# I hate my car



## Fast Bob (Jun 4, 2004)

ChadS said:


> From a while back, but maybe this is an option. :dunno: :rofl: :angel:
> 
> http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/africa/9812/11/flame.thrower.car/
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/232777.stm


NICE product!!! Of course, I would also want the optional PA system that blasts out J. Geils Band`s "Flamethrower" at 120db, just as a slightly twisted psy-ops touch....

Regards,
Bob


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## ObD (Dec 29, 2001)

It's TiAg. No one will ever notice.


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## Ridgeway (Jun 25, 2004)

I feel for ya...most people in this country are just ignorant & don't care about other people's expensive property(or jealous there of).
The very day I bought my Z4(about 6 hours after I'd say), some a-hole keyed it while I left it in a grocery store parking lot for 10 min and I to was parked well away from others...



> Funny thing: about 1 hour after I bought my car, 2 weeks ago now, I went to a shopping center and parked out in the back 40. No cars any where near me at all. I get out, lock it, and walk away looking back (like all of us new owners do). About 15 seconds later, some a$$ parks RIGHT NEXT to me, with literally dozens of other spots all around. I was so POed, I walked back to my car while he was still getting out, cursing him up and down, and moved it. His girl still wasn't out of the car and I was re-parked. Oh, and I continued cursing and swearing, making sure he could hear me calling him an ignorant so-and-so. Even my sweet wife was cursing the chowder head.


I will on occassion make it a point to park next to another clean bmw parked a spot or 2 away from others. As I know that if they are parking away from others and obviously take care of their car they will be considerate and be careful around mine(and I around theirs), in effect blocking the one side so no moron can park there, protecting one side of each car, though your example would also annoy me.


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## operknockity (Apr 19, 2002)

atlau said:


> Wow is all this denting and damaging of cars really a big problem in the US? I always assumed it was probably very safe in the US, that this kind of barbaric caveman attitude towards one another was non existant...


I'm afraid that this caveman attitude is quite prevalent and getting to be more and more the norm.


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## 04CiGuy (Aug 13, 2004)

5 days after i got my new 330, i took my car to work... and to my amazement, i had big scratches and 3 dings right underneath the turn signal on the driver's side. I was so POed. A big piece of crap was parked next to me and obviously was the culprit since that crappy car's paint was on my car. I still have yet to fix the dings because Im sure i will get more.  I usually try to park on the ends, too. When I park by myself, far away from others, there are still those damn fools who drive like maniacs and park right next to me.. it just never fails. I dont get it. My car just seems to attract negative attention!


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## atlau (Jul 1, 2004)

operknockity said:


> I'm afraid that this caveman attitude is quite prevalent and getting to be more and more the norm.


So people just come up to your car and hurt it for no reason??


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## TLudwig (Mar 30, 2004)

Yep, happens all the time, which is why I won't take my car to certain places and I generally try to avoid pissing people off while in my car.


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## guitarman (Mar 29, 2004)

TLudwig said:


> That is absolutely classic. The same exact thing happened to me the other day, but in a parking garage. I made it a point to park on the top level, completely by myself, and some moron takes the spot next to me. I'll admit it was a little nuts of me to drive all the way to the top level to park by myself, but what kind of moron drives all the way to the top level so that he can park next to someone? You just can't escape the ignorance.


I think something like this has happened to most of us. My wife's theory is that parking far away or taking up two spots is just an invitation for an a-hole to park right next to you and slam his 1976 rusted Chevy door against your car, or even worse, key your car.


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## atlau (Jul 1, 2004)

I think one way to help solve the problem, any car over 7 years old becomes VERY expensive to re-register (though still possible) and any car over 10 years old must make a date with the recycling machine. Any 10+ year old car not wishing to visit the dumpster will be subjected to detailed annual inspections by relevant authority, and if unfit for the road, must visit the trash compactor.

Also, leaded fuel should cost 2 or 3 times the cost of normal unleaded.

Get the old rubbish off the road, that way only new cars can stay, and hence will be less inclined to hurt our babies

This works in a number of Asian countries, where space is at a premium.


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## BMWWW (May 18, 2004)

I am quite lucky. I have a 94 325is. ZERO door dings...not 1!!


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## yamato (Feb 11, 2003)

i parked far away from a mall entrance yesterday. But guess what, I don't think you can guess this one... A tour bus dropped off a whole bus of people close to my car. By the time I saw the bus, the bus was already empty!!!


