# Should bumpers on cars be treated like luggage by the airlines? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 30, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565 "2010-09-30T03:57:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/21 "2010-09-30T14:26:32Z")
I’m also of the opinion that bumpers are for bumping. Then again, I parked on the street in Chicago for several years. The last time I was in Manhattan, I noticed that a lot of the cars on the street had rubber bumper protectors. Seems to me that this is a good compromise for people who want to drive and park in an urban environment but don’t want a lot of little scratches on their bumper. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/22 "2010-09-30T14:37:19Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > If you scratch the bumper on my car I will view the act the same as if you only slightly slapped my child or punched my wife but did not break her nose. Seriously? A scratched bumper to you is the same as if someone _punched your wife_ in the face? Dude, you need to re-evaluate your priorities a little. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/23 "2010-09-30T14:57:57Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Well, American cars are supposed to be with 5 mph (parked) bumpers, and 5 mph is a pretty jarring bump. That means no damage to the bumper. Typical parking lot scenarios would be at less than walking speed, say, 2 to 3 mph maximum. I believe that the standard was downgraded to 2.5MPH bumpers. I believe that the IIHS tests bumpers in low-speed collisions (like against a pole you might find in a parking lot) and publicizes the fact that various cars undergo thousands of dollars in damage as a result. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/24 "2010-09-30T16:00:26Z")
If you really can’t avoid bumping and scuffing other cars’ bumpers, how can we trust you to avoid bumping and scuffing other things that can’t handle the damage? Most cars today don’t have what I think of when I think of bumpers—like the bumpers on my old [Plymouth](http://www.allpar.com/photos/plymouth/horizon/horizon-1990.jpg) [Horizon](http://www.allpar.com/images/bouwkamp-axe.jpg). If they did, I wouldn’t mind if they got lightly bumped or scratched. But then, my Horizon’s rear bumper fell off, for no good reason that I could tell, so I’m just as happy we’re no longer living in the age of those big ugly detachable metal bumpers. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/25 "2010-09-30T16:08:45Z")
This is how they they appear to be treated in Paris. People often nudge their cars into tiny little spaces by gently bouncing off the bumpers of the cars surrounding the space. Nobody seems to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/26 "2010-09-30T16:53:32Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Most cars today don’t have what I think of when I think of bumpers—like the bumpers on my old [Plymouth](http://www.allpar.com/photos/plymouth/horizon/horizon-1990.jpg) [Horizon](http://www.allpar.com/images/bouwkamp-axe.jpg). If they did, I wouldn’t mind if they got lightly bumped or scratched. But then, my Horizon’s rear bumper fell off, for no good reason that I could tell, so I’m just as happy we’re no longer living in the age of those big ugly detachable metal bumpers. Those, big, ugly, detachable bumpers are still there, they’re just hidden under the fascias. Some people will tell you the current trend is due to fuel economy, others due to cost, and others due to current styling. It’s probably a combination of all three. Let me see if I can sneak an image of a modern bumper before the end of the day… and also, your images don’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/27 "2010-09-30T16:57:28Z")
> **[Bumper (car)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumper_(automobile))** > > A bumper is a structure attached to or integrated with the front and rear ends of a motor vehicle, to absorb impact in a minor collision, ideally minimizing repair costs. Stiff metal bumpers appeared on automobiles as early as 1904 that had a mainly ornamental function. Numerous developments, improvements in materials and technologies, as well as greater focus on functionality for protecting vehicle components and improving safety have changed bumpers over the years. Bumpers ideally minimiz Bum... ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/28 "2010-09-30T17:04:39Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > Seriously? A scratched bumper to you is the same as if someone _punched your wife_ in the face? Dude, you need to re-evaluate your priorities a little. I think this is part of the OP’s underlying sentiment. People invest so much of their ego into their car–it has to be sparkling clean all the time, and the slightest mar is a point of great shame. If you so much as scratch someone’s car accidentally, it’s equivalent to a deliberate bodily assault. Body shops milk this mentality for all they can get. But it’s a slippery slope, because minor collisions will become points of contention over whether it’s “just a bumper dent” or “actual damage.” I wish it could be like the OP. One time I got rear-ended in tight traffic, jumped out, looked at the dented bumper with the other driver, and said to her, “Don’t worry about it. I’m late for class.” All before the traffic light could turn green. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/29 "2010-09-30T17:21:30Z")
I have to spend $400 on a motorcycle helmet after spending hours looking for one that fits comfortably and looks like something I’d like to wear. And after one spill, it’s useless and I need to buy a new one. A spill should never happen, but it probably will and it would be crazy of me not to expect that it could happen. A little mussed paint on a bumper is better than a damaged radiator. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/30 "2010-09-30T18:11:39Z")
