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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this was a waste of police time?

212 replies

FlowersBlown · 14/06/2013 12:29

At 10pm last night I answered the door to a police officer. He asked about my car, and whether I and it had been at a particular gym earlier in the week. We had. While there I committed an offence.

I made a mistake parking and scraped the plastic bumper of the car next to me. I did not report this. The policeman was off duty in the carpark and witnessed the offence. He took our number plates and went to visit the owner of the other car. She was unaware of the damage, but upon inspection there is indeed scuffing to the bumper.

This in now in the hands of our insurance companies. Was it really worth the police persuing this? No charges are being brought. I did something wrong, but we live in a congested city. My own car is covered in scuffs that have not (all) been caused by me. Should a scuffed bumper be seen more as part of the give and take of city living rather than a potentially criminal matter?

OP posts:
Hemlet · 14/06/2013 12:32

Maybe you should have left a note for the owner of the other car but it does sound a bit petty. But I guess police officers can't pick and choose which laws they enforce.

lurkedtoolong · 14/06/2013 12:38

YABveryU. Yes it is worth the police pursuing this and I'm glad your insurance is going to have to pay. When we accept very small bad behaviour and offences being committed it makes the larger crimes more acceptable. I'm fed up with putting up with shit because it's easier than behaving like civilised people.

MalenkyRusskyDrakonchik · 14/06/2013 12:40

It's nice that the other driver hadn't noticed or didn't care, but you couldn't have predicted that and nor could he. He had to do his job.

LessMissAbs · 14/06/2013 12:42

Yes, it is worth it - you damaged someone else's property and committed an offence. It might seem trivial to you but for someone who drives quite a decent car, paid for by their own hard earned money, they want their car to retain its value for possible resale, which is reduced by bodywork damage. Do you think doing someone out of £300 or £500 off someone

Your attitude is appalling.

Is this a spoof post?

whatsleep · 14/06/2013 12:42

Well said Lurked. Just because you don't care about bumps and scratches on your car does not mean that others feel the same way. I bet you though you had got away with it.....glad you got pulled up on it in the end.

Original poster
FlowersBlown · 14/06/2013 12:42

I get that. But we are all victims of these small offences, as well as occasionally perpetrators. Shame he wasn't off duty in my road 2 weeks ago when I had my wing mirror knocked off. I couldn't claim on anyone else's insurance for that.

OP posts:
limitedperiodonly · 14/06/2013 12:42

My, he's keen.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 14/06/2013 12:43

So you damaged someone else's property and didn't even leave a note?

YABVU

EuroShaggleton · 14/06/2013 12:43

YABU. You should have left your details.

DupontetDupond · 14/06/2013 12:44

If you knew at the time you had scraped the bumper, YABU and should have left a note with your details

Sparklingbrook · 14/06/2013 12:45

If this happens you leave a note surely? It would be different if you didn't realise what you had done, but you did and drove off. Confused

Kendodd · 14/06/2013 12:46

And if a off duty police officer had seen your wing mirror being knocked off would you have liked them to do something?

angelos02 · 14/06/2013 12:46

OP did you realised you had done this at the time? If you did and then just fucked off without leaving a note, that is shocking.

Original poster
FlowersBlown · 14/06/2013 12:47

Would you all really leave a note for scuffing a bumper? I am amazed. No one has ever left a note on my car despite numerous scrapes and losing 3 wing mirrors.

OP posts:
StayAwayFromTheEdge · 14/06/2013 12:47

I think you are lucky to get away with it being in the left in the hands of the insurance company. I'd be bloody annoyed if it was my car. The state of your car is completely irrelevant.

Tallulahmae · 14/06/2013 12:48

YABU you did something wrong, from the other parties point of view it would not have been a waste of police time. You did something wrong and should have to pay for it

Sparklingbrook · 14/06/2013 12:48

If a scuffed bumper is ok what isn't though?

Saying that thought there was a very heated thread saying that when parallel parking it's ok to 'kiss' the cars in front and behind with your bumper and I don't like that either. I got accused of all sorts for believing it was wrong.

IWipeArses · 14/06/2013 12:48

Do you not have your own morals, or just choose the lowest common denominator to tag along with?

Kendodd · 14/06/2013 12:49

You didn't answer my question.

And if a off duty police officer had seen your wing mirror being knocked off would you have liked them to do something?

MNBlackpoolandFylde · 14/06/2013 12:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StayAwayFromTheEdge · 14/06/2013 12:49

"Would you all really leave a note for scuffing a bumper? I am amazed. No one has ever left a note on my car despite numerous scrapes and losing 3 wing mirrors."

Yes - the rest of your statement is irrelevant.

WildlingPrincess · 14/06/2013 12:49

I'd have left a note.

TeamJavert · 14/06/2013 12:49

Yes I would leave a note. It's not your car,and therefore it's not for you to decide that the damage is too minor to bother doing anything about.

DreamingOfTheMaldives · 14/06/2013 12:50

If you hadn't damaged the car and deliberately driven off without leaving your details for the owner then this police officer's time wouldn't have been wasted, would it?!

And no OP, we are not all occasionally perpetrators of this sort of small offence - if I damage someone's car accidentally, I leave a note for them.

By your thinking OP, if someone steals something from you, you should be allowed to go and steal something from someone else Confused

OrangeFireandGoldashes · 14/06/2013 12:53

Yes I would and have, precisely because I know how infuriating it is when other people don't and I won't descend to their level!

I've had to do this twice over the years - on one occasion the other person didn't even ring me, and on the second they did but just to say not to worry, the scuff on their car would polish out and they weren't bothered about claiming but they thanked me for leaving the note anyway.