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Original poster

Would you report this or mind your own business?

250 replies

shadowkitty3 · 18/03/2023 18:47

There is a man who lives in a van in my town. For the last year or so he has been parked in a particular public car park. He is definitely homeless and lives in the van.

Out of curiosity I put the numberplate into the online car tax checker a few months ago. The van is SORN and the MOT expired four years ago.

So he shouldn't be parked there if the vehicle is SORN but I thought, it's none of my business and not up to me to do anything about it.

However, I've now noticed he has been driving the van around on the road. The van had moved to another part of the car park this week, and another time I saw it actually driving on the main road in the town.

This is concerning as he obviously doesn't have insurance and the vehicle doesn't even have an MOT. I don't know if I should report this to the police, but obviously no one else in the town has bothered. What would you do?

OP posts:
iwontforgetyoumyfriendwhathappened · 18/03/2023 21:51

melj1213 · 18/03/2023 21:39

If he was just living in the van and it was stationary (or at the very most moved to a different part of the car park) then I would say ignore it and let him live his life.

However, the second that the car has been driven on the road it is no longer an innocent man just living his life, he is now breaking the law and knowingly and willingly putting other people at risk from his actions and I would report him on a heart beat.

My cousin was killed aged 7, along with her aunt, by an uninsured driver whose car had not been MOTed for 3 years. Her mother ended up in a wheelchair, her 4yo sister had multiple broken bones and their 8month old brother only survived with minor bruises and scratches because the aunt, who was pushing the pram with the 4yo, saw the car coming towards them and pushed the pram away and used her body to shield the 4yo from the majority of the impact, saving her life.

During the investigation it was found that the brakes failed due to being so worn they were barely there and the wheels were so worn down that there was zero grip on them. This meant that when the brakes failed, the driver lost control of the vehicle as he tried to break while turning a corner but because the tyres were so worn they had no grip on the road and his car span out of control and hit the family. A huge tragedy and loss of two lives that could have been prevented if he had just taken the car to be MOTed at any point in the previous three years.

I will turn a blind eye to a lot of things but dangerous driving (which is what the man is doing if he is neither insured, taxed or MOTed) is not one of them.

Oh that's awful, I'm so sorry for your loss.
Sounds like what happened in your example is very similar to what happened in mine. Another driver unable to make the turn due to failed brakes on an MOT'd vehicle.
So sorry your cousin didn't survive.

uhOhOP · 18/03/2023 21:51

memesndmoreme · 18/03/2023 21:41

Mind your own business

Road safety is everybody's business. We are astonishingly cavalier about it, though, for some reason.

memesndmoreme · 18/03/2023 21:53

uhOhOP · 18/03/2023 21:51

Road safety is everybody's business. We are astonishingly cavalier about it, though, for some reason.

Show quote history

Yeah ur right. Let's get rid of his van and let him sleep in a doorway or a park bench

memesndmoreme · 18/03/2023 21:54

PearCrumbleCustard · 18/03/2023 20:44

I would report people being violent or where I think there is the possibility of children being neglected or abused.

I would report a dangerous driver, or someone doing something that I thought would cause harm.

I would report things like needles discarded on the street.

But I would not report a homeless guy with no MOT as I would have no indication that he was a risk to other people by dangerous driving or anything Iike that.

THIS with bells on

Whatthefnow · 18/03/2023 21:54

It would never cross my mind to check if a vehicle was taxed.

I'd be minding my own business on this one op.

BertaHoon · 18/03/2023 21:56

Mountainpika · 18/03/2023 19:01

Perhaps those who are saying leave him alone would like to raise funds to buy him a safe vehicle and pay his insurance. It is indeed a very unsafe situation.

I'd donate.

TaunterOfWomenInGeneralSaysSayonarastu · 18/03/2023 21:59

Out of curiosity I put the numberplate into the online car tax checker a few months ago.

Jesus fucking christ.

DojaPhat · 18/03/2023 22:02

BertaHoon · 18/03/2023 21:56

I'd donate.

Show quote history

Mutual aid is nothing to be sniffed at. People can (and I have often) pooled resources with others to do such things.

BertaHoon · 18/03/2023 22:09

DojaPhat · 18/03/2023 22:02

Mutual aid is nothing to be sniffed at. People can (and I have often) pooled resources with others to do such things.

Show quote history

Which is why I was saying that I'd donate.

Problem?

DojaPhat · 18/03/2023 22:11

@BertaHoon I'm not sure where I indicated there was a problem. I was agreeing with you.

thenightsky · 18/03/2023 22:14

I doubt he's driving around. Petrol is expensive. I think someone is misrepresenting the situation here. [hmm

BertaHoon · 18/03/2023 22:15

DojaPhat · 18/03/2023 22:11

@BertaHoon I'm not sure where I indicated there was a problem. I was agreeing with you.

Ah okay. Ignore me, I'm decorating.

Badly.

Quick sit down... Check email. I could start an argument looking in the mirror.

