Fender bender help, off topic I know

I work in insurance and I am one of the people that comes out to look at dents. Just like everyone else here I can tell with just this photo that the door was wasted before you hit it. She'll get a check for about $200-250 and then will be told to kick rocks.

 

Who the hell started the backing into parking spaces anyways? It’s been shown to be not worth it from a safety standpoint as well as an inconvenience to others at times. It got turned into a dumb fad not that long ago.

 

Story time regarding backing into parking places.

My story is about 25 years ago in my last apartment complex. There was a silly rule stating that we could not back into parking spaces or we would get some kind of ticket. The reason was so that we wouldn't aim exhaust at the windows of the lower units. One, in the summer when a window might be open, I wouldn't be sitting there idling to warm up. In the winter, the windows would most likely always be closed.

After receiving my share of apartment "tickets" for backing in, I went to the office to gave them my reasons for needing to back into my spot. One, it was a 6" lifted 1990 F150 with front coil springs, twin traction beams, and 36" Super Swampers.

When I turned head first into my spot, the outside tire would flex under the truck and make the tight turn nearly impossible without a 9 point correction. All while grinding down the outside edge of the tire each time. On top of that, I parked next to the garage building that I rented a space in. All of the buildings on that side of the complex were garage units, so my parking space had a green space between me and the back of another garage building.

Still they didn't care and they said that there was no excuse they would take to approve backing in. For the most part I didn't care about their silly rule, as I racked up the "tickets" on a daily basis, but nothing ever came of them in a year of living there.

Here is the kicker of the story. Some old dude moved into the next apartment building over from us about a month after we moved in. He backed his shitty old Chevy into the spot right in front of my window. That POS smoked like a sailer, as did the old fart himself. Smelled like it was running rich as well as burning a quart of oil every 100 miles.

I brought this up one day as they were attaching yet another ticket to my window as I walked outside to go to work. Their feeble response to me was that the old fart couldn't see well to back out of a parking spot, so they said he could back in to make it easier to pull out to leave.

Dingleberry had to let his POS idle for at least 10 mins in the summer and 30 in the winter just so it wouldn't stall pulling forward to leave. His paid parking spot was on the other end if his building, but he like parking in front of my building, (in front of my window) because it was closer to the apartment exit.

I told the apartment guy that they were all idiots and he ask why. Dude, you guys are giving into this old fart because he can't see to back out, but he has no issue seeing to back into the damn spot. And his truck is the PRIME example of what you tell me why I can't back my truck in.

For the hell of it, I went and put a noisy obnoxious raspy exhaust on that 5.0 just to pissed them off further for a few weeks. Then bought my house that I still live in today.

 

I wouldve just been like “fuck, ah whatever” and hust went home….its a pos truck you hit, the tags are expired, she probbly doesnt even lnow the oil weight. I would just ignore her or say listen bitch i can get you that pos door from the yard by the end of the week or take the $200 youre lucky i even lnocked on your door

 

You're entitled to your opinion.

 

By that logic you should never back out of a parking space either. So I guess you’re limited to places with double rows and pull through opportunities. I can’t think of any more high risk endeavor at low speed than backing out of any parking space.

Super helpful comment though! I’m sure the OP is thankful for your contribution.

 

Can you imagine having to only pull into your camping spot, or launching your boat from a front hitch, because baking into something is frowned upon, and backing out is the only thing allowed.

 

If you ever drive a foolsize truck in tight parking lots you realize that backing in is easier than making a 10 point turn to pull nose in.

 

You’re advocating hit-and-run?

 

It would have been worth it in that pos

 

no, but if i hit a pos vehicle and i just add another dent to the 20 other dents, I wouldnt let it bother me, just park somewhere else, case closed, owner of the pos vehicle could care less

 

Classy!

 

Agreed....Sad but true.

 

Especially in trucks. I watched a lady in a big ol F250 the other week do a 4 point back-in between two cars. Literally could have just gone to the empty spot 20 yards away, but what do I know?

There's a huge space difference. You have way more margin backing into a throughway than a parking space.


Imo, the only acceptable time to back into a spot is in your own driveway, and only if there's no street traffic.

 

Agree to disagree.

Now, I’m not going to back into a space if there are other options available. I’ll park a mile away from a store if I can pull through.

But if there’s one space, vehicles parked on both sides, it’s way safer to back in and later pull out forward than the opposite. Backing in I can see everything, three mirrors and a backup cam. Backing out of the same space, with vehicles parked on both sides, I have no visibility on traffic coming from either direction and I’m basically crossing my fingers and praying until 1/2 way out.

 

Even in a truck? Yikes. I get this if you're in a low car next to trucks, but in a truck?

 

I’m in a stock medium-sized truck in a place where 75% of folks drive trucks or SUVs. And most trucks are full size. What can I say?

 

By the looks of that shitbox (and that it's got expired tags), I agree with your assessment that it's not insured. Would be interesting to know when the last time she drove that thing (betting it's more recent than 2019, lol), and probably more recent that last winter, too.

Just let insurance deal with it. If you have a deductible, that's how much it'll cost. What they do on your neighbor's side is irrelevant. They could give her a million dollars, and it's not going to cost you more than your deductible. That's the point of insurance.

I prefer not to back in to spots just because it doesn't really save any time in the grand scheme. I tend to have to wait a lot longer for the folks backing in to a spot than those who are backing out of a spot.

 

ANOTHER UPDATE. Her truck has disappeared! I'm thinking, "Don't tell me they totaled the car and gave her a fat check." But that seems to be what they did. I have an online portal that shows you the progress from claim filed to inspecting damage to sending check, and it's been stuck on "inspection" for weeks.

I've been with same company for 29 years and they hinted I may get accident forgiveness, but then said I'll see everything on my statement in October.

About backing In: I cannot see jack out of the blacked-out shell window. I even hooked up a back up camera at one time, but returned it because it only showed tunnel vision to what was behind me, no wide angle view of the sides, which is what I really need.

I agree it's better not to back into a space with a truck with a shell on it and you can't see squat and can't turn your neck (I have neck issues), but where I live the cars are crammed in on both sides and in front there's another row also packed in like sardines, and it can take 4 and 5 tries to ease my truck out and squeeze out of my parking space. And that is annoying with a stick. Since the neighbor on the other side's car was gone, I thought I had plenty of room to back in. Damn, my first car wreck in 29 years ruining my perfect driving record. I'm still not over it.

 

ugh, sorry to hear about the situation. Hopefully everything works out in your favor


do you have blind spot mirrors on your mirrors? they are so handy for backing in

$6 Ampper Blind Spot Mirror, 2" Round HD Glass Frameless Convex Rear View Mirror, Pack of 2

https://www.amazon.com/Ampper-Blind-Mirror-Frameless-Convex/dp/B01CV4ANCC