Just seen a parking bump - what to do?

[Speedracer329]

I live opposite a maternity hospital & apart from a dedicated car park there are also a few onroad bays. Just noticed a guy in a Megane hit an already parked Peugeot & drive off without leaving his details.
I have had a look & there is a foot or so long scuff on his bumper, although to be fair I cannot say for sure wether it was there before this incident.

Should I leave a note or keep my nose out?

I hate people who do this but if the scuff is not from the Megane driver the Peugeot driver may take the opportunity to claim from him anyway, which again is not right.

What would you do?

[davepoth]

If you got the numberplate, leave a note under the windscreen wiper with the reg and your mobile number IMO.

[McSam]

To be honest, whether or not the scuff was caused by the Megane, its driver should be made to pay for it - because it could have been, he could have ripped half the front end off and not known or cared, and acted exactly the same. So I wouldn't worry about that..

But as davepoth says, if you don't have the registration number you can't help a huge amount. Nevertheless, leave a note explaining, with your name and number.

[Speedracer329]

Yeah my thoughts too really, I did get his number so I have written a note, just not put it under the wipers yet.

[rosscobmw]

I was on my way to work one morning and whilst driving through a small town with a narrow street with cars parked down one side i saw a popular supermarkets lorry coming the other way trying to squeeze through. He made it most of the way until the back of his lorry clipped a parked car which it managed to push up onto the pavement causing significant damage. I flagged down the lorry driver as he got close and told him he just hit a car. He told me he was positive he didn't but would stop and have a look anyway.

On my way home the same day i noticed the car that had been hit by the lorry had been moved and parked further down the street so i stopped, got out, and left a note with my number saying i saw what happened. I got a phonecall the next day from a very polite old man and i told him what i saw and mentioned the fact i told the lorry driver he hit it, but the old man said the lorry driver must not have bothered to stop.

If my car got hit and i wasn't around to see it, I'd hope someone would take the minute or two to leave a note
Later that week i got a phonecall from the police so i could give a witness statement.
A month later the old man phoned me again thanking me for stopping to leave a note, as now his car had been repaired and paid for by the "popular supermarkets" insurance.

[P1H]

McSam said:

To be honest, whether or not the scuff was caused by the Megane, its driver should be made to pay for it - because it could have been,

I agree it would be wise to leave the registration and your number in the case that the collision caused the scuff.

But the logic above is the single most ridiculous thing I have read on pistonheads. Either he caused the damage in which case he should pay or he did not cause the damage. You don't have to pay for doing 'bad' things which fail to cause any damage.

[Podie]

davepoth said:

If you got the numberplate, leave a note under the windscreen wiper with the reg and your mobile number IMO.

This.

I have spent THOUSANDS in the last four years having repairs made to my car where people have hit it in the station car park and not left a note.

In fact, a few weeks ago I had the bumper resprayed and repaired - I've not even paid the bill yet and some has scraped it already.

[Speedracer329]

The Crack Fox said:

Leave a note ! It takes seconds and is the decent thing to do.

This is exactly my view, & have just done so. I was just worried that if what I witnessed didn't cause the scuff it would leave the driver open to a false claim from the Peugeot driver.
My Alfa 146 was hit twice a couple of years ago with no note being left so I know how it feels.

[The Nur]

Pretend to have left a note from the bloke that hit the car. You don't get involved, the owner of the hit car gets compensated and the hit-and-run fktard gets his comeuppance.

It's a win-win from where I am sitting.

[hornetrider]

The Nur said:

Pretend to have left a note from the bloke that hit the car. You don't get involved, the owner of the hit car gets compensated and the hit-and-run fktard gets his comeuppance.

It's a win-win from where I am sitting.

Not wise though. If the perp denies it the fact an independantly witness reported it works in the victims favour.

Otherwise tis one word against the other.

[The Nur]

hornetrider said:

Not wise though. If the perp denies it the fact an independantly witness reported it works in the victims favour.

Otherwise tis one word against the other.

Was only joking chap, but the idea did amuse me

[Arun_D]

Had this at the weekend. I was casually on the phone whilst looking out the window of my flat and noticed a Daewoo turning around in the road my flat looks out onto. It clearly bumped a parked van in the process of its last forward manouvre and just drove off.

Fortunately the van was stickered up with the owner's private business details so I just left a message on the mobile phone number on the side with the Daewoo's registration. It looked like it was only the offside rearwheel that got clouted, but it was easy enough for me to leave a message for the owner just in case there was any damage.

[monthefish]

Speedracer329 said:

Should I leave a note or keep my nose out?

Put yourself if the place of the owner whose car has been hit, think about what you would like the witness to have done, and act accordingly.

[McSam]

[redacted]

[uncinquesei]

Leave a note. I saw a snotter of a cavalier leave a nice new white stripe on a car in car park a few years back. Took ref, left a note, thought no more of it. Got a call from police a few weeks later to take a statement. Don't let people get away with it, if it was my car I'd be fuming....

[Speedracer329]

McSam said:

Hmmm. I thought it would be controversial! But don't you think there's a little bit of truth and fairness in it? It sounds like it most likely was caused by the driver the OP saw. But if not, it was caused by another of the faceless group of aholes who drive into other people's cars and then ps off as if it doesn't matter. Why shouldn't the same pool of selfish, arrogant "people" pay for it? This guy could, as I said, have caused a serious amount of damage but would have cared no more if he had. It's not like he stopped, got out, checked the car to ensure it was unharmed and only then drove off. He didn't give a st about the potential damage caused, and I think he should pay for that mindset.

Just me?

I DO understand the point you are making, but you just can't apply your logic fairly. That was my only concern with leaving a note, which I have done by the way, but if he didn't cause the damage he shouldn't have to pay for it.
He didn't even get out & look, he just drove off sharpish, so that is a fair indication of the type of person he is, but even so he shouldn't have to pay for another persons mistake.

[C.A.R.]

I shopped someone in once after they pranged a car and drove off!

Had to fill out a witness report and draw a diagram (which wasn't exactly challenging!) and the bloke successfully claimed off the cowardly (and crap) driver.

If more people came forward in witnessing anything the world would be a better place.

[Big Fat Fatty]

Speedracer329 said:

but even so he shouldn't have to pay for another persons mistake.

I can see the point also but the victim would have had to.

[McSam]

Speedracer329 said:

McSam said:

Hmmm. I thought it would be controversial! But don't you think there's a little bit of truth and fairness in it? It sounds like it most likely was caused by the driver the OP saw. But if not, it was caused by another of the faceless group of aholes who drive into other people's cars and then ps off as if it doesn't matter. Why shouldn't the same pool of selfish, arrogant "people" pay for it? This guy could, as I said, have caused a serious amount of damage but would have cared no more if he had. It's not like he stopped, got out, checked the car to ensure it was unharmed and only then drove off. He didn't give a st about the potential damage caused, and I think he should pay for that mindset.

Just me?

I DO understand the point you are making, but you just can't apply your logic fairly. That was my only concern with leaving a note, which I have done by the way, but if he didn't cause the damage he shouldn't have to pay for it.
He didn't even get out & look, he just drove off sharpish, so that is a fair indication of the type of person he is, but even so he shouldn't have to pay for another persons mistake.

Fair enough

I do know what you're saying, but it's also far fairer that he should have to pay than the owner of the car, if you ask me. That's why I made the comment!