Reversed in to someone in the petrol station
Reversed in to someone in the petrol station
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VISE

Original Poster:

196 posts

133 months

Wednesday 8th November 2017
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Quick q - I was in tesco petrol station and this lady pulled up behind me and turned her car/lights off, I went to switch pumps and didn't see her so reversed in to her at 5mph.

I got out and checked the car, the only damage on her car was her number plate was cracked. I offered to pay for a plate for her and said it'd only be £10-20 for a set so I'll fill her car up for her. I asked her if she wanted any of my insurance details and she said no it's fine, she's sorry for shouting etc and said goodbye. Prior to this, we were speaking for around 5-10 minutes at the pump, so we both moved to the pumps and we were both filling them up and speaking.

She didn't take any photos whatsoever, and she didn't take my contact details nor write down my plate. Good as gold, I got lucky BUT I'm now worried about her going home and someone telling her to go for whiplash... surely the CCTV will see us talking for 10 mins, if it were that serious she'd of asked for my details etc.

I'm now worried about what will happen, any advice etc or what shall I do? I'm not telling my insurance, I'm hoping she doesn't have a change of heart...

Butter Face

34,927 posts

190 months

Wednesday 8th November 2017
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Some people are quite normal you know. I would just get on, likely she will be fine and you’ll never hear from her again.

VISE

Original Poster:

196 posts

133 months

Wednesday 8th November 2017
quotequote all
Butter Face said:
Some people are quite normal you know. I would just get on, likely she will be fine and you’ll never hear from her again.
I hope so, she seemed genuine... I explained I didn't see her and she was shouting but soon as I apologised properly she said sorry for shouting. I just know how people are these days, thanks for reassurance.

anonymous-user

84 months

Wednesday 8th November 2017
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If she makes a claim, she makes a claim. Nothing you can do about it, so don’t worry about it.

OddCat

2,828 posts

201 months

Wednesday 8th November 2017
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So many questions including...

- Why did the OP switch pumps?
- Why did the OP not see the car behind if it was on a fully lit petrol station forecourt?
-How the hell did the OP get to 5 mph in reverse over what can't have been more than 10 feet?

Pica-Pica

16,625 posts

114 months

Wednesday 8th November 2017
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She sounds like the sort of normal person you get away from pistonheads.

Tankrizzo

8,024 posts

223 months

Wednesday 8th November 2017
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Try not to think the worst. I bumped into a woman a couple of years ago - did that slightly distracted thing when you're pulling out of a junction and think the person in front has gone, when actually they've stopped. We got out, had a look, there was a minor scratch to her car (which was battered anyway), she just shrugged and said "don't worry". Swapped numbers nevertheless.

Never heard from her again. Some people are normal. I repaid the favour when a girl drove into the back of me a year later in a McD's drive-through (she actually slightly cracked the bumper but it was already cracked and needing repair so I told her not to worry).

Riley Blue

23,205 posts

256 months

Thursday 9th November 2017
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OddCat said:
So many questions including...

- Why did the OP switch pumps?
- Why did the OP not see the car behind if it was on a fully lit petrol station forecourt?
-How the hell did the OP get to 5 mph in reverse over what can't have been more than 10 feet?
Spanish Inquisition not needed here, minor mishap, all sorted. no fluffy bunnies died.

The Mad Monk

11,508 posts

147 months

Thursday 9th November 2017
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Riley Blue said:
OddCat said:
So many questions including...

- Why did the OP switch pumps?
- Why did the OP not see the car behind if it was on a fully lit petrol station forecourt?
-How the hell did the OP get to 5 mph in reverse over what can't have been more than 10 feet?
Spanish Inquisition not needed here,
Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WJXHY2OXGE

Pebbles167

4,587 posts

182 months

Thursday 9th November 2017
quotequote all
OddCat said:
So many questions including...

- Why did the OP switch pumps?
- Why did the OP not see the car behind if it was on a fully lit petrol station forecourt?
-How the hell did the OP get to 5 mph in reverse over what can't have been more than 10 feet?
Similar happened to me. In my case:

- Switches between a work van & car with different side filler caps. (Or OP could have simply pulled up to a pump not supplying the fuel he needs).
- If you don't actually look behind you, and you just use your mirrors, then it's easy to miss stuff at odd angles. The pick up behind me wasn't square on, and was completely invisible without a shoulder check. (Which I didn't do).
- Impatience gives you a heavy foot. No one likes having to try another pump, especially if it's rush hour.