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## freq019 (Dec 4, 2002)

I try to park farther away but not obviously far away and if I see another Bimmer or something else nice like a merc or porsche I'll park next to them to protect their wing. And often times if you visit the same places enough they'll return the favor. I agree taking up two places is asking to be keyed or someone in beater parking so close you have to get in on the passenger side :yikes:


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## brkf (May 26, 2003)

330soon2b said:


> Trying to keep my car pristine is torture. It simply can't be done in Bergen County. I took my car to the store to grab some groceries and get home to find a door ding. I just got it back from the fukin body shop. It was so tiny that I didn't see it at the store. And yes, I parked away from everyone, but you know how it goes. People just want to screw with your stuff. I hate my car because it is impossible to keep it new.
> 
> Repairing the ding seems like a waste of time since I will undoubtly get more of them. People are so rude. They just don't care if they screw with your stuff.


Why are you parking where people can ding your car? If I leave my placard in my other car I park my ZHP in BFE. I will walk 4 blocks before I leave my car in a spot where another door can touch it. In fact parking downtown sunday night I parked a good 5 blocks from where we were going to dinner as I needed a spot that would keep my car away from others.


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## ger3sf (Feb 3, 2004)

I also hate door dings, so I bought one of these...

http://www.autosportcatalog.com/index.cfm?fa=p&pid=2008&cid=19&sc=7417

Now, I worry that someone will steal it... :tsk:


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## brkf (May 26, 2003)

04CiGuy said:


> 5 days after i got my new 330, i took my car to work... and to my amazement, i had big scratches and 3 dings right underneath the turn signal on the driver's side. I was so POed. A big piece of crap was parked next to me and obviously was the culprit since that crappy car's paint was on my car. I still have yet to fix the dings because Im sure i will get more.  I usually try to park on the ends, too. When I park by myself, far away from others, there are still those damn fools who drive like maniacs and park right next to me.. it just never fails. I dont get it. My car just seems to attract negative attention!


Scratches...bah, three days after I got my 330i I was parked all alone with nothing on either side of me (disabled spot). I came back to the car and discovered someone had rearended my car and not left a note.

Gotta love La Jolla.


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## jk330i (Aug 13, 2002)

Lease owners have it worse.  


I usually try to park next to nicer cars, close to other bimmers almost-always guarantees safety.


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## atlau (Jul 1, 2004)

I travel to the US frequently, particularly to the mid-west, (Kansas City in particular), and all I can say is folks there are probably the nicest in the world, guys are as gentlemen as can be, and ladies are as "properly" behaved as ever, so I still can't imagine that the gentleman wearing his suit and hat would walk up to a German limo and key it... nor would the "fine lady" be yelling out the window at others. One thing I note - older gentlemen there still get up when their wives come to the dining table, or leave. It's just so... I dunno... well mannered...


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## RSPDiver (Jul 14, 2004)

atlau said:


> I travel to the US frequently, particularly to the mid-west, (Kansas City in particular), and all I can say is folks there are probably the nicest in the world, guys are as gentlemen as can be, and ladies are as "properly" behaved as ever, so I still can't imagine that the gentleman wearing his suit and hat would walk up to a German limo and key it... nor would the "fine lady" be yelling out the window at others. One thing I note - older gentlemen there still get up when their wives come to the dining table, or leave. It's just so... I dunno... well mannered...


Bravo! You travel in good company in the US, for sure! It has been my experience that situations as you describe are few and far between. There are lots of "player haterz", or people that would rather degrade the fruits of someone else's labor, than to actually get off their own arses and work to get some nice stuff. I don't understand the reasoning behind destroying someone else's "nice". It doesn't make their "not nice" any better. The caveman comment was the most accurate, IMHO. Brutish retaliation for personal lack.


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## atlau (Jul 1, 2004)

RSPDiver said:


> Bravo! You travel in good company in the US, for sure! It has been my experience that situations as you describe are few and far between. There are lots of "player haterz", or people that would rather degrade the fruits of someone else's labor, than to actually get off their own arses and work to get some nice stuff. I don't understand the reasoning behind destroying someone else's "nice". It doesn't make their "not nice" any better. The caveman comment was the most accurate, IMHO. Brutish retaliation for personal lack.


Definately, and I'm having a group of them visit us next week in Sydney!! hope they bring some rain tho!


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## 318-Bmw (Jan 15, 2004)

Thats why I ALWAYS park way far out... away from everything


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## solsurfr (Oct 19, 2003)

Sorry to hear about that. I'm in Philly and it's simply hard to keep any car clean here in the mid-atlantic. The unpredictable weather is defeating, I think. My car pretty much stays shiny only because I wash it and use a spray-on detailer 2 or 3 times a month --but it is tiring. This past weekend, I nic'd (tiny ding) my door when I was unloading my surfboard from the rack. It was frustrating but it happens. It sucks either way you look at it but you just can't keep up with all the dings on cars, I think.


