Originally Posted by baldrik78

I remember my first door ding like it was yesterday. I was standing in line at Dick's burgers in Crown Hill when I watched this hippie couple (she was barefoot, in a floral print sundress, he was in birkenstocks w/ wool socks) with their 3 yr old walk back to their first gen Volvo XC90 I had parked next to. Mom heads to the drivers door, dad heads to the passenger side, leaving the toddler to fend for himself with what I can only imagine is a 20 pound steel door.

It was the ping heard round the world as everyone in line at Dick's turned around to see who who what had decided to test out their new set of golf clubs in a fast food parking lot. The woman then turned around, made direct eye contact with me and smiled. I was too stunned and flabbergasted to do anything while she shuffled her child into the car.

I walked over to inspect the damage as she reversed out of her spot. Feeling the divot in the Barcelona red paint with my finger and looking back in her direction, our eyes met once more and she smiled again as she casually pulled out the parking lot.

After I managed to pull my jaw up off the ground, I consoled myself with a strawberry shake.

Originally Posted by sn_85

I guess this is what TRD Pro owners worry about. And you wonder why there is negative bias LMAO

Originally Posted by JP421

There's a difference between marks, scratches etc when you are using it for what it was designed for vs. people being stupid and careless.

Originally Posted by ProLee

First off this is my first 4Runner and when I got it my wife was very jealous of it. She wanted the Sequoia but there was no Pro edition at the time and I couldn’t see myself coughing up $70k plus for the one that we test drove and looked at the dealership. That being said she has officially named my 4Runner “Blue Eyes” due to the Voodoo Blue color. She has always known that I have a thing for blue eye blonde hair ladies. Doesn’t help the fact that now I happily give Blue Eyes and bath and rub down once a week and it’s been years since I’ve treated my wife in the same way. We’re both getting older and with our 2 oldest in college now, I just feel that it’s more of a “me thing” at this moment. We’ll see how long that last, right guys?

Ok onto why I dislike my 4Runner….I hate the fact that even though I love driving her everywhere I go, I’m always afraid of idiots out there trying to hurt her. I hate the fact that she gets stared at and complimented about anytime we are out of the house. Guys love her, heck even other ladies love her. She does draw a lot of attention. I know that I shouldn’t being putting her into those situations because eventually she will get hurt but I just can’t get enough of driving her around and spending every moment I can with her.

Well this is what happened recently, we all know that taking our baby to the mall, grocery store, Wal-Mart, etc. is asking for dents and dings and I dread this fact so much that I try to drive my other vehicles when the situation arises. After a wonderful bath on her this last Saturday morning, I needed to go pick up some meat for dinner and since she was so shiny and fresh I decided that maybe we will be okay if I parked way in the back, surely nothing will happen right? So when I arrived at the grocery store, I looked for the most empty, farthest parking spot away from the front door. Mission accomplished, I found a spot that was so empty that you could hear the crickets chirping and the wind blowing through the forest trees. There was no other car within miles of Blue Eyes and I felt that she would be safe here while I run into the grocery store to grab a couple of rack of ribs for that night’s BBQ dinner.

After about a mile of walking I finally approached the front of the store and proceeded to select my shopping cart, at this moment I had this gut feeling that something just wasn’t right. Something was wrong and I had to stop, think and be prepared to react to whatever feeling this was. Am I in danger? Was there someone behind me getting ready to rob me? Was the Grandma that I pushed out of the way to get my special shopping cart going to make a surprise revenge attack? I just didn’t know and it was eating me alive on the inside. Then from the corner of my eye I saw what this feeling was all about. Someone in a Chevy Tahoe pulled into the parking spot right next to my Blue Eyes. Out of all the thousands of parking spots open in this wilderness parking lot this idiot just had to park next to my girl?

My first instinct was to give back the shopping cart to Grandma and make a run for Blue Eyes, I knew she was in danger and she was all alone. She couldn’t protect herself, she’s too innocent and sweet, she doesn’t understand how evil this world is? She just thinks that it’s another one of those “damn you’re sexy” moments and she was the center of attention. I mean she deserves it right? I’ve only been with one another blue eye blonde hair in my life and she was an Angel but I ended up hurting her and never to see her again. I sure wasn’t going to make the same mistake this time around, I wasn’t going to let this happen again. But in this moment of anger, confusion, and whatever other emotions I may have been feeling, all I could do was watch. She was too far me to be able to protect her, I have failed her. She is vulnerable to the destructive ways of human nature and their untamed door opening ways and she got her first ding on the passenger side door. I cried as she wept in pain……..

Cliff notes: Don’t take your brand new truck/car to the grocery store, you will get dents and dings due to people who has no sense on how to open a car door. BTW if Blue is to be hurt or damaged in any way, it should be on my part, whether it’s from the trails or me being an idiot when I’m around her.

Originally Posted by BadTrainDriver

This is not what TRD Pro owners worry about, this is what a car owner who enjoys his/her ride worries about. Don't be a dick. It's not becoming of a otherwise nice person that I'm sure you are.

Originally Posted by brtnstrns

Dicks can soothe many pains

Originally Posted by gtt99

How did you manage to stay married for so long???

Originally Posted by Matze

The first dent is always the most painful one!
I don’t understand why people are so disrespectful when it comes to other people’s property...
back in the days I drove a rat rod, no matter where I was parking just a little few people had the balls to park next to me, even on crowded spots no one gets to close! That damn pos called GMC Acadia that I bought four years ago looks like a golf ball because my wife gets the grocery with her.
Sure shit happens but I wouldn’t just disappear after I damage someones property.

Originally Posted by ElectroBoy

Good one! StatusQuo!

Here’s another applicable song.
Baby Blue by Badfinger

Guess I got what I deserve
Kept you waiting there, too long my love
All that time, without a word
Didn't know you'd think, that I'd forget, or I'd regret

The special love I have for you
My baby blue

All the days became so long
Did you really think I'd do you wrong
Dixie, when I let you go
Thought you'd realize, I would know, I would show

The special love I have for you
My baby blue

What can I do, what can I say?
Except that I want you by my side
How can I show you? Show me a way
Don't you know, the times I tried

Guess that's all I have to say
Except the feeling just gets stronger everyday
Just one thing, before I go
Take good care, baby let me know, let it show

The special love you have for me
My Dixie dear

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