[Closed] Scumbag with no morals

My VW T5 got its bumper stoved in on its first trip to Hamsterley forest. So I was done over and left with a big bill by a mountain biking scumbag with no morals.

Oh, and someone pinched all the badges off the back 2 nights ago. I nearly had a meltdown but what can you do?

The other driver may have ben totally unaware he hit another car, be uninsured or just didnt want any hasle.

Thats what insurance is for yours not theirs.

Colour paint? Have a really good nosey around. Look for same-coloured car turning back up again.

Chances are the scumbag (tight/not alot of money/cuts corners) wont have repaired theirs- it'll still have paint scratches/your paint on (although an attempt to buff out) and it'll park athe far end.

This happened to me and a bright yellow Megane convertible. ****ing simple idiot.

You'll be really surprised- the damage to his/her car can be negligible but at the right angle cause alot of damage to another.

Recently someone decided they could make a space (too small) and actually rest their bumper of their 52 Clio onto my 12 plate immaculate car. As Bregante frequents these parts I wont say owt 😉

Have a scuff on my bumper from the same, it's annoying as a simple note with contact details and I'd been happy. Own up it was mistake after all.

Fuzz as well by the sounds of it. Never know, might be CCTV.

I've had someone drop their bike into the side of the car (ok, not a bumber, but a pretty big ding and scratch), while I was on the trails, building them.

No note, nothing.

I was not feeling charitable that day.

Happened to me as well. Bumper was hanging off so not a slight nudge but they drove off to leave me with the bill.

Did a 100+ thread on it at the time and there were quite a few people on here who admitted they'd just drive off if they did it.

Not a nice thing to do to people but that's human nature.

My best mate has had all the side skirts and wheel centres stolen off his Audi from outside his house. There are just some scummy people out there. It won't change anytime soon either.

I'd put money on it being an uninsured driver. I had a similar incident with a 3 day old car. Someone had gone right down the back wing and just driven off. Bastards!!!

The other driver may have ben totally unaware he hit another car, be uninsured or just didnt want any hasle.

Thats what insurance is for yours not theirs.

Can't tell if troll or not...

Assuming you are being completely [s]******* ridiculous[/s] serious, can I offer the opinion that you are talking from your arse? Why should his insurance go up because some prick thinks it's acceptable to drive off because he can't be bothered, doesn't care or is uninsured? As for not noticing, get real.

Some scumbag stole my integrated stereo/satnav out of my mk5 golf outside my house last wkend. Again the kind souls failed to leave a note. Who nicks car stereo's nowadays?!

If it was a higher spec/GTI etc model then there will be people (on ebay etc?) looking to upgrade their basic/lower spec mk5 Golf's one?

calm down coyote...

there are some wobbly old giffers who really wouldn't notice.

(i'm not sure i'd definitely notice, y'know, if the archers was on or something)

as for the insurance thing, it seems that project is simply suggesting that the point of insurance is take care of the person you bump into, not yourself.

ie, exactly this situation.

or at least, that's how i read it...

Ive given up with looking after my car bodywork due to scumbags in car parks driving into it all too often. I had one instance where a woman parked next to me reversed out and scraped the whole of my rear bumper with her front, while i was in the car!! i got out very quickly to confront her and she denied it to my face saying i was lying and she'd never ever hit another vehicle!!!! even though you could visibly see the paint off my car on her front bumper!! Stupid B!*ch! I told her to **** right off and have a word with herself, rant over

there are some wobbly old giffers who really wouldn't notice

Probably shouldn't be driving then.

it's annoying, but to be honest, we should possibly be more like the French. ie. Not so precious about our vehicle's appearance and the 'image' it projects.

I always wonder how much work French bodyshops must get, given the number of battered old cars that people drive about in. They must keep them mechanically serviced though.

In the UK, a small scratch on the rear bumper would probably result in claim for works costing £1000s including a new, colour-coordinated bumper.

I've mostly gone past caring myself. The oily bits are looked after and I try to keep it driving well.

The image projected is of a bloke with a non-flash estate car on steel wheels and covered in dirt, with a few scratches.

Thats what bumpers are for isn't it?

davidtaylforth - Member

Thats what bumpers are for isn't it?

Yes, but these days the outer parts are brittle pieces of plastic moulded into shapes of some complexity and painted the same colour as the bodywork. They're sacrificial items that don't stand up well to an impact.

