HOME FAQs BOOKS JOBS: Help Wanted Suggestions you are here: Hotline/Forum => Letter 29067
Eggs damaging cars
++++
I am a another mom with an egg throwing teenager. Now he has a 6500.00 law suit against him and is being charged with a felony. He went with friends in three cars to egg some cars. Well he was the only one that has to pay for all of the damage everyone did because he was 18 years old. You're right he should know better. He is being charged with a lot of damages. I need to know if throwing eggs at cars can break their windows, dent their car, and do damage to the rubber bumpers or any rubber areas? Thanks for your help.
Joan [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]Office Manager - Pacheco, California
++++
You DO know that he needs a lawyer, not a public forum web page, Joan? I certainly wouldn't expect an egg to break a car window or do mechanical damage to a rubber bumper but it sounds unwise to say that--because it probably means that other objects were involved, and the last thing your son wants to point out is that the kids also used bricks or baseball bats. He needs a lawyer.
It is unfair that your son is taking all the heat because the other kids were a few months younger, he needs a lawyer. But it is unfortunately very easy to believe that a 3-car vandalism spree did $6500 of damage. A felony charge can be a serious, life-altering, event. One more thing before I forget, he needs a lawyer.
|
 Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
++++
Eggs that are allowed to dry on painted surfaces can severe damage to the paint. I had some kids get my car a few years back and I only wished I could have caught them. Kids need to understand there is a reaction to every action and a penalty for every crime. Egging people's property is not just good fun.
Bill Grayson- Santa Cruz, California
++++
Dear all,
I wonder whether eggs can damage cars? People in this part of the world must be crazy to file law suits for such trivial things!
Regds,
Dinesh [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Chennai, Tamilnadu, India
++++
Eggs thrown at cars can do irreparable damage to the paintwork. Having it had done to my wife's car, I have no sympathy whatsoever for anyone who is stupid enough to throw eggs at cars. Unfortunately, getting a car resprayed can be an expensive job, that is why the culprits need to be taken to court to get the costs back.
|
Trevor Crichton R&D practical scientist The Pheasantries - Chesham, U.K. |
++++
Dinesh,
Law suits get filed because the offenders and their parents do not want to properly repaint the car. Kids do not normally egg an old beat up Chevrolet, they pick a new BMW, Corvette and Mercedes to egg. You cannot touch up a paint job. If you match the fading of the paint for today, it will look considerably different in a year or two. To repaint a high end car will run about a thousand dollars, more in many cases. I think that egging should be a mandatory jail time, so the kids that offend are punished and not their parents. It is not fun or a game. In short many kids in this country have far far too much given to them and have never been taught to respect others and their property. I think that it is different for a huge majority of kids in your country.
James Watts- Navarre, Florida
++++
Yes eggs can damage paint even on impact. If left to dry, definitely. As far as windows my guess is it was not an egg but something else in the frenzy.
Anthony H [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- St Augustine, Florida
++++
Dear Mr Watts,
I agree with your point. Kids should be educated to respect other persons property and sentiments. This should be done by the parents themselves.
Best regards,
Dinesh [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Chennai, India
++++
Joan,
I think being 18 means your son is an egg throwing adult. Eggs won't hurt anything but the paint, he should probably tell you everything that went on if he's looking to you for help. Sound like he's going to find out about life the hard way. Time for him to find new friends too.
|
Sheldon Taylor supply chain electronics Wake Forest, North Carolina |
++++
Dinesh,
I agree somewhat with your first response, if it was just eggs it would be somewhat trivial, but we Americans thrive on blowing things out of proportion. It sounds like they went after the other cars with something a little more lethal. I believe the felony charge (simplistically stated) would be for throwing something from a moving vehicle, not damaging cars.
|
|
Sheldon Taylor supply chain electronics Wake Forest, North Carolina |
++++
Dear Mr Sheldon Taylor
I came to know from my friends in US that there are lot of law suits filed every day. Why don't people become little patient towards others and parents teach some moral things to their children?
Regards,
Dinesh [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Chennai, India
++++
I found out the hard way that an egg will damage a car paint finish if it is left on. Damage is MUCH worse if there is high temperature involved (hot day, direct sunlight) and if left for more than a couple of hours.
