Who was in the wrong here?

Question

Today at the mall parking lot, an elderly man (about 65 yrs old) was getting into his car, and in doing so, he flung his door open soooo wide, that he nicked the paint off the side of my vehicle. It left a white mark.

I gave him a dirty look, and he said "Can't you see my handicapped parking permit?"

He was not even parked in a handicapped spot.

I replied with "That doesn't give you the right to damage my car!"

He said "Well, sorry," in a very sarcastic tone, and drove away.

I'm still pretty angry about it his disregard for other people's property. Am I right for being mad? Or should I let it go?

Answer 1

he was deff in the wrong, he started the fuss,  

Answer 2

Of course you are right, and of course you should let it go.

From experience I can tell you that he was embarrassed and flustered, and is covering it up by being defensive and sarcastic.

He feels worse about himself than you do.  However he probably wont remember it long.

Sorry about the ding, it may just be paint transfer and buff off,

Answer 3

He's definitely the one who was being rude.  I don't think that age matters in these kinds of situations.

I'm sure that he's just a sour old man.

Answer 4

He was wrong, wrong, wrong!!!

Handicapped people do not have to fling the door so wide that they hit the next car.  Usually, they keep the door close so they can use it as a prop to leverage themselves into the seat.  So, being handicapped is NO excuse.

You should have taken his license plate number and asked him his name.  If the damage is enough that it can cause the door to rust, you will need to have the door repainted -- this is expensive.

I would also report it to the police as a hit and run, and to your insurance company  If you need to have the door repainted, you will have to pay the deductible out of your own pocket and that is not fair.

If the nick is small, go to the dealership that sells your car and ask for a touch-up paint stick to match your color.  Then use it to cover up this white spot (and other nicks that rude people put on your car).  The stick may cost you $20 or $25, but it is worth it to protect your finish and keep the car looking good for when you decide to sell it or trade it in on another car.

I live in Florida and can say I've never seen such discourteous, dangerous, drivers.  Both old and young run red lights continuously and give you the finger if you start out on your green or blow your horn.  We have daily wrecks caused by drivers running the red lights.

Nobody observes the speed limits and I have seen physically incapacitated people who could barely walk get out of cars that have been speeding through the supermarket parking lot.  They should never have been behind the wheel at all.

There was a newspaper article here recently about a 92 year old man who renewed his drivers license by mail for another 5 years.  Boy, does this shake me up.

Answer 5

You should have gotten his insurance info and filed for damages.  Even if he was in a handicapped spot, that still wouldn't excuse him from having to pay for damages.  A handicapped permit is NOT a free pass to do whatever you want.  I hope it doesn't cost too much to fix your car!

Answer 6

some of those old b******s are mean, he should have taken care of that. hope you got a license plate !!!

Answer 7

What a grumpy old bugger !  You should have taken his plate number and reported to the police.  It is nothing but vandalism.  Being handicapped does not give him rights to damage property

Answer 8

You are right for being mad. The man could have acted in a more appropriate manner.

Answer 9

He was in the wrong for sure. He should have offered to pay for the damages. Next time someone damages your vehicle you'll have to decide if the damage warrants further action.  

Answer 10

You have every right to be mad. It's seldom fun to encounter someone who is rude and nasty.  Unfortunately, rudeness seems to be the default setting for many people these days.  

Take a deep breath and let it go.  There is nothing you could have done to change the fact that he is a crass jerk with terrible manners.  People with no respect for themselves cannot be made to have respect for others.  He's a lost cause.  Resolve never to be like him :-)

Answer 11

you have to let it go, and consider the source and disregard..

However you are right and he is wrong.  You'd think an older person would be more respectful.  He must have really been treated poorly by the person who he encountered before you to give you such little respect.

There is never an excuse to damage others' property.  He un-necessarily ding'd your car and he should have apologized.

Just remember you were the better person for not punching the senior citizen (you didn't I presume?) for harming your car, or getting his tag number and contacting the police to file a report.

I'm sorry that this guy was so rude to you, but it is possible that you don't know the whole picture, so it would be better to just take the high road and go on with your life.

Answer 12

wrong is wrong old or young no matter the race,,,its your property clasic junk or 09,,,had U did that to him???AARP would be garnishing your S.S. check and you' have to do community service at a bingo hall opening doors and dabbing saliva off wrinkled chins,,,LOL