A group of teenagers in southwest China was recorded using a half-a-million-dollar Ferrari as a slide, with the boys even caught handling wooden sticks. The car was scratched, of course, and the owner was mad, to say the least. Now, he is suing the parents, whom he accuses of refusing to apologize and offering a fraction of the damage costs.
As reported by the South China Morning Post, the incident occurred in the city of Kunming in Yunnan province. Zhang, the Ferrari’s owner, parked his luxurious vehicle in an outdoor space and then left on a business trip.
Busy and away from his red $530,000 car, he received a message from a neighbor. Apparently, four young boys had approached his vehicle and used it as an impromptu slide.
This, understandably, horrified Zhang, who, frustrated, couldn’t do anything about it at the time. He eventually returned to his vehicle, only to find its bodywork scratched and a bumper cracked.
Footage Shared Online
The outlet shared footage of the four boys on top of the Ferrari. All of them were seen lying on top of the car’s hood and windshield.
The boys, whose ages have not been disclosed but appear to be younger than 10, were also carrying bamboo poles. Two of them can be seen dragging the poles on the ground before joining their two buddies sliding on top of the luxury vehicle.
Local police officers can be seen responding to the scene shortly after the sliding was over. In the end, the car had scratches on its roof, fenders, taillights, bonnet, and windows.
Repairs Needed
The man’s anger was momentarily cooled off. After all, the culprits were only children, and as a father himself, he decided to be lenient. At least at first.
Zhang avoided going to the Ferrari showroom. He knew for a fact that repairs would set him back at least $15,000.
So, he instead visited local workshops. He managed to reduce the repair amount significantly, to only 29,360 yuan, which is around $ 4,315.
Negotiations Go South
Thinking things could be handled swiftly, Zhang eventually met the children’s parents. The rendezvous didn’t go as planned.
The man claimed that he was offered a measly 5,000 yuan. That is around $735, and approximately 17% of the total repair cost. Worst of all, Zhang also said that the parents didn’t bring the children to apologize to him for the damage caused to his Ferrari.
As a result, negotiations were stopped altogether, and the man is now seeking full compensation through a civil lawsuit. Reportedly, Chinese law says that children under 14 are not subject to administrative detention. Instead, their parents may be ordered to educate or discipline their children.