Bumper protection from bad parkers?

[extrashaky]

Thinking psychologically, the thing to do would be to make a flag of some type that could be shut into the trunk or hood, with a staff that leans slightly away from your car toward the other driver. That way the car would appear closer than it is, and the person would stop sooner when they saw the flag over the front edge of their hood.

It wouldn't work in NYC, because those people would still keep going until they felt the jolt. But most other places people hit you because they're driving a taller car and can't actually see your bumper over the nose or tail of their behemoths.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

Thinking psychologically, the thing to do would be to make a flag of some type that could be shut into the trunk or hood, with a staff that leans slightly away from your car toward the other driver. That way the car would appear closer than it is, and the person would stop sooner when they saw the flag over the front edge of their hood.

It wouldn't work in NYC, because those people would still keep going until they felt the jolt. But most other places people hit you because they're driving a taller car and can't actually see your bumper over the nose or tail of their behemoths.

This ^
It is the risk we take for driving a low car in a world full of SUVs and pickup trucks.
I never truly realized just how bad it is until I parked beside our company truck one time. Even my bright orange car is all but invisible from the driver's seat. A grey, white, or black one could go completely unseen. The same applies when in front or behind a large vehicle. Even people that actually care can still give you a bump simply because they can't see it.

[computeruser]

Find proper parking and pay for it. Or don’t live in such a place.

[HKz]

Originally Posted by Noob83

If I hit someone with my car, I'm going to be fucked any way about it. The spikes dont have to be sharp. They don't even have to be spikes really, just steel rods protruding an inch or two in front of my bumper would suffice to discourage/prevent people from hitting my car.

was referring to humans not other cars

[Tcoat]

[Jordanwolf]

Originally Posted by ls1ac

I have two recovery rings on the back of my car. I figure if I get hit it will do more damage to there car ,nd if the hit is hard enough to bend the frame then with out them it would do major damage anyway.


Several years ago I had a mini (2003) with recovery rings and I got hit by a guy. The first words out of his mouth when he looked at the damage was "you know my car would not have so much damage if you did not have those things on the back of your car". I thought I wish I had more.

Are you talking about tow hooks?

[gravitylover]

Yay for parking by braille When I got the car I worked in NYC and in that year while I was there my bumpers got hammered. The front sags a bit from being bumped so many times and there are scrapes all over it. The back is nicked and dinged and cracked from a harder hit. As ugly as bumpers were after 1973 I miss having those bolt on extenders that every car had, they made parking in tight quarters fun

[James H]

Originally Posted by HKz

was referring to humans not other cars

Like a bicyclist who is bending over to unlock his bike in front of the OP.... just imagine

[ls1ac]

These are rings that fold down so they are not pointing back but are screwed into the recovery points.

[mav1178]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

This ^
It is the risk we take for driving a low car in a world full of SUVs and pickup trucks.
I never truly realized just how bad it is until I parked beside our company truck one time. Even my bright orange car is all but invisible from the driver's seat. A grey, white, or black one could go completely unseen. The same applies when in front or behind a large vehicle. Even people that actually care can still give you a bump simply because they can't see it.

I think it's even more simple than that...

either the person in the other car cares, or they don't.

I was parked at Starbucks yesterday in my Subaru Legacy. Mind you, my engine was on, my lights were on, it was 7PM before sunset so there was still light.

The Toyota Highlander pulled up next to me and they were in the car for a good 5-10 minutes after they stopped. The passenger in the car opened her door to get out, and it swung fast and hit my side mirror.

Had it been any other part of the car, it would've left a big dent and we would have exchanged insurance information. It barely scratched the black plastic part and all the lady said was "oops I'm sorry" and walked away like nothing happened.

Moral of story: the only way to not get damage on your car is to not drive it. otherwise, you just live with the environment in which you drive it...