Hi, I live directly opposite an Hotel, and park my car (legitimately) in a Disabled Bay immediately adjacent to a drop-kerb drive entrance.

The Hotel is very badly managed, and customers vehicles and Taxis use the roadway in front of the drop-kerb to pick-up/drop-off customers.

The rear of my Octavia is frequently damaged (ranging from scuffing to serious denting) with repair work currently running at around £3,500 over a three year period.

Hotel Management, Taxi Operators, and local Council, are totally unhelpful, so I'm looking at some form of rear end protection. (I thought of fitting huge spikes to the side, but !!!!)

Can anyone suggest a remedy, or know of anywhere I might purchase products such as shown in these images please?

Thank you.

 

Ian

Those are not protecting anything are they on the corners if anyone hits them, just sacrificial and likely the bumper still gets pushed in.

Is the front position where you normally get damage when something hits you?

 

For directly to the rear get the most sticky tow ball you can. 

A tow-bar is not an option for, as you will see from the image, it is the outer edge that takes the pain.

 

No -- the front of the vehicle is normally unaffected.

 

I was hoping the "bar" protector (which I assume is anchored to a strong part of the chassis/body) would act as a deflector -- as the offending vehicles are usually turning out of the "drop-kerb zone", with their offside front wing contacting my nearside rear.

 

I would sooner sacrifice an easily replaceable item than have to have panel-beating/respray work done.

2 hours ago, Inverkip-Ian said:

I might purchase products such as shown in these images please?

I think you'd find that those "dive planes" are no stronger than the plastic bumper moulding.

I agree, as too the "stick-on rubber strips" sold in Halford's.

I did wonder though, if someone could make a similar product, but with some kind of "anchoring bar" to hold them in place - possibly secured through the panel and onto a stronger chassis/body location.

 

I used to fit the Rubber stick on protectors just because i did have loved ones and not as loved ones that did not reverse that well.

 

Fitted now because it is me that is prone to getting near strainer posts reversing. 

 

Edited 19 May, 20233 yr by toot

Oh that it were so simple.

The speed/force with which some of the vehicles come out of the bit where they shouldn't be in the first place (don't obstruct dropped kerb openings) is such that a strip might save the paint, but would not prevent panel damage.

The last repair cost just short of £1,000 - much worse than the image I just posted.

I do have CCTV capturing events but, being disabled, the loss of several days to have damage fixed is the worst part.

 

Surely some entrepreneurial "Genius" can solve this problem??

Maybe some of those bumper pads and a half decent dash cam that records parked events.  A word with the taxi firm or persons insurance co armed with the video evidence should soon sort any repeat offenders.

 

Sounds like a particularly bad spot to park and also that we don't have to suggest looking for an alternative.

 

My only other thought at this time is to have a cone sit on the corner of the bay right next to your car to make it clear that people need to go round it rather than through your car.

@Inverkip-IanThey did go towards solving it with the Citroen Cactus and then there are other vehicles with not painted bumpers and even ones that deform and go back into shape.

Looks like even a shorted vehicle will not help with the idiots that hit your car.

 

 

 

Edited 19 May, 20233 yr by toot

As I said previously, I have full CCTV that captures most offenders --- that is not the issue. It is the time I have to be without a vehicle whilst repairs are carried out.

The Taxi firm has been spoken to on numerous occasions, Councillors (useless) have been involved, MP & MSP's (even more useless) have stuck their noses in, Hotel Management have given written assurances of remedial action - none of which have ever been actioned - and so on.

The spot to park is perfect, from my personal point of view - being adjacent to my home and clearly marked "Disabled". It is selfish, lazy, careless, and inconsiderate drivers that are the problem.

(a) Placing a cone on the highway, without written permission from Council or Police, is illegal, (b) drivers already ignore the "Keep Entrance Clear" signs, so a moveable cone is an unlikely deterrent, and (c) moving a cone whilst using crutches is quite difficult.

 

So the answer is not really a little protector stuck on. 

 

A Red & White cone sitting next to the corner of the car is hardy an offence sitting within the bay.

As happens at many a pothole or wall / fence. 

 

But it will likely get pinched. 

 

 

Edited 19 May, 20233 yr by toot

Nope --- A huge sheet of extremely abrasive metal (similar to a Surform blade) might, once word got around, act as a deterrent long-term, but would probably create a lot of aggravation too.

Sorry if I touched a nerve. You are obviously quite frustrated with the situation. 

Is there any sense in "saving up" the damage and getting it done at a later date rather than each time something happens? Should at least bring the costs down. 

 

Can you tell us what remedial action has been agreed with the hotel or others?

Maybe taking the video footage to your own insurance company and getting them to chase the offender's will make the taxi firms etc pay attention?

 

Just trying to come up with constructive solutions.

The Bull Bar as fitted to that Pathfinder would not fit your vehicle as it has stays that come up from the chassis longerons, probably the towbar fixings, its also not wide enough to protect the outside corner which seems to get sideswiped.

 

Behind the bumper is a rigid crashbar, easilt removable to fabricate mounting plates to sit flush with the inner face of the plastic bumper for something worthy of its name to be added to the outside, I assume you are old enough to remember when bumpers did what was written on the tin!

