...When my SUV was less than 2 months old I was rear ended. Scratched the crap out of the rear bumper and bent the internals. I had the guys insurance pay for the repairs and I learned my lesson. I placed a rear bumper guard, and I placed a hitch mounted solid steel step.

Since doing this, I have been rear ended in traffic 3 times, and people parking have hit the thing at least 3 times. My rear bumper is pristine, but the bumper guard is bent up, and the hitch mounted guard needed replacement twice (all at the other persons' expense). (And yes, it ripped the crap out of the others guys' hoods and front ends).

While I sympathise with those who feel these things do more damage to other cars, they protect my cars from the negligence of all of the other NYC drivers. I parallel park well, so I never touch the other guy's front bumper. People who have come in contact with my bumper guard and hitch guard hit hard enough to otherwise damage my car if it was not protected. Instead, they met up with sweet justice.

In crowded urban and suburban areas, rear bumper guards and rear hitches are seen as a last resort by us SUV drivers from idiots who park by feel or who tailgate and then rear-end us. The hitches serve as both warning and defense. They even meter out justice...swiftly and legally.

Now I know many of you will disagree, but I for one am tired of my cars being butchered by the careless hordes of incompetent drivers who don't know how to control their vehicles, and a hitch and a rear bumper guard are necessary in my view. If you don't like it or feel that it might damage your car, do the sensible thing and slow down, follow the 1 second per 10MPH rule, and don't be in such a hurry.

Please understand that I appreciate you guys and your thoughts, but NYC is a pain the a$$ as far as bumper damage, and I am tired of being hit in the wallet.

Best,

C

• Interesting driving habits!, jonathan, Wed, 3 Jan 2007 07:52:56
  • Re: Interesting driving habits!, Gordon Berry, Sun, 7 Jan 2007 16:13:53
    • Re: Interesting driving habits!, oldsaab, Sun, 7 Jan 2007 20:42:05
  • Recent death around here due to same..........., andym, Thu, 4 Jan 2007 00:54:20
    • Watching DVDs while driving..., Noel, Thu, 4 Jan 2007 05:52:30
  • saw something similar yesterday, BrianG, Wed, 3 Jan 2007 11:10:55
  • can't laugh about it any more (long rant), JMF, Wed, 3 Jan 2007 10:06:24
    • My last car was totaled in this exact situation...w/son, THS, Wed, 3 Jan 2007 10:48:20
      • Not totalled, but never the same..., Noel, Wed, 3 Jan 2007 11:04:09
        • Hitches..., Craig, Wed, 3 Jan 2007 11:34:28
          • SAABs self restoring bumpers works..., Street, Wed, 3 Jan 2007 15:54:49
          • Re: Hitches...Agreed., NateWI, Wed, 3 Jan 2007 12:29:45
            • Re: Hitches...Agreed., jonathan, Wed, 3 Jan 2007 14:19:32
            • I knew I'd get grief for this..., Noel, Wed, 3 Jan 2007 12:48:11
              • I like my hitch on my SUV and my C900 in NYC..., Chaz, Thu, 4 Jan 2007 05:58:15 <-- Viewing This Message
              • If you're parallel parking in front of or behind me, Oscar, Wed, 3 Jan 2007 21:31:11
                • or maybe not... I don't park by feel., Noel, Thu, 4 Jan 2007 05:43:04
            • Re: Hitches...Agreed...Agreed, Finch, Wed, 3 Jan 2007 12:46:55
  • Yup, seen that a few time, the car drove itself 8-) n/m, TKC, Wed, 3 Jan 2007 07:55:51

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