Using your bumper to park...

[anonymous-user]

MarshPhantom said:

chrisb92 said:

yonex said:

The preserve of morons tbh and why I always leave the tow bar on. Tends to leave a really nice dent/hole, should they wish to play bumper cars. Better still most sensors won't pick it up.

Leaving a tow bar on so that people's sensors wont pick it up whilst parking so that you can dent there car makes you a bit of a tt.

Agreed. We can only assume Yonex has never damaged anyone else's car with his big old tow bar.

How would I be responsible for the damage caused by a third party (tt) driving into my lovely tow bar? I would rather that, then the paintwork, wouldn't you?

As has been stated, parking with such a blatant disregard for others property, be it a supercar or a shed shows a monumental lack of respect. Not to mention wouldn't meet the very basic levels required for a licence.

[surveyor]

chrisb92 said:

jamieduff1981 said:

I'd suggest not closing up so much with your parking sensors that they sound continuously. The owner of the other car might need to get in to their boot, which will be hard if you've left 3 inches from their back bumper.

Ever parallel parked before? Never have to drive closely to the cars in front or behind in order to park? BEFORE straightening up and parking in between the two leaving ample space for boot opening. Don't try and school me on how to park, you've tried patronising me before due to my age, and here we go again.

Never said anything about tow bars that are non removable OR people having tow bars. What I said was if you leave a tow bar on with the intention of catching people out who may have missed it when parking, then you're a bit of a tt. I stand by that.

Agreed. In some areas inches count. Sticking random objects out of cars is out of order. A towbar is a bit different as it's in a normal place and easy to spot. I also wonder about pedestrian safety. I would not want to be hit by a car with one of those sticking out of the front bumper.

Mind you these things are removable. Some people might really take exception and choose to remove them to place elsewhere....

[anonymous-user]

chrisb92 said:

What's your issue with relying on sensors? When parking in a tight space it's very helpful and you can get closer to the cars without hitting them. I would never hit someone else's car whilst parking and I rely on my sensors to tell me when I'm close. If you leave a solid metal tow bar protruding 10cm out the back I could easily hit that. Will be more observant when parking from now on to check for tts trying this trick. Not cool.

You do realise the safety margins for sensors, at the second level of annoying mine will be at least 10cm away from an obstacle, I wouldn't even leave my car that close tbh. It's quite worrying that so many people can't seem to park a car without sensors these days, however did we manage?

[_Neal_]

surveyor said:

Depends on the car. Some models will leave you with a foot when sounding continuously. Useless.

Useless unless you know the continuous beep means you're a foot away!

[surveyor]

_Neal_ said:

surveyor said:

Depends on the car. Some models will leave you with a foot when sounding continuously. Useless.

Useless unless you know the continuous beep means you're a foot away!

[untakenname]

chrisb92 said:

untakenname said:

You shouldn't have to rely on parking sensors not to damage someone else's vehicle, most tow hooks only protude 10cm if that proud from the body so it shouldn't impact on a competent driver.

I've just bought an OEM looking extended length tow-eye, should protect my rear bumper pretty well now.

What's your issue with relying on sensors? When parking in a tight space it's very helpful and you can get closer to the cars without hitting them. I would never hit someone else's car whilst parking and I rely on my sensors to tell me when I'm close. If you leave a solid metal tow bar protruding 10cm out the back I could easily hit that. Will be more observant when parking from now on to check for tts trying this trick. Not cool.

My issue is having a grands worth of exhaust damaged less than a month after fitting by another persons inept parking (only noticed after driving for a while and stopping at the lights then smelling the burning of plastic bumper against the exhaust tips).

I now have a car that has an exhaust without any flex pipe and so knocking into the back could potentially write off my engine so I shall do all I can to protect it from people who can't park correctly and have no respect for other peoples possessions.

I have a tow sticker on my bumper (for the track) that's pointing at the towing eye so if people can't notice that then it's on them imo if they decide to drive into it.

[chrisb92]

yonex said:

How would I be responsible for the damage caused by a third party (tt) driving into my lovely tow bar? I would rather that, then the paintwork, wouldn't you?

