Door-ding: WHUMP!, What do you do? Options

[Dave_Darling]

I drove my 914 to the store earlier today. As my attorney and I were walking back out to the car (one of 3 parked in a ~40 car lot), some ancient geezer in a big white full-size van dives up and parks right next to my car. About four inches next to, in fact. He opens up the door to the van, WHUMP! A nice new door ding, complete with paint chip.

He carefully squeezes out of the door (because it doesn't open very far due to being so close to my car) and starts walking away. "Excuse me--you just dented my car!!"

He looks at the ding, looks at his door, and shrugs. "Everybody does it." Uhh, noooo.... And why the hell did you have to park so close to me in an empty lot? "I'm between the lines!" Uhh, no--look again bozo. "Well whaddaya want me to do about it? Give you twenny bucks?" Sorry, old timer, but even the paintless dent removal places won't work for less than eighty. And now it needs paint, too.

I just said the hell with it, but my attorney and he kept yelling at each other. It's not like the paint on my car is in very good shape anyway, but the lack of consideration is just appalling.

I probably should have gotten his insurance info and called it in to them. I might not have gotten any money, but it would have been a pain in the butt to him and maybe he'd think twice about it in the future. Then again, he was probably 80+ so he may not be thinking or seeing so clearly anymore. He was definitely hard of hearing...

--DD

[wilchek]

Dave,
don't sweat the small stuff. it sucks and the guy deserves to pay but what can you do. A year ago my car was re-ended by an old lady in a 73 monte carlo. ya know the one that still had bumbers that the jacks fit into to jack the car up with. I got out of the car ready to yell and the 4 foot lady with blue hair gets out. What could I say but, "are you all right". My car had 5000 in damage not to mention the hassle with the insurance company. At least she admited she was wrong and her company paid. However, no one was hurt and life goes on.