i just discovered this forum while looking for mod/upgrade ideas, so i figured i'd post an introduction!

i've lived in Pittsburgh for a little over 10 years, & that whole time (since college) chose to be car-less. public transit isn't too bad here, & i just never felt the need for the expense. ... last winter, for various reasons, i finally decided it was worth getting a car. after a ton of research, i decided the Fit was the best option, & in February bought myself a new 2015...




it was nice to be a car owner again for the first time in a decade, but unfortunately we had a rough winter here, & February saw a lot of ice storms---especially on the weekends when i would've been driving most. so, in the space of a month i hadn't put more than ~200 miles on it. it's not like i need to drive, & i wasn't going to risk my new car in terrible weather.

then, mid-March, i'm on the bus home from work one evening & i get a call from a friend who lives nearby. someone who rarely calls me---it was an odd moment. when i answer, she says hey, i saw your car... are you okay?? i had no idea what she was talking about right then, but about 10 minutes later when i'm finally home, here's what's sitting on the street outside my apartment:







... yup. someone managed to entirely side-swipe my month old car.

in front of my apartment.
in the middle of the day.

thank you, Pittsburgh!


of course, no note was left & no one saw anything. even better---the damage was bad enough that both driver's side doors had to be replaced, & the front/rear panels as well. it took the body shop 5 weeks (!) to finally get all the parts in, & the total damages were just over $7,000. thank god for the insurance i never thought i'd use.



anyway, that was my introduction to being a car owner in the city, & a Fit owner specifically. lessons learned: some people suck at driving; insurance is awesome; & damn, it would be great if i had an off-street parking space.

 

Aw man! Hate that for you. Been there. Someone did the same to my wife's E320 wagon in front of our HOUSE years ago one sunny afternoon. The front wheels were turned toward the curb and the pickup truck slid down both doors and jacked the wheel up into the wheel well. The car was in park with the brake set but it was pushed up onto the sidewalk. Witnesses only saw that it was an older green pickup. The driver didn't stop and was never found.