I wish they had more respect for cars

mick.fr

I can't stop being very surprised even after all those years spent in Ireland to notice that the majority of Irish people have absolutely no respect for others cars and even their own.

No respect for theirs is fair enough, I don't care, but when it comes to my car I am more than concerned.

A few examples:

- Was in Tesco, left the shop and returned to my car.
On my way back, I saw the guy parked next to me with full of stuffs from the shop.
So he put all his stuff on the top of my car, then opens his car and begins to bring everything from my car's roof to his car.
I could not believe it. I aked him why in the hell he did something like that? He replied to me that in Ireland people are helping each other. I could not believe what he jsut said as an excuse to put his shiit on my car.

- Most of the Irish cars are always so dirty, inside like outside. Cans, food from a couple of weeks, lies down the seats, front or back.
Body very dirty, not been washed for a couple of weeks (Or older...).
Irish roads, even around the city center are very dirty fair enough, but still guys a good wash will not kill your cars' paint :-)

I wash my car body between 2-4 times a month.

- My day to day car has now a lot of scatches from the sides (doors) while it had almost nothing when I bought it last september.
People opens their door like crazy and bang my doors in parkings.
The protections on my doors are heavily damaged now.

When I go to a public parking, I try to parc far from the others, sometimes like 10 free spots from the others. I am not even close to the entrance of the shop's door.
Guess where the next guy is going to park? just next to MY car, with 9 free spots in between me and all the others.

I am so pissed guys, come on make some effort. It is not diffiult to show up a little bit of respect.

I know every Irish drivers are not like this, some would be more like me :-) but the majority is to be blamed.

TheBigLebowski

It's all them bleedin foreigners.

mick.fr

TheBigLebowski wrote: »

It's all them bleedin foreigners.

No I think this is a real Irish issue/way of thinking.
I am sure many Irish will agree with me on this one.

biko

Get a banger. You don't have to worry/wash then.

TestTransmission

What car do u drive?

mick.fr

jackncoke wrote: »

What car do u drive?

This is not the issue, noticed this with other drivers as well, I got x2 BMW 3 series, happend to both.

Dades

Try keeping your car clean on a road where every house has a skip outside. :mad:

I also avoid parking beside certain types of car - kidwagons or any POS.

mick.fr

Dades wrote: »

Try keeping your car clean on a road where every house has a skip outside. :mad:

I also avoid parking beside certain types of car - kidwagons or any POS.

Yeah sure when you live in some areas not really easy. But still city center is full of dirty cars.
I too stay away from kidwagons and other SUV etc.
I actually usually try to park next to other bimmers or merc, hoping the guy will respect my car as he respects his.
Sometime I have no choice though..

alias no.9

mick.fr wrote: »

- Was in Tesco, left the shop and returned to my car.
On my way back, I saw the guy parked next to me with full of stuffs from the shop.
So he put all his stuff on the top of my car, then opens his car and begins to bring everything from my car's roof to his car.
I could not believe it. I aked him why in the hell he did something like that? He replied to me that in Ireland people are helping each other. I could not believe what he jsut said as an excuse to put his shiit on my car.

In that situation, I'd have either hit the panic button for my alarm and scare the bejebus out of him or if I was feeling brave, gone over and thrown the whole lot on the ground.

mick.fr wrote:

- Most of the Irish cars are always so dirty, inside like outside. Cans, food from a couple of weeks, lies down the seats, front or back.
Body very dirty, not been washed for a couple of weeks (Or older...).
Irish roads, even around the city center are very dirty fair enough, but still guys a good wash will not kill your cars' paint :-)

I wash my car body between 2-4 times a month.

It can be very difficult to keep a car clean in Ireland, particularly in winter. As far as the inside goes, I'd much rather people had cars full of rubbish than they threw the rubbish out the window.

mick.fr wrote:

- My day to day car has now a lot of scatches from the sides (doors) while it had almost nothing when I bought it last september.
People opens their door like crazy and bang my doors in parkings.
The protections on my doors are heavily damaged now.

