My DD opened the car door into a stationary car today.

[purplebaglady]

I had just popped into the supermarket today with my two DC. My DD opened her car door into a vacant parked car next to us causing a small ding (size of a one pence piece). I didn't have a pen so we went into the shop. When we returned to the car a short time later to leave a note on the windscreen it had gone. As i had the children back in the car I drove home and immediately called the supermarket and reported it leaving my contact details. AIBU to think i have done all i can?

I can see it was an accident, but why did you let her open the door? I don't let my children if there isn't enough room and would be upset if someone did it to my car.
You tried your best to sort it out, so I don't mean what I've written unkindly.

We currently have a massive dent in our car that will cost 100s to fix. No note was left but I'm kind of philosophical bout it. For a start, people often don't know they've done it. Or it could be a situation like you describe OP. I am always careful, and the one time I did dent someone's car I left a note and paid up (again, 100s, for a tiny dent) but I still think you are OK with what you have done. Just because someone thinks you have behaved reasonably, doesn't mean they go around carelessly bashing cars willy-nilly, as some on this thread seem to be implying.

You've done more than I would!!!

To be honest, you've done exactly what I think I'd have done. If you have a major prang or someone is injured then, yes, the police should be involved. The owner of the other car obviously didn't notice, or had noticed they did didn't care enough to ask the supermarket to put a call out for the owner of your car or wait for you a few mins to see if you returned (which you did).

I think you were decent citizen and could not have done more.
FWIW I keep a pen in the car though in case I need one for something like this.

Get this!. My late wife had a "friend" well not what i'd call a friend, one of those who "your there for me when I want to you, but you won't find me when you might need help".

Shes also a big green campaigner, cars bad bikes good etc. One day she borrowed my wife's car and there was a bit of a ding on the passenger door with another scape down the side, wife didn't notice it at first. A few days later PC plod turns up saying that she my wife left the scene of an accident and would she like to come down to the station and make a statement!.

What had happened was the friend had walloped someone else's car and then told them that they were "bloody stupid to have parked it there" and drove off !. Who needs enemies with friends like that eh;?

To the OP, yes you did all you could reasonably do under the circumstances the law does not make it obligate to carry a pen around but useful all the same you might have to take details of someone walloping your car one day!.

Not a comment on the OP as such but this is partly why parent and child spaces matter so much!

If the people who disdain those spaces realised that they protect other people's cars, including their own, from children with no sense of car door opening protocol, they might value them more.

Of course there are those who use the P&C spaces in order to protect their cars from other people's doors. I guess that works for them as long as it's only the select few twats who do it.

its nothing to do with p&c spaces - makes sure the child locks are activated then your kids cant just fling the doors open when they want to.

They can if they manage to escape from their constraints and open the front doors.

The fecker! What happened with that incident Justaboy?

But yes the locks are very useful. At least it slows the buggers down a bit, till they learn to open the windows and open them from the outside.

StayWithMe My wife's insurance paid out and the person that "friend" hit said that if she'd have stopped instead of speeding off and being verbally abusive they might have forgotten about it as they were to scrap the car in a while as it had a smoking engine but as friend was abusive to them and drive off that really got there're ire up.

What was worse was that friend did not help help out financially with regard to the incident and her attitude really pissed me of an i told her so In no uncertain terms!, she never called my wife after that she was always on the beg, borrow, and never give it back a real user in my book!.

I'm glad you got it sorted out without your poor wife getting into, undeserved, trouble Justaboy. It might have been a blessing in the long term, at least you both got rid of that 'friend'.

All those saying "you did what you could", no she didn't. She did nothing, and I suspect just though "oh dear, no pen ".

There was plenty you could have done. Sat in the car and waited for them to return. Took a photo of the reg, got the supermarket to do a tannoy announcement.

But no, you did nothing. You just suited yourself after damaged someone else's property leaving them to fork out hundreds for your mistake.

Not fair.

And I'm disappointed to see so many agree with you.

My DH would have to, his car is leased and he's liable to fix any dents and dings before the end of three years so he would make sure the other person paid up.

Fair one. I was thinking that for most people with owned cars it wouldn't be economically worth t to get a small dent sorted. Nightmare of you have to!

I was on a first date with DP when this happened to me. I left my number on the windscreen of the old banger I had scratched. I then had a whole saga of the chap demanding cash to fix the scratch and me insisting on paying the garage direct to make sure it was actually spent on the repair. It cost me £200 to impress DP that I was an honest person! In these situations I ask myself What Would Mum Do? Because my mum is the worlds most honest person.

It's more about covering your own back than anything else. Yes, we know in these austere times the police will give dings in doors a very low priority, but if you don't exchange details, you are still bound to report it or you are guilty of an offence. The Highway Code is very clear about this.

Yes, it's true that the likelihood of being found out is fairly small, but if the car's owner does report the damage, the police might do a quick CCTV check. If they happen to have the evidence they need, then yes they would prosecute. Although the fine might be small, the future cost of your insurance could then be phenomenal.

Oh ffs, the OP didn't drive over someone's car with a tank and drive off laughing, it was a little ding. The police? They're not going to give a shit about a slight 'ding' in a car, surely? If I got back to my car and found a slight dent in it, yes I'd be pissed off, but I wouldn't be contacting the police or the shop where it was parked and ask them to investigate. Nothing was stolen, nobody was hurt. I think the OP has done what she can.

I'm all for doing the right thing and owning up to mistakes, but some of the replies here are odd.

I'm actually laughing at the idea of opening your car door into someone else's car, and then handing yourself in to the police.

I bet the call handlers at 101 just LOATHE mumsnet.

If I got back to my car and found a slight dent in it, yes I'd be pissed off, but I wouldn't be contacting the police or the shop where it was parked and ask them to investigate.

Again, that's your car and your prerogative.

Someone with a brand new Merc might not be so relaxed about it, it's probably best all round if people don't get entrenched in the "it's only a small dent, who cares" mindset as it's a bit twatty....

Whatever the Highway Code says, I can 110% guarantee you that the police will not give a shit about a dent in a car even if the perpetrator has driven off with telling anyone.

Someone actually reversed into my car, denting two panels and breaking a light before driving off. It was witnessed by several people who noted the reg of the car and the make/model/colour, so I reported it. The police told me to go via my insurance and that they would not help.

A woman in the supermarket let her trolley slam into DH's car, leaving a dent. There was actually a police officer standing nearby and he told the woman that she would have to speak to her insurance company.

I say again, the police have far, far more important things to do with their time than investigate a dent the size of a 1p in a door.

Its to do IIRC with any injuries being caused that the old bill are interested in.

Damage only not their concern. But you do have an obligation to stop and give your name address and insurance comanpy to anyone having reasonable grounds to do so.

IKnowIAmButWhatAreYou how do you know I don't have a brand new Merc?

I didn't say it's a small dent so who cares. Twatty indeed.

I have cctv in my car so I would have tracked you down.