Advice needed - just hit a stupid bollard

[richardthestag]

Here’s a good one for the PH massive

Just got back from the Westway Retail park in Greenford. Now the place is busy and staffed by the most vigilant of Parking Attendant Hitlers so I made sure that I parked correctly in the middle of my space thus giving them no reason to ticket me.

On leaving the site I am parked one space away from the lane exit which is naturally one way. So I make to reverse my Range Rover out of the space to be heading in the right direction.

Cue sickening Crunch

Jump out and find front of car thoroughly wedged onto a large wood post that is one foot from the front edge of the space and on the boundary with the space next to me (which was unoccupied). Damage to car is fortunately limited to corner bumper, indicator / side light unit and a big chunk out of the leading edge of the front wing.

I took loads of photos of the site and state of my poor old motor.

I clearly did not see the post from my elevated driving position and although it was very stout was clearly hidden well below the wing line of my car. I can see this because the “clam shell” bonnet is unscathed.

Because of the stupid positioning of this post, which I should imagine anyone would hit it reversing out of the same space, do I have a case for a claim from the site managers?

Will post pics tonight

[Munter]

UNless the pics reveal the post to have been very "hidden" then it's not exactly their fault you didn't notice it. Poor visibility of that area is part of driving that shape of vehicle.

Had you been in a euro box would you have seen the pillar?

[funkyrobot]

Agree with Munter, unless it was hidden well then you won't have much to go on because they will tell you that you should have seen it.

I have a friend who is going through a similar case with a well known fast food chain at the mo. She has had a few accidents with their bollards near the drive through windows and is attempting to blame them for this. Trouble is the bollards aren't hidden and its her own fault for not looking properly when driving and hitting them. She is also a poor driver so it has to be expected really!

>> Edited by funkyrobot on Tuesday 12th April 13:07

[SJobson]

Have a read of the fifth point down in rule 178 of the Highway Code:

www.highwaycode.gov.uk/19.htm#178

[gone]

richardthestag said:

Because of the stupid positioning of this post, which I should imagine anyone would hit it reversing out of the same space, do I have a case for a claim from the site managers?

I would say not!
They will say because of your stupid positioning, you hit and damaged (if you have damaged it) their post
moral in this. Always reverse into parking spaces. It is much easier to drive out than reverse out.

richardthestag said:

Will post pics tonight

Can't wait

[richardthestag]

gone said:

richardthestag said: Will post pics tonight Can't wait

After Mrs Thestag, the bollard queen, has stopped ripping the urine out of me.



Her best one to date; I noticed that the nearside sill on her Picasso was completely stoved in from underneath. "Where did you do that?" I ask. "Oh I don't remember!" she answered.

Blimey that sort of stunt would have shaken the fillings out of her teeth.

[gone]

richardthestag said:

gone said: richardthestag said: Will post pics tonight Can't wait After Mrs Thestag, the bollard queen, has stopped ripping the urine out of me.

You told her the truth!!!
2nd moral. Dont tell her the truth

richardthestag said:

Her best one to date; I noticed that the nearside sill on her Picasso was completely stoved in from underneath. "Where did you do that?" I ask. "Oh I don't remember!" she answered. Blimey that sort of stunt would have shaken the fillings out of her teeth.

It would appear she is one step ahead of you Mrstag

[richardthestag]

gone said:

You told her the truth!!! 2nd moral. Dont tell her the truth

I could try fibbing but she will get it out of me, reads me like a bloody book she does.

Last time I stacked something she was in the car with me and the three little lads, was reversing out of the driveway and she was yaking on about something totally irrelevant so I stopped while she spoke. Only the car was still rolling back every so slowly and it hit the gate post (getting paranoid about gateposts now). Note Mondeo bumpers explode like the finest bone china at impacts of 1mph.

Few choicy words came out, which the little ones took huge amusement in repeating over the following weeks. That is until they were visited by Mr Colemans and a bar of Pears soap.


Thing is that when I make a mess of things, about once every 5 years and always at around 1mph I pay for it. Trouble and strife has repeatedly trashed her citroen over the last 3 years but only a very brave man would ever question her about it..

[MR2Mike]

gone said:

(if you have damaged it) their post moral in this. Always reverse into parking spaces. It is much easier to drive out than reverse out.

Frankly I've never understood this! In order to drive out, you'd have to reverse in, so you still have a undertake a potentialy tricky manouver (to some!). It's quite possible the OP would have crunched the opposite corner on the way in. Also, if you are shopping then it's usualy far more convienient to have the boot facing out rather than jammed up against the car opposite you.

[richardthestag]

SJobson said:

Have a read of the fifth point down in rule 178 of the Highway Code: www.highwaycode.gov.uk/19.htm#178

Tis a good point but I must admit that after a cursory glace around through all the windows I tend to concentrate on looking out of the back window, i.e. where I am going and get the operation over and done with as safely as possible! I clouted a post which was hidden well below the bonnet level with the front end of my n/s wing, diagonally opposite where I was supposed to be looking.

