I had a new 1997 Ranger, black paint, and I just gave up worrying about parking lot damage. It received more damage in (Shaws) supermarket lot then it did letting my 7 year old girl drive it off road down an ATV trail with trees on both sides.

I usually have trucks that ride higher then other vehicles and for the most part I take care not to damage vehicles. When my kids ride with me, they have to get out my side so as not to damage vehicles. Either that, or I park far away.

One thing I dislike is the sliding doors on vans, one thing I like is sliding doors on vans because it makes getting the kids in and out easy without worrying about denting someone's door.

When I add running boards to my vans, I usually put them right under the body and have them stick out two inches so it stops people from denting the door sides.

The worse are hit and run drivers. Last one caused $1500 damage to my Aerostar, so I got fed up and just used the money to pay the vehicle off instead of fixing the damage to the caved in side.

 

I can't believe I almost forgot about this. I guess it has to have been almost 20 years ago now, but my family had a brown Ford full size conversion van. My dad was big on keeping it safe, so when my mom and g-mom took me to the mall, we parked all of the way in the back. Halfway through one particualr shopping excursion, we were walking through the mall and made it halfway to where the food court is now--before it was just wide open windows and places to sit. So there's a huge crowd in front of the window, and my mom manages to squeeze through just in time to see........our van, in the VERY BACK of the parking lot, parked directly next to a car that was now on fire. She had a full tank of gas too, but luckily, only the tire cover melted. The whole lot had a million places to park, but this guy parked right next to us in the very back.



It gets better.....



A few months later it was stolen and used in an armored car heist...honest to God. That was the last time we ever dealt with that van again.

 

people are crazy now a days....I have a problem going to the supermarket...the spaces are HUGO sized and I have the F-350 4x4....so if I am shopping for the week...I park in the back 40 ....have had the same thing happen....many times somes jerk is RIGHT next to me when I come out....when Im just dashing in for a quick couple things ...I park(ed) out front...near the doors...a couple three times in as many years...someone either puts the portable stop sign type barriers in front of the truck...or the last time....ran a key down the side.....makes you homicidal when you see something like that. WHY do people make themselves judge/jury/executioner????? for these supposed indiscretions...we live in a nutty world....guess Ill just keep to the back 40...

 

All the damage on my truck was caused by my wife. She flung the door wide open that had it not hit her own car's mirror, it would have bounced back and shut itself properly. She did that to both sides. Then, opening the door into somebody else's car in a parking lot, parking too close to a chain link fence, and opening the door into that.

I don't really care where I park, my truck isn't that wide. But I try to get a spot where the cars on either side are centered in their own stall, and not crooked.

And I back in.

 

My solutions to this:

1 - Lift it

2 - Big tires

3 - Nerf bars that extend farther than the body

4 - Big, stout, heavy bumper guard.

Go ahead, open your little Hinda Civic door into my 3" bars.

 

I definitely agree with the nerf bars, i had my truck for a month at the time when some "elderly" lady opened her car door and nailed the side of my truck, so hard in fact the truck wobbled...but it hit the chrome step instead...

 

Makes you proud to be a part of the human race doesn't it. I watched a guy smack a truck at the store while trying to park, hard enough to make it rock. He got out, looked, and went inside. When he was out of sight, I went over to check, and the lucky ******* had just hit the tire. I had a new truck once, had to buff out my share of colorful paint smears. Now, my truck is old and usually dirty so I can't tell anymore.

 

my mom gave me a suggestion, keep some nails in the truck, and if someone hits your truck, place roof nails by their tires...and if they run over them, they run over them...

 

This is the best way to get damage. People figure that whoever is taking up 2 spaces is a arrogant jerk who deserves to have their baby damaged. I try to park between two very nice cars. People who drive nice cars are careful with theirs and don't want to damage theirs so they don't hit yours for fear of doing damage to their own.

 

I don't have to go to a parking lot. I just stay in my garage. More damage there than anywhere I park. I'm told it is done by the NOT ME GHOST.

