When neighbors dent your car...

[yarisugi]

My neighbors' parking stall is next to mine. I've received a ding, a dent and a scratch from their truck door already. I'm so upset but don't know how to approach them without causing a feud among neighbors. How do you tell them to be more careful without making the neighbor-neighbor relationship worse?

[RedRide]

I's been my experience that unless you have a private garage, there is no way to prevent an ocasional ding.

Perhaps when talking to your neighbor, you can bring up the fact that someone dinged your car and you think it happend at the mall, supermarket, etc. Then relate how you wish people woud be more careful.... at bit of frendly diplomacy.

He will either get the message or not. If not, there is liitle you can do I'm afraid.
It a sad fact that many just view a car/truck as trasportation and can not relate how some actually care about how their verhicle looks.

Personally, I live in a apartment with no assigned parking spaces. I have learned which owners/cars are safe to park next to and those to advoid if at all possible.
After three years, I just have on small ding on my Yaris that only I know is there so, I consided my self lucky, but, still, it bothers me at times.

[Altitude]

If you're sure the damage is from their truck then it would seem they have a lack of consideration for their neighbors. So I don't know why you worry about ruining whatever neighborly relationship exists.

If I were you I would bring it up with them, just be direct but not nasty. If you don't want to do that or fear reprisal report them to the landlord/management company. You could always install a camera to catch them causing the damage.

[Kaotic Lazagna]

People won't give a shiznits about your complaint. I've seen/watched someone ding my car and leave a dent. I went out to the parking lot and confronted the guy. Long story short, guy slaps my car and starts yelling at me for HIM hitting my car and proceeds to walk into Starbucks. Keep in mind this is with me parking 2 inches away from the curb (corner spot) and had at least 2 feet of space on the other side. His dumbass parked into my spot and just threw his door open.

PO'd, I took out my utility knife and left a long a deep scratch on his door (not like it matters since he was driving a POS beat up car anyway). I would have slashed his tires, but he was already pouring creamer into his coffee.



With that said, I'd "find" some nails under each of your neighbor's tires. It's a cruel world out there, and if people want to play dirty, play dirty. I really noticed that "nice guys finish last" in the world we live in today. People taking responsibility for their actions are no longer present.

[mr_miles]

What? Don't give me that look.

[Black_griffin6]

Put a bike inner tube on their muffler tip, and zip-tie it or something to make sure it stays.

Won't solve your problem but it will be hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieJUP9O9RG8


In all seriousness, do you have any proof it's them? Otherwise they might just say "You have no proof" and tell you to shove your complaint up your arse.

How well do you know your neighbors? If they seem like real jerks you might not get anywhere with it and they'll just continue to do it. If they're more nicer people then you could talk to them about it and tell them to be more considerate.

[jpmck03]

Originally Posted by RedRide

... After three years, I just have on small ding on my Yaris that only I know is there so, I consider my self lucky, but, still, it bothers me at times.

Ugh, I know that feeling. Someone dinged the body right behind my driver's door when I was in the Army. I cleaned up the damage to the clear coat so it's not noticeable.

Every once in a while though, the light hits it just right and I can see the little crease in the sheet metal and I get so annoyed that it's there.

[Bluevitz-rs]

Originally Posted by Black_griffin6

Put a bike inner tube on their muffler tip, and zip-tie it or something to make sure it stays.

Won't solve your problem but it will be hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieJUP9O9RG8

OMG my stomach hurts and I'm crying I'm laughing so hard!!!!

[mr_miles]

i'm going to get some bike tubes and have fun with some of my friend's cars.....

[yarisugi]

Thanks for all your input. I'm still debating whether I should say anything at all.

I have no "actual" proof but I leave my car at home on weekdays and commute by bus. When it's parked, I fold my mirrors in and make sure that I'm parked straight and in the middle. I give it a "walk-around" before I leave it for the week. So before I unfold the mirrors and drive on the weekend, I do another walk-around to make sure nothing's changed. Yes, I'm pretty anal when it comes to dings and dents. I know it can't be helped.
I don't talk to my neighbors much. I used to greet them with a hello, but they don't reply back except for the mother of the family.

That inner tube was pretty funny. I can't believe I wasted 3:39 of my life watching the whole thing! It was a good laugh though.

[Kioshi]

Originally Posted by Black_griffin6

Put a bike inner tube on their muffler tip, and zip-tie it or something to make sure it stays.

Won't solve your problem but it will be hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieJUP9O9RG8

Cant stop laughing!

yarisugi - In all seriousness, you should approach them and bring it to their attention.
I mean, they are not like neighbors in the past where they would acknowledge you, have a chat w/ you, watch your house while you were away, etc...

I give the finger to some of the people in my neighborhood because they come close to running over kids playing near the sidewalk doing 20-25mph in the area...people JUST dont care about one another...and neither should you about their feelings if they happen to be dinging your car's door.

Thats my experience on it.

[Spidermandud]

Grab a bar of soap and white out their windsheild. No lasting damage; but irritating to get off. Or write them a note. "Dont ding me, man."

[bronsin]

Years ago here is what happened to us.

My wife and I were out of town for a week and we had six inches of snow, (we live in NJ near Philly) We have 150 feet of sidewalk that went unshoveled. In NJ itsw the law to shovel your sidewalk within 24 hours after a snow. Our neighbor down the street walks with her 3 kids to the neighborhood elementary shool a few blocks away. She called the cops. When you dont shovel your sidewalk the snow turns to ice in a couple of days.

We came home, saw the sidewalk, (at night) went to work the next morning with the intention of buying salkt and taking care of the sidewalk after work the next day. Came home from work the next day, stopped at the store, got the salt and came home. The cops were at my house and had my wife chopping the ice off 150 feet of sidewalk with a shovel while THEY MADE HER DO IT.

I put the salt on the sidewalk and everything was fine by the next day.

We had just bought the house so I went out and bought a nice snowblower. Always wanted one. Then everytime it snowed I snowblowed the sidewalks for a block around my house. I removed the snow from the neighbors who called the cops sidewalk and their driveway every time it snowed.

Long story short we're great friends now.

BTW I grow tomatoes in my garden even though my stomach is screwed up and I cant eat them. I give them away to my neighbors all summer long. Also the people I work with.

Old trick I copied from my neighbor in the town I grew up. The woman next store bakes us fancy Italian Christmas cookies every year for 20 years. Its an annual rite.

[RedRide]

Yes, I triy to get along with my neighbors also and try to be frendly with them . However, some, I can talk to for what seems like forever when I run into them. Other neighbors will barely say hellow to me.

However, I have found that how friendly people may or may not be is no indication of how they treat other cars that they park next to.

Also it they have children all bets are off.

[matthewai]

honestly this may look and seem crazy but ive actually done this while parking in certain areas, get some cones and put them next to your car

Originally Posted by Spidermandud

Or write them a note. "Dont ding me, man."

or you you could just put the note on your car with an arrow pointing out the ding hahaha

(pic obviously stock ahhah)

[JBougie]

They have those door-ding preventer things that magnatize to the side of your car .... I'd go that route. They're made for apartment parking, and parking lots.

[RedRide]

LOL..... some might say that the cones pevented bumper damage but, they stole your hub caps.

[swede]

Find somewhere to put a hidden camera and catch the guy. Then confront him politely.