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Parking lot scrape

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Sarge, Jul 6, 2006.

  1. Sarge

    Sarge Senior Member

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    Sorry, but I have to rant...

    Well, two days after picking up my car in April, I received a license plate 'tattoo' on my rear bumper. During those two days, I only ONCE parked in a situation where someone would have parked behind me, so I knew exactly when it happened. The two screw imprints and the side of the plate are visible in the paint, but hardly significant enough to put out money to fix it. Just irritating. I told myself I would wait until 'the next time' before I fix it.

    Well, at the ripe old age of 10 weeks, the next time has arrived.

    I was at a Future Shop store earlier this evening, spent about an hour in the store, and came out to find this.
    [attachmentid=4043]

    The bumper was out of place, but I popped it back in place easy enough. Damage is still not severe, but it is extremely irritating when these things happen and you have absolutely nothing to do with it (i.e. such as actually driving the car). Lord knows I had enough people hit my previous car when it was parked.

    Anyway, the note must have blown away before I came back to the car. <_< :angry:

    Doesn't anyone have any guilt about honing up to what they do??? I mean, this isn't exactly a door ding on a rustbox here.

    <sigh>

    Sh*t happens, I guess.

    Anyway... thanks for listening... :unsure:

    - Kevin
     
  2. barbaram

    barbaram Active Member

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    Kevin-

    oh too bad- so sad!!!!

    had similar stuff with my past 2 cars.... unfortunately it's like any thing- we can't protect ourselves 100% from the stupid and ignorant......
    just put one foot ahead of the other & keep on truckin' !
    barbara
     
  3. Lil Mo

    Lil Mo New Member

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    I share your pain. Good luck in the future.
     
  4. stanleyjohn

    stanleyjohn New Member

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    That really sucks!Some people just dont seem to care.I try to park my car away from other cars.This means more walking!but exersise is good.Well i hope it dosnt cost too much if you decide to fix it.A fellow prius owner who cares! Stan
     
  5. meezercat

    meezercat New Member

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    Ow :(

    I know this kind of stuff happens to us all at some point, but this is particularly harsh. And so early in ownership :(
     
  6. Schmika

    Schmika New Member

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    Boy, do I sympathize. There are lots of people out there who just don't care. Never be like that.
     
  7. Cheap!

    Cheap! New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Schmika @ Jul 6 2006, 09:15 PM) [snapback]282352[/snapback]</div>
    We really need a camera that turns to film when someone gets too close and records them. I wish there was a way the we could be sure we would get the licence plate and the driver's face. :angry:
     
  8. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    ouch, that's the worse parking lot incident I've heard of/seen. After getting the Prius, I choose my spots carefully (in terms of size and who's parked next to me).

    For me, someone scratched my rear taillgate... the shavings were still there and it's about 1-1.5" long! I was only away for 5-8 mins. Argh!
     
  9. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Cheap! @ Jul 6 2006, 10:54 PM) [snapback]282368[/snapback]</div>
    Well I found this the other day and I think i'm going to add it to my mod list. Its a digital surveillance kit that has a 2 camera DVR. Seems like a simple setup for a car.

    DVR Surveillance Kit
     
  10. Jim1eye

    Jim1eye Shaklee Ind Distributor

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(theforce @ Jul 6 2006, 11:21 PM) [snapback]282386[/snapback]</div>
    Interesting concept.

    3 thoughts:

    1. Would the sensor have to be outside the vehicle or can it detect motion through glass?
    2. You'd have to remember to turn it on when you exit, otherwise it is recording while you are driving.
    3. Battery drain?
     
  11. bcmarks

    bcmarks Junior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jim1eye @ Jul 7 2006, 09:21 AM) [snapback]282496[/snapback]</div>

    I don't see that it has a 12V power input. did I miss something?
     
  12. AndyMartin826

    AndyMartin826 New Member

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    I've got a nice dent around the same place in my Corolla that's getting ready to be replaced by my Prius (in another 3-5 weeks, hopefully). Same deal went into a store and came out with a big scrape and dent on the back quarter panel into the bumper, whoever it was had bright yellow paint as that's inside the dent. I just don't see how someone can be so rude to just do that kind of damage and just walk away from it.

    Think someone could rig up the backup camera, hack it with a motion detector and some kind of digital capture? Shouldn't be too difficult, maybe even just replacing that camera with something like what was described above?
     
  13. TheForce

    TheForce Stop War! Lets Rave! Make Love!

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jim1eye @ Jul 7 2006, 09:21 AM) [snapback]282496[/snapback]</div>
    1. Don't know. Don't really care about motion detection.
    2. Recording while driving would be a great thing! If an accident were to happen you would have proof of what happened. :)
    3. I'm thinking about using a solar cell to run and charge an extra battery.