I have a feeling that any person faced with the same circumstances would fall victim in exactly the same way.

Anyway gotten over feeling stupid now, front wing is about £50, indicator should be about £15 and I can bend the rest of it back into shape cos it is all alloy. Thank god for bolt together meccano sets with huge 2nd hand part supply

I shall maybe go and entertain the chavs at maccy d's tonight by pulling the bd post out of the ground

[Mad Dave]

LMAO@"I hit post - is someone else to blame?" Sorry Richard, it was a stationary object and you drove into it - it's hardly as if it leapt out in front of your car after an energetic night on the beers is it?!



No offense intended, and sorry to hear that your vehicle was damaged!

[TangoAlpha]

MR2Mike said:

Frankly I've never understood this! In order to drive out, you'd have to reverse in, so you still have a undertake a potentialy tricky manouver (to some!).

If a driver cannot reverse into a parking space should they even be on the road???

[richardthestag]

TangoAlpha said:

MR2Mike said: Frankly I've never understood this! In order to drive out, you'd have to reverse in, so you still have a undertake a potentialy tricky manouver (to some!). If a driver cannot reverse into a parking space should they even be on the road???

I think you missed the point here, if you reverse into a parking space how do you get to the boot to load your shopping in?

I also agree that reversing into the same space, I would possibly have fouled up the o/s/r wing on the car instead of the n/s/f though I would have had a better chance of seeing it in the drivers door mirror.

I will always go forwards into a space and reverse out of it, always have done and probably always will do.

Incidently a Picasso parked in the same space, the bollard is completely obscured by the n/s/r corner of the car. You just don't expect a bollard to be where this bugger was. Nowt I can do about it except moan and I've gotten bored with that now.

R

[SJobson]

richardthestag said:

Tis a good point but I must admit that after a cursory glace around through all the windows I tend to concentrate on looking out of the back window, i.e. where I am going and get the operation over and done with as safely as possible! I clouted a post which was hidden well below the bonnet level with the front end of my n/s wing, diagonally opposite where I was supposed to be looking.

I was referring to the bit saying 'be aware your front end will swing out' actually, but having a look around the car before you get in might be a good idea

[deva link]

richardthestag said:

Cue sickening Crunch. I clearly did not see the post from my elevated driving position and although it was very stout was clearly hidden well below the wing line of my car. I can see this because the “clam shell” bonnet is unscathed. Because of the stupid positioning of this post, which I should imagine anyone would hit it reversing out of the same space, do I have a case for a claim from the site managers?

Lucky it wasn't a stupidly positioned small child.

[gh0st]

deva link said:

richardthestag said: Cue sickening Crunch. I clearly did not see the post from my elevated driving position and although it was very stout was clearly hidden well below the wing line of my car. I can see this because the “clam shell” bonnet is unscathed. Because of the stupid positioning of this post, which I should imagine anyone would hit it reversing out of the same space, do I have a case for a claim from the site managers? Lucky it wasn't a stupidly positioned small child.

Yes congratulations for the emotive "think of the children" post. He could have hit a small child / adult / dog / cat / horse / weasel / mythical dragon BUT HE DIDNT so there you go.

[richardthestag]

deva link said:

Lucky it wasn't a stupidly positioned small child.

Anti 4x4 action groups?

[richardthestag]

Right for those who are interested


Car after I prised it off the bollard which you can see behind n/s/f wing. You can see that when I started the car was three foot or so further forwards than it is in this pic


When I started out my front wheels were up against the kerb as I started reversing I swang the front of the car into the bollard


why stick a bollard there?


final word on the matter

ta ta

Richard

[Balmoral Green]

I can well understand why you would be p****d off. It cant be seen from the drivers seat so unless you noticed it when you drove in, how would you know it was there? And what's it there for? just another parking space alongside you. There isnt one next to the blue X5 parked behind you in exactly the same sort of slot. Reading the thread earlier I was inclined to be unsympathetic, you hit a bollard, tough! your own silly fault. But having seen the pics, I sympathise.

>> Edited by Balmoral Green on Tuesday 12th April 22:11

[deva link]

gh0st said:

Yes congratulations for the emotive "think of the children" post. He could have hit a small child / adult / dog / cat / horse / weasel / mythical dragon BUT HE DIDNT so there you go.

On my last defensive driving refresher (we have to do half a day with work every year) the instructor took us to a supermarket car park. Made us park (front in, so stuff could be loaded into boot) but before leaving we had to walk around the car and look for obstacles 'small children' etc.
I thought it was a bit stupid, and couldn’t imagine anyone doing it in practice, but then literally a couple of days later there was a story in all the national newspapers about someone who reversed over a small child while backing out of parking space. They’d approached the car from the front, jumped in and hadn’t seen the child behind the car. I feel self-conscious doing it but tend to have a sneaky walk around and hope nobody notices, before I get in the car now.