Curious...

[optical illusion]

Last Monday my nanny died unexpectantly and I was driving in my home town, had parked in town. Came back not thinking straight as you can imagine, got into my car - checked all mirrors and reversed... saw a car coming so pulled back in, then inched out slowly again - cheecking all mirrors and rear window - nothing there, stopped car, looked forward to see I was clearing both cars on either side, looked in rear mirror - nothing there, inched again and then THUMP.

All of a sudden there was a red corrolla reversing backwards. Straight into me. I cursed obsceneties not mentionable here - imagining my bumper to be in bits hanging off. Got out, checked my car - perfect - checked his car - perfect (he had that plastic bit running around his bumper) Then he says to me in a polish accent 'did you not see me?' Duh. Obviously not because I wouldn't back my pride and joy into your crap corolla. The impression I got from him is that he saw me but thought I had seen him but kept reversing anyway.

My question is - if this had gone horribly wrong (my nanny must have been looking down on me) who would have been at fault?? I was reversing diagonally and he was reversing straight out and we met in the middle almost - there was no way in hell he was there when I started the whole process of backing out...

I reckon he saw me and assumed I was going to stop even though I was first reversing..

Any thoughts?

[gfalls]

Corollas aren't that crap..

[mcgon1979]

if you both reversed into each other it could well be a 50/50 split regarding fault or insurance...
All you can do is look even more meticulously than you did when you back out next. You always have to be watching for situations like this. Most people don' care about their car in the same was as we do...

[optical illusion]

Right I see...

Indeed, or avoid parking in stupid places altogether I've learned my lesson, thank god I always inch out slowly or it could have been worse...

[mcgon1979]

yeah Im really particular about where Park. I try to avoid parking places with a lot of turnover, like in a shopping centre car park. Or if I have to I prefare to park where its an empty section and maybe have a 3min walk to the shop.

[johnny]

A tip that might come in handy - if you have to park beside another car (I usually dont mind the walk) then park beside a nice expensive car if possible...or at least one that looks like its looked after.

Less likely to have them swinging doors into yours or clipping you as they'll be watching out for their own car.

[optical illusion]

Even if I park in the most furthest away corner of a car park when I come back someone always parks beside me.

Also avoid parking beside: 7 seaters and cars with window sun visors...

[mcgon1979]

Good tips guys and gals. The sun visor one is so true also, avoid!!!

I have seen the expensive car thing work against me before. Park beside a 2008 new Merc etc with a reg like 08 D 8 etc and think it will be sweet. Then some yummy mummy comes out with her shopping and smacks her door into you while trying to put her bags into the back of the car etc... Grr....
I think sports cars are the way to go in general though. Less likley to have a yummy mummy in an M3 or Jag XK etc.

I don't get that "law of attraction" either. You park miles away from anyone and come back and someone parks beside you. I have a pet hate because where I park is loads of spaces and 95% of the time I have a free space each side of me (nice). but sometimes this chick parks her merc next to me on my left (yep it has a fancy reg too) but she parks literally 12inchs from my passenger door and I guess manages to squeeze out in that gap. She does this because she turns in to the right WAY too sharply to park beside me and ends up WAY too close even though there is 3!! spaces on my passenger side, and they are very very wide ones... Usually the clifford proximity puts people off doing that.

Grrrr...

[Muad_dib77]

Park across two spots.

[mcgon1979]

Park across two spots.

Thought about it, but don't people in general hate persons who do that? I mean there is plenty of room to do it, not like I'd be taking someones space, but... maybe someone would think "that cheeky fcuking ar$ehole" and squash beside me anyway...

I guess I think its kinda rude. You risk a keying if its done in a public car park. Nothing worse than driving around the airport etc looking for a space and seeing a few people parked like that. Grrr....