    As for the voltage you may have to use a DC to DC converter.
     
  14. eagle33199

    eagle33199 Platinum Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AZTriGuy @ Jul 7 2006, 12:42 PM) [snapback]282600[/snapback]</div>
    You'd be surprised... about a year ago some old lady backed into my mom's mercedes SLK in a parking lot... her insurance refused to pay for it since it was in a parking lot, and my mom ended up having to have our insurance pay for it... the old lady basically just wanted each to pay for their own cars, despite the fact that my mom's car was easily 2X as expensive and equally as costly to repair...
     
  15. wstander

    wstander New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eagle33199 @ Jul 7 2006, 11:10 AM) [snapback]282618[/snapback]</div>

    We had owned our (then new) Porsche for all of 2 hours when we took it for a ride to the local Safeway grocery store. In the store 10 minutes and came out to find the alarm sounding and 2 dings in the fender. Those dings exactly matched the ridges on the grocery carts. Safeway denied responsibility, even though other customers noted that a Safeway employee had pushed a line of carts to the store and had hit my car.

    Safeway gave me the old 'you cannot prove it' routine; have not been back there since.
     
  16. Somechic

    Somechic Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AZTriGuy @ Jul 7 2006, 01:42 PM) [snapback]282600[/snapback]</div>
    Some people just don't care. Same type who never washes their car, clean a communal microwave, spills coffee at work and doesn't wipe it up, put their grocery cart back... do I need to go on?


    Sorry to hear about your scratch.
     
  17. Sarge

    Sarge Senior Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Somechic @ Jul 7 2006, 02:55 PM) [snapback]282651[/snapback]</div>
    Thanks to all who have expressed empathy... unfortunately I have been down this road before, and I accept the fact that there are these people out there and there is nothing we can do about it.

    This happened 3 or 4 times with my other car as well, and even one time when the kid (18 years old (?) with a probation license after being reinstated) didn't run off but stayed with my car and the cracked bumper, his older brother refused to pay for my $250 damage since "that's what insurance is for". He was driving a 12-year old Corolla and only suffered a broken flasher, so $50 at the scrapyard had him up and going again.

    Unfortunate for me, this happened three months after another idiot had backed into my parked car causing $1000 damage, which I ended up claiming. Since this would have been my 2nd claim in less than a year, my $250 claim would have increased my insurance premium by $300, and stayed that way for 3 years.

    So $250 out of pocket or $900 over three years and a mark on my insurance record... for my car being parked in the wrong spot on two different occasions (did I mention this one happened in an EMPTY parking lot?), and both times the liable driver was accounted for. To boot, the province of Quebec does not allow automobile damage in small claims court if there is no injury involved, so I couldn't sue anyone. Did everything by the book, accident report, police report, etc... and still the victim got screwed.

    The best part? Even if I claimed it, if he kept driving the same car and living at the same place for 6 years (the time a liable accident stays on the driving record in Quebec), then his insurance would never increase, as if it never happened.

    So... this idiot can't drive, damages someone else's vehicle, and the VICTIM is punished 100% and the culprit gets off scot free. Nice system they've got there.

    I am so glad I don't live in that province anymore...

    Sorry... I guess I ranted again, as that triggered old memories... ;)

    - Kevin
     
  18. mehrenst

    mehrenst Member

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    For those of us that would like to "cover" those scratches that don't warrent a full bodyshop job.

    The Paintshop

    They do small batches and mix the paint to-order so it can take a bit of time to get your order filled. Pens, touchup bottles and small spray cans.

    My whte Prius shows every little stone pit and I've used their touchup paints with great success. The touchup kit include the base color, clear-coat, liquid rubbing compound and a small bottle of thinner.

    I also have abumper scrape and ordered the spray can kit. (Not done yet.)
     
  19. Linny

    Linny New Member

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    I just finished ranting in another place so I too feel your pain. I'm sorry about your incident!Have had my car since the end of March and I'm really careful but some @#$$#@ in a parking lot managed to leave a nice, foot long, deep white scratch along my side front panel (headlight to mirror). Funny, the apology note and check blew off my windshield too. Must be a trend.

     
  20. galaxies1973

    galaxies1973 New Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Somechic @ Jul 7 2006, 02:55 PM) [snapback]282651[/snapback]</div>
    I agree with the last 3... but washing my car? it's my car, I'll wash it if I want to and I won't if I don't want to. The others are all community issues... presuming my car is not filthy enough to be a true eyesore, it's no skin off anyone else's nose whether I wash it or not!

    - Michelle
    who cleans communal microwaves, wipes up spills at work, and puts her grocery cart back... but almost never washes her car!