Unpleasant altercation - who was the most unreasonable?

[zerofeeling]

Took my dogs out today and was trying to park in a small space between two cars on a country lane. As I was inching back to fit into the space I heard a loud crunch 😖

The two men from the car behind had just set off on their walk, as I got out of my car one of them was heading back towards me shouting why did I try to park in such a small space. I said sorry and inspected the front of his car - couldn't see any damage at all, and apart from a tiny paint scuff nothing on my car. I said to him 'i can't see any damage, it doesn't look like I hit you'
Man just glanced over at his car then asked me for my details, I asked is that necessary and said again there's no damage. He said that's not the point you have to give your details if you've been in a collision. He was much taller than me and sort of fronting up to me repeating that he wanted my details and me refusing, saying I don't think it was a collision, I think I might have hit something underneath my car. (For info my Mum and a friend have both been scammed on their insurance by people who claimed all kinds of things after very minor prangs)

Then he took an ID wallet out of his pocket and flipped it open to show a photo and badge and said he's Police. I couldn't tell if it was genuine or not. He held his phone up and said he's filming me refusing to comply with the law.
By this time the other man had come back and also filming me and I started to worry - I'm in a secluded area, with two men who are much bigger than me. I told them I felt intimidated and are they trying to scam me?

I got in my car and tried to shut the door but 1st man held onto it to prevent me. I asked if he's trying to detain me and he said no but I will if you don't give me your details, I've identified myself to you as a police officer. I said you've got no right to detain me. Eventually he let go of the door and I had to turn the car round as the lane is a dead end. Once I turned round he said again that I'm breaking the law by refusing to give my details after a collision and he started to recite the Caution they give when you're arrested! I drove away very shaken up, no idea what consequences to expect.

So lie and make a false police report you do realise that not only is that a crime its a stupid one because she was filmed admitting hitting the car

This 👍🏼

You need to let your insurance know what happened ASAP, he doesn’t need your details to log a claim if he got your number plate and it looks worse for you that you refused then left the scene, despite admitting there was signs you’d hit his car (the loud crunch being one!). You were way more unreasonable than him for all the reasons pointed out to you already.

You missed the question about reporting the alleged police impersonator

How could I be 'filmed admitting I hit the car' when I repeatedly told him I didn't think I could have hit his car?

This.

No. You're wrong. Even if there's no sign of damage, is there is reason to believe you hit his car, exchanging details is what you needed to do. If someone refused to give me their details in that situation I'd probably get out my phone and try to film them too! It does sound frightening but try to see it from the other perspective - if someone rammed into your car, refused to give their details to you and tried to drive away!

So you hit a stationary car .Refused to give your details ,you are in the wrong.

He has your car registration, isn't that enough?

This. By refusing to leave details and leaving the scene of the alleged collision, you've made it look bad for yourself.

It will be. He also has a witness.

He if he is police he can't use his badge like that.

I m glad you didn't give in . remember Sarah Everard.

You’re wrong, you hit his car with a crunch then started acting arsey about it. Anyone would be annoyed if someone hits the car with a crunch then tries to walk off without giving the details.
I’ve had the same before, an elderly couple hit my car in a car park and acted like you.
At least say sorry and give the details, film the car and damage etc for your own peace of mind but they are not in the wrong when YOU are the one who hit their car. If you didn’t make a crunch or touch their car then they would not have interacted with you whatsoever so it’s a bit off to be saying the other person is so unpleasant and unreasonable!

Wouldn't you get increasing irate if someone possibly hit your car and refused to give you their details? I would.

He asked over and over and you kept giving excuses and avoiding giving your details so he grew more annoyed, most people would when they realise someone is trying to drive off without taking responsibility.

This does not sound like real police at all.

You hit his car. Then tried to claim you hadn’t hit his car because you couldn’t see any visible damage. Then tried to leave the scene without giving your details. Now you’re complaining that a man who said he was a police officer tried to stop you committing a crime (leaving the scene of an accident without giving your details). But it’s his fault for intimidating you.

Of course you WBU!

Please call 101 and tell them exactly what you’ve told us here.

God MN is really a nest of fucking vipers at the moment, maybe the heat is making people cranky.

Op was intimated by two men in a remote place regardless of whether one was a police officer. For all we know the crunch was a fucking branch under her wheel.

If you're worried you can contact the police at a later stage and explain you felt unsafe. Wayne Couzens was a police officer FFS

Well done OP. I’d contact the police, and ask them to verify if he is an officer, stressing how intimidated you felt. Did you manage to get any photographs of the cars? Make a note of his registration details? Write down everything you can remember and take photos of your car “now” in case you need them later.

I recently returned to my car in a garden centre car park to find the couple in the car next to mine had opened their door right onto mine to get their plants into their car. A moment later I got into my car and shut the door. The bloke then got out of his car and accused me of deliberately smashing my car door into his. I didn’t even touch it! He and his partner both insisted they’d felt a very big thud. He made a big performance of inspecting his car door and strangely enough couldn’t see any damage at all. No idea how they thought I could have caused an almighty thud without even disturbing the dried mud on his paintwork. I left them to it. I don’t have dashcam. If they do though, they’d have had a recording of them opening their car door onto mine and screamingly aggressively at me for no reason.

OP I would contact your local police, given the man’s aggression. And it could be that you did hit his car. I hope you get it sorted.

Bloody hell, the man was clearly intimidating OP, I think I’d have refused to give my details too! If he’d been more reasonable I suspect you’d have given them. We don’t all think clearly when we’re feeling threatened.

Also, are police officers allowed to carry their police ID cards when they’re not on duty?

I think you need to call 101 and report a possible collision, and explain you didn’t feel safe to stay and exchange details because of the behaviour of the 2 men. You were in a very vulnerable position, and they were aggressive.

@zerofeeling someone once went into the back of my car at a roundabout. They didn't have their insurance details but gave their name and address and I took the reg no. There was not a mark on my car but when it was checked something under the car had buckled due to the impact. The damage was about £1500.

You should have given your insurance details or taken theirs at the very least. If yiu genuinely felt threatened and he claimed to be a policeman why didn't you call 999?

The men filmed the incident and got her license plate, that's enough. There was no need to intimidate her, especially holding onto her car door. She was a lone women confronted by 2 burly and aggressive strange men. Haven't they read the news lately? Don't they know how inappropriate and frightening that was? Years ago I would've said they were impersonating coppers, but judging by today's intake these two sound eminently qualified.

Police officers are supposed to carry their warrant cards every time they go out. It’s a form of identification if they have to get involved in anything off duty. ( or when they are in plain clothes ). There’s no reason to believe that this was a fake police badge (that he just happened to have on his person). As much as you want. It to be suspicious it’s not.

I agree. People who are siding with the OP... try to remaine the scenario with the sexes reversed - it may help you view the situation more clearly.