 

OK, i have 2 more parking lot stories for you.
#1
i was coming out of a store after food shopping, and saw a cop and 3 other people standing between the driver side of my truck and the Geo tracker next to me. i walk up to the cop, and asked what was going on. he asked for my information for the accident report he was writing. seems these two rocket scientist witnesses and the Geo's owner were saying that i hit the new Geo pulling into the parking space, scratching the paint on the little tonka toy.
smiling, i asked the cop to explain how that could have happened. i pulled in with the Geo on my driver side, and the wheels were still turned to the left, so if i hit anything, it would have been on the passenger side. with this said, i saw the light bulb go on in the cops head. then the "witnesses" again told the cop that i was lying, they saw the whole thing. as the backup cops arrived for the dog and pony show, i pulled a tape ruler out of the truck, measured the 18 inch off the ground scratches, handed the ruler to the cop, and asked him what on my truck is 18 inches off the ground. he smiled, refused the tape, and arrested all three of them for making a false report and false swearing. the lowest point on the truck is the front bumper, and that is 30 inches off the ground.

now for #2
i got the crown vic on Feb. 14'th at 4:30 pm.
on Feb.16'th at 7;30 am, i was in the deli getting a cup of coffee and newspaper. a 13 year old girl comes up to me, tugs on my sleeve, and with tears in her eyes says 'excuse me sir, but i just hit your car'. I'm thinking what?? but follow her out to the car, and she is pointing to the drivers door, where there is a quarter size dent, and 3, 2 inch long scratches. she explained to me that her mother drove her to the bus stop. (it is next to the deli) she saw the bus coming, and not thinking, threw the door open, hitting the car. then realizing what she had just done, jumped out of the car, tripped, and the open zipper on her jacket hit the car as she fell against the it, tearing the paint to the bare metal. her mother, who knows me from years ago, is sitting in her car, waiting for what she knows is about to come. all i could do was laugh, and say as long as you are not hurt, there is nothing that can't be fixed. both the mother and daughter told me to take the car and have it repaired, and they would take care of the bill. i never did.
Samantha is now a beautiful 17 year old, has never forgotten what happens when you tell the truth, and has her brand new drivers license. my car still has its first "scar", and i teasingly point it out to her every time i see her.
but now days, when the people that were in the store that day see her come down the street, or into the parking lot, we move all the way over as far as possible to have a bit more fun. and she laughs with us, knowing it is all in the name of fun.

 

My wife came home in tears one day - she had a brand new van and parked it way away from everyone else when she went gorcery shopping. Some &$%# let a shopping cart go, and since there was a slight grade to the parking lot the only thing that parking far away did was let the cart get up a good head of steam before it slammed her door. Can't win...

One of the first things I learned was not to get too attached to the paint on a truck. I mean I like a nice truck, but around the farm (and in parking lots), effluent happens. Everything from running off my own icy driveway responding to to a fire call (yes, I took a lot of ribbing for that one!) to having a cow cave in the whole side of the bed. Got even with her for that one though - I ate her...

 

I guess I am just lucky. By habit I always park at the back of the parking lot and my truck is usually all by itself there. Many times as I walk to the store, I see people cruising round and round the lot looking for a spot that will save them a few yards walk.
Dono

 

about 20 years ago, one of the local farmers got a pony for his daughter. the problem was that the pony was born, raised and lived with a steer all of its 6 month life, and the two were attached, so it was a package deal. i stopped by one day, and seeing the steer, i asked what was the deal, he was not supposed to have cattle. he said 'oh you talking about hamburger?? he ain't gonna be here much longer.' 3 weeks later, he called headquarters, the steer broke loose, and was out roaming around. we found him 2 days later, and 1 shot from the 44 mag put him down. a week later all the guys that were involved with the search found out why he was called hamburger when the case of ground meat was delivered to the sign in room.

he was good eatin too.

 

one night my wife ran into the bookstore, I was on a phonecall so I stayed in the car, i ended the call. just then, a car with 2 girls in it pulled up to the pass side, I thought, boy are they close...... sure enough WHACK the look on her face was priceless when she realized I was in the car, I got out and sure enough, a gigantic dent