Anyone else afraid to go to places you would normally go for fear of getting dinged and/or worse? Ever since I got this car, my stomach gets upset at the mere thought of parking in a crowded lot between cars. I must be nuts, or I love this car too much!

 

You get over it soon enough...

 

Well its been 6 months and it isn't getting any better!

 

watch your side mirrors

 

Im still not over it ESPECIALLY since I got a ding in my door by a Foxbody mustang! I figured Id be safe parking next to another mustang but when i came out the spot was empty and there was a ding in my door and the time i was gone it could have only been the mustang! That happened to me the SECOND DAY after I picked my car up! I dont care if I have to walk another couple hundred feet I park AWAY from other cars usually near a curb so i can get really close to it give the other side PLENTY of room. And I stay FAR away from shopping cart corrals or stray carts!

 

yeah, things like that stink...and i usually try to park my car in a "good" spot.

but then again, i think cars are made to be driven, and typically that means i have to park it somewhere in public too, or else i would just be driving in circles

 

I am definitely more careful with this car than any beaters that ive driven before.

If I have to park next to someone, I usually try and look for a new, clean car, it usually means that the person takes as much care of their car as I do mine. Parking next to a dirty mercedes may mean the car is a lease and the owner isn't as courteous as we are

 

yeah i never park next to a dirty car or beater. Today I had to park next to a escalade but i didnt worry, this one was chromed out on 22's with limo tent.

 

Ahh a great topic. Went to in and out the other day and parked my car at the farthest lot. The LAST ROW without any cars. 2 rows before mine has ample parking spaces. I sat outside with the kids watching my car. Guess what, a family of african american with a big chevy silverado park next to me. Mind you there was all this parking spaces around me and closer to the buger joint. Then comes a 300 lb african american out of the passenger door, at this time I started heading back to my car. Then follows 5 big kids which the 2 started leaning over my car to look inside while the other ones where hovering around my car. As I got close to my car the guys says "how are you doing sir?" Now thats a nightmare.

 

You just have to be careful. Look for spots on the end, so it cuts door ding chances in half. Park by nice cars, park far out, whatever. A little over a year, and I'm still ding-free. (I hope I didn't just jinx myself.) Be careful, but don't obsess over it. Most people in my area are actually careful.
And I didnt' realize that certain ethnic groups dinged more than others. I am white, in a predominantly white area, and I get nice compliments from African-americans all the time. I have also watched a very obese woman painfully squeeze out of a rusted junk heap just to avoid dinging my door, while chastizing her kids to be careful and not damage "that pretty car". So not everyone fits a preconceived category.

 

Had mine for over a year... I don't "get over it."
I've been that way with every Mustang I've had.

 

Agree, been just a year, and the only scratches put on it were done by my Wife!!! (I fixed those though, she was sick to her stomach when she did it)

I always park way in the back, always try to get one of those parking spots on the end next to grass or other landscaping etc.

I too dont understand why people park next to a car that is sitting way out all by itself, you would think they would understand why you parked way the heck out there anyhow. Maybe they do it just to **** you off??

Sam

 

Me too. I always try to park on the end spot where there's a curb so I minimize the possibility of a ding, and moving over favoring the side with the curb just in case. alternately, I will try to find a spot next to/betwen a couple of benzes or BMWs...or especialy another S197.

I know it's just a car, but it's a darn nice one, and I'll do what it takes to keep it that way for as long as possible, within reason.

Now our Windstar is another matter, any space wide enough close in and we're there.

Stan

 

I've had my 07 just over 10 days now, I'm getting lots of exercise walkin because of parking way far out. But when I come out, It's like a magnet, there are other cars parked right next to me. Darn, But 10 days & no dings. I even drove & parked all 3 days at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the F1 weekend, when ever I came back to the car, the parking folks said they kept a special eye on the car for me. Gotta love people that love nice cars.

 

never get over it myself.... and I always park in corner spots - figure 50% better chance since you cut down a side to park on......

 

No such thing as "getting over it" here either. I still try to park out away from everyone and after nearly a year and a half, my Mom still makes fun of me for doing it.

 

I'm like others in the thread, I park on the end close to a curb if possible, and I try to park so that the curb is on the passenger side. This way, if there's only one person parking in the car next to you, they don't even get out on your side, which further reduces your chances of a ding.

How do you guys get your ladies to put up with this though? I swear it's genetically ingrained in every female to park as close to the place as humanly possible, and ***** about it after you park and they find a closer spot while walking in. I'll soon be on the market again, and although my soon-to-be X understood, I don't think it would go over so well in the dating scene. Maybe I just need to get a beater for dating. Heh, wait, maybe that wouldn't work so well

 

I was pretty obsessed with dings when I first got mine, but after a street sweeper kick a small boulder into the bottom of the driver’s door, things changed. The car was no longer 100% perfect even after the repair, so "Oh well, things happen and life goes on." (Luckily I know a couple people who do body work really cheap.)

I still park away from other cars if I can, and I usually take my Taurus to places where I'm going to be parking in a lot. Odd thing is, my Taurus has only ever been hit once by somebody’s door. Most of the dings are from the tree where I used to live, stupid trees! Then there was the pizza delivery dude who side swiped it, but that's a bad memory . . .


If people only had some common sense and courtesy!

 

LOL....that sounds just like me! I pick where I go to lunch now by how many empty parking spots there are, not how good the food is.

Chip

 

Also have to keep in mind to park uphill if possible. People will leave their shoppings carts in the parking lot and if you're downhill, they could roll into you. Never seen one roll uphill unassisted.

Chip