Hahahaha, I'll valet the Lexus, but not the FD.

 

I don't blame you, clean FDs don't grow on trees these days...

 

Exactly! What he said^^

 

The insurance company won't know any different when you report it and won't care. They ask you where and when...you tell them "Walmart...yesterday". It's incidental damage that offenders seldom know they've done. We're not talking about collision hit and run. I once tried to report a ding to my car many years ago. They convinced me to "save up" the damages for one claim instead of reporting them as they came. Seems it would save them money in the long run, between rental cars, paperwork etc. That was about twenty years ago.

But we digress.......

 

I always park away from other vehicles as far as I can.

 

I was a in a similar boat a couple of years ago...decided to make my garage queen an everyday driver, no matter what, which includes trips to the grocery store and parking it just about wherever.

What I've found is you can only do so much, but try anyway, just keep in mind that the dings will come...the random little scratches where you think...was that there?? How the hell did that one get there?! And you just go with it while trying to limit them as much as possible without going overboard.

I'll park a little further away, but I'm not going to park it all the way in the back of the parking lot...just a little bit away maybe from the crowd (but it doesn't really matter, when I get back I usually find that someone has parked on both sides of me anyway). Finding a curb or corner spot is good because it at least limits potential damage to one side...and if you wedge the car as far to that curb as possible you'll have plenty of space on the "exposed side". But that doesn't matter either because some jackolantern will find his way right next to you and eat up the space you created. Carriages are the true threat in my opinion, they roll, the wind takes them. I've seen carriages rolling across the parking lot appearing like they're being driven 30 miles per hour by ghosts. Those things are the killers! Keep the car away from free standing carriages at all times. And keep it away from those carriage return areas as well.

Avoid valet parking, but sometimes it can't be avoided. In New York valet is all that's available in the parking garages in the city hotels...Boston too. You'll helplessly watch your car get driven off and put into some tight fitting elevator where your car will slowly descend into hell. I've done that a few times, but what are you going to do?

After two two years and 60,000 miles of driving I've taken on maybe four or five "light scratches". The funny part is they were probably caused by my wife's pocketbook, or maybe my kid's book bags. I've been lucky. I think I'm in the mindset now of where I look at them as badges of honor (it makes me feel better). I'd also suggest keeping the things as thoroughly clean and waxed as possible, it may reduce friction...things may sort glide across the paint, rather than scratch it (but that's probably something I've made up into my own mind for sanity purposes).

 

Thank you Doublebase, well said. I think I am just a bit too paranoid. It will be cured by just taking the car out more!

By carraige, do you mean shopping cart?? You must be an Aussie or Brit!!!

 

It might be a New England thing. I have used "carriage" and I've heard that commonly used along with the word cart as well.

 

Hey Doublebase..........

Was that damage to your bonnet or the boot?

 

No, I think the damage was to his windscreen.

 

Unfortunately, there is no strategy. I'm amazed at some of the dings and scratches on my truck. I wouldn't be able to duplicate some of them in certain spots even if I tried.

Ed

 

I don't park close but I don't park at the very back either. I like my LS. I believe it is the nicest driving/riding car I have ever owned. Notice that I said "I like" my LS not that I "Love my LS". The LS is a car and I look at it like I do money. It's a renewable resource provided on a as needed basis by The Lord. If something happens to this one I am quite sure The Lord can provide a replacement.

Dennis

 

 

Dr. Jekyll, why not nose-in and hug the fence on the right side to get more room?

 

As a matter of habit I rarely pull in nose first. Plus this restaurant has these extra stalls on the top floor so there's really no one parking next to me anyway.