Another burning car story
Discussion
Gretchen's story about car burnings reminded me of this incident a few years ago...
Was driving though a small forest very near my home - a favourite place of mine where I would take my son for nature walks... and the reason I moved there... it was very very quiet and the road was a narrow twisty single track with occasional passing places... the usual 'system' was that whoever was nearest to a passing place made the move... this particular evening I came face to face with a car heading towards me at some speed... he revved angrily for me to move but my nearest involved reversing round a corner for about 1/4 mile while his was a few feet back.... He was clearly agitated... and the lady passenger had her head bowed down.... Odd. I shrugged and eventually he threw his car into reverse, screamed back off the road and let me pass.... as soon as I had done he took off at breakneck speed....
I rounded the bend and saw why... a range rover with flames pouring out of the back.
I was instantly utterly furious... enraged. No pikey is going to burn his Range Rover in MY little forest... (not a euphamism)... anyway... it was hot mid-summer and a REALLY stupid thing to do.
I turned round to give chase (not as in stupid chasing, more like following quite fast), my son thought it was brilliant, he was about 6 at the time, I told him there was a 'baddie' in the car and he was convinced it was Dr Robotnik. So, knowing this road fairly well there were two exits, both leading to the main road.... I took the unsigned one... and perfectly...as I reached the main road this same car went past me... ahhhh HA! so I pulled out and follwed..Got the reg number and then I stopped at a payphone and called it in.
Anyhoooo... At the time I had a mate who worked at the local fire birgade who had been on the shout but said that unusual security (for a burning vehicle) had been instantly imposed, CID all over it and the vehicle removed immediately (often burned out wrecks take weeks to move).... he said there was something rather sinister about it and he thought I should 'distance' myself.
Still with me? (unusual post length for me I know).... anyway... My Mother (who thinks all police are like Dixon of Dock Green), who also happened to be working for the Chief of Police at the time.... and obviously wanted to impress with her 'good citizen' assistance.... called me very excitedly to say that my 'story' had been on Crimewatch and they were appealing for the witness from the phonebox to call.... "don't worry dear I have done it for you". This is such a 'Mother' thing to do and it aggravated me intensely.
Fekk... there were loads of rumours flying around and the general feeling was that it was very unwise to get involved. That's pretty much all I knew - it was quite scary.
I got home a couple of days later and a couple of CID were at my door. I was really scared and said I couldn't rememember much... still not knowing the story. They came back about 6 times in all... trying to get me to describe the people in the car. I'd been advised that if I did 'help' at all that his associates would find ways to just 'waste some of my time'... I didn't know if this was true but it scared me... I really didn't know what to do - was quite young and living in a very remote village.
Anyway.... eventually it transpires that the person who torched their own car was a very senior serving police officer and his wife... they'd already reported it stolen and involved the mother in law as a false alibi. Apparently it was because of gambling debts - he'd tried unsuccessfully to sell the car...
The weird thing is - I simply can't believe how stupid he was. On the other side of the City was a well-known gipsy camp with a dead-end road. If they had burned it there nobody would have seen and they would have got away with it. Ignorant as well as stupid.
My Mother didn't talk to me for about a year because 'I let her down' (apparently) because the Police are 'good' and 'good' people should always help them.... still refuses to discuss it... the irony is rather lost on her.
So there you go. That's my burning car story.
Was driving though a small forest very near my home - a favourite place of mine where I would take my son for nature walks... and the reason I moved there... it was very very quiet and the road was a narrow twisty single track with occasional passing places... the usual 'system' was that whoever was nearest to a passing place made the move... this particular evening I came face to face with a car heading towards me at some speed... he revved angrily for me to move but my nearest involved reversing round a corner for about 1/4 mile while his was a few feet back.... He was clearly agitated... and the lady passenger had her head bowed down.... Odd. I shrugged and eventually he threw his car into reverse, screamed back off the road and let me pass.... as soon as I had done he took off at breakneck speed....
I rounded the bend and saw why... a range rover with flames pouring out of the back.
I was instantly utterly furious... enraged. No pikey is going to burn his Range Rover in MY little forest... (not a euphamism)... anyway... it was hot mid-summer and a REALLY stupid thing to do.
I turned round to give chase (not as in stupid chasing, more like following quite fast), my son thought it was brilliant, he was about 6 at the time, I told him there was a 'baddie' in the car and he was convinced it was Dr Robotnik. So, knowing this road fairly well there were two exits, both leading to the main road.... I took the unsigned one... and perfectly...as I reached the main road this same car went past me... ahhhh HA! so I pulled out and follwed..Got the reg number and then I stopped at a payphone and called it in.
Anyhoooo... At the time I had a mate who worked at the local fire birgade who had been on the shout but said that unusual security (for a burning vehicle) had been instantly imposed, CID all over it and the vehicle removed immediately (often burned out wrecks take weeks to move).... he said there was something rather sinister about it and he thought I should 'distance' myself.
Still with me? (unusual post length for me I know).... anyway... My Mother (who thinks all police are like Dixon of Dock Green), who also happened to be working for the Chief of Police at the time.... and obviously wanted to impress with her 'good citizen' assistance.... called me very excitedly to say that my 'story' had been on Crimewatch and they were appealing for the witness from the phonebox to call.... "don't worry dear I have done it for you". This is such a 'Mother' thing to do and it aggravated me intensely.
Fekk... there were loads of rumours flying around and the general feeling was that it was very unwise to get involved. That's pretty much all I knew - it was quite scary.
I got home a couple of days later and a couple of CID were at my door. I was really scared and said I couldn't rememember much... still not knowing the story. They came back about 6 times in all... trying to get me to describe the people in the car. I'd been advised that if I did 'help' at all that his associates would find ways to just 'waste some of my time'... I didn't know if this was true but it scared me... I really didn't know what to do - was quite young and living in a very remote village.
Anyway.... eventually it transpires that the person who torched their own car was a very senior serving police officer and his wife... they'd already reported it stolen and involved the mother in law as a false alibi. Apparently it was because of gambling debts - he'd tried unsuccessfully to sell the car...
The weird thing is - I simply can't believe how stupid he was. On the other side of the City was a well-known gipsy camp with a dead-end road. If they had burned it there nobody would have seen and they would have got away with it. Ignorant as well as stupid.
My Mother didn't talk to me for about a year because 'I let her down' (apparently) because the Police are 'good' and 'good' people should always help them.... still refuses to discuss it... the irony is rather lost on her.
So there you go. That's my burning car story.
Edited by parakitaMol. on Wednesday 15th April 13:48
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