So, tell me, why should someone trying to get past an illegally parked car, which is obstructing their right of way, have to pay, if said car gets damaged in the process?

Presumably most people, inc Ton are able to negotiate fairly techical trail features therefore stands to reason that they could avoid ‘accidentally’ damaging a car that is in their way. Even if it means getting off and lifting the bike over carefully, shouldn’t be too hard. Anything else just stinks of revenge for something that really, honestly has no **** consequence for you in the scheme of things.

Two wrongs etc, what’s the world coming too etc, live and let live blah blah blah

car was gonne when i came home.
i will go a bit earlier and try to catch the driver in the morrow.

isn’t life too short to worry about stuff like this?
yeah, you’d be pissed off if it’d happened to you, but it didn’t did it.
swings and roundabouts

learn from it, forget about it, move on

I almost took the wingmirror of a clio off once similar situation 680mm bars wouldnt get through so how the **** a horse or buggy would, I clouted the wingmirror and it folded back on itself

Could you have got past the wing mirror without much inconvenience to yourself? That includes hopping off the bike for 5 seconds and leaning away from the car, and then hopping back on?

If yes, then you should feel bad and should at least offer to make appropriate reparation. And perhaps have a think about the motivation behind the damage in the first place – how would you feel if it was your car, particularly at the moment when cash isn’t as readily available?

Christ but there’s some sanctimonious twaddle on here. I’ve found myself in precisely the same situation on bridlepath near Castle Combe, where some thoughtless twonk had parked their RAV4 completely blocking the path where it joined the main road. I could barely walk past the damn thing, let alone ride a bike, and a horse could never have got past. In attempting to negotiate the barely two feet of space alongside the vehicle I’m afraid the alloy bar end caps on my risers left a deep gouge the entire length of their nice metallic paint job. I left a note saying sorry about the damage, and perhaps next time you’ll take a bit more care about where you park in future. I have no remorse, and yes, in that sort of situation I get really bloody-minded and militant. A horse would not have even been able to turn around at that point, and to get back to that junction would have meant a detour of around five or six miles, mostly on narrow country roads. The car would never have been damaged if it had been parked off the bridlepath, and it was only damaged as a result of the thoughtlessnes and ignorance of it’s owner, who has only themselves to blame. I’ve also hit the door mirrors on cars that park on the pavement part blocking the cycle-lane I use riding home, (Carbon knuckle protectors, see), and I have no guilt about that either. Park thoughtlessly, and sh1t happens, get over it.

Do unto others as you would be done to. All you militants- well I hope that I’m not anywhere near you and that your anti social attitudes don’t have any effect upon the general population’s perception of MTB riders. Or contribute to my rising insurance premiums. two wrong’s do not make a right.

Leave a note, expect a call. Do the right thing. acidents do happen, in this case aggravated by the person parking in a daft/ illegal position but that is no justification for damaging the vehicle.

Could you have got past the wing mirror without much inconvenience to yourself? That includes hopping off the bike for 5 seconds and leaning away from the car, and then hopping back on?

If yes, then you should feel bad and should at least offer to make appropriate reparation. And perhaps have a think about the motivation behind the damage in the first place – how would you feel if it was your car, particularly at the moment when cash isn’t as readily available?

I didnt in the slightest, my sis has just had a sprog and the amount of cars who park like arses and she ends up having to push the baby along the road up here because she cant get past, I now couldnt give a toss the message will have got through and they wont park so close and leave such a small gap in future, Or at least i would hope the message had got through.

My car is never parked on a kerb as from my understanding that is illegal, Its either on my drive, at work or on the edge of a carpark away from other cars i also hate the trolley dints, I’m very particular where i park

Simple really. If your car is so important to you, park it out of the way. If you really don’t care what happens to it abandon it ad-hoc. Just don’t moan it someone sctraches it trying to get past it.

I forgot to mention one time an Audi had parked blocking the same bridleway as I rode past I ‘noticed’ a rep in it tugging off to Club magazine. He didnt even alter his stroke as I rode past, just kinda made a cupped left hand-cover for Captain Picard. FAF.

The car would never have been damaged if it had been parked off the bridlepath, and it was only damaged as a result of the thoughtlessnes and ignorance of it’s owner, who has only themselves to blame.

I’d suggest it was damaged at the thoughtlessness, ignorance, and no small helping of arrogance on your part.

Personally I don’t think that’s something to be proud of.

If you’re going to leave a note, don’t make it anonymous. The cowards in the road where I park each day to walk to the station do that, trying to tell me I cannot park there when there are no yellow lines. Man up and own up if you’re going to.

