Car keyed - is there anything I can do?

Pablo_Flox

Yesterday evening I parked in a supermarket and reversed into a space that was beside a badly parked car that was way over the line. The way I parked left them tight for space to get into their car, but it was because of their bad park; I was between the lines of my space. When I arrived back to my car their car was gone, and my car had been keyed across the door and back panel.

By chance I had taken a picture of their car on my way into the supermarket, I have a habit of taking a quick snap on my phone when I park beside someone that is parked badly in case they were to accidentally scratch the car on the way out (let’s be honest if you can’t park in a space you are probably not the best driver). In the picture you can very clearly make out their reg and the bad parking.

Is there anything I can do? I spoke with the manager of the supermarket and unfortunately there are no cameras.

Vicxas

Your word against theirs, unless you have video proof of them doing it i think you're out of luck.

Which is awful as keying someones car should be a whippable offence.

Benny Biscotti

You cant tell who was driving the car or if another car had parked in the spot and left quickly.

Maybe put up a notice at the supermarket if anyone has witnessed or has dash cam footage that might have picked it up. Some camera work while parked. Long shot I know but you might be lucky.

Hoboo

Pablo_Flox wrote: »

I have a habit of taking a quick snap on my phone when I park beside someone that is parked badly in case they were to accidentally scratch the car on the way out (let’s be honest if you can’t park in a space you are probably not the best driver).

Parking elsewhere might be a better choice.

Pissartist

You did block them in, just park in a different spot

Theboinkmaster

Hoboo wrote: »

Parking elsewhere might be a better choice.

Lesson learned - don't park anywhere near someone who leaves their car like this.

mickdw

I would be pretty happy to assume they did it. Do you live in a location that you are likely to come across them again?

KevRossi

Check the car park again for cameras. If you find one pointing in the direction of the car then go to Gardai as the manager is more likely to give them the footage.

Report it to the Gardai anyway. The person who did it might have previous.

Anteayer

Report it to the Gardai and start trying to locate CCTV.
That's pretty much all you can do.

Stephenc66

Is there a chance it was someones zip or buckle if you were parked very close to them. Maybe careless as opposed to malicious especially given how they parked some people just don't care,

tcawley29

You could approach the driver if you see them around again and just say that they were seen and photographed.
May get you somewhere if they panic.
Chances aren't great but it's better than nothing.

SteM

tcawley29 wrote: »

You could approach the driver if you see them around again and just say that they were seen and photographed.
May get you somewhere if they panic.
Chances aren't great but it's better than nothing.

The other driver might have left 2 minutes later and had nothing to do with it. Accuse the wrong person and you could get a smack for yourself.

rustynutz

Forget about the gardai helping, we had a similar situation, car was keyed right under a camera covering an atm. Reported it to guards, told them about cctv, said they'd check. We went and found out the Cctv provider to help the investigation, got contact details, provider told us footage was available but had to be requested by guards. Long story short guards didn't get the footage before it was overwritten 4 weeks later, despite numerous Phone calls and visits from us.

Hard as it is to swallow just bite the bullet and move on

Pablo_Flox

Thanks for all the replies. Point taken that it would have been better to not park there, but its still inexcusable to destroy someones car.

I didn't go out of my way to make it hard for them to get into their car either as someone was suggesting.

Stephenc66 wrote:

Is there a chance it was someones zip or buckle if you were parked very close to them. Maybe careless as opposed to malicious especially given how they parked some people just don't care

There no chance it was a accident, it is a wave pattern going the length of the car.

tcawley29 wrote:

You could approach the driver if you see them around again...

I dont live where it happened unfortunately. I was just on a day trip for the bank holiday.


I will go to the Guards and report it. But Im not expecting much.

wildwillow

They may have parked badly because the car which vacated your spot was badly parked.

I hate it when I have parked as far away from everyone as I can and someone parks right up beside me, making it difficult to get into my car. I would never damage a car but my language isn't pretty.

You didn't deserve to have it keyed but, in future, choose the space more carefully.

Pablo_Flox

wildwillow wrote: »

They may have parked badly because the car which vacated your spot was badly parked.

I hate it when I have parked as far away from everyone as I can and someone parks right up beside me, making it difficult to get into my car. I would never damage a car but my language isn't pretty.

You didn't deserve to have it keyed but, in future, choose the space more carefully.

