Why don't they stop when they know they're being watched?
Discussion
We had a knock on the door yesterday afternoon – it was our neighbour telling us that a van had just driven into our car (that was parked outside) and then drove off, despite them seeing that our neighbour saw everything! She wrote the name of the company and telephone number on the side of the van (how the hell did the driver think he’s get away with it!) and gave the details to us.
Anyway, my wife knows the place and went there to tell them, and I wrote an email to the business manager, along with an attached picture of the damage (company details on the web..). He wasn’t happy and got a nice email back. The van did indeed come back with damage and blue paint on the front, and they have accepted full liability and the driver is now banned from driving any of their vehicles.
I know the damage isn’t massive, but what I can’t work out is why he didn’t stop to give details, accidents happen, and although I wouldn’t have been best pleased, I would have accepted that it was just ‘one of those things’ and just exchanged details. Silly man!
Anyway, my wife knows the place and went there to tell them, and I wrote an email to the business manager, along with an attached picture of the damage (company details on the web..). He wasn’t happy and got a nice email back. The van did indeed come back with damage and blue paint on the front, and they have accepted full liability and the driver is now banned from driving any of their vehicles.
I know the damage isn’t massive, but what I can’t work out is why he didn’t stop to give details, accidents happen, and although I wouldn’t have been best pleased, I would have accepted that it was just ‘one of those things’ and just exchanged details. Silly man!
chris watton said:
I know the damage isn’t massive, but what I can’t work out is why he didn’t stop to give details
It's because he's a f
king . I'm sure he'd be the type to complain vociferously about anything and everything to anyone who'll listen, yet doesn't think twice about smashing into your car and doing a runner.If it was me I'd report him to the Police for leaving the scene of an accident, and let him enjoy the 6 points on his licence. Maybe then he'll understand there are consequences to your actions.
Why don't they stop?
Denial,
If they just drive off and don't get out and check then it maybe never happened – that noise was just a tyre on a kerb, I couldn't have hit a car, I just couldn't have.
Panic/Fear
Some sort of 'fight or flight' adrenaline rush and they just run.
Or, they are just gits.
Denial,
If they just drive off and don't get out and check then it maybe never happened – that noise was just a tyre on a kerb, I couldn't have hit a car, I just couldn't have.
Panic/Fear
Some sort of 'fight or flight' adrenaline rush and they just run.
Or, they are just gits.
Silly maybe, and accepting that the driver is probably a professional driver who uses this job to pay his mortgage.
In a bid of doing nice things today, maybe you could write back and say it'd be fine by you if the manager just had a word that it's not acceptable rather than stopping him driving and potentially losing his job?
Though, my ex-ex boss used to say that to customers about me and then tell me to carry on getting the job done, so mileage may vary there
In a bid of doing nice things today, maybe you could write back and say it'd be fine by you if the manager just had a word that it's not acceptable rather than stopping him driving and potentially losing his job?
Though, my ex-ex boss used to say that to customers about me and then tell me to carry on getting the job done, so mileage may vary there
We have been advised by our insurance company to contact the police, which we are doing a little later (we did yesterday, but were told we need to go to the local station with our documents and other details - the latter we recieved today from the very helpful company the driver works (or worked..) for)
As for our next car, I will get an M3 - and keep it in the garage....
As for our next car, I will get an M3 - and keep it in the garage....
Karyn said:
Bad luck on the run-in with the ttty driver, OP.
In other news, are you my OH?! We have an MG and an M3 that's rarely seen the light of day...
tty driver, OP.In other news, are you my OH?! We have an MG and an M3 that's rarely seen the light of day...
We bought the ZTT 190 for only £3k late last year, when we came back to the UK from Italy (sold the Italian Nissan Note for £7k, I think..), and I only wanted to keep it for a year or so, while we needed the space for sorting our house out (we also have an MGF Trophy 160 that I bought for the wife a few years back, when I had my TVR's..)
It's been a great car, TBH, and never had a mark on it, even the alloys have zero curb damage!
...But my longing for another proper sports car is getting the better of me now, and I think I've waited long enough (Love another Tamora, but feel it's too risky now that TVR are no more
)Edited by chris watton on Wednesday 12th October 16:00
That's annoying OP, but glad your neighbour was on the ball.
I had a van scrape the front of one of my cars - both at a junction and he decided to change his mind on going right and turned left, even though I was there??
Only stopped when I followed him down the road and made it clear I wasn't going to let him get away.
First week in the job and he didn't want to get in any trouble was his excuse...
I had a van scrape the front of one of my cars - both at a junction and he decided to change his mind on going right and turned left, even though I was there??
Only stopped when I followed him down the road and made it clear I wasn't going to let him get away.
First week in the job and he didn't want to get in any trouble was his excuse...
I was standing in a group of about eight people in a car park and we all saw a woman reverse into a parked car right in front of us. She knew we'd seen her do it but began. We stopped her while we checked the other car (it'd just pushed the bumper so there was no damage done).
She quite obviously knew she'd done it and that we'd all seen her and could easily have taken her registration, but she was quite prepared to ignore it and drive off.
Rather than assuming she was an ignorant arse, I suspect it was just fear that made her begin drive off. If you aren't used to dealing with the general public (and modern life for many of us means it's increasingly rare), then I suppose it can be quite scary.
Especially if you've put a dent in their p&j.
She quite obviously knew she'd done it and that we'd all seen her and could easily have taken her registration, but she was quite prepared to ignore it and drive off.
Rather than assuming she was an ignorant arse, I suspect it was just fear that made her begin drive off. If you aren't used to dealing with the general public (and modern life for many of us means it's increasingly rare), then I suppose it can be quite scary.
Especially if you've put a dent in their p&j.
My wife took a picture of the damage into them, and sure enough, the van came back with frontal damage and our cars' metallic blue paint on their front bumper. The driver said, according to the guy we spoke to, that there was nowhere to park to tell us, so we took a pic of the street, which is bereft of parked cars during the day, as most are at work, and showed them that, too.
I am trying to look at it from the driver's POV, but as I wouldn't just drive off if I did the same, and still lie afterwards, I find it difficult to sympathise too much.
Just had a call from their insurers, stating that they accept full responsibility - pretty hard not to really, as no-one was in our car!
I am trying to look at it from the driver's POV, but as I wouldn't just drive off if I did the same, and still lie afterwards, I find it difficult to sympathise too much.
Just had a call from their insurers, stating that they accept full responsibility - pretty hard not to really, as no-one was in our car!
My Brother had this a few years ago, he stopped the woman from driving off and she admitted full liability.
When he heard from her Insurer, she claimed that he had driven into her!
They wouldn't back down, until he pointed out that she had hit his company car AND his private one and asked how he could have been driving both cars at the same time.
He had a cheque within a week.
Tim
When he heard from her Insurer, she claimed that he had driven into her!
They wouldn't back down, until he pointed out that she had hit his company car AND his private one and asked how he could have been driving both cars at the same time.
He had a cheque within a week.
Tim
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