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## yamato (Feb 11, 2003)

ger3sf said:


> I also hate door dings, so I bought one of these...
> 
> http://www.autosportcatalog.com/index.cfm?fa=p&pid=2008&cid=19&sc=7417
> 
> Now, I worry that someone will steal it... :tsk:


I don't think it is a good idea. This makes your car looking so special and potentially causes unnecessary -ve attention.


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## schreck (Jul 29, 2004)

Back to what Atlau said about the midwest. People here are great, I'd have to say. I have never gotten my car door dinged or anything. Also, my parents have had their door dinged one time and the person who did it left a note and personally paid to fix it! That's Iowa for ya, but I don't understand why people are so happy here, I mean, why would you be happy to live in Iowa?! Crazy. 

Alex


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## dev (Dec 23, 2003)

I'll try to park right up front if I am lucky to find a spot instead of parking way back in a lot. Why? Because there are more witnesses near the entrance (up front) meaning people are less likely (in my thinking) to mess with my car. 

For the most part though I just park wherever. Sure i'll be pissed when I get dings/scratches but what can you really do? I already have 2 small dings on the passenger side which I got maybe 2 weeks after getting the car. I also try not to park next to cars with big. long doors. Minivans with sliding doors could be good but usually that means kids are exiting those doors and they aren't so careful about knocking into my car with whatever it is they're holding onto (toys, sporting equipment, etc). Oh well...


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## dorkus (Sep 4, 2003)

LDV330i said:


> You got to be careful how you handle a situation like that... [snip] When I came back I walked around the car to check it out. The a-hole had keyed my car from front to back on the passenger side. :bawling: What a coward, he did not have the balls to confront me. I ended up with an $850 bill to repaint the entire passenger side of the car.


this touches upon another unsavory aspect (IMHO) of owning a BMW: image and perception. i am a modest sort of guy and i absolutely HATE the image baggage attached with owning a BMW. in fact, all my life as long as i can remember i absolutely hated BMWs for their yuppie status association, until i finally test-drove a 323ci senior year of college and fell in love. but it doesn't matter that i got a relative stripper-model 325i and that i bought the car for how it drives, how it feels, or how it protects me - i'm still "that guy in a bimmer."

along with that image comes a lot resentment. hey, when i used to get passed by BMWs on the highway, and it was some young guy (like myself) behind the wheel, you'd hear the words "punk" or "yuppie" come out of my mouth, so i can't really blame other people for calling me the same. every time i pass someone in my new 325i i wonder if the other driver is muttering something under his breath...

i don't think i'm being overly self-conscious about it either. i called a local Allstate agent to get an insurance quote. during the whole phone conversation he kept referring to my car as "your bimmer" (how unprofessional) and he gave me some ridiculous figure like $4k a year. i said that it was rather expensive, to which he replied "well you've got a bimmer, you young guys like to buy these expensive cars, it's gonna cost you." whatever, of all the people in the world i certainly don't need an insurance agent judging me. lame.

*sigh* oh well, what can you do.


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## BlackChrome (Nov 16, 2003)

Wow! I feel exactly the same! People find it hard to belive that I bought the car for the balance of performance and styling. To this date, when strangers/new people ask what kind of car I drive, I still say 'oh, nothing special, just a 95 Honda Accord' (which I still have)... :angel:



dorkus said:


> this touches upon another negative unsavory (IMHO) of owning a BMW: image and perception. i am a modest sort of guy and i absolutely HATE the image baggage attached with owning a BMW. in fact, all my life as long as i can remember i absolutely hated BMWs for their yuppie status association, until i finally test-drove a 323ci senior year of college and fell in love. but it doesn't matter that i got a relative stripper-model 325i and that i bought the car for how it drives, how it feels, or how it protects me - i'm still "that guy in a bimmer."
> 
> along with that image comes a lot resentment. hey, when i used to get passed by BMWs on the highway, and it was some young guy (like myself) behind the wheel, you'd hear the words "punk" or "yuppie" come out of my mouth, so i can't really blame other people for calling me the same. every time i pass someone in my new 325i i wonder if the other driver is muttering something under his breath...
> 
> ...