....and then people twine when they get bumped.

If it was a higher spec/GTI etc model then there will be people (on ebay etc?) looking to upgrade their basic/lower spec mk5 Golf's one?

Yes it was GTi - been trawling ebay for the past week with no obv sale ;-(

had this happen in our car park at work. I found the car that did it - maroon VW sharan, could see my paint scraped into his bumper, his paint scraped into mine and all damage matched up - right height, everything.

Security hadn't saved the tape.

Not so precious about our vehicle's appearance and the 'image' it projects.

I'm concerned about resale value if I decide to sell, or about rust if I don't. Fairly legitimate complaints no?

Why should some other thoughtless git's actions deprive me of hundreds or thousands?

I had the joy of something similar a few years back. Left my car parked in brighton where i was working, came back to it the following morning to be greeted by a crumpled door, bumper and bonnet , suspension strut snapped and rims bent, not only where they impacted but where it had been thumped into the kerb on the other side. No note or witnesses, the company with cctv cameras opposite couldn't be bothered to help.

A fun 300 mile tow truck home and a hefty repair bill for me....

Not so precious about our vehicle's appearance and the 'image' it projects.

So if I bumped my car into your garden wall- making a mess of the corner of the wall you'd shrug and say 'its not a brand new house so it'll get a few marks - no probs mate'?

Re your comment on France: How many battered new/newish cars do you see in France? Or are you applying a Paris-generalisation?

molgrips - Member

I'm concerned about resale value if I decide to sell, or about rust if I don't. Fairly legitimate complaints no?

Why should some other thoughtless git's actions deprive me of hundreds or thousands?

There again, why sell the car whilst it is still useful to you?

To be honest, if trading-in a car, the dealer can, and do, have them repaired much cheaper than it would cost you to have it done beforehand anyway (And there's always the risk that somebody might damage the car again before you decide to sell it). They might knock a little bit off the trade-in price.

I maintain that a lot of people are too precious about their mass-produced, daily driving cars.

This also goes for people are desperate to buy used cars that look like new.

I've not had an issue with rust on cars the past 15 years or so. Even where there have been scratches. It's rusty sills and holes in panels that used to be the problem. It's rare that a car from the late 90s onwards (other than Mercedes E-class) suffers with those.

Plastic bumpers and bodywork fittings have never tended to rust much.

I'm not saying that it is fine to damage other people's cars (I'd be most concerned about mechanical damage)and to leave them with a bill, but I do think that some people are too precious about their cars. Look how many people inflict minor damage to their own car and then take it for repairs.

hora - Member
if I bumped my car into your garden wall- making a mess of the corner of the wall you'd shrug and say 'its not a brand new house so it'll get a few marks - no probs mate'?

My current car will probably be with me for the next few years and then I'll trade it in. It'll be recycled a few years later.

There are plenty of older and battered cars outside of Paris. A large number of the cars are from French companies and not what image-conscious Brits would consider 'prestige'/'executive'. Many people just do not care.

A French woman I know thought it was amusing to see so many people washing their cars at weekends when she moved to the UK.

To me it's more about respect for someone else's property.

Is it ok to damage someone else's property and not give a toss? Not to me it's not.

What if you take it away from cars? What about other peoples houses, bikes, gardens, other property.

The 'don't be so precious' arguement seems less attractive.

Happens all the time. I watched a John Lewis delivery lorry reverse down the side of my Golf, driver saw what he'd done, but just drove off. Cycled over to their depo, found the lorry with silver paint all down its side and got his details. All sorted by insurance, however had I not seen it happen, I'd have never known who did it.

[i]Thats what bumpers are for isn't it? [/i]

Well for the front anyway, and towbars usually sort out the rear 🙂

In answer to the OP.

A few years ago my wife was directed into a difficult parking space by a parking attendant. He basically waved her into the back of another car. They both inspected the damage, and she left her details. The damage to the other was barely visible to the naked eye and at most would have required a bit of a rub over with T Cut. So you might imagine my surprise when some time later I got a demand for several hundred pounds including the use of a hire car for a week.

What they were doing was trying to stiff me for previous damage, which I actually demonstrated would have been impossible for my wifes car to have caused. (The visible point of impact on my wifes car would have placed her bonnet about 18 inches inside the footprint of their vehicle before it could possibly have come into contactw with the place where their vehicle was damaged).

