Dent magnet, or rather jerk magnet

[Nasscar]

My nightmare came true in the local CostCo parking lot. When I parked I was a good number of spaces away from the crowd. Returning to my semi-surrounded car. Someone had given my door a ding and then moved away as the car parked next to me didn't have a long enough door to hit my car. Took the door panel off and got most of the ding out by tapping it from the inside, but there's still a small indent on the driver's rear door where I get to see it every time I get into the car.

You should get a professional dent guy repair it maybe. Might be able to fix it so you can't notice any damage. Prevention is always better than the cure though, parking as far away as possible from the hordes of numpties.

 

[Stung_19]

You should get a professional dent guy repair it maybe. Might be able to fix it so you can't notice any damage. Prevention is always better than the cure though, parking as far away as possible from the hordes of numpties.

Definitely going to do that.

Had a G37 for nearly 10 years and never got a ding this bad. Not sure if the muppets are angrier these days or Kia’s skin is a bit thinner.

 

[P22Tyler]

My nightmare came true in the local CostCo parking lot. When I parked I was a good number of spaces away from the crowd. Returning to my semi-surrounded car. Someone had given my door a ding and then moved away as the car parked next to me didn't have a long enough door to hit my car. Took the door panel off and got most of the ding out by tapping it from the inside, but there's still a small indent on the driver's rear door where I get to see it every time I get into the car.

Damn sorry man, glad you were able to get most of it fixed. The Costcos here have big double lines in between each spot, is it the same at yours? If so they really had to make an effort to hit your car.

 

[P22Tyler]

People are real a**holes and generally are lazy and jealous. Ohh nice car to park next to...DUNK oops?
How often do you detail the car up close? Just try to take note and let the little ones slide. IT'LL BUFF OUT!

I try to keep it pretty clean, I'm just anal about my car so I notice any new dent or scratch. I think the scuff on the front will come out I'm just more pissed that someone did it than anything, but the dents are pretty bad. The one on my drivers door they managed to get multiple parts with their door. You can connect the dents in a line down the door where it made contact in several spots and with the shape of the Stingers door they must have really whacked it good. Those are the ones I'm really upset about, someone knew they did it and just drove off and that's not a quick fix unfortunately.

 

[Stung_19]

I try to keep it pretty clean, I'm just anal about my car so I notice any new dent or scratch. I think the scuff on the front will come out I'm just more pissed that someone did it than anything, but the dents are pretty bad. The one on my drivers door they managed to get multiple parts with their door. You can connect the dents in a line down the door where it made contact in several spots and with the shape of the Stingers door they must have really whacked it good. Those are the ones I'm really upset about, someone knew they did it and just drove off and that's not a quick fix unfortunately.

Sorry to hear. I’ve seen people push their car doors open with their feet. Ensuring whatever is near the door takes a hell of a beating. Hopefully they dinged fairly flat areas and not a bend or crease. My experience with the door was to remove the panel and go at from inside. that was the only way I could get it mostly out.

Yes, double lines at the Costco.

 

[P22Tyler]

Sorry to hear. I’ve seen people push their car doors open with their feet. Ensuring whatever is near the door takes a hell of a beating. Hopefully they dinged fairly flat areas and not a bend or crease. My experience with the door was to remove the panel and go at from inside. that was the only way I could get it mostly out.

Yes, double lines at the Costco.

Jeez, what an a hole.

Also I just realized how many times I said the word "door" in that post .

 

[G-155630]

I will certainly have to look into getting the dents done, it drives me nuts to see them. At this point I feel like I should wait though so I'm not going every other week to get one repaired.

I was looking to see if anyone else has small bumps .. weird almost like a marble has been pressed into it. They are round shallow. I was wondering if there is a fault somewhere?

 

[Buzzman12]

I will certainly have to look into getting the dents done, it drives me nuts to see them.

I put two small dents in the rear quarter panel while it was parked in the garage. I put something on a shelf, and stupid me let it fall on the car.
I got an experienced guy that does PDR for a living, and he did an outstanding job. There are no signs that there was ever any damage.
Maybe find a good PDR guy for those small dents.

As for shopping mall parking, I'm anal as well. Couple of things that have helped me:
I always try for the end of the row spot, so that I only have a vehicle on one side. I cheat a little to the outside edge as well, thus leaving lots of room on the other side for any cars.
I also look for the spot next to a handicapped space. Most of the time the handicap space is unoccupied, and if it is, they are much wider, which means more space between them and me. This is my go to spot if I can find it.
Lastly, there are certain vehicles I never park next to. Pickup trucks being number one. Those massive things are horrible. You will get dinged if you park next to one of those.
I also avoid SUV's with car seats in them. That's another guarantee that their doors will be flung open by either the parents or their small kids. They don't care about what is parked next to them.
After a year and a half of ownership, I have no scratches or parking lot scuffs/dings.

 

[Snicklefritz]

^^^This is good stuff. I will add no parking next to pickups and SUVs with kid seats - just to formally avoid them if all other parameters of defensive parking are unavailable to me. I will also add a third. Never park in a gravel parking lot that has no stall markers, unless it is mostly unpopulated. If you absolutely must park then find a wide space, never try and fit into a narrow one.

I follow all of your guidelines, and add on yet another. An end stall far away from the door of the establishment, even the farthest one away. That way you don't have to worry about SUVs or pickup trucks or shopping carts or anything else except bird crap - just don't park under places than have copious guano on the ground.

