Well for starters... 1/4" plate steel with spikes is overkill.;)

so yeah, besides- the cost involved in doing something like that would probably pay for a lot of dent removal.

Chances are i wont do anything except be more mindful of where i park - but sometimes you dont have a lot of choice - and other times you can't predict whether or not someone will park next to you while you are away.

i just think it is ridiculous how some folks out there have no respect for the property of others.

Yeah...tell my wife.....:doh:

I figured as much. After all, one does not become a pilot or a flight instructor without a basic understanding of the concept of liability statutes.

However, I also understand the need for people to vent from time to time about disrespect of their property, amongst other things. I simply do not understand how people can be so self-absorbed as to damage another's property and then just walk away, especially in the presence of liability insurance. Call such actions what you will, or blame it upon what you will, but I find that simply anticipating such behaviour solves a lot of problems, even if I don't really understand it.

People never park in the back of the parking lot unless they are mindful of dents to their vehicle, in which case they are unlikely to dent yours. Should it transpire that they are forced to park in the back, it might behoove one to shop on different days or times, or convince one's significant other to do so. The benefits are significant. In addition to avoiding vehicular damage from inconsiderate people or shopping carts, one can also avoid long lines. I prefer to do my shopping at 0400 or so, when the lot is empty and all the goods at my local 24-hr Wal-Mart have just been restocked.

As do I, hence the tips.

Not everyone has the forward-thinking and considerate mentality that you do, GR. They don't think like you do. They're just working stiffs, often with children they must be responsible for, who have their minds on other matters that they deem more important than consideration of your property. I'd hardly be surprised if they considered the presence of your vehicle as an annoyance due to its width or parking position rather than blame themselves for being blind idiots. That's just how many people are. They didn't become genitors of the most successful and advanced species on the planet by being considerate. Consideration as we understand it is largely a product of society, and when the luxuries afforded by society fall short, they naturally revert to a selfish mentality, a natural product of sexual selection. Better to anticipate their actions then react to them in a forum where you can't really change anything other than the minds of a scant few who visit this particular forum.

That shouldn't be difficult. Assuming that your wife is female, she is likely governed by typically female behaviours as defined by human sexual selection pressure, which is to say that she seeks a dominant position over other females.

Given that, you simply need to change her mentality to accept the obvious rationality of parking her car far from the entrance. Just rationalize it by gently suggesting that she is embodying physical fitness by walking so far and that doing so makes her better than other females. Employ such a concept with a modicum of emotional sensitivity and she'll dance like a puppet. All you really have to do is make her think that she's demonstrating better behaviour than other females, and evolutionary biology does the rest. Very simple. Very straightforward.

I did not have to do any of that. I simply advised her if she did not want her $41,000.00 Mercury Mountaineer destroyed it is best to park between a Mercedes and Porche. If she can not locate that right spot she is to move further out. Sometimes she asks me if I want to park my KIA next to were I plan on pulling in!!! She has the idea. She looks now for that pile of crap car and parks on the otherside of the lot from it. She likes her vehicle and wishes to keep it as clean and dent free as possible :03:

I am slightly paranoid about door dings. I found the best protection was to park in protected spots or away from other cars.

I work in an office building with 5 floors of parking, but only use the same 5-6 spots, all protected on both sides by pillars and away from heavy foot traffic.

When I have to park elsewhere, I try to park where there are fewer/no cars and away from heavy pedestrian traffic.

It of course means I have to walk more (not a bad thing :yep:) and it drives my wife nuts (she likes to park IN FRONT OF THE MAIN ENTRANCE!!! :o), but my now 4 year old car has NO dings..:up:

Put a 12" lift kit under your truck and rise above the reach of others doors. :D

I can see it now John. You'll find some nice body side molding that compliments your truck.

And some ditwad will come along and t-bone you. :-?

And I'll bet her Mountaineer looks damn good next to those POS cars. Different approach, same general concept.... more or less. However one goes about it, it is a recipe for success. Nicely done, AVG.:salute:

As I said, its simply a matter of imparting the proper perception upon your significant other.

That would be about right.

I saw a truck similar to mine at wal mart the other day. Had a six inch lift kit on it, a snorkel apparatus, roof rack... and the bottom 1/3 of the vehicle was rhino lined all around.

probably not a bad idea