Parking Sensor didn't see her coming
 

This happened awhile ago -- the day before I went into the hospital -- so I never posted about it. Due to what happened (or didn't) with the Parking Sensor Control, I though it might be of interest.

I'd gone to Los Angeles for some medical tests and was staying in the Pacific Palisades. There is a posh grocery store there that has great produce. Their parking lot is the typical rows of angled slots with one-way traffic flow. Due to the very high real estate values in the area, the lot is a bit tight.

I was parked between to ginourmous SUVs -- probably Lincoln Circumnavigators. So, I had zero visibility to the sides. I was creeping back as slow as I could go (later I figured this to be about 1 mph with the digital speedo). I was mostly trying to see around the SUV on my right for oncoming traffic and listening to the PSC for pedestrians and other cars backing out opposite.

My headrest, the headrest on the back seat, and the other SUV were blocking some of my view to the to left of the car.

The back of my car was about a couple feet beyond the SUV on left (driver's side) of the MINI. The PSC is silent. Then thump! There is a BMW right up against my rear window. I hit it at the back wheel. The front of its wheelwell put a tear in the MINI's back bumper on the left side.

The Parking Sensor Control never saw her coming. Since the parking slots are angled, our cars were at right angle to each other. My guess is that she saw there was no oncoming traffic and backed out fast. She must have come within inches of the back of my MINI. Otherwise, at 1 mph, the PSC would have had time to see her. So, objects moving in rapidly from the side can get in your way before the PSC has time to react.

The driver was a very attractive young blond woman. She claimed that the car belonged to a real estate company, but the license indicated that it belonged to a very well-known TV producer. She finally admitted that she was the personal shopper for the staff of the producer. She didn't buy for the producer himself, his cook did that. She bought for the staff.

When your staff has a personal shopper... Oh, never mind.

Due to the hospital disaster, I'm just now getting around to dealing with the repair. It will be done by the body shop that MINI of Mountian View uses, and at the same time they will repaint the hood scoop that never matched (MINI will pay for that). I take it up Monday.

Rough way to meet attractive women - sorry to hear of your scrape but glad that it sounds relatively minor. Those angle in spots are tough when you are surrounded by SUVs.

didn't you take pictures of the damage and of course the pretty woman :razz:

Robin, did she hit your MINI or did you figure it was a no-fault? Strange that the PSC has a blind spot or slow reaction in this case. Not that I want anyone to try, but if the approach was slower would the outcome have been better?

How long is your MINI going to be in the shop? What a pain, I have had two cars in various shops this summer but (knock on wood) not the MINI.

Technically, I hit her. 21st Century Insurance thinks it is 50%/50% and is going to talk to their insurance.

It had to be timing. The PSC sees things quite a ways to the side.

They said it would take about a week.

I was told that anytime there is an accident in the parking lot, it would be 50/50 unless the other car is parked.

An anecdote-
 

I was showing a passenger the backup camera on my Toyota, as I was backing out of a parking space, I said, "Hey, check out the nifty backup camera", I turned my head to check it was clear, checked the screen it was clear, began slowly backing out while turning to look again over my shoulder and: "HOOONNNNKK"...

Some guy was racing (I think) his bmw down the ailseway... No, I didn't hit him, just the honk.... all the technology and multiple looks over the shoulder didn't stop an almost accident. I'm sure he thought he was in the right. I'm sure he was not since he was going quite fast for a parking lot. Regardless, even a wide angle camera didn't catch that moment between when I looked at the screen and then turned my head for 'conventional' check...

I decided I liked the audible notes of the backup sensor in my mini, but am convinced this too cannot stop accidents under various conditions.... Robin confirms this... Oh well, the PDC is still pretty cool...

Maybe PDC is best for stationary objects, like a parked car, or one of these low cement posts you can't see below your rear window...