Rude and dishonest motorists

[Katy]

Katy

January 30, 2018 at 11:42 am #457

Had the back wing of my parked car bumped by some unknown motorist in the supermarket car park yesterday. Just been to get a quote for repair and respray of affected area – £225- urgh! No CCTV cameras.

I am more pissed off that the bar steward who did it didn’t have the honesty/courtesy to leave a note on my windscreen telling me what they had done and how to contact them, than the damage itself. It’s left a thoroughly bad taste about one of my fellow human beings.

There is no way they could have done it without knowing it.

I despair at human behavior sometimes.

Anyway I feel better now having got that off my chest

[alec]

alec

January 30, 2018 at 11:43 am #458

I am more pissed off that the bar steward who did it didn’t have the honesty/courtesy to leave a note on my windscreen telling me what they had done and how to contact them, than the damage itself.

I get that. My first car (an old Mondeo) got keyed badly at Aberffraw on Anglesey years ago. The damage didn’t bother me, but the fact that someone, for no reason, decided to key something that it had taken a while for me to save up for really bothered me.

Contrast to a few years back when I came down off Craigellachie into Aviemore. A young German couple approached me and told me they’d put a big dent (cosmetic, not structural) in my car with their camper van, and had been to the police station to report it. I told them I didn’t care, and didn’t want to claim for the damage. I admired the fact that they were so honest and clearly upset. I chatted to them and we went our separate ways all in a happy mood.

[Red-1]

Red-1

January 30, 2018 at 11:44 am #459

I told them I didn’t care, and didn’t want to claim for the damage.

@alec Agreed, people get way too precious over the appearance of their vehicles.

[happyclappy]

happyclappy

January 30, 2018 at 11:44 am #460

Agreed, people get way too precious over the appearance of their vehicles.

@red-1 Perhaps, but when you damage someone else’s property it’s up to them to let it go or not, so fess up.

[alec]

alec

January 30, 2018 at 11:45 am #461

@red-1 @happyclappy I don’t care what my car looks like, but I can understand that some people do like expensive/shiny cars and want to keep them that way.

[fi]

fi

January 30, 2018 at 11:46 am #462

Agreed, people get way too precious over the appearance of their vehicles.

@red-1 That’s for the owner of the vehicle to decide.

Personally, I would pursue someone who was being obviously careless and incompetent or flippant about it for every single penny[1], but might let it go if it was obvious it was a genuine accident and they were apologetic and approached me first (be that in person or a note), depending on the level of damage and cost to repair to a reasonable standard.

[1] e.g. they were speeding, using their phone/pratting with the radio/eating/drinking/whatever, had obviously consumed alcohol or drugs etc.

[fi]

fi

January 30, 2018 at 11:47 am #463

TBH I am not surprised. If they had owned up, they would perhaps have to pay an excess (do you pay and excess on third party) and their insurance may go up £200 a yaer for the next 3 years, so it might cost them £1000.

They should own up, but I can see the huge disincentive not to

[Katy]

Katy

January 30, 2018 at 11:48 am #464

@fi You raise an interesting point there. Insurance Companies instruct you not to make any admission of liability in the event of an accident, so if you bump someone’s car in a car park, how do you word your owning up note?

It could be quite amusing, and maybe something along these lines?

” I regret that an incident occurred this afternoon in Tesco’s car park in which the back of your car, which was stationary and parked, collided with the front of my car which was moving forwards. Slight damage occurred to both cars and I have taken photographs. If you would care to telephone me on xxxxxx I should be happy to discuss this matter further, Signed Joe Bloggs”

Or

“I regret that an incident occurred his afternoon in Tesco’s car park in which the front of my car which was moving forwards collided with the back of your car which was stationary and parked, Slight damage etc etc….”

On reflection maybe the second is less antagonistic…..

That, hopefully will keep your insurers happy if the owner of the parked car claims more that a notional amount?

[Kelly]

Kelly

January 30, 2018 at 11:49 am #465

Very frustrating but nothing you can do, although I hope we are all here for you to give a shoulder to cry on or vent at.

In which spirit, I had one last year: I parked in a park and ride a while ago at the end of a row and somebody later came and parked in very close to me, on a no-parking cross-hatched area – so close that I had to climb in from the other side to get the car out. The other driver wasnt so careful and just opened the door into the side of my car then, presumably, bounced up and down until they had sawn through my paintwork to bare metal.

I took photos and left them a note to point out what had happened and my contact details, on the basis that they hadn’t noticed. As it turned out they weren’t bothered and nor were my (company car) insurers who were happy to pay up and call it my fault. Annoying but what can you do?