Karl M [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Cincinnati Ohio
++++
My car was egged last night and now that it had baked in the sun for a couple of hours, I have to repaint my whole car. I'm having to spend 3,000 dollars because of the person who did it. It does destroy cars and a penalty should be given if the person is caught!
Kayla C [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Tyler, Texas
++++
I had my car egged last week, I went to the police about it and the culprits have been caught. There was some minimal paint damage but the cops don't think it was caused by the eggs thrown. What can I do to convince them it was?
Tony C [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Dunedin, New Zealand
++++
I am an 18 year old female who has thrown eggs before. I don't see the big deal in it as long as you don't hit cars. My friends and I usually aim for signs and things like that
Sara S [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]-Ontario, Canada
++++
I agree with you, Sara. As long as you're doing no real damage it's no big deal.
That assumes, of course, that you turn out on Earth day, volunteer as a Candy Striper, or collect for Unicef and the March of Dimes, or things like that. As long as you are being a productive member of society, always pulling your weight toward making society better, then have some fun on Friday nights without feeling too guilty about it. Of course if you never make the world a better place, just a dirtier and fouler place, then it should make you feel guilty :-)
|
 Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
++++
Hi Sara
I got in trouble from throwing an egg at a car they caught me. Now I might need to go to court. And my mother will have to pay for what I have done. I am 9 years old. It was the night before Halloween when I threw the egg now I don't know what's going to happen.........
Nicholas M [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- New Jersey
++++
Why does everyone think that egging a car is good, tasteful, American behavior? I have a $32K sports car. If it was ever to be egged I would expect the vandals to pay out the wazoo for the repairs. I don't care if it was a beat up old Chevy. It's the principle. It's ok to go beat up a homeless person but not a successful aristocrat? Sorry your son is getting what he deserves. As for why eggs damage paint, it's simple chemistry. Learn about pH balances and you'll understand. It's people like your son that make me regret enjoying my vehicle and make me think I should go out and buy a gas guzzling Hummer instead. After all, it is the American thing to do right. Toilet paper, plastic forks, and other reversible pranks are ok for this time. Eggs at cars are not. The fact that you are petitioning people as to why your son should be let off "just because he was the only one of age" really irks me. He was 18, meaning adult. He did a bad thing. He should get all of what the law says he should get. I hope he gets more than the $6500. Why is the internet full of anti-cerebral beliefs and idiotic posts?
Sasha D [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Kansas City, Missouri
++++
I was wondering, how does one catch such a person? I mean, my car has been vandalized by teenagers recently and I can only assume who to blame. I fear that my vehicle will be targeted again due to the fact that this has already happened several times before.
Joseph H [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Los Angeles, California
++++
Dear all,
My car was egged last night and I have an idea who it is I just don't know how to prove them guilty. The eggs did shatter the paint and the guy I took it to to have the damages estimated knew right off the bat that it was from egging. So now I have to spend 1000 dollars to fix it, but I'm hoping to catch the person who did it, it happens to be one of my old friends that I never talk to anymore, how do I go about getting the damages taken car of from them, and how do I go about proving them guilty.
Nick M [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Wichita, Kansas
++++
Sasha: there's a time for cerebral and a time for not. The judge and jury should perhaps not forgive him, but the fact that a mother rationalizes her child's behavior does not annoy me; rather it is something about human nature that I'm grateful for.
Joseph, Nick: the only practical way to catch the egg-throwers is undercover cops in unmarked cars. Usually they won't do this unless there is a pattern of a group of vandals, and the situation is escalating.
|
|
Ted Mooney, P.E. finishing.com Brick, New Jersey |
+++++
Can Eggs Chip Paint on the Edge of the Hood?