 

What I am thinking of is the rear "step" type bumpers added to the rear of transit vans etc, one of those of the correct length would protect your vehicle and above all leave its mark on the incompetent sideswipers, they are not lazy, ignorant or selfish but simply incompetent, the same sort that have me standing on the brakes like only 10 minutes ago when I approach a stop junction and they are turning left onto my road (I'm in France) and cutting the corner massively.

 

If you cant find a suitable width extended van rear step bumper then bolt on a length of Armco!

 

As it is on the back and not on the front you are less likely to run into trouble with it causing injury if a pedestrian stepped out in front of you.

I was crossing from the pavement to the other side and get in  my Jimny parked at the other side on a one way road.

I waited or a car to come along and it went and parked in in front of me and the old bint tried to reverse into a space that was not there and right into the drivers side bull bar with the force to push it into the wing.  They are like Chocolate Fireguards,  (Easier to push in than pull back out.)   I was shouting at her to stop as she revved harder in reverse, then she drove off.

(I have a picture of the bumper on my 110 Land Rover.  An idiot pulled out on me at a junction and i locked up the brakes and tore up the tar doing and emergency stop.

wrote off his car and bent the bumper on the Landy.  So i put the Skull & Crossbones sticker there.)

Edited 19 May, 20233 yr by toot

MarkyG82 --- Not sure what you mean by "touched a nerve", but you are right about frustration with the situation.

 

Saving up the damage is not, in my opinion, a worthwhile exercise, for how would it be possible to guess as to when the next "hit" might happen? It could be tomorrow, or three months down the line and then six in a row, besides, if sufficiently serious, most Insurers will require the work done sooner, rather than later. "Saving it up" is NOT a solution, simply a "work around".

 

Offenders have been "chased & charged" (fail to stop) by the Police, and entries made on social media -- without visible signs of reduction (but how does one measure a reduction of an irregular event?) It is not only Taxi's that offend.

 

The Hotelier promised monitoring of traffic (failed) discussion with Taxi firms (failed) persuading others to use their car-park - total failure.

 

J.R. --- I realise the Bar fitted to the Pathfinder is unsuited to my Skoda - I was simply using it as a "possible template".

 

Yes, I do remember when a bumper was suited to sky-scraper demolition work as opposed to the "Pretty but Useless" type fitted today.

I must disagree with your rejection of my driver descriptions for they are lazy, otherwise they would take time to seek out a more sensible and legal place to pull in, they are ignorant by ignoring the "Keep Entrance Clear" signs, and selfish as they care nought for other people's property. But yes -- they are incompetent too - otherwise they would not hit other vehicles on the road.

 

I'd sooner go for something proprietary, or have something bespoke, but based on a proven style.

I like others are here trying to help you not to get into an argument.

 

I have suggested something based on a proven style which come in various widths so might not even be bespoke other than the mountings.

 

I very much doubt that anybody will have designed and marketed a bespoke rear Bull Bar for your Octavia, its more the domain of show off 4x4's.

Toot --- I doubt any of the "offenders" would notice a Skull & Crossbones - even if it covered the entire rear of the vehicle.

 

There is a young(ish) driver who (legitimately) uses the driveway I'm on about, despite my car being to his right, invariably another to his left, (i.e. blind-view) and remembering it is a very narrow (two-way) road - he frequently emerges at great speed, causing others to perform emergency stops.

J.R. -- I fail to see how you interpret my reply as entering into an argument.

I have no experience of Pathfinder vehicles, nor am I privy to the variations available in their Bull Bar range - so I simply stated the obvious about sizing.

I politely disagreed with your rejection of driver descriptions, and provided reasonable explanations for doing so.

I agreed with your comment regarding bumpers "then" and "now", and voicing my memories accordingly.

I made mention of bespoke simply to illustrate my willingness to purchase a "special product", and preferably based on a tried and tested design - one which could easily end up using the Pathfinder design as a template.

 

However, in order to avoid any future upset, it is perhaps best you don't respond further on this topic.

Thanks for your contribution to date.

 

@Inverkip-Ian The sticker was just to remind me of the death of the Mazda,

 

I was a car sprayer and pretty much cared about my keepers & as i can use disabled bays can try to keep them away from those that could not care.

I got a black 11 year old Volvo S60 that had months of birds poo on it and dings and had it immaculate in a few days and the first time i parked at Tesco someone ran a trolley into it and along the side.  When i asked what they were going to do about paying they said it was just an old car. Ye right.  

 

I have pretty well given up on cherishing vehicles these days. 

Edited 19 May, 20233 yr by toot

toot -- My car is my only means of "freedom", so attach importance to both it's appearance and road-worthiness. I get very annoyed when others inflict their "carelessness" on it, so can imagine how you felt about the "Tesco-Trolley" incident. What a lovely car was/is the S-60.

A slate came off the next door neighbour's roof a couple of months ago, and caused a dent in the bonnet of my Skoda. When I told the neighbour, he suggested I just got one of those "spot-pens" to touch it up.

The bill worked out at just under £385.00 as the slate had dented the metal right across a contour crease in the body-work which, as a car-sprayer, I'm sure you will appreciate, is not the easiest place to repair.

 

My comment re. you touching a nerve and also @J.R.'s reaction kind of suggests it's not us. I re-read my replies before sending to reign them in and keep them as polite as possible. I'll not bother in the future.

MarkyG82 -- Well, as you say, perhaps not bother in the future.

 

Trop Bon - Trop Con.