just wonder if anyone keeps their car parked on the streets in a city. Do you do anything to protect it from scratches etc?

 

This got to be the dumbest question ever! There is nothing you can do about it. Just try to aviod parking around busy area.

 

I carry one of those pop up single car garages in my trunk and pop it up everywhere I park

 

Quit being asswipes and just say no.

 

, , and well - just be careful where ya park ur ride and have it as close to the curb as possible.

 

just not too close to the curb...scratched my rim doing that.

 

nop.....never park in busy areas....

my dads 2003 sienna has more bumper scratches than my 88 civic

he parks it downtown.

San francisco here

 

tru that - close enough to not touch the curb

 

i'm in nyc and street parking is awful. im still taking my old car into the city rather than driving the new tsx. however, i have seen some new cars parked in the street w/ the 'bumper badger'. i was thinking of getting that but dont want the velcro to mess up the lining in the trunk.. i guess better the lining in the trunk than missing paint & scratches on the bumper.

http://chariotauto.com/_wsn/page2.html

 

I saw quite a few of those in Brooklyn now. Too bad it doesn't cover the corner of the bumper...

 

Nothing can prevent imcompetent drivers who cannot park/drive. If you really wanted to protect it, sit in the car at all times while in the city. Here in San Francisco, people parking around my car stop quite a distance away when they see me sitting in my car, and the fact that I am fat and huge. Only true way to protect it in the city is to not go at all. So, bleh.

 

Ive seen quite a few of these in brooklyn too.

http://www.bumperpad.com/products.html

 

I would say park in the indoor garage instead of parking on the street.....

 

ok, these bumperpads or velcro pads are a bit much. Though I want to protect my car, not so sure I want to go through the process everytime I park my car. I would just say - Smoke a joint and relax!!!!!

 

You should just make a poll - "Who here uses a car cover?" Other than that, there's nothing really special that can be done...other than making sure you park in a decent place (away from other cars, away from busy streets, etc)

Worrying about having someone mess with your car comes with the territory of owning a more expensive car. Either take the time/effort to find a better parking spot (like parking in the next block over), or take a chance and park wherever.

I use my accord when I think I might have some parking issues.

 

Trunk Monkey is your best hope

http://media.trunkmonkey.com/video/s...nkey2-high.mov
http://media.trunkmonkey.com/video/s...nkey4-high.mov
http://media.trunkmonkey.com/video/s...nkey1-high.mov

 

I wont park my car anywhere that I feel that it is in danger..

 

That is some hilarious reply

 

qweezy, I gotta go with S14nTSX, that is a fairly goofy question. I take it you either never had a car before or a rural or suburbanite.
using your car in the city (parking and driving) will expose you to a lot more "environment" than driving from the driveway to starbucks. City drivers will give you about 1.5 inches at each bumper when parallel parking. whethers its a beater car or a M5.
I can't count how many times I've seen cars ram other cars when parking. and even in big lots where they are just pulling into a nice big spot.

what you can do to prevent scratches: if you just go the the city once in a while. take a taxi. it'll save you an ulcer. if you live in the city....suck it up. good luck.

 

TRUNK MONKEY! muwahaha

 

 

i park mine on the street outside my house. i got some dents in my bumper and i just got the whip in jan. i think either i did those or someone else did them. well i know one guy did one of em. but im not sure how the other dent got there. thats about it. sometime i dont park directly in front of my house if the spot is taken.

wow. a popup garage. wish i had one of those. aaaaaahahhaha.

 

Rent a garage if you have the cash...I know how pricey that can be

 

I'm not really in a city area, more the burbs, but I've put 3M clear shield on my doors (and, of course, the front bumper and hood areas.)

 

I live in San Francisco and so far no scratches/dents. That being said, my housemate's car was stolen 3 days ago...
If you have to park right on the street, park strategically next to nicer cars, not pieces of shit. If a car has more than a few dents and you park next to it, enjoy your new dent.

 

yeaaa cuz when u park you just have that luxury to park wherever.. i know how the city is so open and theres always parking and I can choose to park between/next to some luxury cars???

 

it's a bumper, let it get bumped a little bit, its just doing its job...

but yea it sucks, i live in queens and take my tsx to the city a lot, your best bet is to park it with the nose (or the ass) of the car at a corner or near a hydrant that way nobody will park in front of (or behind) you. Preferably put the nose of the car at a corner or near a hydrant, because most people cant judge the length of their car when backing up and dink your car, this way, you have eliminated that from happening. park smarter, don't buy some obnoxious bulletproof vest like bumper protector.

otherwise its just another cost of living in the city, and always remember parallel park as much as possible, you almost never have to worry about your door getting dented up from an asshole parking too close, and remember a bumper is meant to be hit, the door is not, it's the lesser of two evils

 

im with billy.. my bumper is really bad!!! the front and the back. The city is the worst place to park. alot of hit and runs. the thing i do is write down the plate number to the car in front of me and behind me!!!!