I was driving through Palo Alto (CA, USA), on El Camino Real. I heard a noise and thought that some bird droppings got my car. The windshield became gooey! I got suspicious and made a U-turn back to the same place, along a motel. I saw at least 2 oranges and other debris on the road. I pulled into the nearest open gas station and got out of my car and found and discovered that it was egg! The edge of the hood, presumably where the car was hit has chipped paint. I saw another individual and who has a wet hood and I thought it was strange. I asked if his car got egged! It turns out he did and was waiting for the police. The police took a report for him, but said my damages are cause by rocks. When I can home I found out that there was egg shell lodge between the hood and the light. So it looks like it got my vehicle right on the top edge of the light cover and the edge of the good. The other person's nice car claims he has damaged paint. Can egg shell chip paint on the edge of the hood when the car is going at 35 MPH?
Johnunemployed; student soon to be realtor. - Mountain View, California
+++++
In response to the question: Can an egg chip paint on a car if the car is traveling 35 mph? Well, the short answer is yes. Your car was traveling in the opposite direction the egg came from. Take your average (male) egg-hurling teenager and you can estimate a velocity of 20-40 mph on that projectile egg. Using simple relative physics, the impact the egg had on your car could have been anywhere from 55 to 75 mph. That's one fast egg. An egg flying at that speed could very well chip a bit of paint at the point of impact. To get a good idea of what this is like, think of falling off a waverunner traveling on idle (you fall right in to the water and float back up, no biggie). But if you were traveling 50 mph and fell off, you might skip a little bit. The water would feel a lot like cement and you'll most likely get some redness there, if not a bruise. Same materials colliding, different speeds, different effects.
Sam A [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Erlanger, Kentucky
+++++
Last night I had an egg thrown at my 40K Truck. I was none too happy. Luckily me and my girlfriend were able to chase down the culprits and ended up walking them to the one kids' parents house. The kids were two 12-14 year old girls.
We talked over everything with the parents and it seemed okay at the time. I told them as long as damages were repaired I would not press charges. I washed the egg off last night and figured everything would be cool, they would just pay to have the truck detailed. This morning I found that the egg hit directly on the passenger mirror making a nice egg shaped spider crack in the paint. I talked to the one parent today and now they don't want to pay for anything.
Needless to say I now have the police involved. The officer is charging the girls with criminal mischief. We'll see how this goes as he is supposed to contact us tomorrow afternoon. Now my question is, who gets to pay for the damages? I'm assuming I'll have to go to court over this. Is throwing an egg at a moving vehicle more than criminal mischief?
I did stupid stuff when I was kid but I paid for my mistakes, so I don't feel too bad about having to press charges. I'd rather not cause these kids to have a criminal record but I want my truck fixed.
Mike J [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Altoona, Pennsylvania
+++++
HAHAHHAHHAHHAHAHHAA....you guys are funny....booooohooooohooooo...cry me a river...u cant tell me that you never threw eggs when u were kids...its what kids do LIKE TO HAVE FUN and yes by throwing eggs means fun....maybe not for the loners who have no friends or the druggies that smoke up elsewhere,,,,what's worse getting high or egging someone's car....holey pooo...wash your car and forget about it....stop being a bunch of cry babies
Ryan B [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
+++++
OK, to anyone who doesn't think an egg can damage a car. I challenge you to throw an egg at your car on a hot sunny day and leave it there for a few hours.
The protein can damage the paint surface and the egg shells shatter on impact creating a spider web effect.
Believe me, I just had my car vandalized by some low lifes. If you're a parent and your kid throws eggs at cars you need to punish them. Ask them how they would feel if when they finally buy their first car and someone ruins it by throwing eggs at it...
What goes around comes around and if the law doesn't step in karma will.
-Recent Egg Victim
- Calgary, AB, Canada
+++++
When one works hard to buy a new vehicle, regardless of how much the vehicle costs, it is upsetting to that new owner when their vehicle gets vandalized. And yes, egging a vehicle is considered vandalizing. I, three weeks ago purchased a new SUV. I have obligated myself for 72 months to make payments on this vehicle. Last night, while house sitting for a friend my three week old SUV was egged. I haven't made any payments yet and only filled the gas tank once. So you better believe that I was pissed that some jerk through eggs at my new SUV. I don't know who did it nor will I ever find out, but the point is that for those who have the opportunity to press charges on the guilty parties, they're not over reacting. And might I just add, driving around just to throw eggs at vehicles to have fun is brainless. There are better and more productive things to do. Go to the movies, hang out at the mall, or since these kids have cars, maybe they should get a job to help support their worthless selves and take the burden from their parents who now have to pay for their teenage children's screwups.