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## dorkus (Sep 4, 2003)

BlackChrome said:


> Wow! I feel exactly the same! People find it hard to belive that I bought the car for the balance of performance and styling. To this date, when strangers/new people ask what kind of car I drive, I still say 'oh, nothing special, just a 95 Honda Accord' (which I still have)... :angel:


yeah. i get the same crap about my education as well. i went to an oft-stereotyped Ivy League, and being a few years out now i'm really feeling the stigma of the image baggage associated with that as well. (the bimmer on top of that doesn't help as you can imagine.) i try to avoid saying where i went to college, but when i dodge people start pushing my buttons and keep asking. like that stupid time-share salesman who asked, and when i told him he said sarcastically "ooooh i feel all out-educated now." (i didn't buy a thing from him.) or when i was trying to rent a car, and the guy at the counter asked me where i went to school. "oh in new jersey." "oh yeah where?" "oh, central..." "oh which one?" "a private school..." he just wouldn't let it go, and when i finally mumbled it he made all these lame wisecracks the rest of the time until i was finally able to pick up my car and drive away. just leave me alone already.


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## brkf (May 26, 2003)

BlackChrome said:


> Wow! I feel exactly the same! People find it hard to belive that I bought the car for the balance of performance and styling. To this date, when strangers/new people ask what kind of car I drive, I still say 'oh, nothing special, just a 95 Honda Accord' (which I still have)... :angel:


LOL. I've had people (girls) come up to me at parties and say, "I heard you've got a BMW." WTF? I shake my head no and tell them I own a Mazda Protege (which is true too). Many lose interest. One actually said she loves Pros because they handle well. turned out she was asking about the bmw because she had owned one and missed it.


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## dorkus (Sep 4, 2003)

blueguydotcom said:


> LOL. I've had people (girls) come up to me at parties and say, "I heard you've got a BMW." WTF? I shake my head no and tell them I own a Mazda Protege (which is true too). Many lose interest. One actually said she loves Pros because they handle well. turned out she was asking about the bmw because she had owned one and missed it.


so is that scene in Swingers (where john favreau goes up to the two attractive girls at a party and tries to talk to them, and they ask him what kind of car he has) really pretty true?

i am *still* really glad i don't live in california.


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## johnnygraphic (Jun 26, 2004)

Man! I thought I was the only one on this board that was kind of embarrassed about owning a bmw! I searched high & low for a good blend of sport & practicality for YEARS before I bought. My co-worker & I would talk for hours about this car vs that car. I told him that I NEVER want to buy a bmw. I had the same 'look at that idiot in the bmw' comments coming out of my mouth! They are all over in my neck of the woods. Reluctantly I test drove one. I have to say that that is all it took. Everything that makes the ultimate driving machine won me over. I HATE telling people that I have a bmw. It makes me feel so 'look at me-I've got a beemer! Aren't I special? Can I drive in any lane? Other cars don't exist since I now OWN the road. Speed limits don't apply to me. I don't need to be courteous to YOU! Oh-do I have my fog lights on during broad daylight? What?-I didn't use my turn signals? Yes-I CAN keep total control of my car using my limp wrist on top of the steering wheel'...

But, I bought it for how it drives. 

Now, back to the thread-I totally STRESS over parking spaces! I never take up 2 spots as I feel this only invites trouble. I try to park away from other cars. I think most people will respect that. Fortunately in the 3 weeks I've driven my car, no door dings yet...

Johnny


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## dorkus (Sep 4, 2003)

hehe... yeah johnny i think you, me, and blackchrome are all basically in the same boat. i come from an intellectual anti-materialistic household that scorned the yuppie boom of the 80s when BMWs really cemented their status symbol reputation. as a little kid i became a big Honda fan and thought bimmers were for vain people. all it takes is that one test drive... i almost felt guilty when i fell in love with the '00 323Ci, my first bimmer experience. my gf assured me that there are probably plenty of people like me who like it for the same reason (the car, not the image), but it took me a while to come around to the idea. 

i think it helps a little that we live in the two areas of the country (Cali and Northeast) where probably 90% of US bimmers are sold. in my apartment's relatively small parking garage, i counted over 40 assorted 3's, X5's, etc. the other day. a 325i here is like Honda Accord EX in other parts of the country. 

as for parking, if you take up 2 spaces, yeah, you are asking for it. that just reinforces the a$$hole-in-a-bimmer image. it really nauseates me when people do that... as if their car is more important than anything else in the world, including being considerate to your fellow citizens. incredibly stupid and self-centered. 

we should start an "anti-bimmer" bmw enthusaist site... now taking suggestions for catchy URLs.


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## Playaymar (May 6, 2004)

*It Happens*

I would never consider parking in two spaces, it is like posting a sign on the car "KEY ME, Please!" I'll usually look for the corner spot within easy view of the front of where ever I will be. Sometimes I'll use the park next to the nice car strategy too.

