Should I worry?

[chrol]

(I realize this thread will seem a little ironic given my last post in the most recent thread in this subforum, but bear with me.)

This morning I went to the grocery store and parked a little too close on one side. So I backed out, and attempting to move the car over towards the middle of space angled the front a little too sharply. I ended up coming in contact for about 8 inches, VERY slightly (so slightly I couldn't even hear it or feel it) with the car to my right. The owner of said car is inside the vehicle and staring at me, so as I get out, he gets out too and continues staring at me.

I ask him, "Did I scrape you?". He replies, "Yeah, buddy, yeah you did." I go around and look and there's a tiny 8 inch paint mark along his rear driver side door. We both go closer to inspect, and at this point he tells me, "I demand you give me your insurance info. I'm going to have to call in a claim." Now, I'm about as respectful and polite a teenager as they come, but this is ridiculous, and I tell him so, which is very out of character for me. I tell him, "Sir, there's not even a scratch, that's just a paint mark. It will come right out, watch."

I bend down and rub the paint flakes/particles with my fingers and they fall right off. I do this for about 3 seconds, enough time to fully remove all the paint (which should tell you how minor this was) and he FLIPS OUT, shoving me away from the car and yelling at me to not touch his property or he'll call the authorities. At this point I look at the car and there's not a single mark left. No scratch, no paint, no evidence at all that I ever scraped him. No discoloration of his paint job, nothing. He's absolutely fuming, though. I tell him, "I'm extremely sorry, sir, and that was careless of me, but there's no damage done and you won't be needing my insurance info. I hope you have a nice day." I lock my car and walk into the store.

When I come back his car is gone. I realize, though, I should have just driven away at this point and not given him the chance to get my tags. Do I have anything to worry about at all? I should have taken pictures. There was literally no mark on his car after rubbing off the paint. I'm worried, though, because of his extreme demeanor. Do I have anything to worry about?

[shifty]

Nope, nothing to worry about. He left the scene of the accident. In doing that, he can no longer file a report, even if he did, there's no evidence anymore, and he can't prove it was you either way - who is to say he didn't just randomly drive through the parking lot and pick a car's tag out to pick on? Who is to say it wasn't the guy parked there before you that did it, or after you? This is why it is so vital to remain at the scene of an accident.

IMHO, the proper thing for you to do would've been to call the cops and let them sort it out. Especially after the physical altercation he created. In fact, when he pushed you, you should have actually told him, "OK, obviously this issue is serious to you, so I think we need to have the police sort it out", then proceeded to dial 9-1-1 to report the accident. Any cop in his right mind would have dismissed this, as there apparently was no evidence that a wreck occured (you wiped it away). Pretty sure that cops are not required to write tickets around here unless the damage is greater than $100, or there was a clear and gross violation of the law, which, bad parking is not against the law.

Sounds like you bumped into a dbag, literally.

[Ninjahedge]

SOUNDS like it, but you never know.

Just be confident that he screwed up in leaving the scene w/o calling the cops.

Next time, take pictures.

[tensux]

call your insurance and tell them, i have had something similar happen, called them they said dont worry unless other driver files, u dont not want to contact them

[lilith]

But if he contacts someone he can't deny it later.... :(