Meghan [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Palm Springs, California
+++++
Hi my H2 was egged today and it had been left on there no longer then an hour and destroyed the paint in circular fashion .I am a hard working student paying for this vehicle on my own also and I filed a police report and plan to prosecute them to the full extent of the law 10 other cars where hit also none a beat up old Chevy cts escalade tahoes it is fact they need to pay also do you not realize when you have to have you whole car repainted it cause the report on the car to go down and then your value of your car is cut by half therefore you had 60k now you only have 30k in value for trade or sell.I don't care what age you are 5 yrs old to 100 someone is liable and should pay for there mistakes.
Joshua A [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Auburn, Alabama
+++++
Has anyone had problems when taking a child's parent to court over an egg throwing incident. I recently had my brand new 40K truck hit with two eggs by my neighbor's child. You have to get close to the truck to see the faded clear coat but I feel that for what I still owe on the truck, it should be fixed. The child's parent does not feel the damage needs to be repaired and the estimate came to 740 dollars. I am wondering if it is worth the hassle of taking them to court.
Steven T [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Chicago, Illinois
+++++
I just had my van egged 4 nights ago. About two dozen eggs judging by the egg cartons left. Luckily it happened near midnight so no light was on my car and I got it pretty well washed off. The people responsible have since left 4 harassing voice messages on both mine and my girlfriend's cell phones. They know us and we know them. My suspicions are that they are actually friends. Really stupid and ignorant jerks now. The police are involved and investigating. Now if you think that one spiderweb crack is horrible...how do you think I feel having nearly a dozen to take care of? I don't care who does it, they deserve the full extent of the law and maybe even an egg thrown against the side of their head, too.
Eric E [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Dubuque, Iowa
+++++
My car was parked on the street a few days ago and I went to drive it and it had been egged. I cleaned off most of the egg (it had dried) but now it appears as if there is a residue left behind. Will waxing the spot help hide this residue/spot? Any ideas on how to get rid of it without repainting?
Thanks.
- Chicago, Illinois
+++++
Using a wax polish, should bring the paint up looking new, unless closely inspected, I myself have recently been a target of someone throwing an egg from high speed.
Alison B [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- ALBURY, NSW, AUSTRALIA
+++++
If your car gets egged when it is below 50 degrees outside and its dries/freezes, does the same damage still occur?
Mike N [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Cottage Grove, Minnesota
+++++
My SUV that I haven't even had a full month was egged 2 nights ago and with it being a Saturday neither of us had to work so we didn't notice it until 11:00 a.m. and we have come to the conclusion that it happened between 10:30 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. Friday night. We made a police report and called our insurance company because there are at least 13 spots where the egg hit my Durango. They hit every panel on the truck but the back hatch. I would like to find out who did it because the police dept said it wasn't their problem because we don't know who it was. We have lived at our house for 1 year 9 months and don't know any one because we are not home that often and with two young kids you don't have a whole lot of time to mingle with the neighbors. Is there any way to find this person or am I wasting my time. And isn't vandalism the polices problem? Isn't that there job? What do I do?
Leslie M [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Fort Wayne, Indiana
+++++
My 2 month old Honda Accord was hit by 3 eggs last Monday 10/31/05. Luckily they only hit the passenger rear door but it caused 300 dollars in damage since the egg scratched the door upon impact. I was driving while these kids were throwing eggs at oncoming traffic. I could've gotten in an accident and died. Luckily its only 300 dollars that I have to deal with. These kids should be punished and learn to respect people in their community. Their parents should have better control of them. Who cares if this woman's son was the only one charged. He was involved and should pay for to fix it.
Brian W [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Staten Island, New York
+++++
Joan,
Yes, egging cars can cause damage but I was riding in a car with my window down last night. It was dark and some kids played a harmless joke. It was harmless to me. The egg hit me in the throat. I cut me and bruise me and cause severe breathing problems, until the swelling went done. I would love to e-mail you the pictures of how a prank you can turn into so much more.
