You ding someone''s car- do you leave a note? Ethical question

[Haven]

OF COURSE you leave a note.

AND, I''m not sure if the laws are the same everywhere, but if you are parking the car when you ding another''s car and you then drive away, it goes on your record as a "hit and run." I know because I did this THE DAY I got my driver''s license. I was parking my car, hit the car next to me, left a little teensy tiny ding, called my then-best friend''s lawyer father who told me to drive away. Thankfully someone saw me do it, called the police, and I had a hit and run on my record, 6 months probation, and all the shame that comes with doing something awfully unkind to another person. (Not to mention the entire police department laughing at me with my hot-off-the-press license. Talk about unkind.) I certainly learned my lesson, and I''m a bit ashamed to admit that I did this way back when.

On another note, karma must be getting me back because I find new dings on my newish Civic every time I leave work--and the only people who park in my lot are my professional colleagues. How sad.

 

[Haven]

Date: 12/13/2007 2:39:05 PM
Author: door knob solitaire

Just a ding can be removed or popped out for less than $50. If the person is willing to have a touchup which is just a dab of paint to cover the loss of paint...that again is cheap $6.00 for the paint. But if you chip the paint and the owner demands the car be renewed to as it was ...before you caused the damage....which inmost cases with a metallic finish paint ...that can only be achieved by painting the whole side of the car...It is his decision. He is entitled to be as he was before you were a buffoon.

So I would keep that in mind before you put yourself in the position of causing damage to another''s property.

Right you are, DKS! That story I just told you--well the paint chipped on the brand new Cadillac that I hit, and the owner wanted the entire door replaced. (He said he had just driven it home the week before. Of course!) My parents are all about teaching lessons, so they didn''t claim it on our auto insurance, paid the guy in cash, and then I worked my little teenage bum off for the next year and a half to pay my parents back for that Cadillac door. Lesson learned.

Honestly, though, as an adult I would NEVER ding a car and drive away. I do see people doing it all the time in the city, though, and I always call it in.

 

[HollyS]

Taking cell phone pictures is fine - except - cell phone photos don''t have high resolution to them, so the picture may be fuzzy or dim, etc. So the solution is to keep a digital camera handy?

It''s a shame that anyone would have to resort to protecting themselves first in this situation, but I kinda think it may be neccessary. And I am talking about a very minor dent here, not damage that results in major repairs. I would never dream of backing into a car, for instance, and just driving off. Even when it wasn''t my fault, (wind ripped my door out of my hand and blew it hard into the next car), I have taken responsiblity for the damage done. But I''m not always too concerned for the guy/gal who decided to park so close I cannot get into my car without touching, and maybe scraping theirs.

But to answer asscherisme, "yes" you are correct, and your husband is wrong. Essentially.