The space had nothing to the other side of it, there was about 2 meters on the other side and then a trolley bay for shopping trolleys, so they cant blame their parking on someone else before them.

Henry Ford III

Best place to park is as far away from other cars as is possible (and practical).

Motorists in car parks are like turkeys in a big shed with the lights off. They try to park almost on top of each other.

V8 Interceptor

Pissartist wrote: »

You did block them in, just park in a different spot

Its possible that was the only spot left.

If some moron can't park properly and someone else parks beside them they've no right to mark their car even if its tight.

Just park between the lines. Its not that hard.

_Brian

V8 Interceptor wrote: »

Its possible that was the only spot left.

If some moron can't park properly and someone else parks beside them they've no right to mark their car even if its tight.

Just park between the lines. Its not that hard.

It may have been but I still wouldn’t use it for same reason as has happened to OP. When you see someone so badly parked it’s very likely the wlsame carelessness will result in damage to your car, it’s inevitable.

kona

Pissartist wrote: »

You did block them in, just park in a different spot

I suspect he was trying to show them a lesson.

Pissartist

kona wrote: »

I suspect he was trying to show them a lesson.

I 100% agree by the tone of this thread, there is bad parkers out there for a number of different reasons,
The last thing you do is park beside one trying to prove a point.

Pablo_Flox

kona wrote: »

I suspect he was trying to show them a lesson.

Absolutely not. There was enough space for me to get out and walk to though the gap to get to my boot and get my shopping bags out. If I was trying to teach them a lesson I could have gone a lot closer and properly blocked them in, but I dont see any point in that.

rabbitinlights

Knowingly parking your car blocking a door is always a bad move.

Have you thought it may have been a mother/father with a baby seat? It could have scratched the car trying to get it in the tight space?

tbh, it's probably payback from a prick but you've no way to know without clear video evidence.

Grab All Association

rustynutz wrote: »

Forget about the gardai helping, we had a similar situation, car was keyed right under a camera covering an atm. Reported it to guards, told them about cctv, said they'd check. We went and found out the Cctv provider to help the investigation, got contact details, provider told us footage was available but had to be requested by guards. Long story short guards didn't get the footage before it was overwritten 4 weeks later, despite numerous Phone calls and visits from us.

Hard as it is to swallow just bite the bullet and move on

I’d chance a DOJ, local TD, minister of justice etc complaint here.

Mrcaramelchoc

From a repair point of view what can you do when some one keys your car?is a repair possible?

babi-hrse

When you see their car again key it back with the words learn to park you f**kin idiot. They will have to prove it just as much as you do.

Fann Linn

The OP took a photo of 'the badly parked car' after getting out of his own 'in case his own car got accidentally scratched'.

Would it not be better for the OP to park in better places rather than filling up his phone with photos of badly parked cars.

Pablo_Flox

Some people seem to be on a mission to blame me!

tcawley29

Pablo_Flox wrote: »

Some people seem to be on a mission to blame me!

Unfortunately thats just what some dicks on this site do.

I fully agree you were right and nobody has even thought of the fact that the space you may have been in was the only available space.

Although when I had my work van I used to love blocking the drivers doors of people who couldn't park properly and watch them struggle to get in :pac:

rustynutz

Grab All Association wrote: »

I’d chance a DOJ, local TD, minister of justice etc complaint here.

I considered it, but I had a feeling there would be repercussions, and that is hassle we can just do without. I completely lost what little respect I had for the guards though, this was a slam dunk for them and they couldn't be bothered to lift the phone and review 45 mins of footage.

Del2005

Mrcaramelchoc wrote: »

From a repair point of view what can you do when some one keys your car?is a repair possible?

A repair is always possible, sometimes though the cost to repair can be more than the cost to replace.

You would be looking at about €300 per panel to fix the damage.

V8 Interceptor

_Brian wrote: »

It may have been but I still wouldn’t use it for same reason as has happened to OP. When you see someone so badly parked it’s very likely the wlsame carelessness will result in damage to your car, it’s inevitable.

Fair point.

lbc2019

Passive aggressive parking!

JJJJNR

Fann Linn wrote: »

The OP took a photo of 'the badly parked car' after getting out of his own 'in case his own car got accidentally scratched'.

Would it not be better for the OP to park in better places rather than filling up his phone with photos of badly parked cars.

You know this is the motors forum and we have a whole thread dedicated to the art of parking.

OP can you stick up the badly parked car with the number plate out. Grabs popcorn.