My 325i went a good 2 years w/o any damage at all until someone decided to take a nail to the right rear door right next to the trim. . .what can you do? :dunno:

It is just too bad that some many out there feel better destroying what you've earned instead of working for it themselves. :thumbdwn:

I too fell in love with the car after test driving it. IF people are going to judge me by my car, then so be it. If they don' t own one, they will never understand that silly ass grin I always have after getting out of the car..... :thumbup:


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## BlackChrome (Nov 16, 2003)

johnnygraphic said:


> I HATE telling people that I have a bmw.


 :rofl: Same here!

But I know I'd have no problem telling people that 'I have an Audi/Acura/Lexus' if i had a S4/TL/IS300... 

Back to the topic, I don't really care about door dings anymore. No matter how carfully I park, I'd still get it  . I have no dings on the driver's side but 3 or 4 on the passanger's side...I have a feeling that my driver's side will get one sooner or later. :tsk:


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## brkf (May 26, 2003)

dorkus said:


> so is that scene in Swingers (where john favreau goes up to the two attractive girls at a party and tries to talk to them, and they ask him what kind of car he has) really pretty true?
> 
> i am *still* really glad i don't live in california.


I never had anyone ask what kind of car. They seem to know - like they saw you drive up or in my case one of my jerk off friends is obsessed with my car and tells people about it. I caught him showing it to a girl one night. WTF? It's not even his car.

The worst so far would be the night two girls near SDSU started to talking to us over the car. He invites them to get into my car. One is in the driver's seat fiddling with my stickshift (literal one, freaks) and I notice her shirt has the name of a high school on it! I got them the hell out of my car!!!! My friend insisted they were in college. Yeah and I'd be a tough guy in my version of Oz.


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## atlau (Jul 1, 2004)

Chirst?!!!! A NAIL!??!! You mean hammer a HOLE into your baby? Honestly it's almost like driving a dagger through your heart!!!!

Mate - I know you are half a world away from me, but just reading this thread over the last few days have opened my eyes!!! A pity though - I had thought to move to the US to work - (in IT, hence my company wants me to relocate to SOCAL) but I don't think I can if I can't drive a bimmer... and if I do, worry about it 24x7... Too bad, cos I think bimmers are very cheap in the US... oh well... maybe I'll try India...



Playaymar said:


> I would never consider parking in two spaces, it is like posting a sign on the car "KEY ME, Please!" I'll usually look for the corner spot within easy view of the front of where ever I will be. Sometimes I'll use the park next to the nice car strategy too.
> 
> My 325i went a good 2 years w/o any damage at all until someone decided to take a nail to the right rear door right next to the trim. . .what can you do? :dunno:
> 
> ...


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## atlau (Jul 1, 2004)

And just for the record, I work in downtown Sydney, where parking is a premium (the company pays aroun A$1k a month plus other levies to have the spot), and it's as tight as anything. There's probably about 1 feet of space between both sides of me and the next cars. 3 years not a ding... *touch wood*. If I open my door, I would not go near the next car, and same goes for them... 

You guys should all move to Australia... we are a lot kinder here... plus the weather is great


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## 330soon2b (May 30, 2004)

I never really thought I would be a "bmw" owner, but I test drove the ZHP on a Saturday when I was bored. After that ride, I had to have the car.


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## bluewater41 (Jul 1, 2004)

Patrick330i said:


> Bugs, rocks, and even hail don't intentionally **** with your stuff. .


I bet the guy who had the interior of his car **** on by pigeons begs to differ


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## Staszek (Jan 28, 2004)

FalconGuy said:


> Did you mean to post that on E46Fanatics.com?


What the H does that mean? Do you ever go on there? I see just as much Cr*p on here as I do on there, and I also see as many technically competent people on there as on here as well.

You do realize people read and post on more then one site, dont be stupid.

Anyway for the orginal poster, I know what you mean, people in NJ could careless about your car. I basically go once a year to a friend to get the painless dent removal, he cuts me a break to take them all out at the same time, usually 3-4 a year no matter where you park


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## 330soon2b (May 30, 2004)

i had a paintless dent company remove the ding today. the tech., Bruno, did a great job. Door looks like new. I was amazed at how many people were there having dings removed. He did a MB e320 before me and two seconds later it looked new. The MB's ding was much bigger. One guy was from Long Island because he has been coming to the same guy for years. FYI - if you live in Jersey go to Dentwizard in Leonia and ask for Bruno. You will be very happy.


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