Is it normal to bang your door into a parked car?

[Whoistheunderdog]

NC for this.

Today I went to the supermarket and parked my car. It wasn't full, and there were loads of spaces to the right of me. The car parked to the left pulled out just as I switched off the engine leaving a gap which was immediately filled. I was just about to get out of my car when the driver of the newly parked car banged her door open. It was quite hard and so I got out to have a look, and there was a tiny mark but nothing that a good polish wouldn't sort out if I could be bothered enough to. It was raining and the woman strode quickly ahead. So I caught up with her and politely asked if she knew she had hit my car. She had a smile on her face but said quite forcefully "really? Are you serious? Loads of people hit the car next to them when they open the door." and walked off. I was so stunned that I did my best impression of a goldfish for a few moments standing in the rain. Then I pulled myself together and got on with my shop.

It's still bugging me though. Because if I ever accidentally hit a car with my door, with someone in it, I would naturally hold up my hand and say sorry if they looked up. Also it would have been understandable if there hadn't been enough room between our cars but there was plenty of room, maybe not enough for her to open the door fully but that's normal in a parking bay situation isn't it?

In any case it wasn't that she hit my car that bothered me. I really couldn't care less as there's barely a scratch. but her attitude? AIBU?

[OurBlanche]

I have just got my car back after the door was creased by A N Idiot driver.

First she denied she had opened her door into mine... paint samples were taken love, it was your car!

Then she said white was a common colour - yes, pictures of the damage to YOUR DOOR as well as paint samples... it was your car!

Then she decided that she hadn't been in that car park after all - CCTV disgrees with you love - it was your car!

Now she is still saying there was no damage, she did nothing... or was it only a little tap and couldn't have caused that much damage? I refer you back to the CCTV footage. That and the fact that I was in the car when you did it, and got out to shout at you at the time!

So, I have my car back, undented and she has sent one more message to my insurers - would I admit/agree that it was my fault? The lady on the phone laughed a little and said she was already poised to hit the No Way Jose button

So... inhale.... exhale... and smile at your protected no claims bonus

[LupoLounger]

Yes but when you park your 'naice' car at the far side all on its own, very weirdly, nine times out of ten, you have cars parked either side when you get back to it!

This. They club together thinking that the other drivers are as interested in keeping their vehicles in good nick as they are. It's like a flocking behaviour :D

[Cheshireblue]

Tolberone you are so right! It always happens and apparently there is a name for it!! I thought it was just me but then read somewhere - it's called something like crowding syndrome (can't remember exact phrase!)

[LupoLounger]

P.S. I am one of them - dur-dur-duuuur!

[MiddleClassProblem]

Rude. I'm like a Hugh Grant kind of Brit who apologises even if it wasn't my fault. I would expect an apology and probably apologies myself

What does NC mean in this context?

[MaisieDotes]

I once had a stand up screaming row with a woman who did this to my car in an outdoor* car park.

I didn't really care, but she had annoyed me with how blatant she was. I was sitting in my car drinking a coffee when bang. She was getting into her car but had actually parked after me, when I was inside getting the coffee, so it wasn't that I'd parked too close to her.

I was irritated and I got out to see it there was much of a dent. There wasn't, so I just got back into my car and back to my coffee and phone. The woman then beeped her horn and I looked up to see her giving me the finger

It's one of the few times in my life that I actually went beside myself with fury! I can't remember getting out of the car but I must have as I "came to" standing behind my car shouting all sorts at her.

She drove off at speed, knocking another car's wing mirror as she did.

Dick.

*not relevant except loads of people saw

[Whisky2014]

And/or across two spaces....

Yes! That's really annoying!

But you can understand why they do it, can't you?

My friends MIL apparently always bangs her door open to other cars and says "that's why there's a rubber bit on the door". When my friend told me that it gave me the rage! And also, a lot of cars don't have the rubber band thing on the door these days.
Idiots.

[MrsJoeyMaynard]

No, I don't think it's normal. I know it happens sometimes, especially if cars are parked very close together. But most people I see seem to take care not to bang their doors off cars when opening car doors.

