Overprotective parents would like nothing better than to surround their kids in bubble wrap every time they leave the house. For folks without kids, that "bubble wrap rule" would apply to their cars. You can do all kinds of things to protect your car in your own driveway, like pruning trees, putting on a rain cover or even building a portico. But what happens when you go out in the world and park your car? Horror stories. We posed the question, "What's the worst thing that happened to your car while parked?" on reddit to find out. Here are a few of the more notable excursions.

Crush, Crush, Crush "Not my car, but my best friend had his Mark 2 VW Golf crushed by the City of Chicago because he neglected to move it for months. My friend worked downtown and rarely used the car. So he kind of parked it and forgot about it. The city ticketed, then booted, then towed the car, finally sending my friend a registered letter informing him that the car would be crushed in 30 days if it wasn't retrieved. He got the letter but didn't bother to open it. Until the day after the deadline. Panicked, he called the impound lot, gave them the case number, and waited while the clerk looked it up. The answer: 'Oh, we crushed that one yesterday.'"

Clearly, you shouldn't be messing with the City of Chicago Parking Bureau. To compound the injury, this owner will probably still have to pay all the parking tickets on a car that is now somebody's soda can.

Always Pay Your Insurance "I've had 2 cars totaled while parked. Both of them hit and run. One of them didn't have full coverage so I was out $15,000. Oh and I just remembered, a snow plow put a 2 inch deep gash in another car from the middle of the back door to the front headlight. Also a hit and run." That sound you're hearing are the champagne corks being popped at insurance companies when they get a claim like this. "Fifteen-thousand dollars? We'd love to pay that but you missed your insurance payment by a day. Buh-bye." Let's hope his second car was covered and he got the number of that snowplow!

A Lot of Work for Some Tires "Moved to a new place in a decent part of town. Couldn't find a parking space by our building, but on the nearby parking lot. Joked about the car being gone, but didn't expect this." On a certain level, you have to applaud those tire thieves. That is a lot of work to accomplish in the dead of night while watching out for the police. If they ever decide to go straight, they could get a job in an Indy 500 pit crew.

The Horrors of Paintball War "My car was a victim of a paintball drive-by. Got popped 3 times and 1 of those shots left a small dent. Every time I wash my car, the sight of that dent resurfaces the dormant feelings of anger and sadness from that horrible night. Also, the sound (which I heard) of my car being hit still haunts me from time to time." It is the randomness of these kinds of car assaults that are hard to let go of. Images spring to mind of Marlon Brando from Apocalypse Now muttering, "The horror. The horror." What's worse is that now this poor guy will never be able to play paintball.

Next Time, Try Uber "I was parked at the end of the driveway, just waiting for someone to come out of the house, and their neighbor reversed straight into my car! Their trailer hitch owned my rear door." Usually, people wait until they actually get on the road before they stop caring about where other cars are. This driver had a head start. You would think someone with a trailer hitch who probably drove a trailer would be a bit more cautious when backing up.

The Small Fee Would Have Been Worth It "I didn't want to pay for parking at the airport for my week-long vacation, so I parked on a side street that I thought was a safe neighborhood. Nobody stole my tires, but a tree branch completely smashed my windshield, which also allowed a ton of rainwater to ruin my interior." Next time, cough up the extra cash and pay for the airport parking. It costs about $9 a day and is well worth it.

Crazy Avian Issue Covered 95% in bird (poo) during the hour I was in the gym. There was some kind of crazy avian issue near that parking lot. Car looked like a million birds had evacuated bowels at the same time." There really is no protection from a "crazy avian issue." Although, a quick inspection of the surrounding area might help. Chances are if you're parking under a telephone pole or popular tree there will be evidence of a "crazy avian issue." The other takeaway from this story? Don't go to the gym. Ever.

Merry No, No Hit and run on Christmas Eve. Police woke me up at 2 a.m. Christmas Day to say my car was totaled." This story is bad enough, but on Christmas? First of all, who is out driving on Christmas Eve at 2 a.m.? Second, how do you spend the next twenty-four hours being reminded of "peace on Earth" and "goodwill to all" without feeling guilty about hitting a car. Someone is going to get coal in their stocking next Christmas for sure!

She Who Laughs Last Girl I work with parked her brand new SUV in her usual parking spot, someone mistook D for R and reared in the front bumper off her car. Funny how she made fun of me earlier that week for parking my car on the other side of the building where no one else parks..." Sometimes it pays to park far away from the maddening crowd. This is also a cautionary tale about karma. The next time you see someone with a parked car that has been wrecked or ruined, give up a silent moment of support, then break out the bubble wrap for your car!