However, I think you should just go back later and superglue the mirror back on. That way, when it falls off again further down the line and the owner sees the glue underneath, they will blame their car salesman, and then justice will be done 😆

well, one way to look at it is, they parked illegally and got punished. I’ve been hit too many times by cars (as they pass too close/ turn left in front of you/ doored by the driver/passanger) with no apologies or anything to really care about small things like accidently brokem wing mirrors. For me I wouldn’t worry about it but you seem to so for your peace of mind leave the note, it ain’t worth the worrying.

however ignorant the driver is it doesn’t excuse or justify wilfull criminal damage in revenge, what’s wrong with you lot?

Stupid, ignorant people deserve what they get. I would not deliberately damage a vehicle but, if the choice was between squeezing through a tiny gap with a 50/50 chance of scraping their paintwork or going six mile out of my way then option 1 wins.

In some circumstances I would even feel justified in deliberately damaging a vehicle to teach the owner a lesson. The incident that springs to mind happened last week when I was with my daughter in her pushchair waiting to cross a sideroad. A fat woman in a Land Rover Discovery stopped right on the corner (double yellow lines) and waddled ten yards to a shop.

I had to push my daugher out into the busy A road to get around her car. I followed her into the shop and told her she was inconsiderate, was breaking the law and pointed out that there was parking available fifty yards away – she just turned her back and ignored me.

Keying her car is the only way to educate people like this!

All you militants- well I hope that I’m not anywhere near you and that your anti social attitudes don’t have any effect upon the general population’s perception of MTB riders. Or contribute to my rising insurance premiums.

TBH, I really couldn’t give a stuff about the rising insurance premiums of some chunt who parks selfishly, causing inconvenience and stress to others. **** ’em. I’m with Count Zero on this.

Don’t park where you’re not sposed to. Simple as.

There was a white van blocking the footpath to my Daughter’s nursery the other day, I just pushed the buggy down the side scraping the paint. The driver was in the front seat and I gave him a pleasant wave as I carried on my way.

Looks like we’re in the minority nick. The number of “I’ll teach them a lesson” idiot comments on here is just scary.

For those that advocate the damage, do it while the driver is there if you’re brave enough and want to teach them a lesson. Maybe next week push an old person over as they took too long at a crossing, or kill someone in a supermarket because they took the last tin of your cats favorite flavour. Alternatively, have zero complaint when your insurance premiums rise due to other idiots doing this.

No matter how badly someone parks I wouldnt damage their property. I’d even fold in a wing mirror for them and tsk and swear under my breath.

Brushing past a badly parked car will put tiny scratches using the dirt into the paint anyway. Thats unavoidable.

I even let someone off who parked across my drive during a recent Man united match. Theres a number residents can call to ticket or have such a car removed. I let it go. If it happened again and I needed access (I didnt before) I’d call the number provided.

the car was there this morning missing a wing mirror.
i left my works phone number and name.
no one as phoned me today.
the pillock was parked in a worse position this morning so i kicked off the other wing mirror. ;o)

An eye for an eye just makes the whole world blind….

Ton, you did the right thing.

I’m genuinely shocked by the responses of some people on here.

Looks like we’re in the minority nick. The number of “I’ll teach them a lesson” idiot comments on here is just scary.

For those that advocate the damage, do it while the driver is there if you’re brave enough and want to teach them a lesson. Maybe next week push an old person over as they took too long at a crossing, or kill someone in a supermarket because they took the last tin of your cats favorite flavour. Alternatively, have zero complaint when your insurance premiums rise due to other idiots doing this.

er, firstly, from Ton’s posting and his subsequent postings it wasn’t done on purpose, also your analogies don’t hold up, an old person crossing the road at a crossing is not doing anything illegal or inconsiderate nor does the cat food one hold up.

Another possible way to look at it is if people do inconsiderate things like this driver did and nothing happens to them – what do they learn? how will they be encourgaed to modify their behaviour? A polite note on the car window?

Turning the other cheek often just results in the person realising they can get away with their actions.

i was joking about kicking the other mirror off by the way.
i could no find the 😉 thing.

Another possible way to look at it is if people do inconsiderate things like this driver did and nothing happens to them – what do they learn? how will they be encourgaed to modify their behaviour? A polite note on the car window?

Petty crime isn’t going to teach anyone a worthwhile lesson, are you lot really so dumb or are you just winding me up?

Maybe the cars were yearning to get onto the bridleways to play and realising they couldnt get any further had to sit their pining?

my fav topic, now i drive 40 to 50.000 miles a year and refuse to park on pavements or any place likley to cause agro ( no parking tickets in 15yrs)why do we think we can leave a car blocking a path or right of way thats what roads are for, now if someone blocked your fav trail i bet you would act differently.I have been known to take it out on the car when i come accross one parked blocking my right of way, while we are on it parking looking the wrong way its just lazy and shows the disrespect this country has for each other. aaaarrrr its the weekend must calm down

with you on that showerman – zero tolerance for illegal parking

Note tandemjeremy.com is not me!

Its another wannabee

Just to confuse you, TandemJeremy isn’t me either 😉

Oi

How many of us are there?