Night!

StarDolphins · 18/03/2023 22:16

who would think this is ok. He’s homeless living in his vehicle, please leave him alone. He’s probably finding life really tough & what harm is he doing to you? Have a heart & leave him be.

BatFaceOwl · 18/03/2023 22:18

So all of you saying how awful it would be to report this man.. you'd be totally cool and sympathetic if he hit you in his van and injured you, yes? Or your child

Your only answer is yes, isn't it? Because you've turned a blind eye and this is the consequences of doing that.

But you're fine with that because ... poor man

FWIW, I'd be absolutely fine with him parked up wherever. I'd be not fine with him driving

DojaPhat · 18/03/2023 22:19

@BertaHoon To be fair I think it's the nature of online discourse!

melj1213 · 18/03/2023 22:20

StarDolphins · 18/03/2023 22:16

who would think this is ok. He’s homeless living in his vehicle, please leave him alone. He’s probably finding life really tough & what harm is he doing to you? Have a heart & leave him be.

The harm he is doing is driving on the roads in a potentially dangerous vehicle, putting the OP and every other driver and pedestrian in danger.

Living in an uninsured/taxed/MOTed car off the public roads - fine

Driving an uninsured/taxed/MOTed car on the public roads- not fine

bucketloadofcats · 18/03/2023 22:23

If you think he's homeless, it would be better to report him to StreetLink. If they can help get him into accommodation, he won't need to be moving around this van that he clearly can't afford to service - he'll have an actual roof over his head.

uhOhOP · 18/03/2023 22:23

memesndmoreme · 18/03/2023 21:54

THIS with bells on

Show quote history

Why do we have to have this yearly vehicle inspection? Is it to make sure our cars are actually fit for the road, that they aren't dangerous? You don't have to be doing "dangerous driving" to be a hazard on the road if, for example, your tyres are bald or unevenly worn.

(An MOT test is about £30, isn't it? Let nobody try to suggest that maybe his tyres aren't worn out, etc, because if he didn't bother to pay £30 for the test, do you think he paid £120 for a new tyre?)

PlantKi1ler · 18/03/2023 22:25

I wouldn't kick someone when they are already down.

StarDolphins · 18/03/2023 22:27

melj1213 · 18/03/2023 22:20

The harm he is doing is driving on the roads in a potentially dangerous vehicle, putting the OP and every other driver and pedestrian in danger.

Living in an uninsured/taxed/MOTed car off the public roads - fine

Driving an uninsured/taxed/MOTed car on the public roads- not fine

Show quote history

Seems like he’s mostly parked up.

i have the potential to hurt & injure someone in my fully MOT’d car,. There are literally thousands of people driving about in uninsured/untaxed cars. I would leave him alone, if the police catch up with him so be it but there’s no way I would be getting involved in this.

I would report drink drivers/people way of the speed limit but a homeless guy
mostly parked up with the odd trio out. No.

melj1213 · 18/03/2023 22:28

PlantKi1ler · 18/03/2023 22:25

I wouldn't kick someone when they are already down.

Do you extend that to everyone committing crimes or just those who have a good sob story?

uhOhOP · 18/03/2023 22:29

memesndmoreme · 18/03/2023 21:53

Yeah ur right. Let's get rid of his van and let him sleep in a doorway or a park bench

Show quote history

Who said to "get rid of his van"?

ladygindiva · 18/03/2023 22:36

melj1213 · 18/03/2023 22:28

Do you extend that to everyone committing crimes or just those who have a good sob story?

Show quote history

😱

melj1213 · 18/03/2023 22:38

StarDolphins · 18/03/2023 22:27

Seems like he’s mostly parked up.

i have the potential to hurt & injure someone in my fully MOT’d car,. There are literally thousands of people driving about in uninsured/untaxed cars. I would leave him alone, if the police catch up with him so be it but there’s no way I would be getting involved in this.

I would report drink drivers/people way of the speed limit but a homeless guy
mostly parked up with the odd trio out. No.

Show quote history

Mostly parked up is not totally parked up and every time he gets on the road he puts people in danger due to the higher risk that his car is going to have issues that may lead to an accident, something he is knowingly choosing to do. Additionally we don't know how often or how far he is driving - presumably the OP isn't there 24/7, so he could be driving a lot more than she thinks.

Every time any driver starts their car they are in charge of a heavy chunk of metal that can kill people. We have an annual MOT in order to ensure these death traps are as safe as they possibly can be, something this driver is actively choosing not to do. This puts every road user in danger, not just himself.

Would you be so cavalier if your family members were killed by a driver who only made the odd trip in his dangerous vehicle? Because I have been in this situation and my aunt would still have her daughter, her sister and the ability to walk if anyone had reported the man that crashed into her family at any point in the 3 years before the crash that he was uninsured, untaxed and unMOTed.

XenoBitch · 18/03/2023 22:40

On one hand, he is breaking the law... but on the other, you only know he is because he came to your attention by being homeless.