There was a lengthy dispute, with threats of violence made towards me and my wife, and which only ended when I involved the Police, and even then they tried to take me to county court.

Thats why people drive away. Sad but true.

How long would this thread be if we all lived in Paris?
Doesn't make it right tho.

I used to work in the community caring for old people so as you can imagine always parked up around old drivers. Someone hit mine in the passenger side rear quater panel of a 3 door so it couldn't just be replaced by that or I'd of swapped it all myself. No idea where it happened as how often when approaching from an angle do you do a 360 degree sweep of your car.... every time now!

End of the day its all very well saying thats what insurance is for but that doesnt account for your excess you've gotta produce from where the sun dont shine!

Also saying we're way too protective over our cars etc. but at the end of the day we all work very hard to buy these cars and pay, in some occasions, a LOT of money for them, to not be bothered about someone damaging that is just ridiculous. i suppose someone could come along and steal your stuff and you'd say oh well I shouldn't be so protective over it.... Its steal costing you money and taking something away from you, i bought a straight panel and you've just stolen it and replace it with some buckled piece of rubbish!

GolfChick - Member

Also saying we're way too protective over our cars etc. but at the end of the day we all work very hard to buy these cars and pay, in some occasions, a LOT of money for them, to not be bothered about someone damaging that is just ridiculous.

Then again, why buy something that you have spent so much on that it makes you concerned about having to leave in the street and in car parks?

Just saying, like, and I'm quite into driving and using cars.

Do you have the power of empathy or are you bored and trolling?

I didn't realise that the schools had broken up already for Easter.

I videoed (via my mobile phone) a couple who were insistent, it seems, on opening their 4x4 door into the drivers door of another car parked next to them. Needless to say it left quite a mess, however the smiles were wiped of their faces when they seen me parked right opposite filming away :D. I left a nice note on the car and was soon contacted by the owner.

It really annoys me that people think that its OK to dent the car next to them, this is why I always take 2 spaces in car-parks etc.

Being accused of trolling by Hora? Priceless!! And lack of empathy too. Dear god!! A true comedy masterclass 😆

Knowing Aristotle as I do, I know full well he isn't trolling at all, but merely expressing his firmly held views.

[img] https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTngAN5spJTUcfv6uSU2TUWpYrtxM-yulO71Bt0BwTwNzjbInky [/img]

Melons are firm, so are an 18yr old's buttocks. Sadly Aristotle has been at the Chocolate Liqueurs 😉

😀

Annoying as it is for the OP ( I've had the same thing ) Honestly how many people would leave a note with their details, and put up with the hassle and expense of an insurance claim when they could get away with it. I'd like to think I might do the "right thing" but if I'm truthfull, probably I wouldn't. Thats true of maybe 95% of the population, not right but thats life.

Someone reversed into my M-I-L's MX5. Woman got out and put a note under the wiper. Fortunately M-I-L came out as she did this, to read a note that said "Awfully sorry!" but no contact details, name, rego!

binners - Member

Being accused of trolling by Hora? Priceless!! And lack of empathy too. Dear god!! A true comedy masterclass

To misquote Bill Shankley, this is not life-and-death. This is men talking about cars -far more important.

Knowing Aristotle as I do, I know full well he isn't trolling at all, but merely expressing his firmly held views.
[img] https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTngAN5spJTUcfv6uSU2TUWpYrtxM-yulO71Bt0BwTwNzjbInky [/img]

Indeed, As anybody who has seen my elderly-shonky-looking-but-mostly-functional bikes will agree.

I really should update that portrait, though, and service the Sopwith Camel.

Ive had it done to me twice. What would I do? I wouldnt want the hassle but I would do the right thing. I rear ended an Asian male driver once (steady binners!). He got out, saw the minor damage shrugged then drove off.

I agree with Coyote,.. what a stupid comment!!

I know someone no names mentioned that hit a parked car while reversing out,..
he cault the rear bumper so was very very minor damage.

He saw that someone saw him do it.

The guy who saw him do it said i`m a witness that you hit the car i hope you will leave your details on the car you hit.
My mate said yeah no problem,.. wrote a note and left it on the windowscreen wiper while the guy was watching...
The note said im very sorry i hit your car this afternoon,.. someone saw me do, as im writing this note hes watching me,...
Just thought i`d let you know i not gonna leave my details but the guy thinks i am,...
I know its a bit out of order but i did see the funny side when he told me,... 😀

hora - Member
I rear ended an Asian male driver once

Is his ethnicity relevant to your failure to drive properly?

