inkonspikuos

Don't you wish they taught that when the general public learns how to drive?! Well, I was at the mall making a return & opted not to look for the closest spot, parking FAR,FAR away next to a median. The median was on my driver's side, with spots open to my right, to my back & back right. (Still following me?)
I impatiently waited while tourists make purchases with over 50 pieces & rush to my car. Low & behold. A Chevy Tahoe parked crookedly, semi-close to my baby. I thought nothing, jumped in, started the car and rolled front windows down. I literally got frightened looking at myself in the passenger mirror. (No. Not that ugly!) My mirror was turned in so i jumped out & inspected my ride.

So we all know how long the TSX passenger door is right?! Well, let's just say the damage stops one inch from the edges of the door and is about an inch high. I looked at the SUV next to me & the evidence was there. I took down the license plate & tended to my door. She came out & I simply told the lady she hit me. Denial, I presented the evidence and still denial. Well, the cops came and classified it as a hit & run.

MMsTSX

time for you to start doing what I do.

park dead center on a line.

yes.

take up TWO parking spots.
dead center on the line.

I do it every time.

hkssupra91

I mean i totally think you mean well, but in NYC/NJ parking spaces are hard to come by and I always worry someone messed up in the head would just key the car. I want to park like that too, but I just get worried.

CiViCKiDD

Yeah people in NY/NJ are messed up and WOULD do that.

And I've been parking in "the back" ever since I started driving what, like 11 years ago, old car or new. I don't understand why people can't open a door without slamming it open onto someone elses car (happened to me at work just days after I bought my TSX), or why POS cars park right next to mine when there's space to park away from me or even in the front.

Congrats on getting it filed as a hit and run though.

nj2pa2nc

park in two spots can cause other driver to squeese their car very close next to you, especially if parking is limited. Some places give out tickets for doing that.

MMsTSX

well lucky me parking spots are not hard to come by where I live.
parking lots are always bigger than they need to be in my city.
so when I take two spots, there isn't even another car for about
8-10 empty spots.

points above are valid though in many areas.
the reason you have to park dead center on the line is to aviod the
possibility of someone trying to squeeze in next to you.
you have to make it impossible.
if you are more to one side or the other, that is asking for a squeeze.

if the area has little open spots, then don't bother trying.
the only way it's kosher is if nobody would even want the other spot to begin with.

in cases where spaces are few, other practices have to come into play.
like parking next to a curb or next to a cart return.
some situation where only one spot is open next to you, not two.
then you should pull the car as close to the curb/cart return/whatever
as possible.

basically you have to bet on people being stupid. because they are.
or if you don't like the word stupid, you can substitute careless or something else.
you have to plan on them extending their doors all the way.

if you park next to a car or truck where it's possible for their door to hit you,
well then you must expect for their door to hit you.
pretty simple.

place your car somewhere that makes it as hard as possible for another car,
person, door or whatever to hit you, or face the consequences on relying others
to be careful around your car. which obviously will rarely happen.

it's a constant struggle, just like driving is.
they hand out licenses to anyone of age really...

miked8887

Just, I respect others' property in general. Hitting someone's car doesn't mean you're stupid or something. It happens, we're human. I wouldn't even be mad at someone for it. The part that places people in the 'stupid' category is when they leave without respectful consideration. I would personally pay someone for damage if I accidentally caused it. No big deal. Furthermore, denying it right in the face of obvious evidence is rotten.

you know man?

Data suggest that many peoples' brains under age 25 aren't developed enough for considering consequences or exercising complete safety while driving. I'm not implying a stereotype, but that's just what the studies suggest.

I also think sometimes that a parking ticket is better than getting a scratch or ding. I park way in the back of the lot in 2 spots with my back end sticking a little bit into the space behind me. Keeps my nose from sticking out. Go ahead and write me a ticket. Its better than walking out and seeing your beautiful TSX front end all smashed.

nj2pa2nc

[QUOTE=miked8887;10228859]Just, I respect others' property in general. Hitting someone's car doesn't mean you're stupid or something. It happens, we're human. I wouldn't even be mad at someone for it. The part that places people in the 'stupid' category is when they leave without respectful consideration. I would personally pay someone for damage if I accidentally caused it. No big deal. Furthermore, denying it right in the face of obvious evidence is rotten.

you know man?

Data suggest that many peoples' brains under age 25 aren't developed enough for considering consequences or exercising complete safety while driving. I'm not implying a stereotype, but that's just what the studies suggest.

I also think sometimes that a parking ticket is better than getting a scratch or ding. I park way in the back of the lot in 2 spots with my back end sticking a little bit into the space behind me. Keeps my nose from sticking out. Go ahead and write me a ticket. Its better than walking out and seeing your beautiful TSX front end all smashed.



My daughter works at a mall that gives out parking tickets for taking more than one parking spot- Fine is $30.00 (enforced by the town). Maybe you can afford a $30.00 fine 5 days a week but she can not.

miked8887

Just, I didn't say 5 times/week. hahaa

Ok, If you get tickets frequently in your lot, then implement a different strategy.... YA KNOW!?

In fact, someone hit a cadillac parked NEXT to my TSX the other night and LEFT! Whew....

davidspalding

I scraped a car in my last complex, and left a note. It's not very difficult ethics. But someone doing what the OP described is just plain selfish, ignorant stupidity. But some would just shrug and file a claim. Kudos for filing the police report instead.

I usually park in the desertd parts of lots (at my local Target, it's also very conveniently around the side of the store), no need to squat on lines or hug medians or anything. Still, someone often gets the same idea and parks near me. Feh.

Life happens.

inkonspikuos

You know, hitting someone's car, doesn't make u stupid. But it does say a lot about ur driving skills. What got me irritated is that she PLAINLY denied that she hit me. Even after I showed her the evidence she said in broken english "Do you think I would hit your car and still park here?" I told her yeah because it's called an ACCIDENT! I offered the woman to have her pay for it without contacting the Police. Her reply: "I just lost my job & I pay insurance so I let them pay for it. I don't pay insurance for nothing" Okay lady.

nj2pa2nc: Are u flipping mad?!!! I think that you'd be bummed out like I was when some stranger hits ur car! Bummed out. Not mad. I've learned from the past that being angry in a situation doesen't help!

nj2pa2nc

nj2pa2nc: Are u flipping mad?!!! I think that you'd be bummed out like I was when some stranger hits ur car! Bummed out. Not mad. I've learned from the past that being angry in a situation doesen't help! [/QUOTE]

flipping mad about what? Many years ago, I had a 1980 Volvo, bought new. It was less than two weeks old when the back trunk was smashed in by a hit and run driver in a sears parking lot. (almost $5,000 worth of damage-which back then was a lot) Freehold Raceway Mall in NJ does give out parking tickets for improper parking (especially around the holidays)

valeratj

I had my baby scratched at a college parking lot.

davidspalding

Not always. The car that I scratched, was in my blind spot as I backed out of a garage space, and was parked on the line of the space I was backing into. I simply jigged left to give room to the car I could see on my right.

This week, pulling into a garage, I pushed into a parking lot concrete "log" that the car on the right was swiveled out (it was not fixed to the floor). No damage, thankfully, but I couldnt' see it as I was pulling in as it was blocked by the hood. Sometimes these things happen.
I thought you said she was hit & run...? Do I hear this correctly, she told you "I pay insurance so I let them pay for it," but she left the scene of the accident without giving you her information? Got news for her, her insurance does not cover a criminal charge for hit & run....