derBayerische November/December 2021 - 16

BMW of Fairfax Collision Center
By James Chew
A Consequence of Owning a BMW
" You always remember your new car's first door ding. "
With all of the new and new-to-me cars that I've owned, that statement has rung true.
N
o matter how carefully I park or what vehicle I
choose to park next to, door dings happen.
These inevitable events brought about the
creation of the thriving paintless dent repair (PDR)
industry. And I've found that most independent
BMW repair shops can recommend to you a
reputable PDR business. Some of the more adventurous
types may decide to try PDR themselves -
there are many instructional YouTube videos on
the process.
Nothing prepares you for the first time your
new car is vandalized by a door ding. Hopefully,
you will never experience this, but for me, working
in Washington, D.C., it has occurred several times.
The latest time was when I drove my 2020
M240i convertible for a meeting at the Washington
Navy Yard. The new Washington Nationals
Stadium and the relocation of NAVSEA HQ and their
Program Offices to the Navy Yard have certainly
changed the area.
Normally, I use street parking near the many
new mixed-use buildings. This time, the only
spaces available were in front of the Harris Teeter -
16
a busy street location that serves as the entrance to
the newly redeveloped area. There was plenty of
room to park, but the solar powered street meter
was inoperable, so I left a note and walked to my
meeting.
Upon my return, I instinctively knew that
something bad happened to my car.
What was a fairly open parking area was now
crammed with cars. My car was now squeezed
between two vehicles, with their bumpers in contact
with mine. To make matters worse, there were two
long and very deep (to the sheet metal) scratches
on the driver's side front fender. Upon closer
inspection, I observed a slight indentation.
Approaching a Washington, D.C. parking
enforcement officer who was busily writing parking
violation tickets, the officer claimed ignorance.
The officer also mumbled something that was
unintelligible to me about new BMWs and about
BMW owners.
I noticed that when I was talking with that officer,
some people quickly exited from the Harris
Teeter, went into the cars that had squeezed me in,
then quickly drove off.
Just another day in Washington, D.C.
This type of damage is perhaps one of the
most difficult types to handle. While still a significant
cost to repair (several hundred dollars),
making an insurance claim makes no economic
sense. The engineer in me was thinking of ways to
have my car repaired in the least expensive (money
wise) manner, but after not being able to reconcile
my many Rube Goldberg schemes, I came to my
senses. My 2020 M240i convertible is in near-new
condition and I should take my business to a
Certified BMW Collision Center.
My closest Certified BMW Collision Center
was at BMW of Fairfax. None of my fellow NCC
BMW CCA members whom I asked had any
experience with that business. With eyes wide
open, I decided to give BMW of Fairfax a try.
To say that I was pleasantly surprised would
be an understatement. Arriving on a Monday
morning, Ian immediately helped me. He explained
the repair process - first the body work, then the
paint. During the walk-around inspection, he also
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https://www.fairfaxbmwcollisioncenter.com/ https://www.bmwoffairfax.com/
derBayerische November/December 2021

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