Well, it appears that running boards have purposes beyond being things to step on, and keeping mud and stones off the rear fenders.
Because my "normal" spot in the "first come first served" parking ramp was taken the other day, I parked my SSR in ANOTHER "end" spot. As usual, I parked it so that its drivers side wheels were over the white line into the travel lane of the parking ramp, leaving a VERY wide parking slot for whoever parked beside me on the passenger side.
That did not deter someone from an act of gross, and almost appearing deliberate, stupidity.
When I got back to my SSR after work, there was a dirty, cluttered and generally unimpressive piece of crap cheap compact car parked OVER the white line separating our 2 spaces, with his/her driver door literally 11 inches from my SSR! It was SO close, I couldn't figure out how he/she got out of their car!
I immediately looked for the dreaded door dent in my SSR, but there was none!
This cretin had not even bothered to lock his/her/its car, so I gently opened it towards my SSR. That showed me what happened: The car's door ran into my RUNNING BOARD before its upper art could hit my door! In fact, there WAS a dent in HIS door, where it eno****ered my running board (Justice!!)
Miraculously, there was also NO apparent rubbing of the twit's clothing along the rear fender of my SSR, probably only because he/she IS careful about not getting their work clothing dirty, because that costs THEM money to remedy.
I figure I dodged a costly door dent repair (ever tried to PROVE that someone's stupidity caused your door dent?)
The running boards earned their cost in one incident alone.
Jim G
