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

[Knight Templar]

It seems to me that few things in day to day life get people more upset than getting a tiny dent or scratch on their vehicle.

A tiny dent or scratch that unless they are looking for it or see it happen would probably not even be noticed. I've seen people get so angry over it that they actually want to be violent.

I get a dent or a scratch, I say the heck with it and move on.

And we're not talking shiny, show room new vehicles. I'm talking about people getting worked up about vehicles several years old and tens of thousands of miles on them.

 

[Kestra]

I don't know anyone who gets majorly worked up over such a thing.

 

[Knight Templar]

I don't know anyone who gets majorly worked up over such a thing.

I've seen it happen many times. A door ding from a car parked too close in a parking lot. Someone's runaway cart at a store.

You would've thought the car owner had just lost a kidney.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I don't know anyone who gets majorly worked up over such a thing.

You do now.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I don't know anyone who gets majorly worked up over such a thing.

I've seen it happen many times. A door ding from a car parked too close in a parking lot. Someone's runaway cart at a store.

It was you who let go of that cart, wasn't it.

 

[SmoothieX]

If I just spent $25k on a car, I'd be pissed if it got scratched up.

I drive and old beater though, and don't really worry about it.

 

[Kestra]

I don't know anyone who gets majorly worked up over such a thing.

You do now.

What, you do? If so, stop it.

 

[Amaris]

Yeah, minor scratches and dings are a part of the life of a car. It's almost unavoidable, no matter how careful you are. Moderate to major damage would upset me, though, because I can only afford the kind of insurance that protects the other guy's car, and if I lose my car, that's it. No car for a long, long time.

 

[stj]

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

 

[Bamarren]

Have a few friends who get like this, and even more so talk about how unclean and dirty their car is, even after they have scrubbed it, and from what I can see its spotless.

Maybe its just a petrolhead thing, Ive never had any interest in cars so anything happens to mine I just shrug it off and get on with other things.

 

[Warp Coil]

Over the lifetime of a vehicle, it's hard to avoid a small ding or scratch. It's going to happen eventually. But that doesn't mean I want it to happen or that I am okay if some careless ass smacks his open car door into my vehicle. I paid a rather large amount of money for my car and I try to keep it in as good of shape as possible. I want it to look nice. I am going to be courteous of others' property so why can't they do the same?

 

[SeerSGB]

Depends on the attitude of the person when it happens. If it's small and an honest accident and they're concerned and polite about it, then I'd just let it slide. If they act like jackasses, then I'm apt to be a jack ass back at them.

 

[Relayer1]

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...

 

[Misfit Toy]

It seems to me that few things in day to day life get people more upset than getting a tiny dent or scratch on their vehicle.

A tiny dent or scratch that unless they are looking for it or see it happen would probably not even be noticed. I've seen people get so angry over it that they actually want to be violent.

I get a dent or a scratch, I say the heck with it and move on.

And we're not talking shiny, show room new vehicles. I'm talking about people getting worked up about vehicles several years old and tens of thousands of miles on them.

What brought this on? Did someone get upset with you for denting or scratching their car?

 

[Shazam!]

If it's my fault, I don't really care. However, I totally reserve the right to get angry at careless gits who clip it or open their door against it.

 

[sojourner]

The first ding is always the worst. After the car's ding "virginity" is broken, meh.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I agree that overreactions such as you describe are silly. Some people are way too obsessed with their cars. But for those who aren't normally car-obsessed, they might see it as a sign of disrespect. Most of your "things" are kept inside your home, where only you or people close to you can damage them. Your car is one of the few objects you take out into the world with you, making it more vulnerable to outside forces. Therefore, you would hope that there is a mutual understanding with other drivers that you will respect each others' property. When you see someone as being purposefully destructive or stupidly careless, you feel that they have disrespected you and broken that unspoken agreement. If the person flees the scene, that makes you even more angry, because now they are a disrespectful coward.

This is all hypothetical. I don't actually get upset at dings in my car. I hope that others won't either. This is just my best assumption of the thoughts and feelings of those angered by such things.

 

[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.

 

[Knight Templar]

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.

 

[Misfit Toy]

If you can be ticketed for not getting it fixed it is automatically a serious matter.

Of course, I'm sure that you would agree that people should take responsibility for their actions. If you dent or scratch someone's car you should admit it.