JCE,

Well put!

I totally understand the frustration and I would probably have reacted with less restraint than you did, you are obviously a gentleman. When my 240D was near new many years ago, I parked at a tool store about 100 feet from the nearest car. There were empty parking spaces by the front door. I came out to find a beat up, rusty pickup parked with it's drivers door about a foot from my car. I could not see any dents, but the 123's have a pretty good rub strip around them so I was lucky. I expect that he parked there with the intention of starting something or intentionally damaging my new car.

I did not from that experience, however, begin to believe and state that all carpenters and plumbers live in mobile homes and go around beating up other people's cars.

To be clear, I have taken no offense at anything anyone has written about the experience. I made earlier comments because I thought it unfair to begin stereotyping all large SUV drivers as living in mobile homes and delighting from denting MB's whenever they can find them in the parking lot. As if they drive around all day looking for them to destroy.

Even though I'm not an SUV person, I think that the class warfare that has been cultivated by the news media surrounding SUV's is not a good thing. This is America and everyone has the right to their ridiculous opinions and tastes.

IMHO, if someone wants to spend their money to drive a Greyhound Bus to work, it should be their business.

Have a great day,

Tracy:

I agree with your comments on politically correct speech - impossible to attain, as it is defined by the politicians in charge! The last 8 years of Washington DC have really distorted the right of free speech with the overlay of 'politically correct' speech, which to me seems like abridgement. And if this is abridged, think what will happen when smart bot tracking dust for your mail and molecular tracking computers for your clothing and money come into production. These things are already off the drawing boards and beta testing, and looking for venture capital right now!

I did not take Larry's comments as specifically aimed at me - I realized that I had been less than clear in explaining the circumstances and background. I either should have added more detail, or omitted the reference to the driver. No offense taken, and I hope none given.

John

__________________
John

2003 Firemist Red/grey leather SL 500
2015 Palladium Silver/black mbtex GLK 350
1987 Smoke Silver/burgundy mbtex 300E Sportline (SOLD)

Click to see 87 300E

lebenz,

If you will notice, my negative comments were not toward JCE for being upset. I am in total sympathy with JCE and would not have been as kind as he was. My negative comments were toward those who because of one incident with an SUV stereotyped EVERYONE who drives that particular SUV as living in a mobile home or some such thing.

If you'll look around this forum some more, I have posted 2,275 times, you should be able to find fault with my comments in many other places. Why stop here, why don't you go slam me in all the other 2,275 posts?

Would you like for me to do a search and give you a list of threads to make it easier?

Unlike you, I am not a perfect person, and my opinions are not perfect either. So you should be able to slam me 2,275 times.

Enjoy,

I share the full range of emotions on this subject. However, why wouldn't a vehicle attract real world scars- - if its in use (daily or even just on the weekend)?

The "results" of "use" are only natural right?

People contact (driver and otherwise) and contact with anything leaves some type of residual- including but not limited to- outright abuse, dings, dents, fender benders, bumper rash, scratches, bugs, rock chips, acid rain, sun damage, bird do doos, mud, grime, oil from the locomotive in front of you....why sweat it? Reasonable & common-sense solutions (and combinations thereof) are readily employable: restore, replace, or live with it & employ an aggressive strategy to minimize the risk. Great suggestions already posted.

I imagine a way to purposefully eliminate "the causes" is to place the vehicle in a huge temperature controlled vault (or something like it) segregated from contact.

Observed a sleek new S500 (no lisc plates yet) with those big AMG wheels expertly parked with two wheels scrubbed and pinned to the sidewalk curb- - and left that way. Fault/ no-fault still a sad sight to see.

Notwithstanding, have a great day.
-fad

Wow...I din't realise how far this had gotten

People can drive whatever it is they want to BUT at the very least a person should have some type of rudementary knowledge about their car and its capabilities. In other words are the doors of my car capable of dinging cars I park next to, can I chase this Mercedes round this high speed bend , can my car drive through that 3 feet high water at 50mph, or can my car fit between that space. They should use sound judgment. Unfortunately sound judgment doesn't seem to be our forte when it comes to our cars in the US, screw the other guy. How else can you explain the lack of respect for the fastlane or the lack of use of turn signals.
If someone wants to drive a greyhound bus, go ahead, more power to you but you should at least know that one of the things your bus does is make wide turns right? Wouldn't be sound if you just mowed down everybody at the intersection because your bus had to get through.
I have seen SUV drivers do some of the craziest things and it is always the young female drivers I see. I wish I could say otherwise but i can't, but don't snap at me because statistically what I see cannot be taken as gospel, in other words I could completely be wrong, I know this and so should you when you read this.
By the way I have been dinged by people in regular cars more than I have been by people in SUV's. Go figure :p

Just stop dinging my car you faceless people!!

lebenz,

That's right, I'm way too stupid to understand your point because you are so much more intelligent than me..... Wait a minute!, maybe you are just not adequately articulate to get your point across in writing. No, that surely isn't the problem. I mean when someone is so vastly superior, they MUST be articulate!