I prefer to park on the side of the street rather than in car parks where possible. I always give out to people who bang their doors into other cars, even if I'm a passenger in their car.

mick.fr wrote:

When I go to a public parking, I try to parc far from the others, sometimes like 10 free spots from the others. I am not even close to the entrance of the shop's door.
Guess where the next guy is going to park? just next to MY car, with 9 free spots in between me and all the others.

Some people simply can't use white lines as their guide when parking and need to park right beside another car, using that as their guide. Sheer incompetance.

mick.fr wrote:

I am so pissed guys, come on make some effort. It is not diffiult to show up a little bit of respect.

I know every Irish drivers are not like this, some would be more like me :-) but the majority is to be blamed.

I hear you

lightening

Depends I guess, I have no kids, my dogs go in my wifes car, I don't work seven days a week, I don't work from my car. I don't live where there is lots of building work going on. I find it easy to keep the car clean.

Other people have kids, dogs, they work and eat in the car, they live where there is building sites etc...

Max_Damage

mick.fr wrote: »

- Most of the Irish cars are always so dirty, inside like outside. Cans, food from a couple of weeks, lies down the seats, front or back.
Body very dirty, not been washed for a couple of weeks (Or older...).
Irish roads, even around the city center are very dirty fair enough, but still guys a good wash will not kill your cars' paint :-)

As I used to be a valeter, I have to very much agree with this. Some of the pig sty's I used to have to clean were disgusting, and to think people spend a good deal of there lives in their cars. I can't imagine what their house's are like.

HJL

mick.fr wrote: »

- Was in Tesco, left the shop and returned to my car.
On my way back, I saw the guy parked next to me with full of stuffs from the shop.
So he put all his stuff on the top of my car, then opens his car and begins to bring everything from my car's roof to his car.

You should have quickly got into your car an drove off with his shopping on your roof, drive those Tesco Extra Value 12c noodles all the way to the boarder.

Captain Slow IRL

Try working on a car and finding out the owner has wiped the contents of his (or her, they do it too!) nose all over the seat. I've had the misfortune of discovering such treasure troves on (too) many occasions!

It does seem to be something the Irish are guilty of (dirty cars, not snotty seats) - the english do take care of their cars better, but they can be more animal friendly and allow them into the car - phew!! Had to clean cat hairs out of a car I had bought before, took 3 or 4 attempts and was still finding them.

Max_Damage

If only the Irish could take the Japanese way of threating cars.

E92

As befits a country where everyone buys cars with small engines, often specially imported for us and no equipment as standard, is it really surprising that so few people bother to look after their cars?

In the UK, cars often come with much bigger engines and much higher equipment levels, plus they are a lot more into their cars than we are, all we're bothered by is how new is the car rather than is it any good.

mick.fr

E92 wrote: »

As befits a country where everyone buys cars with small engines, often specially imported for us and no equipment as standard, is it really surprising that so few people bother to look after their cars?

In the UK, cars often come with much bigger engines and much higher equipment levels, plus they are a lot more into their cars than we are, all we're bothered by is how new is the car rather than is it any good.

I do not think the engine size and car's specs would be the cause of mistreating your car in Ireland.
Irish people do struggle like most of the people to pay their car insurance/loan.
And as we know an Irish car is a lot more expensive than a UK car with less specs.

I was in London 2 weeks ago, I was amazed by the number of black cars (Well I especially seen lots of new mercs, 7 series bimmers so they were probably owned by wealthy individuals) and those cars even at night were shiny.
They were all beautiful but by the valet job, not only because they were high end cars.
I was just amazed cause we see more and more high end cars here, but most of the time, dirty and not very well looked after.

That said of course I know there are a lot of road work here, around Dublin.
Very easy to get your car dirty around the M50, City West, etc..

vibe666

Max_Damage wrote: »

If only the Irish could take the Japanese way of threating cars.

indeed. i have a 12 year old jap import pajero and it's like new inside (aside from some slightly dated gadgets )

confuzed

my car is dirty because i use every inch of it and i never wash it cos washing removes the original wax coatings by company.:D
I drive a banger, people call it hyundai accent

Guy:Incognito

Is it not the French that touch park with the bumpers?

mick.fr

Stekelly wrote: »

Is it not the French that touch park with the bumpers?

hum what do you mean?

