You can be sure that the cameras that record you overstaying the car park by a microsecond are always turned on!

I parked in a space away from the entrance to a hotel recently, gaps both sides. Was sat in the car and the next car came in, pulled forward into the space opposite and 1 across which had gaps both sides, then reverse to park next to me. Cannot comprehend why they would do that, then moaned about not having space to get their stuff out of the car :rolleyes:

CCTV is on more than you think, but not when my car was 9 days old (to me) and got scuffed and the bumper pushed off on one side.

I've only ever had one really decent looking car[an XJ6 I used to own]and I was paranoid as heck about the possibility of damage to it.The V70 I have now looks like someone polished the two o/s doors with a Brillo pad,the lacquer is peeling on top of the o/s front wing just ahead of the drivers door,the rest of the paintwork isn't that great and the alloys could do with a refurb.I can park that thing anywhere and other people avoid it like the plague:cool: mechanically it's sound and I'd trust it to take me anywhere and that's all that matters to me.It must be said my Omega is better body wise and just as reliable as the V70 but I'm still not that precious about it.But whichever I'm in I always take care if in a tight spot not to damage other peoples property-being built like a biro re-fill helps me out here:rolleyes: I'd agree with an earlier post re-size of car park spaces and cars getting ever bigger plus other peoples white goods throw away mentality.

I am frequently mocked by wife and daughter for every "tour around the car park" looking for an end space or space with gaps each side. Last year at the beach car park in Aberaeron I was asked by the driver of a white Discovery towing a boat if I would move my car to the next space along as it would give him a 2 space length to park Disco and boat in. No problem, moved car and he waved and thanked me. 2 Hours later I come back to find no Disco or boat and a huge white vertical dent in my front passenger door just where his rear door would have impacted. I spend a lot of time in Aberaeron visiting friends and if I see a I white Disco towing a boat and the same driver we will certainly be having a conversation! B*****d!

I know it's not the answer, but the more you obsess over these things the more you will notice them.
Cars will accrue dings and scratches over time and it's just unavoidable and the more you try and avoid it, the more you will notice tiny marks on the car.

I bought a 9 year old C30 in August and honestly every time I looked at the car, I noticed another imperfection that just drove me completely crazy and drained my bank account in attempts to put right these issues.

I know it's not acceptable that people just don't care about other people's property, but there isn't a whole lot you can do about it and getting it fixed if it's only small, now, is going to breed obsessive compulsive disorder in you every time you see a new mark that may have been there for months without you noticing.

we visited a local garden centre one morning last week.

it was very wet and the huge car park was nearly empty, but I still parked my MX5 a long way away from the entrance on it's own.

on leaving, the car park was still nearly empty, but parked next to my MX5 was a Renault Clio, so close that I had to reverse out of the space to allow my wife in the passenger door !!

didn't seem to be any dings, but I can't fathom out the mindset of these idiots. Indeed I wanted to wait in the car for he/she to appear, but wife wouldn't have it.

Iain

I have two small dings in my rear door curtesy of our local car park. When i open my door when i am close to another car i put my hand there to act as a buffer between us. However nobody else thinks of that. Have been in touch with dent magician they can suck them out but at a cost of £60 per panel. I think its worth it as i have a imaculate 15 year old car spoilt with the two dings. Good luck with yours James.

Further to my ding issue. Managed to find a company called Dents. Great service and had my door sorted in less than half an hour.
Can recommend for the Manchester/North West region.

How much did it cost you ?

Drive a battlescared 24 year old discovery and you don't notice the extra dings but more importantly others treat your car with respect leaving plenty of room.

I am mindful of others, especially with the disco, it being 3 door the doors are bigger than front doors on a5 door and have door edge buffers on all cars, just wish others were as considerate.
The discos battle scars come from overgrown lanes and a couple of dings from driver misjudgement. A mate fitted rocksliders to his defender, never got a bodywork ding in car parks though many damaged their doors on them judging by the dings and chips on them not caused in the lanes.

More annoying than the accidental or careless ding is the deliberate key damage done to the volvo, would of put it down to lanes on the disco but 2 vertical scratches on the waste line of rear door half inch long 2 inches apart are not accidental. I always reverse park and am anal about being center of the bay.

Paul.