Whatever, it's too bad you declined my offer, I was looking forward to reading all your insults.

Have a great day,

Yal- we hear your message...hope it influences the right people.

In counterpoint, though, not all are fortunate to possess an aptitude, capacities, or training to "think" let alone a desire to "think" while participating in this thing called "life".

Further, factor in that there are too many versions of what is referred to as "common-sense" or "logical".....then it really gets interesting.

Prime example: Just yesterday observed a late model lowered Honda Civic super-tailgating (less than 1/4 a car length) a Ford Excursion that had cut him off to avoid a highway onramp lane merge collision. From behind, I estimated speeds in excess of 85mph. Wonder who would be on the short end if the Excursion needed to stomp on the brakes? My thought, "wise move Mr.", but was satisfied to rationalize that its, survival of the fittest....and the only person one can really control is oneself.

-fad

-fad,

Excellent point!

Have a great day,

Thanks Larry.


-fad

-fad, I doubt it.

But sorry for my preaching, I just couldn't resist

I figured it out. Mercedes come from the factory with a positive magnetic charge that attracts metal objects such as, but not limited to; doors, shopping carts, keys (ouch!), as well as other cars (big ouch!).

I had a kid throw a penny at my car from the oncoming lane once. That REALLY pissed me off! There are STILL skid marks (couple months old) from where I pulled a 180 in the middle of the street to chase after him. Sadly, he got away.

Yeah, I know it's a little to late to be telling a story in this thread, as it has now reached a philosophical level, but, I thought I'd share.

I was thinking about this thread as I parked in the grocery store parking lot to pick up some pictures I had taken of my beautiful Benz that had just been developed. I parked far away from any cars, but noticed a loose shopping cart in the row in front of me. After locking my car, as a courtesy to others (but mosty me) I headed over the cart to take it inside and prevent it from attacking the cars in the lot. As I walked away from my car, I felt a slight breeze, and the cart actually turned around completely, and headed straight for my car! This is the magnet theory in action!! (almost Needless to say, when I came outside, there was an SUV parked next to me too)

I'll soon be a Junior in High School, (probably one of the younger ones in this forum) and every day of the last two months of my sophmore year when I acquired my Mercedes, I parked my car (usually double parked) in the back row of the lot. Frequently the others that bothered to walk as far as I, and parked next to me, were a mid-80's Dodge Dynasty (we called it the dirty Dynasty, hehe), and a slightly rusted White El Camino. The other guys at school with Trans-Ams, or a new BMW, etc. parked as close as possible. It just shows who has pride in their car. The back row should be an honor.

I'm sure everyone has at one time been a victim of a ding. What puzzles me especially is that EVERY car manufacturer in the WORLD also knows the frustrations of this event, and have yet to come up with a bright idea!!! The engineers have only had 70 solid years to work on this, right?

Lets see, what are some ideas you Guys and Gals can come up with?

My first would be simple, make the door material thicker, to the point where a ding would only be created by VERY forceful impacts. I can hear the arguments against this one already, but this would only be in the doors mind you. As well, better more durable mirror finishes to match!

Second, charge up a very large capacitor when ever you leave the car and set the alarm and the next time a door hits my car..... BOOM. How many years in jail would that one get?

What was the commercial where the woman surrounds her precious SUV with a wall of shopping carts to protect it??

I'm gonna start doing that. I'll let everyone know how well it works.

You need to watch more TV. If you did you would see a recent commercial where Saturn touts their ding resistant doors.

Look for the 10-speed bike that falls over on it's own (when the production assistant is cued to let go of the pedal), and isn't held up by a kickstand...

It's a hoot!

__________________

Scott Longston
Northern California Wine Country...
"Turbos whistle, grapes wine..."

Scott, I watch plenty of TV and I am aware of the "Saturn solution", however..... plastic doors are not my first pick.

How would Mercedes buyers feel if DC took this approach?