Been doing this for over six years now and my car is still unmarked.

 

[Nasscar]

Good to see other owners park sensibly too. I can't believe how people just park as close as possible to the shopping centres front doors. I never park anywhere but on an end stall and well away from the entrance. If I can't guarantee a good parking spot, I will take a different car. And like Snicklefritz, my car is still like new after 5 years.

 

[JSolo]

I generally park way out in left field. Today at costco I was at the most distant spot possible from the store. That's usually the safest. They share a lot with target, never park in the shared space. After 3+ years, no dings or other side damage.

The site won't let me paste a pic, here's the link

https://imgur.com/JViF7WO

 

[Buzzman12]

I can't believe how people just park as close as possible to the shopping centres front doors. I never park anywhere but on an end stall and well away from the entrance. If I can't guarantee a good parking spot, I will take a different car.

Just to add to all of this, my wife used to get ticked off at me and even mock me, for the way I sought out safe parking spots. I just got into the habit of dropping her off at the door, and parking where I felt safe.
One word of caution about parking far away: don't isolate your car too much. You might as well paint a target on your car if you're out in left field. There are nasty people out there that get a kick out of keying or scratching your car if they see it out there by itself. People suck.
Also, don't be one of these guys that takes up 2 spots, straddling the white line. That's a guarantee you'll get dinged by angry people.

 

[Snicklefritz]

Just to add to all of this, my wife used to get ticked off at me and even mock me, for the way I sought out safe parking spots. I just got into the habit of dropping her off at the door, and parking where I felt safe.
One word of caution about parking far away: don't isolate your car too much. You might as well paint a target on your car if you're out in left field. There are nasty people out there that get a kick out of keying or scratching your car if they see it out there by itself. People suck.
Also, don't be one of these guys that takes up 2 spots, straddling the white line. That's a guarantee you'll get dinged by angry people.

I used to angst over what other people feel and think. It's fruitless. And I'll straddle a parking stall line in some situations. Like at church, still parked far away from anybody else, I will straddle the line. At the supermarket I park as far from the front doors as possible. This is the first row of parking stalls as you turn in. Nobody ever parks there. I straddle the line of the end stall, taking up two spaces, because if I take the full end stall, it will expose my left side to bird doodoo, they perch on top of the strip mall sign. Other places, pretty much any place else, I only take the end space and scoot as far left as I feel competent to safely avoid the curb.

 

[Nasscar]

Just to add to all of this, my wife used to get ticked off at me and even mock me, for the way I sought out safe parking spots. I just got into the habit of dropping her off at the door, and parking where I felt safe.
One word of caution about parking far away: don't isolate your car too much. You might as well paint a target on your car if you're out in left field. There are nasty people out there that get a kick out of keying or scratching your car if they see it out there by itself. People suck.
Also, don't be one of these guys that takes up 2 spots, straddling the white line. That's a guarantee you'll get dinged by angry people.

Yes my wife has come around now and does the same thing when parking. In regards to parking too far away and making yourself a target for vandals, i feel a bright red shiny Stinger is always going to stand out anyway.

 

[Buzzman12]

Yes my wife has come around now and does the same thing when parking. In regards to parking too far away and making yourself a target for vandals, i feel a bright red shiny Stinger is always going to stand out anyway.

Bright red will do it. Mine is white, so it doesn't stand out as much.

On a side note, I see in your sig you are in Perth, Australia. My wife and I travelled to Australia and New Zealand in 2009. Best trip of our lives.
We did the east coast mostly. Melbourne, Sydney and up to Port Douglas and the Great Barrier Reef.
We only had 32 days, so Perth was not on our agenda. I have heard so many good things about it though. I'd love to see it.

 

[Nasscar]

Bright red will do it. Mine is white, so it doesn't stand out as much.

On a side note, I see in your sig you are in Perth, Australia. My wife and I travelled to Australia and New Zealand in 2009. Best trip of our lives.
We did the east coast mostly. Melbourne, Sydney and up to Port Douglas and the Great Barrier Reef.
We only had 32 days, so Perth was not on our agenda. I have heard so many good things about it though. I'd love to see it.

So you travel all the way down here and miss the best of Australia. Hopefully next time you can visit the west coast.

 

[Buzzman12]

So you travel all the way down here and miss the best of Australia. Hopefully next time you can visit the west coast.

Tell me about it.
We would have liked to make it a 3 month trip, but although I was already retired at that time, my wife was still working. Getting a month off was the best we could do.
I'd love to go back, but unfortunately, that won't happen. I was 60 when we made the trip, my wife was 59.
Now I'm 75 and a widower. My wife passed away in June last year (2023). My travelling days are behind me. It sucks.

 

[LordKOTL]

Tell me about it.
We would have liked to make it a 3 month trip, but although I was already retired at that time, my wife was still working. Getting a month off was the best we could do.
I'd love to go back, but unfortunately, that won't happen. I was 60 when we made the trip, my wife was 59.
Now I'm 75 and a widower. My wife passed away in June last year (2023). My travelling days are behind me. It sucks.

My condolences man.

 

[Nasscar]

Tell me about it.
We would have liked to make it a 3 month trip, but although I was already retired at that time, my wife was still working. Getting a month off was the best we could do.
I'd love to go back, but unfortunately, that won't happen. I was 60 when we made the trip, my wife was 59.
Now I'm 75 and a widower. My wife passed away in June last year (2023). My travelling days are behind me. It sucks.

Very sorry to hear that.