A mistake from the OP. But understandable.

The guy I did it to laughed at me and drove off, an embarrassing, but lucky outcome.


The Mad Monk

11,508 posts

147 months

Thursday 9th November 2017
quotequote all
Pebbles167 said:
Similar happened to me. In my case:

- Switches between a work van & car with different side filler caps. (Or OP could have simply pulled up to a pump not supplying the fuel he needs).
- If you don't actually look behind you, and you just use your mirrors, then it's easy to miss stuff at odd angles. The pick up behind me wasn't square on, and was completely invisible without a shoulder check. (Which I didn't do).
- Impatience gives you a heavy foot. No one likes having to try another pump, especially if it's rush hour.

A mistake from the OP. But understandable.

The guy I did it to laughed at me and drove off, an embarrassing, but lucky outcome.
The fuel filler hose will reach to either side of the car.

Pebbles167

4,587 posts

182 months

Thursday 9th November 2017
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The Mad Monk said:
The fuel filler hose will reach to either side of the car.
Not in a ford transit. I found out.

VISE

Original Poster:

196 posts

133 months

Thursday 9th November 2017
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I switched because it was 5pm and the guy in front of me hadn’t finished yet and two other pay at pumps became available.

Stupid mistake on my half, and I honestly couldn’t see her nor could my girlfriend. She was driving a mk5 black fiesta with no lights on, I even looked in my mirror and didn’t see her.

I’m pretty gutted about the whole situation, she was quite a nice lady in the end. I think it could’ve been worse, it could’ve been a family who wanted to claim whiplash from me etc.

lost in espace

6,607 posts

237 months

Thursday 9th November 2017
quotequote all
OddCat said:
So many questions including...

- Why did the OP switch pumps?
- Why did the OP not see the car behind if it was on a fully lit petrol station forecourt?
-How the hell did the OP get to 5 mph in reverse over what can't have been more than 10 feet?
Because the OP is a human being and not a driving robot.

Dangerous Dan

624 posts

201 months

Thursday 9th November 2017
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Butter Face said:
Some people are quite normal you know. I would just get on, likely she will be fine and you’ll never hear from her again.
Exactly.

From the other side of the coin: I was in the drive-thru of McDonands local health food place when a woman went into the back of me. She slipped off her clutch. Doh.

We inspected both cars, minor scuffs on the bumper (which may have been there before). Told her not to worry about it, she was proper panicking though.

donkmeister

12,964 posts

130 months

Thursday 9th November 2017
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The Mad Monk said:
The fuel filler hose will reach to either side of the car.
Not all hoses are long reach, and not all long reach hoses reach both sides of all cars.

chunder27

2,309 posts

238 months

Thursday 9th November 2017
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I have had a collision in a petrol station and they are usually no fault either way.

Largely because of the close confinement of the cars and the poor visibility.

It is a pain as it will appear on your insurance if she makes a claim, but by the sound of it she, like me, is quite happy to deal with it away from the greedy sons of biches.

So you were lucky and fortunate, and she was decent and had common sense.

Pica-Pica

16,625 posts

114 months

Thursday 9th November 2017
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donkmeister said:
The Mad Monk said:
The fuel filler hose will reach to either side of the car.
Not all hoses are long reach, and not all long reach hoses reach both sides of all cars.
I have never found a hose that DOES NOT reach to the other side.

Pica-Pica

16,625 posts

114 months

Thursday 9th November 2017
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Ah, pistonheads. Tales of the expected and ordinary.

Superflow

1,707 posts

162 months

Thursday 9th November 2017
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OP i wouldn't worry about it,sounds like she had a rant and then let it go.

Recently i was sat in my car in a retail park and a mother in a 4X4 clattered my rear door whilst trying to unload her youngster leaving two black scuff marks on the paintwork,she apologised and began frantically rubbing at the marks with a baby wipe which removed most of the scuffs, she was visibly upset with herself so i just told her to forget it and sort her kids out, having been through that stage with my own kids these things happen,best to be pleasant about it.