Witnessed a car park scrape

[stevie_b]

I witnessed a car scrape along another car in a public car park whilst trying to park yesterday. OK, accidents happen and some drivers have the spatial awareness skills of a peanut, but the driver of the car that scraped the other one just walked off without leaving a note.

 

This really, really annoys me. A perfect example of spineless people not having the balls to own up to things they have done. I could have walked off and ignored it, but this sort of low-level crime (and I think it is a crime, correct me if I'm wrong, but it's definitely bloody anti-social) thrives on people looking away and doing nothing.

 

The scrape along the other car went from near the front of the front passenger door, to the rear of the rear passenger door. A DIY go-faster stripe down one side: lovely. I contacted 101 (non-emergency police phone number) about it, and I was going to leave a note on the victim's window to give them the details of the other car (and hope that the perpetrator didn't return to his car before the victim). By luck the victim returned to his car whilst we were on the phone to 101, so I was able to fill him in on what had happened in person. The guy said that if the other driver had owned up to it then he might have been lenient and sorted something out at low cost. Hopefully he'll pursue the claim but that's up to him. He's got everything he needs to do it, including my details as a witness, and the registration, make, model and colour of the other car. The only thing I should have also noted was a better description of the driver.

 

This event is nothing new and I've read many stories on here about similar incidents. I've posted it in the hope that:

1) people who witness this sort of thing do something to help, and don't just walk on with Teflon shoulders, muttering "it's nothing to do with me".

2) people who cause this sort of thing own up to it. Yes it's a bummer but just 'fess up; victims will often be fairly understanding if you do (as would have happened in this case).

 

If we hadn't stopped to help, the victim would have driven off without noticing (he was about to drive off when I stopped him), and the other driver probably thinks he's got away with it when he returned to his car and the one he'd hit was gone. I hope he receives a nasty surprise in the post in the next few days.

[Frank Bullitt]

I saw the same thing happen a few years ago. I wrote down the reg of the car that did it along with the colour make and a full description of the driver on a piece of paper with my my details as a witness and left it on the windscreen of the car

[Stonkin]

Good on you mate. People need to learn to respect other peoples property

[tbourner]

If only there were more people sitting in their cars in car parks when stuff like this happens! I think most people would be likely to look over their shoulder and wander off if they'd commited the 'crime', but anyone witnessing it happening would be much more likely to do what you did.

[marcAB10]

Where were people like you when this happened to mine...

 

Good on you!

[mathew]

i had a guy reverse into my car in the hotel carpark a short while back. he could have driven off but reported it to the receptionist waited in the hotel reception for me to turn up to admit what he had done. That restored my faith, a bit, in mankind and it was settled amicably.

if i saw it happening to someone else's car/property id most certainly take details and pass them onto the owner or own up if it was caused by myself.

[Havard]

I did similar a few years ago where a guy opened his door and dinged the car to his right. I was sat opposite and left a note with my details and the details of the car that dented his.

 

Never heard anything though..... I would hope that when he contacted the Police and noted that he had a witness that the other guy would have owned up..!!

 

H.

[Matt H]

You did the right thing Stevie. I've done the same in the past also.

[Abz]

Well done Stevie, a lot of people nowadays seen to have a carefree approach and don't have respect of people's belongings like they used to. I just can't not believe the way some people drive these days & are allowed to on the roads. I think they should only allow you to pass your test if you can drive at 30mph & then handbrake into small space the same width as your car

[SupraStar 3000]

Well done Steve.

[SteamAhead]

good for you

[dangerous brain]

I saw someone proper smack a car in a car park whilst her boyfreind stared into space. She just moved to another space. I didn't leave a note as they stood and watched us leave to make sure we didn't and it was in Belgium so a note would probably be useless.

[Oddball87]

My father in law returned to his porsche the other day and found a woman had put her metal based hand bag on his rear wing while she put her shopping away! He had a little go at her about it but she did not see the problem with it! CLOWN HEAD!!

[QSC]

Well done mate - happened to me a couple of months ago & the people next door took the woman's number (Landrover & no idea how to drive it) - she was daft enough to have gone in the hairdressers round the corner - had a go at her about it being technically an offence and all that and everyone in the shop started on me - just beggars belief it does...