As has been stated, parking with such a blatant disregard for others property, be it a supercar or a shed shows a monumental lack of respect. Not to mention wouldn't meet the very basic levels required for a licence.

They'd have to be a reallllly crap driver to damage your tow bar, THEN your paintwork

You're the one with the blatant disregard for others property as you previously mentioned you sneakily leave your tow bar on in the hope someone trying to execute the perfect parallel park with bump into it.

[chrisb92]

yonex said:

You do realise the safety margins for sensors, at the second level of annoying mine will be at least 10cm away from an obstacle, I wouldn't even leave my car that close tbh. It's quite worrying that so many people can't seem to park a car without sensors these days, however did we manage?

Well, some of us know there's scope so continue to reverse ever so slightly when the continuous noise sounds and will reverse to within 10cm away to fit into a space. It's called managing to park whilst using parking sensors, combined with the awareness of the size of your vehicle.

[brrapp]

jamieduff1981 said:

MarshPhantom said:

chrisb92 said:

yonex said:

The preserve of morons tbh and why I always leave the tow bar on. Tends to leave a really nice dent/hole, should they wish to play bumper cars. Better still most sensors won't pick it up.

Leaving a tow bar on so that people's sensors wont pick it up whilst parking so that you can dent there car makes you a bit of a tt.

Agreed. We can only assume Yonex has never damaged anyone else's car with his big old tow bar.

Rather them than me. The tow bar on my pickup is non-removable and itself bolted to a big steel square hollow section supported by two big steel plates bolted to the chassis. All OEM.

If you don't want your bumper damaged by someone's tow bar, don't crash in to the tow bar. Anyone selecting a space to park in should already have looked in it for hazards. A car having a tow bar attached needs to be taken in to account by the person parking, who should keep that in mind listening to parking sensors. It's no different to people crashing in to the steel footstep sometimes found under the rear doors of old Ford Transit minibuses.

Parking sensors don't always pick up bollards either. Damaging your bumper crashing in to a bollard your parking sensors didn't pick up doesn't make the council tts for putting it there.

If Yonex put some magic invisible tow bar there for people to hit you might have a point, but it's clearly visible. If someone hits it, they're the tt.

I agree, 100% ... and I don't really mean the swear words that slip out when I walk between two parked cars and crack my shins on the towbar.

[xjay1337]

Regarding parking sensor I can actually see (thanks to a clever little add on box I have on my car) the actual distance.
Mine go full retard at 20 centimers left.

I often go back just a tad after full beep, there's enough room to walk around the car.

[brrapp]

I'm a bit surprised no one's mentioned doing it this way instead. It looks quite difficult to get it right but it's actually surprisingly easy.

https://youtu.be/jDblJxPP_PY

[R8Steve]

brrapp said:

I'm a bit surprised no one's mentioned doing it this way instead. It looks quite difficult to get it right but it's actually surprisingly easy.

https://youtu.be/jDblJxPP_PY

That's not really going to help you get into a parking space in a car park though.

[brrapp]

R8Steve said:

brrapp said:

I'm a bit surprised no one's mentioned doing it this way instead. It looks quite difficult to get it right but it's actually surprisingly easy.

https://youtu.be/jDblJxPP_PY

That's not really going to help you get into a parking space in a car park though.

No, it's an alternative to using your bumpers to parallel park as in the OP. I can absolutely guarantee that if you try this there'll be no damage to anyone's bumpers.

[matpilch]

For this very reason everyone in NY use a Bumper Buddy. No idea why the French or Italians dont use something like that, well, I do know, but lets not look into it any further.

[jamieduff1981]

chrisb92 said:

yonex said:

How would I be responsible for the damage caused by a third party (tt) driving into my lovely tow bar? I would rather that, then the paintwork, wouldn't you?

As has been stated, parking with such a blatant disregard for others property, be it a supercar or a shed shows a monumental lack of respect. Not to mention wouldn't meet the very basic levels required for a licence.

