Would you report this or mind your own business?

[shadowkitty3]

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?

Try to stay on topic.

The misogyny was partly in invoking the stereotype of the middle-aged snobby woman. Partly your use of ‘hysterical madness’. Latter is more on point.

Mrs Brown’s Boys? Really?!

You ask me to quote where you’ve said it’s ok for someone to drive round in a non-roadworthy car/car without an MOT? Well… you’ve said it’s not ok to report it so that’s pretty much a ringing endorsement for the behaviour, isn’t it?

You’re focusing so much on how OP found out that you’ve lost sight of what she’s found out.

Are you unable to answer the direct question I put to you about how you’d feel if someone you loved was collateral damage in this dangerous situation? I didn’t ask you because I might be ‘swayed’ by you (😂); it was so you’d have to confront the hypocrisy of your position. Can you answer it?!

Did you miss the part where that one in a million scenario has already happened to my family and therefore I have seen the devastation caused by something that could easily have been prevented?

Everyone has made up scenarios where the man is a poor victim - we don't know any of the circumstances of his homelessness, he could have made himself homeless for all we know - to justify turning a blind eye to dangerous and illegal activity.

@SalmonKnicks do you realise the person you responded so flippantly to has already lost two family members to an inconsiderate driver? Hoping it's been an oversight on your part and you just didn't make the connection of the person's username and previous comments on this thread.
I cannot imagine having lost family in such a way then having people online put the boot in on such real grief. Rather than virtue signalling maybe look at Mel's experience and consider how that would be to go through.
There is no excuse.

I'd report him. He's the one putting his only shelter at risk by driving his uninsured and untested van around. He might get away with it if he just left it parked up, buy driving round is just asking to be caught/ reported. Just because he's down on his luck doesn't mean he can break the law.

How do you know the guy in question isn’t middle class?

Leave him alone and be thankful you are in a better position than him.

People like you make this world a shit place to live 👍

Well done on ignoring the comment about my family members being victims of a dangerous driver because it doesn't support your narrative.

Also it's a good job I'm not middle class so the morality issues don't apply to me.

I have repeatedly said that whilst his illegal activity put noone else at risk I have no issues turning a blind eye - so while he was parked up and just living his life - but as soon as his actions put others at risk then I will not ignore that.

People who drive dangerous vehicles that may potentially kill innocent people make the place a shit place to live.

People who report the dangerous drivers to get them off the roads so they can't kill innocent people make the world a better place to live 👍

@SalmonKnicks is it not immoral to drive a vehicle with no MOT and put other road users as well as pedestrians at risk?

The issue I asked about is because he's Driving the van on the road, not because he's homeless and lives in it.

I walked past the van this morning and the tyres definitely look bald. This is why it's alarming.

I hope you've reported it now OP. For everyone's sakes x

Yanbu to call and report this. You were being a good neighbour to him and everyone else to think to look it up. He could accidentally kill someone in his un-MOTed van.

It's also not necessarily kind to 'leave him alone' to live rough in a van in a carpark. Some police forces deal with homelessness well (refer to services and support) and some are shite - hard to know which yours will be.

No I wouldn't report. Id pay for him to get his van fixed up. But then I hate to see people living on the streets. Not you problem I realise, but that's what I'd do. I realise not everyone is on the position to do that but if I could prevent someone sleeping on the streets, I would.

Yes it's exactly the same thing. It is the exact same in the way an apple is very similar to a Southern Asian mongoose

Where have I said it’s not ok to report it? Can you quote?

Oh and the post you claim to be misogynistic is still there so MN can’t agree with your claim.

I don’t know what point you’re trying to make other than be kind?

I don’t keep to say how I’d feel if it happened. It’s already happed to a family member and no amount of #bekind is going to bring them back.

Shouting me down won’t bring back my loved ones. You do know that right? So excuse me if I’m not going to be woke.

I’m sorry- I’m really struggling to see what your point is. Your earlier contributions were all very critical of OP - calling her a curtain-twitcher, heavily implying that it’s not her business to check stuff like this.

Are you now saying you think OP is right to report? Genuine question, because you seem to be saying two opposite things.

If she’s an interfering busybody who should butt out, then you are condoning the illegal vehicle, surely?

Can you clarify?

I agree

Haven’t you done enough?

This is very unfair. You, along with many others, piled onto OP, calling her a busybody etc. I have been very clear that the right thing to do is to report dangerous crime. You seemed to be implying the opposite.

You have not said anything about losing a loved one - that was another poster. I was sticking up for that poster by saying we should report dangerous vehicles.

You, by contrast, mocked the OP.

How dare you say I’ve ‘done enough’?! I’ve encouraged the OP to be responsible. You, by contrast, have mocked her.

I don’t think you are on the level.

And if you want to keep making cryptic comments, be my guest. But don’t imply I’ve wronged you in any way. How dare you.

I think both you and OP need to keep your nose out of other people’s business.

Yes, I’ve lost a loved one in similar circumstances. No, it doesn’t make my opinion more valid that yours.

But I know all the amount of be kind virtue signaling in the world isn’t going to bring people back.

I also understand what it’s like to have a community of people poke their nose into people lives. Both my family life as the victim and the perpetrators life. I can tell you that a witch hunt isn’t the answer. Even if you don’t agree with them.

I’d like to think that both you and OP think you’re doing the right thing. But as you seem obsessive with me and my opinion, I don’t know if that’s true.

If you are genuinely fighting for the victims and want to hear from someone who has experience it then I stand by what I’ve said and keep out of it. If you just want to argue with someone online then I’m sorry you’ve chosen me today.

Given how much petrol costs, I would assume he's only moving the van between car parks because he keeps getting moved on, not because he wants to drive it. My first port of call would still be to check whether he's getting support with his housing needs, as the problems seem to stem from that. Tackling the cause rather than the symptom is generally more successful.

Get a life op

Because that's the real problem in the world...poor people not doing what they're told by those in power. Then mindless, petty, forelock tuggers come along to grass them up for not being rich enough to follow the rules.

Makes me sick