Car door dents and...

Anyone care to chime in on this one...I have noticed that I have received more door dents here in 6 months than I did collectively in 15 plus years of driving in the US. Yeah, I know, I know...more room there. But yesterday when I was standing next to my car, with more than ampel room between my car and the ones next to me, does the "person" next to me plant their car door into the side of my car? While I am giving her the look of death, she continues on the phone and looks at me like I am nuts for giving her a dirty look! I know, not necessarily German..more prolo...but the question with her number plate noted, do I have any recourse? Thanks for letting me rant. Grinner, care to comment?

Oh, good luck! I keeping finding door dents in my car - and it is so obnoxiously bright that no one can miss it (I would have thought) but I never catch them in the act.

On the other hand, once while parallel parking I touched the bumper of the bar behind me (really, barely touched it - it is a "bumper" after all) and this old German bat starts yelling at me how I need to get out and check the damage since I'd hit the car behind me. SO I made this big demonstration of getting out - looking and saying (very loudly) how the rubber had barely touched the rubber - oh my! And that - obviously - there was no damage.

So - with that reasion in mind, I'm sure you might have some recourse, though you probably should have confronted her about it, perhaps you can get some recourse after the fact.

I avoid parking next to old wrecks or anything with child seats in them. The old wreck owners often dont care if they bang other peoples car "its only a car and youre insured" is the attitude. People with child seats rest their doors against your motor but it does not matter as it is your car being scratched not theirs and it is "only a little scratch after all". Personally, I would go after her to pay for the repair, even if it gets you knowhere, it will make her think twice about being so careless with someone elses property.

Annie, it could have ended worse though. See here

Yes.

YES, you do have recourse if you have the car number. If someone hits you they are required by law to wait (not sure exactly how long), leave you a note/inform the police they have hit someone. It is "Fahrerflucht" otherwise which is taken very seriously - the driver will end up in court, with a hefty fine and probably lose his licence for a while. This happened to me last year and since my car was badly damaged (a student got the no. of the guilty driver) I went to the police. The police then locate the guilty party and examine their car for evidence - marks, paint etc. You may have to take your car to a special police workshop where they examine it under a microscope while you wait. Everyone is very friendly. I went through this procedure because the damage was significant - it's up to you whether it's worth it for a scratch. Hope this helps, and good luck! In my opinion a bit of bumping and scraping is inevitable in the city of Munich and decent drivers accept this. Not sure anyone does it on purpose. Sensible drivers of luxurious automobiles don't take them into the city.

@keydeck - great video!

@Annie

Seems to be pretty comman in Munich that no one gives a shit about other peoples cars. My Car is just over a year old and I have a huge dent in one side ( where someone must have driven into me ) and two little dents on the other side from peoples car doors... No one left a note with there insurance detail. In the end it was one of the reasons that forced me to move and find a place with a garage.

Even if you have a garage, don't hold your breath. I had my little black Z4 parked iin it's parking space in my garage(at my old apartment) for a weekend while we went away. When I got back there was a huge deep scratch across the back of it. Looks like a key or maybe the end of a handlebar on a kids bike. I was so pissed. No note, nothing.
I cannot wait to get rid of that car!

@ Potbelly

You really moved somewhere else because of your car? Doesn't mean your car is save in your garage. Some cars got damaged in my garage last year. Somebody left the door to the garage open over night. Well done, really. Next day cars were still there, but some of them had flat tyres
And yes, it was reported to the police, but in the end they didn't find the people, who were responsible for all this.

Hope it was worth moving. Good luck.

@ Potbelly

OK, just read it... Your post said it was one of the reasons for moving somewhere else. Not read your thread properly, I guess. Sorry .

According to law, leaving a note is not excepted, if you do that without having the police come around first, then the insurance will not cover the damages at all...