- Chesterfield, Virginia
+++++
My house and car got egged last Wednesday. As its cold here in the UK the car was not a problem but my house has been egged nearly every night since. I've got floodlights and CCTV with night vision so I can make out the activity but not identify the culprits. In the UK it is not a criminal offense to do this unless there is damage. anyone got any ideas on stopping it? If I lay my hands on the culprit, I could be sued for kidnap?
R Calland- Notts, UK
++++++
Hello guys I'm from Australia and last week I had someone egg my car and I was not happy but they are still doing it do u think I should put up cctv Camera where my car is and have a sign up saying Camera in use 24 hrs please guys I need your help on this one. I'm going to the police to report it and to see what they can do to stop it from happing again
Jeza [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Sydney, Australia
July 10, 2009
Our 1960 FORD FAIRLANE IS PARKED ON THE STREET EVERY NIGHT AND 2 NIGHTS AGO IT WAS EGGED. WE NOTICED IT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AND IT WAS 109 DEGREES OUTSIDE. WE HAVEN'T ATTEMPTED TO WASH IT OFF DUE TO THE RUMOR THAT IT TAKES THE PAINT OFF. NOW THAT WE HAVE CONFIRMED IT TO BE TRUE I WILL ATTEMPT TO SALVAGE AS MUCH OF THE PAINT AS I CAN WITH A PLANT BASED DEGREASER CLEANER. I WILL LET U KNOW IF IT DOES ANY GOOD.
Sherry H [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- El Mirage Arizona
September 10, 2009
Re the lady with egg throwing son. I'm sure it can cause a lot of damage depending on the speed of the car. People have been killed by pumpkins being dropped off of bridges. If you are smart you will let your son discover that he must be accountable for his actions regardless of his age at the time.
Eighteen year olds aren't babies much as their parents want to see them that way. Although your instincts may be to set yourself in "protective mode" it appears that you may have done this too much already and it's time to stop clipping his wings and let him learn to fly on his own (handle this by himself). At some point in life he will have to understand that there are unpleasant consequences for every unpleasant action and it's better that he learn what this feels like at a young age than learn with extreme difficulty after you have passed away.
- Calgary, AB, Canada
December 11, 2009
i am in trouble for throwing an egg out a bus window and hitting a car. me and a couple other kids thought it would be funny, but it really wasn't. it definitely wasn't worth it. I went to court and got 45 hours community service, criminal record, apology letter, an essay, and 2 jury duties, it was really not worth it. I have done some of the stuff, but I caught on the essay. it has to be 500 words on how I think the victim felt, but I have no idea. I was hoping someone could help me by telling me how he/she felt when his/her car was egged.
Sam s [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- roseburg Oregon
----
Ed. note: You can read their feelings right here and in
letter 23016, Sam; that part sounds easy.
