Actually, I like my body side mouldings. But no you are right, they don't do much to help with other car doors banging into the side, but I do like the looks of them. But if they fell off tomorrow, I'm not sure I would go through the trouble to have them put back on.
Actually here in Wakulla County, where most people drive these big dang pickup trucks, about the only place mouldings would do any good would be on the side edges of the roof, right above the windows!
It's kind of unnerving to be sitting next to one of those trucks at a stop light and being able to see how pretty their driveshaft looks.......