaces and people inconsiderate enough to damage somebody’s property, I understand completely what they’re doing. They have my cooperation and I’ll just find another place to park.
“Obviously, you’ve never come out from somewhere to find your car “parked in” with a SUV or other large vehicle 6 inches from your driver’s door, forcing you to climb over the passenger seats.”
You are living a reality I left years ago It quite nearly killed me. I have done that, years ago. I chose to leave the urban nightmare for rural America and never looked back. Where I live now, I park in the back of parking lots (sometimes taking 2 spaces - Gasp !) and I don’t bother a sole, unless of course . . . there’s a city dweller with an attitude. I keep a nice car and get plenty of exercise.
mmiller7, I feel your pain.
CSA
ShiftKicker, Some Day You’ll Get The Shift Kicked Out Of You.
CSA
I’d have left a note (and have in the past) that reads: “The next time you park this close to someone, please leave a can opener to they can get in their vehicle”
It doesn’t matter that it was an SUV, it could have been a Miata, there are people that just don’t think about how their parking effects others people. I’m sure most of us have been guilty of this at one point or another for whatever reason, unintentional or not.
A ding in a parking lot is part of owning a car. It happens; we’ve all had it happen to us.
If someone is that worried about keeping their car pristine, they should do as Mark9207 does and park in an unused part of the lot.
Several years ago when I came out to find a huge pick-up angled across the white line making it nearly impossible for me to even back out of my parking space I left a note under the windshield wiper. The note read: “If it’s too big to park, it’s too big to drive!”
Another time, I parked far out in the lot where no one else was only to come out of the store and find a rust-bucket parked nearly up against my passenger side door…no other cars in the vicinity.
I know there are “moral” questions here, but my bottom line is simple courtesy and respect - DON’T PARK UP AGAINST ANOTHER CAR!
The type of vehicle is irrelevant, could have been an SUV or electric car. The SUV driver parked too close to the neighboring parking space. Maybe he was adjusting for the on the other side of him.
The person that dinged the door did not do it on purpose. The fact that is being overlooked is that the wind caught the door and blow the door open. That falls under “an act of God.”
I would have left a note if I did this with an appology and explanation of the event, that is; the vehicle parking too close and the wind.