Park Smarts

In my October column I discouraged people from parking in the nether reaches of parking lots (even during the day) because of conversations with police officers who said such areas are Petri dishes of do-it-and-run damage. This prompted an avalanche of comments from readers. It turns out that the numbers and kinds of such episodes are much greater than I’d imagined. And, coincidentally, in November I received a release about the Hankook Tire Gauge Index, a quarterly survey of 1,008 drivers in the U.S. It found that 86 percent of drivers surveyed have had their car damaged by others when parked, and the perpetrator did not stick around or leave a note. Naturally, we don’t know the percentage of those drivers’ cars that were parked in the far reaches, but the fact is, if this survey is accurate, there’s lots of non-moving damage being done to lots of vehicles. I’m sharing some of the details readers sent in hopes of broadening everyone’s awareness of what kinds of things are going on out there. More security patrols in parking lots and more cameras might be things consumers must demand. One man wrote about a pal who “wanted to keep the car in pristine shape so he parked away from everyone in any parking lot, as far as he could to be away from other cars. One day at Woodbridge Mall, someone had keyed his car with the inscription: Your Wagon Is Not So Nice Now. This family member stopped parking so far away and decided parking lot dings and dents are better than having to get a car repainted.” Another: “As a mall employee, we were required to park far from the mall entrances. In the two years I had that job, my car got most of a bumper torn off (looked like someone backing out of the space next to mine angled too close and hooked onto my bumper); was written on in lipstick (looked like the handiwork of teenagers); and spray-painted with a smiley face (again, teen work, I think).” And another: “People sat and laid on my hood, leaving dents and many scratches. Those are the only activities that would have left it looking like it did, police said.” Unacceptable. But worth being aware of for sure. What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email Sharon@ctwfeatures.com.