I don't suppose that a Noddy car would do much damage though.

i came back to my vw t5 the other week and as i'm walking up the road noticed a car in the space behind at an amazing angle, pretty much 45deg, super tight up to my van an lo' the corner of my bumper was totally pushed in.

it was a wreck of a car, mud all over, and you could clearly see where their bumper (both sides were totally scraped so obviously had a prob with the front end when manoevering) had a fresh scrape through the mud and same mud all over my bumper.

seriously though the car was so badly parked i thought it was a drunk driver. anyhow i waited and an older lady (mid to late 60s) eventually returned, who not only swore blind it was not her with the best bit being that as she was a christian it must be true what she said as she 'went to church.'

what can you do? the police would want witesses and at that stage the insurance co would have to be notified, and i'm still suffering from being hit by a bus and the driver blatantly lying to cover his ass. and of course you could see the woman was clearly insane!

Aristotle does have a point though, we are too precious about our (everyday, not classics or proper posh stuff) cars in this country, that doesn't make it right to damage other peoples property and then bugger off, but don't you think it is just a little bit bizarre that a lot of people spend *many* thousands of pounds on something that they then leave parked in public places with lots of other large moving (and often pointy) objects...

I'm probably quite biased as none of my cars are ever worth more than a couple of K, and a scratch or dent or two won't harm their resale value, and I tend to keep them until they're dead anyway (current 2 are 21 and 14 years old respectively), I don't really care if a new scratch or bump appears as long as it's not massive and doesn't need mechanical attention.

But even though my cars are normally tatty I still take care not to drive into other peoples 😉

My lovely 205 GTi got its rear indicator cluster bashed in in a car park in Dartmouth years ago. Some kind soul left a note on the windscreen explaining it was a VW camper van and giving the reg number. They didn't leave their name. The helpful bobby at the station across the road said it wasn't enough evidence without the witness' details. That sucked.
Finding a new cluster in a scrap yard for £3 and fixing it myself was satisfying, though. I kept the reg to hand for a few years in case I saw a camper van in the hope of repaying the favour. No joy. 🙁

Scumbag does bad things to an undeserving person but leaves them powerless to react....hmmmm....where was George Osborne at the time of the incident?

Happened to an ex's parents, & their week old Golf. 4x4 swung into a bay taking out their rear quarter, both doors & wing. Left the car at almost 45degrees to straight. And they just drove off sharpish. Witness gave details but fuzz couldn't have cared less.

Annoying as it is its just life. And it's just a car. Walking around all pent up with rage does you no favours. Move on. Focus on something betterer.

but don't you think it is just a little bit bizarre that a lot of people spend *many* thousands of pounds on something that they then leave parked in public places

Well they cost thousands of pounds for mechanical not cosmetic reasons, and it's kind of hard not to leave them in car parks isn't it?

It's not the actual damage that's the issue, in minor cases - after all we get stone chips and shrug it off - it's the fact that someone else is responsible yet has ducked their responsibility. That's what makes it bad.

My wife reversed into a very old knackered car in a car park once. She was distraught. We really couldn't tell if any of the bumps and scrapes on the car were ours or not - we couldn't even tell if the car was abandoned or not. We still left details.. and nothing came of it either.

done it thrice where i have hit a car and then left my details/sorted it. Never driven off and have once been hit by a car towball in my door once - oddly at work and we watched the colleague do it, get out , inspect and then drive off without doing anything. they then denied it the next day. I pointed out how many had seen it and just said I would leave it as office gossip that they were the kind of person who lied and did this. It was a knackered car anyway

First one turned out to be a mates new car[ did not know it was his] and I paid to fix the scratch on his new car door- I think he may have chinned someone else for this tbh and killed me had I been seen.

Second time guy said let me walk round my car - he then asked where i hit and he said nah cannot see anything we drove off

Third time some teenage lad tried to get £100 or a tiny bump that left no mark on a knackered old beat up piece of crap- loads of dings and scrapes. I laughed offered him a tenner he refused. I walked off he took the tenner- i was seen doing this by a neighbour and I think i would have left as there was no damage at all and it was a total shed.