Lobster

What really annoy's me is people sitting or leaning against my car, especially with jeans which can often have metal buttons. It doesn't even seem to bother people if the panel pushes in under their weight.

jayj224

Park beside cars that match your colour at least if some careless person dints and drives away its easier to get dealt with. There is just alot of people who are wreckless with cars ie the dirt but I could guarantee they are the ones with bald tires and unserviced cars.

Is there a market for mobile valeting if this is our approach just woundering?

astraboy

Compared to other countries generally the Irish do not look after their cars too well. I do think younger people more into their cars take great care of their cars, but normal joe soap washes his car once a year and never waxes it. I don't get it, people have to spend so much more then people in the UK to get a car here, yet they don't even wash it and could'nt care less about looking after it until it packs up! No wonder toyota corollas are so popular here!

I lived in the US for a while and those people take care of there vehicles! Even a workmans pickup is washed and cleaned every week or two as its portrays an image of the business. Normal cars are always spic and span, they take pride in keeping their cars well. Personally, I wash my car every week or two when I get the chance, I give it a quick wax as well if I have time. I would spend a whole day cleaning my car if I have the chance. I always park away from other cars in a supermarket too, people are way too selfish when they open their doors!:mad:

Rowley Birkin QC

jayj224 wrote: »

Is there a market for mobile valeting if this is our approach just woundering?

Foreman at work used have his RR valeted by a mobile valet guy who came out about once a month on site with a fully equipped VW Transporter, made a serious job of it.

5 minutes tearing around on the bypass site had it back to normal though. I think Range Rovers look very odd when they are polished up anyway.

Seperate

I did a touch up last week on a passenger side door on a green CL500. There were a series of scrapes down the door and on to the back. Exactly the same length / paint transfer / shape etc all the way down the car. Some punter obviously had a space in work, and the same guy parking beside him kept hitting his car!

I pulled into a carpark this evening, nipping into superquinn to get something for dinner. Car park was empty...75+ free spaces. I parked a good bit away, on purpose. Car on its own. There was at least 25 spaces nearer the door. When i came out, there was a car parked litteraly 6inches from my driver door. What is the story with that? Like they had numerous other spaces, including some much nearer the store, but parked right on top of my car!

mick.fr

Seperate wrote: »

There was at least 25 spaces nearer the door. When i came out, there was a car parked litteraly 6inches from my driver door. What is the story with that? Like they had numerous other spaces, including some much nearer the store, but parked right on top of my car!

Yeah strange thing happening to me as well. I don't get it.
By the way can I get a free paint correction lol?

Seperate

mick.fr wrote: »

Yeah strange thing happening to me as well. I don't get it.
By the way can I get a free paint correction lol?

Sounds like you need it alright

I think next time i see a RHD 3 series sedan, i'm going to play the game 'how close can i get?'

mick.fr

Seperate wrote: »

Sounds like you need it alright

I think next time i see a RHD 3 series sedan, i'm going to play the game 'how close can i get?'

Well I can pay you a visit if you want, I need to buy some stuffs from you anyway, where are you exactly, I don't see where you are in Baldonell?

Oh mine if a LHD btw :-)

It BeeMee

Maybe those people are using the same logic: if I park beside a "good" car, he won't bang his door against mine...

I found the first marks on my car the other day : scratches on the bonnet, up near the windscreen on the passenger side - deep enough to see the white under the blue paint.
I reckon someone put their handbag or something on it getting their keys out.....:mad:

colly10

mick.fr wrote: »

- Was in Tesco, left the shop and returned to my car.
On my way back, I saw the guy parked next to me with full of stuffs from the shop.
So he put all his stuff on the top of my car, then opens his car and begins to bring everything from my car's roof to his car.
I could not believe it. I aked him why in the hell he did something like that? He replied to me that in Ireland people are helping each other. I could not believe what he jsut said as an excuse to put his shiit on my car.

It actually really annoys me to hear that someone would do that and his explanation seems very patronising. I'm surprised ye didn't loose the rag

mick.fr

colly10 wrote: »

It actually really annoys me to hear that someone would do that and his explanation seems very patronising. I'm surprised ye didn't loose the rag

I actually insulted him after that but he did not care...
Next time this thing happends I will throw his stuff away and drive off as suggested by somebody.