They'd have to be a reallllly crap driver to damage your tow bar, THEN your paintwork

You're the one with the blatant disregard for others property as you previously mentioned you sneakily leave your tow bar on in the hope someone trying to execute the perfect parallel park with bump into it.

It's not sneaky at all. It's there. It might as well be non-removable. A James Bond-esque automatic retractable tow bar that was hidden when you backed your Audi up to it then sneakily extended just in time for you to hit it would be sneaky. Just leaving the damn thing there in plain sight isn't even remotely sneaky. As far as you're concerned the vehicle you're reversing towards is a few inches longer. That's your job to know that.

I'm also pretty confident that yonex isn't leaving it there in the hope that someone damages their bumper on it. I'm 100% certain he'd rather someone didn't bang in to his car at all. If someone's continuing to reverse past their parking sensor beeps then they're parking the old-fashioned way - but that requires you to KNOW what you're reversing in to and where it is. His tow bar protects his paint. If someone wants to reverse to within 3 inches of his bumper there's a good chance of contact. He doesn't want contact against his paint work. It evens the playing field a bit. The reality is that the one who's the victim in these parking bumps is rarely there to see it, and those who are responsible seldom possess the integrity to leave their details. Having a bit of metal sticking out helps deter the one likely to hit and run from hitting at all, and if they still hit, then thankfully they've inflicted damage only to their own car.

I have applied the hand brake, opened the door and got out to physically look how close I am to something before and if uncertain I'd do it again. I'd rather that than crash in to something.

Edited by jamieduff1981 on Friday 9th December 12:38

[mac96]

jamieduff1981 said:

It's not sneaky at all. It's there. .......I'm also pretty confident that yonex isn't leaving it there in the hope that someone damages their bumper on it.car.

I

Edited by jamieduff1981 on Friday 9th December 12:38

Absolutely this. I will soon be taking delivery of the first brand new car I have ever owned, in 40 years of driving. It's something I have wanted for years.

I would be fully entitled to take any reasonable step to ensure that anyone who bumps it whilst parking damages their vehicle, which they do not value, rather than mine. A towing bar is a reasonable step; a Claymore directional mine would not be.(Tempting though!)

[DoubleD]

mac96 said:

Absolutely this. I will soon be taking delivery of the first brand new car I have ever owned, in 40 years of driving. It's something I have wanted for years.

I would be fully entitled to take any reasonable step to ensure that anyone who bumps it whilst parking damages their vehicle, which they do not value, rather than mine. A towing bar is a reasonable step; a Claymore directional mine would not be.(Tempting though!)

Why would you spoil the look of your brand new car with some towbar?

[AW111]

C.A.R. said:

Touch parking is part of the fun of owning a Shed. However, the strict rules are that you can touch park against things like bollards, walls, people in wheelchairs etc. - not other cars. That's just out of order.

My shed has a galvanised iron rear step. And a tow bar. Both bolted to the chassis.
The front bumper is a fraction askew after I used it to write off a hatchback, but not worth replacing.

You are free to touch park against either end of it - unless you are really moving at the moment of impact, I doubt if I would notice. Or care.

[mac96]

DoubleD said:

mac96 said:

Absolutely this. I will soon be taking delivery of the first brand new car I have ever owned, in 40 years of driving. It's something I have wanted for years.

I would be fully entitled to take any reasonable step to ensure that anyone who bumps it whilst parking damages their vehicle, which they do not value, rather than mine. A towing bar is a reasonable step; a Claymore directional mine would not be.(Tempting though!)

Why would you spoil the look of your brand new car with some towbar?

Actually, you are right- I won't. But it would still be reasonable to do so!

[anonymous-user]

chrisb92 said:

They'd have to be a reallllly crap driver to damage your tow bar, THEN your paintwork

You're the one with the blatant disregard for others property as you previously mentioned you sneakily leave your tow bar on in the hope someone trying to execute the perfect parallel park with bump into it.

Yes, it's really sneaky alright, stealthy piece of aluminium with a tennis ball on the top, I mean, you'd never guess what it is? How long have been driving?