If you accidentally hit a parked car, is the right thing to do to run or to confess?

[Borachio]

You certainly have a point of view there.

But I don't think I agree.

In any case I was just musing on why someone might be outraged by another person accidentally banging into their car. And why another person might be substantially less upset.

It was a simple enough simple-minded meditation on materialism, that's all. Such as it was.

 

[NetGear]

Well I can't believe people are even debating on this when there is damage (however minor). If you damaged it, intentionally or not, you're still responsible.

No damage is more tricky. I've bumped into cars before and didnt bother to inform because there was clearly no damage and I just wanted to bail outta there, but problem with you being the judge is that you can't escape being biased about it. So its entirely possible to be honestly decide that theres no damage when you missed a small detail.

 

[Akka]

You certainly have a point of view there.

But I don't think I agree.

Hu, it's not really like your agreement is required or relevant.
How much someone puts value into something isn't up for you to discuss, y'know.

In any case I was just musing on why someone might be outraged by another person accidentally banging into their car. And why another person might be substantially less upset.

It was a simple enough simple-minded meditation on materialism, that's all. Such as it was.

Difference in reactions are plentiful and not anything particularly special.

Different people value different things - I don't really care about my clothes, I care a great deal about my books, for example.

Different people have invested different amount of efforts (that they also value differently) into things.

Some things are valued more because they of what they represent or a special place they hold in the heart of their owner - I care about my cheap watch because it's a souvenir from Japan, much more than I care about the much more expensive screen I use for my secondary computer ; to circle back to the subject at hand, I care about my car because it's the first brand new one I bought and as such it annoys me to no end to see it bumped/scratched/whatever.

And also there is the simple matter of principles.

It's not just being shallow and materialist.

 

[Gucumatz]

3. Go home and accidentally make a thread about it in a Civ forum.

You are back!!! Haven't seen you since the storm and guessing by you being here you are alright?

 

[Borachio]

Hu, it's not really like your agreement is required or relevant.
How much someone puts value into something isn't up for you to discuss, y'know.

You really do like to be disagreeable just for the sake of it don't you?

 

[Akka]

You really do like to be disagreeable just for the sake of it don't you?

No, though I tend to be blunt without meaning ill.
I was just pointing that people valuing highly things regardless of the "resentment" involved into acquiring them is a fact and that you can't agree or disagree with - it's true, period.

 

[Borachio]

OK. I do like how your logic applies to me, but not to yourself.

Stating that something is a fact doesn't make it so. Or does it?

 

[Akka]

OK. I do like how your logic applies to me, but not to yourself.

Stating that something is a fact doesn't make it so. Or does it?

My logic applies to everyone : if you state something wrong, you're wrong.
You're taking things into reverse. It's not that "people see value in things according to many criteria" is true because I said so, but I said so because it's true.

It's obvious enough that countless things are valued in a totally different way than the hassle it took to obtain them, and I even provided examples and reasoning for half a page previously, despite the said obviousness that should make it as unecessary as having to provide proofs that the sky is blue.
I mean, even the typical and common "sentimental value" is a 100 % rock-solid proof of this.

 

[Borachio]

Hmm. I'm still not convinced.

I care about my car because it's the first brand new one I bought and as such it annoys me to no end to see it bumped/scratched/whatever.

It's not intellectually satisfying to me that you can accept "and as such" as a necessary and sufficient reason why it annoys you to see it damaged.

I would always wish to dig a little deeper into the psychological reasons underlying this sentiment.

 

[Zelig]

I'd call my lawyer to see what my legal obligations and options are.

True. Also there may be cultural differences that I'm not aware of. Maybe in other countries, accidental damage really is just an "oh noes such is life" thing, whereas in the West, it's more like "omg you broke my car you better pay for that!"

You could pay for it without confessing or identifying yourself.

Krogan, what do you think would make somebody more upset. Finding somebody had damaged their car, but left contact info to sort out the financial damages, or finding somebody had damaged their car and ran away, leaving them to deal with the financial implications themselves?

Well the insurance companies pay either way, the primary difference is that if the person isn't identified their insurance rates can't be adjusted upwards.

The only true "accident" I can think of is if your car has some sort of mechanical failure or something that you truly have no control of, or a dangerously parked car on a busy street or something. But in 99% of all situations where you are driving and you hit a stationary object, I can't see how that is not totally your fault.

99% is still being super generous. Modern vehicles are extremely reliable, mechanical problems leading to collisions generally arise from owner neglect.

Insurance companies actually charge more for red cars.

Insurance companies don't know the colour of your car, VIN numbers don't carry colour information.

No bumps on parked car, don't bother telling anyone.

Well I've got cameras in my car that activate if the car is bumped, so if you don't tell anyone I'll probably get you fleeing the scene on video for the police.

When I was 9 or 10, I ran my bicycle into the bumper of a parked car, and even at that age I knew the right thing to do was find the owner and tell them what happened even if I only hit the bumper and it didn't have any mark on it whatsoever.

Well that's kind of silly. What if you accidentally ride over someone's lawn when they're not home, do you wait around to inform them?