|
S |
August 31, 2010
I agree with the responses only when applied to egging American cars. People who throw eggs at American cars do need to be severely punished. But I have no sympathy whatsoever for anyone stupid enough to buy a foreign car (Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc.) It's THOSE people who need to be taught a serious lesson -- that every time someone buys a foreign car, there is someone who loses their job in the auto industry. They are the ones destroying our country. Foreign car buyers deserve to have their cars damaged. They are most of the reason why this country's economy is in shambles. I have no more respect for people who buy foreign cars than I do for people who burn the American flag. Jordan Powell- Livonia, Michigan, USA August 31, 2010 Hi, Jordan. My previously owned Chevy was built in Canada; my currently owned Chrysler in Mexico -- and nothing I could do. I tried to buy American but our car manufacturers, abetted by our government's support of NAFTA, don't permit me to specify the country of manufacture. The failure of GM and Chrysler was due to their mistakes and shortsightedness, not due to people not buying enough of those mistakes. I spent 40 years in manufacturing engineering and made countless visits to auto plants, and saw many times where the unionized auto workers delighted in interfering with production. Went to Detroit to reprogram an automatic bumper plating line, but spent the day twiddling my thumbs because the workers correctly figured out that a great sabotage strategy would be to rub whole bars of buffing compounds on the back of the bumpers so all the tanks would be contaminated. They were right! My trip was wasted, a day of production lost, hundreds of gallons of expensive chemicals had to be treated and dumped. This continuous worker-management fight was a game for both sides for decades, and all about them sticking it to each other, with never a thought to the buyer. After decades of this, Japan saw an opportunity to offer cars built by people who were cared about building good cars, and the chickens came home to roost . . . so now it's all the buyer's fault? Although my Highlander Hybrid was built in Japan, demand is now great enough that they've moved the production to Indiana, employing American workers. Meanwhile far fewer of my American dollars went to Saudi Arabia for gasoline because Toyota struck a blow for American energy independence while GM, Ford, and Chrysler sat on their hands. Years later I can finally buy a hybrid Ford, and probably will -- but this means Ford will be sending a lot of my american money to Japan because Ford's hybrid engineering and technology are all licensed from Toyota, who planned ahead when Ford didn't. Yes, we need much more American manufacturing; it is critical to our economy and there will be much shedding of tears when we find out how important it was to our defense. The "arsenal of democracy" won both world wars, then we decided to move it to China. But ironically, cars are a small part of the problem: the big part is electronics and consumer goods, of which virtually nothing is made in America anymore. Where was the computer that you typed your complaint into manufactured? ... and the chair you're sitting in, the lightbulb you're working by, the fork you're eating with, your phone, your TV, your shoes, your pants, your shirt, and your underwear?
|
September 5, 2010
Very good point Mr. Mooney! Nothing is really made in America anymore, and WE have all the money... we "hire" other countries as our "sweat shops" and then reap the benefits, When really we are only destroying our own future and trying to justify it. More importantly, what is this world coming to when babies are having babies... we learn nothing yet we think we know everything. Just because you are older than your children does not mean that you know how to raise them, to be mature and respectable adults. Children are parrots so to speak.. "monkey see monkey do"? (why would any person think its ok or that they can get away with such a punishable crime?) I do know one thing is for sure, without discipline there will be no structure. Thus deteriorating the construction of the minds and mentality that belong to our beloved children we so desperately want the best for. Sad to say but for most people nowadays it takes personal experience for anyone to learn this, usually by this time its too late to change or correct.
- Houston, Texas, USA
October 24, 2010
Its good that kids are getting caught when they do stupid things like that, last night my car was target. But I was lucky that my car has mist on it( if there's mist the egg won't damage much).I woke up and found eggs all over my garage door and my car. I quickly washed my car and brought a car cover and wires to secure the cover. My garage door is clean then ever but my drive way still have yellow stains..it wasn't the first time they threw eggs at my property the first time it only landed near my mailbox area. Since the accident I've been looking out and watching the kids. They saw me and seems another plan is up their sleeves. ..
for people who says "its not a big deal".its not a big deal to you because its not your property that is being damaged. I mean if parents do not wish to watch their kids. Then don't have kids,get the tubes tied.its so annoying watching other peoples children. Then parents have the nerve to say "its just a kid"yeah a kid from hell
- Dunwoody Georgia
February 24, 2011
My car was egged this weekend and we found out right away and washed it off. No damage was done to the paint, however we noticed a circular dent on the side of the rear driver door. It looks similar to hail damage, there are no paint chips, and it is on a vertical surface. Could this be from an egg?
Jolie Anderson- Lakewood, Colorado, USA
April 18, 2011
Sorry, but egg causes irreparable damage to car paint. That means the victim has to have the car repainted, and with the same quality of paint it originally had (none of those $300 jobs that peel away in six months). The victim also has to leave the car at the shop; the victim may need other transportation while the car is at the shop; the victim may lose work time while getting the car to the shop. In other words, this incident by the 18 year old and his underage friends cost the victim a good bit, and in more ways than one. If your son wants to cut down on the $6500 he now owes, tell him to turn in the others who contributed to the damages, too.
Edgar Mortellaro- Charleston, South Carolina
----
Ed. note: See letter 23016 for more about cars and eggings