[Schwabischeweihnachtskanne]

No its not normal and she is an arse.

I raise you an example of an arse from the other perspective though (if such a metaphor is possible...) - many years ago when I was 7 or 8 months pregnant with DC1 I parked on my own in a small supermarket car park, in a space with an empty bay next to it. A moment after I parked a couple (I assume) in an absolutely enormous SUV parked next to me, really, really close to me leaving me very little room to get out of the driver's seat, but (as it turned out once I was out but didn't realise when trying to get out of my own car) about 6 feet from the wall on the other side of their car, next to their driver's door.

As I opened my door a crack and tried to get out the male passenger in the other car rolled down their window and (I kid you not) pushed his sun glasses down his nose, sneered at me over the top of them and ordered me to "watch the car!" then rolled his electric window back up and continued to glare at me over his glasses. During which time his female driver had gone into the shop.

I ended up climbing out over the passenger side, 7 or 8 months pregnant.

The rage and hatred I felt for the SUV passenger cannot have been good for poor old gestating DD... I wish I'd thought of a decent response or just told him to move his tank, but in fact it would probably have only made things worse, as they were clearly the worse kind of self centred arse holes... Hitting their SUV hard with my car door was massively tempting but would undoubtedly have led to far more trouble than they were worth.

[LupoLounger]

MiddleClassProblem NC == Name Change I think.

[MiddleClassProblem]

Ta x

[ClarkL]

This is why I have side steps! I hate how disrespectful people are of others property

[problembottom]

God this thread just makes me hate people full stop! So many twats out there.

[Boobz]

In Italy it is completely normal, yes. And to reverse into the car behind you when leaving a space. And knocking into parked scooters - they are massively fair game.

DOES MY HEAD IN

[ABCAlwaysBeCunting]

No, it's not normal. This kind of thing makes me properly angry, as do the people who rolleye and say 'oh, it's only a CAR, don't be so precious!'

[NewRags]

This really pisses me off! I purposely park way way away from the shop where there are no other cars parked and then on my return I find that a car has parked right next to me as close as they can get grrrrr! WHY! there are loads of other spaces in the car park why do you have to park right up next to me!!

Anyway - it seems to be the norm around where I live, people just get out, open their car doors into yours and don't give it a second thought .

I used to carry around these pre-printed passive aggressive joke notes that I had as a random present one Christmas, and put them on the windscreens of cars that parked really really close to mine - something along the lines of thanks for parking so close! next time leave a f**king can opener so I can get in my car - arseholes like you should take the bus!

[BaboonBottom]

I nearly got into a punch up with a woman who was repeatedly getting in and out hitting my car.
It's not normal. You were very restrained I may have once smacked my car door back into theirs Hard. It was a bit like That video posted up ahead, I had the red mist and was in a dented car

[Whoistheunderdog]

Phew, glad it's not just me then!
She was so sure of herself with the "Are you serious? Really?" That I genuinely wondered whether I was being a fusspot.

[HappyNevertheless]

There is a difference though between touching the car next to you with your door and hitting the car next to you leaving a mark/dent.

[MrsSparkles]

Nope - not normal at all. Part of the problem is the huge cars that seem to be so common nowadays.

At 8 months pregnant, I usually open the door gently as far as I can - some of the time it will rest on the next car, but I'm very careful not to bang it. This is assuming I have to park next to someone, or someone has parked next to me.

[wasonthelist]

Easier not to touch it so as to avoid doubt

[Hellokitty105]

I find this so infuriating!!! Especially after I work hard and last year decided to buy myself a new car only to have someone bang my car door only a month after buying it. Then I had to pay to have a big dent removed.

Understandably accidents happen but this is completly disrespectful.

[travellinghopefully12]

Take her number plate and have it professionally repainted then billed to her insurance. I wouldn't advocate this normally, but her attitude makes me mad.

[temporaryrecruit]

Awful and quite rude that she didn't let you get out first.

I try my best not to open my door onto someone else's and open door carefully