They are called bumpers…bumpers…say it again…bumpers. They exist for bumping. They may be your private property…but you are using them on a _public_ street. And public streets are bumpy places. Like mosh pits. You go there, you gonna get bumped. Another example (better than the comparison to luggage) is: garbage cans… As part of their normal use, you leave 'em out on the street, and they get bumped. (disclaimer: yes, I drive a 10 year old car, I park on the street, and no, I dont give a damn about minor nicks. Oh, and I’ve never actually been to a mosh pit 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/31 "2010-09-30T18:49:26Z")
I never understood people who freak out about minor cosmetic damage to cars. You hurl it around at great speeds and leave it outside in public. What do you think is going to happen? ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/32 "2010-09-30T19:12:15Z")
If bumpers were still bumpers, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. They’re now body parts like a fender or a hood. I don’t want either of those scratched or dented, so stay away from my bumpers. Yes, I’m the guy that parks the shiny sports car at the back of the parking lot. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/33 "2010-09-30T19:14:47Z")
> [@FordTaurusSHO94](#): > > If bumpers were still bumpers, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. They’re now body parts like a fender or a hood. I don’t want either of those scratched or dented, so stay away from my bumpers. Yes, I’m the guy that parks the shiny sports car at the back of the parking lot. Hey, as long as you park in the back, that’s cool. Just so long as you’re not the guy that doubleparks his shiny sports car up at the front. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/34 "2010-09-30T19:27:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Hey, as long as you park in the back, that’s cool. Just so long as you’re not the guy that doubleparks his shiny sports car up at the front. 😃 \ ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/35 "2010-09-30T19:34:32Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I never understood people who freak out about minor cosmetic damage to cars. You hurl it around at great speeds and leave it outside in public. What do you think is going to happen? I don’t hit other people’s cars is what happens. If you can’t drive without hitting other people’s stuff, either quit driving or do a little more practice. I’ve been driving 30 years and hitting other people, cars, houses, trees, etc, hasn’t been a problem for me. So don’t hit MY car. I had someone ‘bump’ my car and cause $4200 worth of damage. Her SUV met my Mini Cooper and the SUV bumper was right at hood level on my car (she backed into me). New hood. New radiator. New bumper. Her beast damaged all that and more. I’m for no bumping bumpers, and if you can’t drive without hitting other cars, maybe you shouldn’t be driving. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/36 "2010-09-30T19:39:12Z")
By that logic, someone who wears a seatbelt shouldn’t be driving either, since if you think you’re ever going to get into a situation where you have to stop suddenly then you’re probably not a good driver. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/37 "2010-09-30T19:44:12Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > _shrug_. I have a car I paid good money for, and I live in the city. My attitude is, my bumpers are going to get scratched. It’s just the way it is, and I’m not going to stress about it. This, exactly. It’s about context. If I’m in the city (I am) I expect my bumpers to be bumped. It’s part an parcel of parallel parking in a crowded block. Now, back when I lived in the 'burbs and every store has a parking lot bigger than the actual store and people park in their own driveways or garages? Yeah, I’d be miffed if someone scratched up my bumper. Not enough to consider it an offense on par with assault and battery (really?!), but annoyed that they were careless enough to damage my property. In the city, with parallel parking, it doesn’t take carelessness to gently bump a bumper, just physics. And yeah, I’ve been doing it for 10 years and I’m pretty good at it, but even so I bump a bumper maybe once every couple of months, purely by accident. Hit a little dip or bump at just the wrong angle and the damn car jumps. When you’re talking inches of space, rather than feet, sometimes it jumps into another bumper. Not a big deal, although I do feel really badly about it when I do it to someone else. When it happens to my car? Meh. I’ve just learned not to put bumper stickers on the bumpers (covers) because they’re going to be all scratched up in days, and then you end up with something that says [del]=C=exi=t===[/del]. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/38 "2010-09-30T19:53:16Z")
> [@Hanna](#): > > I had someone ‘bump’ my car and cause $4200 worth of damage. Her SUV met my Mini Cooper and the SUV bumper was right at hood level on my car (she backed into me). New hood. New radiator. New bumper. Her beast damaged all that and more. I’m for no bumping bumpers, and if you can’t drive without hitting other cars, maybe you shouldn’t be driving. I had the wind grab hold of a door and blow it into another car a few months back while I was unbuckling my kid. Guess I should practice driving more? (I did wait for the owner and he didn’t care about the door ding, which made me happy because I wouldn’t have cared either, because cars are made to get dinged up.) ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/39 "2010-09-30T22:00:08Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > By that logic, someone who wears a seatbelt shouldn’t be driving either, since if you think you’re ever going to get into a situation where you have to stop suddenly then you’re probably not a good driver. Huh? Who wears seatbelts out of a fear of sudden stops? I wear mine in case some bumper-bumping poor driver crashes into me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565/40 "2010-09-30T22:07:20Z")
The average hard suitcase is more durable than the average plastic car bumper. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-bumpers-on-cars-be-treated-like-luggage-by-the-airlines/555565.md?page=3)