 

Yep if you live in the city and have to street park 'cause you can't find a reasonably priced garage that is close by (I live in Manhattan and commute out every day...yeah yeah I know i'm weird) then dings are inevitable and just a fact of city ownership and street parking.

The hydrant thing is a good tip. Some other tips and comments from my experience:

1) Park on the widest lowest traffiked street you can find and always pull in your wing mirror. Double parked delivery vehicles and cab doors are constant threats. Plus walking a bit is good for you!

2) Don't park behind any SUV's or pick-ups with trailer hitches and the like. Nothing like having a tralier ball dent in your hood to ruin your day.

3) If the cars parked in front or behind you look like they have way too many dings...keep on driving.

4) The bumper pads I think do work, but having to do that every single day can get real old and they don't protect the bumper corners.

I figure its worth the cost of replacing the bumper if I need to rather than having to live on Ramen noodles just so I can afford a parking garage.

 

you make some good points. i live in hoboken and have the luxury of having a garage space for a reasonable price (for hoboken at least).

but if i parked on the street, i think the bumper guards are good because most dings i see are on that part of the bumper. here's why:

assholes in urban areas never learned how to parallel park. their method is as follows:

1.pull up to space. put car in reverse
2pull into space (assuming backing in) slowly, until the car behind you moves slightly (indicating you've now tapped him lightly, and can't go back any further).
3.put car in drive, and pull forward until the car in front of you moves slightly inidicating you can't move forward any furhter.
4.proceed with 2 and 3 until parking is complete

honestly, why don't people know how to judge even a bit? i can understand tapping a car every now and then, maybe when you just get a new car, but you should be able to judge the length of your own car and be able to park properly.

assholes.

 

For the record, i didn't mean to park in the way of the hydrant, just park as close as you can LEGALLY to it, otherwise, you are 1) endangering people by blocking the hydrant, and 2) it's going to cost you $115 every time you do it...

i don't think anyone interpreted it that way, but i just wanna clarify before someone starts showing me their orange envelopes from the NYC Department of Finance and blaming me for them. (FYI you have 15 feet around a hydtant you can't park, but in the city they'll let you get away with 8-12, but i don't risk it)

 

Great advice!

 

what about the clear bra thingy... would this help. alsois there a similar product for the rear bumper. and finally, fu to all the a holes who first responded b/c obviously some people do care.

whats up hoboken? used to live at 8th & garden. now back at the motherland, philly.

 

Hoboken's right on the other side of the holland tunnel. its in jersey. and a clear bra will only protct the paint not prevent dings. it will protect you from very minor scratches because it is just another surface for someone to break befroe reaching the paint. (correct me if im wrong but i think i got the gist of it)

as for parallel parking people need to learn the vehicle they are driving.meaning people need to know their car. i dont understand how somany people cannot parallel park its ridiculous. i mean you had to do it when you took you road test. my two cents

 

When I took the test here in SF, there was no parrallel parking.

People just need to learn the dimensions of their vehicle, instead of waiting until they hit something to stop. The parking spots in SF are quite large in marked areas, which helps a bit. In unmarked areas, things tend to get damaged. I also see people putting bumper guards on the corners of their cars, but they look fairly ugly.

Don't think there is a clear bra or similar product for the rear, as it is designed to soften the impact of oncoming rocks and bugs, which generally don't impact the rear of cars. Maybe some custom modlings might help. Might take or add to the car's appearence, depending on the style.

 

The fire hydrant distance thing is a toss up. You can USUALLY get away with about 8-12 ft. but it'll just take one meter maid who had a bad day and you'll have a $115 present waiting for ya.

For my money I would get the bumperguards that velcro from the trunk and hang over your rear bumper as the more permanent glue on ones look horrible.

 

philly is nice (i'm from NEPA orignally) but can you guys figure out a more intelligent chant than spelling your team's name out?

hoboken is fun, i lived on 10th and clinton and now i'm down on 1st and jefferson.

i've seen 2 new RBPs in Hoboken, so now i'm not the only one

 

Yo guys. What you need is the BUMPER BADGER. I use it in NYC and it works like a charm. Nobody can scratch my bumper anymore. I just flip this baby out of my trunk when I have to park on the street and I'm protected. www.bumperbadger.com

 

it can NOT get any more ghetto than that

 

It's amazing how many people, even "moderators", are rude as hell here.