Why Do People Seem To Get So Upset Over Minor Car Damage?

[FPAlpha]

Shoulda heard my mother ripping my father a new one after they bought a brand new car and a few weeks later he dings it after driving out of the garage

Anyway.. i also get upset. It's irrational, i know that, but i can't help it. I should know better because my car parks on the street, is exposed to all kinds of weather and idiot people who don't care a bit about other people's property (and it's a miracle something doesn't happen on a weekly basis) but for some reason people get irrational about their cars (and mine wasn't that expensive or new)

 

[MacLeod]

Many cars are likely to suffer minor damage over the course of it's life time.

Stone chips from the road being kicked up by other cars, opening dorrs when parked near other cars/walls etc..

 

[propita]

Minors dings make me sad because I like my car and the causes are usually avoidable.

We once found our side mirror placed on the hood. Evidently someone who should not have been trying to walk between cars did so, ripping off our mirror. Yeah, not a minor ding. I'm definitely not thin, in fact, I'm kinda fat, but this was a fat person who didn't care about damaging my property, since it was in their way. And I know it wasn't a car hit because the only damage was the mirror, no minor dings.

They ripped the whole side mirror off just by walking into it?

What were they wearing? A suit of armor.

But yeah, that isn't a "ding" that is "damage". If you can be ticketed for not getting it fixed it is automatically a serious matter.

Well, as the rest of the car was completely undamaged, it appeared it was not damaged by another car. Since the mirror was so nicely placed on the car--no note, of course--we assumed it wasn't ripped off in anger. Why not cause more damage?

And someone telling us that they saw a rather overweight someone try to squeeze by and nooooooot quite make it...yeah, that was proof. Naturally, the good samaritan's actions didn't extend to confronting the person, but I don't blame them for that. They owed no duty to me to confront a person large enough to do this damage and not care about it.

Fortunately, it was a clean break so it was a relatively easy replacement. Of course, it cost a bit.

 

[Naira]

I don't care as much as I used to. I only get angry when my car is damaged because people are being plain stupid.

 

[stj]

Because for some people cars are substitute penises, what are called phallic symbols. Neither man nor woman wants their private parts dinged.

It's not quite that in most cases. Cars are psychologically taken to be a part of or extension of your home and people get territorial and protective about them. Also they give you a barrier or 'bubble' between yourself and the world. This all contributes to behaviour that people wouldn't normally exhibit.

I'm neither a car owner nor able to drive...

Well, yes, that too is an aspect. But 1) the phallic symbol explanation is much funnier and 2) the way some people drive shows the phallic symbol explanation is valid for an uncomfortably large number.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I think most people are upset about car damage mainly because it's expensive to repair and they don't particularly care for that, or having their insurance rates go up.

Phallic symbol? Maybe for Hummer owners, but come on. I drive a fucking Honda CR-V, which is hardly that...

 

[Roger Wilco]

I get annoyed when my bicycle gets scratches too, although for the price of a new car I could buy about 50 of them. When you buy nice things for significant money, you don't like them looking trashy.

 

[Emher]

^This. Pretty much sums it up. I can get the "it's just a car" mentality if you just have a beater. But if I pay a significant amount of money for a new car, a car I've maybe been dreaming to buy for a long time, I'd be very ticked if someone slammed their door open into it carelessly or ran their shopping cart into it.

 

[Knight Templar]

Well, if you are really serious about avoiding dents and dings in the parking lot, don't try to squeeze into the closest spot possible. Park out in the "back forty" and walk the extra forty yards or so.

 

[Retu]

I'm not too worried about small dents or scratches, unless it's something that needs to be fixed like scratches that reach metal or broken windshields. And the reason why I get upset is that repairing cars isn't cheap. New windshield: 200 euros, New back cover for side mirror: 150 euros, for example.

 

[Misfit Toy]

Well, if you are really serious about avoiding dents and dings in the parking lot, don't try to squeeze into the closest spot possible. Park out in the "back forty" and walk the extra forty yards or so.

So you're willing to accept carelessness and avoidance of personal responsibility, and expect that there should be an extra hardship placed on those that have nice things. Got it.

 

[propita]

Well, if you are really serious about avoiding dents and dings in the parking lot, don't try to squeeze into the closest spot possible. Park out in the "back forty" and walk the extra forty yards or so.

So you're willing to accept carelessness and avoidance of personal responsibility, and expect that there should be an extra hardship placed on those that have nice things. Got it.

"Accept" it? Um...there's little choice once one parks their car and walks away from it. We can't control the actions of rude and selfish people who often have no problem damaging the property of others, but likely have fits when treated the same.

Is it fair to be inconvenienced by parking further away? Not necessarily. I'm taking into account that people can be uncaring about dinging the cars of others (not the damage I discussed earlier) and will often choose to park further to reduce the chances of damage. I will often park further on hot days so my car will stay in the shade. I suppose I'm inconvenienced that the property owner over-trims the trees, thus minimizing shade, or doesn't provide covered parking when summer days are routinely over 105 F. Them's the breaks.

 

[Thestral]

Well, if you are really serious about avoiding dents and dings in the parking lot, don't try to squeeze into the closest spot possible. Park out in the "back forty" and walk the extra forty yards or so.

So you're willing to accept carelessness and avoidance of personal responsibility, and expect that there should be an extra hardship placed on those that have nice things. Got it.

Well you know, for those priviledged enough to have been given everything in life instead of having to work for it, say by their parents or in-laws, I suppsoe a certain cavalier attitude towards carelessness and personal responsibility should be expected.


Unrelatedly, I had a friend in college with a brand new SUV that he'd had on campus for just a few months. A couple of us decided to leave a note on his windshield one night that said "Hey man, sorry about the damage - give me a call and we'll figure it out." We waited nearby out of sight and watched as he probably spent a solid 10 minutes carefully inspecting every inch of that car, including getting a flashlight out and going over and over, before finally calling the number. Which was, of course, the Rejection Hotline.

 

[Roger Wilco]

^^
That's funny, nicely done.