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AIBU?

Young guy crashing into me. AIBU?

93 replies

WalfordEast · 18/10/2015 16:06

I went shopping to my local Tesco express earlier. The parking outside is minimal- basically a long bay that you have to parallel park into. There is on street CCTV that over looks it.

Anyway- I was sat in my car and someone stopped to move into a tiny space in front of me- I honked my horn twice to indicate there wasn't enough room and that they would crash into me- but guess what. They carried on- and you guessed it, ended up crashing into me. Damage is a deep scuff and dent on the front drivers side. Scuff won't budge with T cut- it's gone right through the paint so it will be a spray job.

The young guy (I'd say 18/19) then moved off to the car in front, parked up and walked into Tesco without even stopping to apologise. I waited fifteen minutes and then had to move my car as my parking was running out, so left a note under his windshield wiper to say I had taken his registration number and I'd be contacting my insurance company and I left my number if he wanted to get in contact. I didn't follow him into Tesco as naturally I didn't want to cause a scene.

Anyway, about half an hour ago I got a call of a irate woman asking "what I was playing at leaving notes and my number on her sons windshield". I explained the situation in detail. I explained I was a reasonable person, and if her son at least apologised to me I may of been more inclined to let it go. I even offered to meet them in a mutually agreeable public place so they could access the damage themselves and to try and come to some arrangement for payment of damages so we didn't have to get the insurance involved. I'm only early 20s myself, so I'm perfectly understanding that insurance premiums for people our age can be through the roof. This was met with a barrage of verbal abuse. I then explained if she wasn't prepared to talk it through like reasonable adults, I'd have to contact my insurance and let them deal with it. More verbal abuse, and eventually I ended up having to hang up the phone. They have since rung 3 times but I'm not prepared to answer my phone- she was quite intimidating and as far as I'm concerned, I'm not in the wrong.

Some people may say let it go- but I don't see why I should:

I tried to warn this guy that there wasn't room to park, but he ignored said warnings.
He walked off without so much as an apology. If this was a serious incident, the police would be on his back.
The car is only 4 months old.
I'll have to loose half a days wages in order to get my car fixed up.

AIBU to get the insurance involved or should I just suck it up?

OP posts:

Report

SuffolkNWhat · 18/10/2015 16:08

Get the insurance involved. That's what it is there for.

Oysterbabe · 18/10/2015 16:08

Call your insurer immediately.

QforCucumber · 18/10/2015 16:09

Call the insurer, let them deal with it.

ShatnersBassoon · 18/10/2015 16:09

Why wouldn't you contact your insurance? Just because his mum's pissed off? I'm amazed you have to ask. Contacting the police might be a good idea too.

VinylScratch · 18/10/2015 16:09

Get the insurance to sort it and report him to 101 for leaving the scene of an accident. What a prick, if he's old enough he drive he shouldn't still be hiding behind his mummy when he does something wrong.

Narp · 18/10/2015 16:09

Get the insurance involved.

They aren't nice people are they?

Did you take photos?

neepsandtatties · 18/10/2015 16:10

Definitely pursue! That's terrible. But I don't understand why you didn't get out of the car as soon as you heard the bang and remonstrate with him?

Is it worth asking Tesco today to make sure they keep hold of the CCTV (since he is likely to deny it)?

ShatnersBassoon · 18/10/2015 16:10

I can't believe you didn't get out of the car and shout to call him over at the time though

ceres · 18/10/2015 16:10

If I were you I would be logging this with the police as well as contacting your insurance. I'd mention the on street cctv as that could be vital if the bloke disputes the claim.

Good luck

SurlyCue · 18/10/2015 16:10

Definitely insurance. It isnt worth the hassle dealing with them yourself. He should have come over straight away to see the damage and apologise.

SuffolkNWhat · 18/10/2015 16:11

Also mention the CCTV so they can get it before it's wiped

MummaGiles · 18/10/2015 16:11

Call your insurer and contact the store and ask them to keep their cctv.

OurBlanche · 18/10/2015 16:12

Pass it to your insurance company. Add a note about the phonecalls and the CCTV, and let them deal with it - that is what you pay them for!

You could ask if Tesco, or whoever, could keep the CCTV footage for you.

But most of all call the police, on 101, get an incident number, tell them mum is insisting that the young man who dd not stop to exchange details is harrassing you and being generally unpleasant, threatening tone etc. Then let them deal with them, they may go out and ascertain any damage on his car... that is what you need them to do.

www.which.co.uk/cars/driving/driving-advice/what-to-do-if-you-have-a-car-accident/immediately-after-a-car-accident/

Catzpyjamas · 18/10/2015 16:13

Is there any chance he might have genuinely been unaware he'd hit you?
I had similar recently and the older gentleman had no idea he'd scraped my bumper. Fortunately it was on cctv.
I would return their call ONCE in case they have decided to be reasonable and if the conversation goes badly, end it and contact your insurance. There are paint repair services who will come and collect/return your car from work. I will try to find a link to the franchise who did mine.

WalfordEast · 18/10/2015 16:13

Will the police be interested though? I thought it was only serious incidents with injury etc they are interested in. A minor bump in a parking bay isn't something I would of thought they had time to deal with.

And I'm still getting phone calls. It's off a withheld number so I can't block it.

OP posts:

Oysterbabe · 18/10/2015 16:14

Yes CCTV is wiped in 28 days so request it straight away.

OurBlanche · 18/10/2015 16:18

The bump may not be, but mum's attitude might be! Ring and talk to them. Police that is.

I would also answer the phone again and see if she has calmed down, he may have fessed up. At the very least you can say you are passing it onto your insurance company and that you are certain it was caught on CCTV.

At best she will be calmer and you can sort it out like adults. At worst you can say/shout that you will not be answering the phone to her again as she is being aggressive, then report further calls to the police as continued harrassment.

Just remember, she can't reach down the phone to get you, she can only shout. You can laugh, put the phone down or even shout back

Catzpyjamas · 18/10/2015 16:18

The company I used was Chips Away and the link takes you to an article on their website about when to claim insurance.

WalfordEast · 18/10/2015 16:18

Mum didn't sound shocked or apologised when I explained about the crash, which to be suggests he told her and he realised. I did get out of the car straight away- but within about 15 seconds after me looking at my car he was parked up and in Tesco (it's literally a 2 second walk into tesco from where we were parked). If it was literally a mark I would of let it go which is why I checked before making a big deal out of it.

I don't think the CCTV belongs to Tesco. It's CCTV for the street so to speak- the parking isn't Tescos parking, it's a council parking bay. So I guess I contact the council about that???

OP posts:

APlaceOnTheCouch · 18/10/2015 16:18

Definitely call the insurance company. And in future if someone bumps you, speak to them straight away. It makes it more difficult for them to deny liability and it means you can ask witnesses for their details too.

Narp · 18/10/2015 16:19

If you are getting phone calls then you are being hassled. I'd contact the police on 101 about that

LIZS · 18/10/2015 16:21

I'd put money on their insurance cover being dubious. Have they told you who theirs is with or who owns the car? The fact that you were stationery and parked correctly will go on your favour. Contact police re calls.

neepsandtatties · 18/10/2015 16:25

Answer the phone and don't engage but calmly say that you are going to go through your insurance, you have got hold of the CCTV, and, if you get any more phone calls you will be contacting the police too, for harassment. The hang up, and if you do get another phone call, call 101.

Hufflepuffin · 18/10/2015 16:32

I think tesco would know who to contact about the cctv even if it isn't theirs.

ilovesooty · 18/10/2015 16:34

Call 101 anyway. He's left the scene if the accident and committed an offence.

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