Try a Little Tenderness... or a Canadian Club

This is one of those little, or not so little things in life that drive me nuts. When you pull into a parking space and get out of your car please do NOT bang your car door into the side of my car. Seems simple enough but it it is apparently too tough for many people to manage. I drive a Honda Element. One of the things that I like is the wide sweep of smooth black paint that makes up the sides of the car. Only not it looks more like the surface of Mars with all of the dings, scratches and yes, gashes in the paint. This might be annoying enough in and of itself but I make an effort to park out and away from others and I still get dented. By the way this is NOT strictly a Florida problem. However, I would call it a United States problem. Why? I've been fortunate enough to make three extended trips to the Great White North, Canada. One out West to the Canadian Rockies and two to the East Coast, Halifax and St.John. In the collective 2 months that I was driving my rental cars around and parking in Canada I suffered no dings, dents or even scratches. The first trip I thought it was a fluke. The second time just good luck. The third? Damn, those Canadians are just the nicest most conscientious group of people. And they are.