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Carpark Scrape - I drove off...

136 replies

MaryPoppinsMassiveSack · 16/04/2013 19:59

Hello,

Marginally late for the school run this morning I managed to touch the car parked next to me whilst maneuvering. I checked and there was very little damage / no dent and (being a bit late) I think no one saw.

So I drove off smartly.

But what if the school has cameras or someone did see, touching another car is just one of those things, isn't it?

OP posts:
MaryPoppinsMassiveSack · 16/04/2013 20:16

not 'shite', white

OP posts:
LegArmpits · 16/04/2013 20:16

...metal either. I just don't. A scrape on a car is just a scrape on a car. Surely life's too bloody short and precious to give a flying fuck?

freddiemisagreatshag · 16/04/2013 20:16

Tell you what, I'll come round to your house later and accidentally break all your windows. And run away. And leave you to pick up the bill and sort out the hassle.

How about that?

MaryPoppinsMassiveSack · 16/04/2013 20:18

freddie - how about you come round and knock over a milk bottle and run off, 'cos that's about as much damage as I caused.

OP posts:
CoolaSchmoola · 16/04/2013 20:19

Oh and mine is (well it bloody was!)shiny and I saved up for a very long time to buy it new, so yes I am precious about it because I went without a lot of things to have it so why should someone who doesn't value their car get to shrug at damaging mine?

freddiemisagreatshag · 16/04/2013 20:20

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difficultpickle · 16/04/2013 20:20

It is a criminal offence to leave the scene of an accident without exchanging details. You should either have left your details (and taken a photo with your phone to show that and also to record the damage for your own peace of mind) or you should have gone to the local police station to report it.

Have a look here if you don't believe me.

I really hope someone saw you and took your reg. It happened to me. My car was badly damaged in the station car park. A witness left her contact details and I was able to claim from the person's insurance (a woman driver who denied it until it was proven she was responsible).

DomesticCEO · 16/04/2013 20:21

I knocked a car in a car park once, and went into the hall to track down the owner. It was quite a big scrape and we swapped details, etc but she never followed up on it. I don't think a lot of people are that precious about their cars, but I think owning up is the only fair thing to do and then leave it in their hands as to whether they pursue it or not.

marriedinwhiteagain · 16/04/2013 20:21

I clipped a wing mirror a few months ago - mine was absolutely written off (wing mirror that is). I heard a pop and didn't realise until I was at the end of the road (100 yds on) with a queue of cars behind me. I dropped ds at school, drove right back, searched the parked cars for damage but could couldn't find any. Felt absolutely ghastly and absolutely terrified that I would be reported. I was hugely supported on here. But then I didn't notice damage and try not to deal with it. I think you need to speak to the school office tbs OP.

MrsSpagBol · 16/04/2013 20:22

Legarmpits I don't think that is your decision to make. If you damage someone else's car I think you should let the owner be the judge of whether or not it's a big deal. If you don't think it is that is your right but some people do care about their posessions and there is nothing wrong with that.

MaryPoppins I don't understand you at all. You are abusing people for telling you what you did was wrong? Well why did you post then? You sound horrible, tbh.

Floggingmolly · 16/04/2013 20:22

It's fine not to give a flying fuck when someone dents your car. Not fine to assume they'll feel the same way when you damage theirs.
Op, I'm another one who hopes you get done for this, both for the initial scarpering and the "I'm glad I drove off" when it was pointed out to you how much you potentially cost the owner of the other car.

MaryPoppinsMassiveSack · 16/04/2013 20:24

Ok, I'm going to leave the thread as you are all riled up and will speak to the school in the morning. I think it was a teacher's car and it's not a state school so I'm sure the police will not be involved.

OP posts:
UnChartered · 16/04/2013 20:26

don't hit the kerb on you way out Grin

peanutbear · 16/04/2013 20:26

My sister got arrested charged and given 10 points for this apparently it's the same code on your licence as a hit and run. And she didn't know she'd done it. No CCTV just a witness she was devastated paid for all the damage and apologised but the police still took her to court. Sorry

Ahhhcrap · 16/04/2013 20:26

Why us it that just because you couldn't give a rats arse about your car you think it's ok to damage someone else's property.

That car you hit might be someone's pride and joy, or they may have scrimped and saved for years to buy it. And you damage it and drive off thinking its ok. People like you really get my back up!

I also hope the school has CCTV and you get a nice visit from the local constabulary - you did know its against the law to drive off from the scene if an accident, regardless ofhow minor you think it was!

MandragoraWurzelstock · 16/04/2013 20:26

Very very common to bump a door against another car in modern, tiny car parks. I think if the damage is practically invisible and only noticeable through a magnifying glass, then honestly, the risk of someone taking advantage of your honesty is so great these days (I am sure people WAIT for someone to scratch their car so they can then fleece them for the full repaint) that I can understand someone not reporting every last teeny tiny bump. (talking about 2mm dot of paint sort of thing)
I wouldn't even notice that on my car.
I owned up to banging a car at preschool one day, it was a very tiny bump but still, it was my son's teacher's car - she didn't even want to look at it, she said don't worry. I was really relieved but would have paid up if she had wanted, not that there was anything really to notice.
2 inch white scratch sounds a bit more significant tbh
how new was the car? If very scratched up already then I wouldn't be too concerned - brand new and sparkling then well. Prob a bigger deal.

freddiemisagreatshag · 16/04/2013 20:26

Whether or not it's a state school, as I and others already said, if you left the scene of an accident without leaving your details, you have committed a criminal offence.

I hope they throw the book at you.

difficultpickle · 16/04/2013 20:27

OP it is a criminal offence wherever it happened.

VivaLeBeaver · 16/04/2013 20:27

Scrapes down to the metal can be expensive to repair. If left un repaired they'll go rusty and rust spreads like mad. Sorry but my car cost a lot of money, maybe some people might not care about damage to something which is worth thousands of pounds but I do.

Op sounds like a troll or a twat with an attitude like she's displaying here.

culturemulcher · 16/04/2013 20:27

A 2" scrape and you didn't leave a note? Shock

I REALLY hope it wasn't my car you scraped.

CoolaSchmoola · 16/04/2013 20:27

A scraped colour coded bumper is a MINIMUM £75 repair IF it can be repaired. If it's not fixable (and not all scrapes are, it depends if it's scratched/damaged too) then it's around £600 for a replacement.

So you did a minimum of £75 worth of damage and you think that's ok because it was only 2"??

Yup, selfish.

BriansBrain · 16/04/2013 20:28

I saw someone do exactly this and when I realised they weren't going to stop I took a picture of the car and reg on my phone. I then left my details on the damaged car and the owner was very grateful.

I hope someone managed to get your reg.

Chubfuddler · 16/04/2013 20:28

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ZenNudist · 16/04/2013 20:29

I might have to name change for agreeing with the OP.

If it was just a little mark I really wouldn't sweat it.

I have just got a shiny new (to me) car. I would be very unhappy if it got any significant dents or scrapes but wouldn't get Shock over a mark that will buff out. if it did get slightly scraped I wouldn't claim on insurance. It's a car fgs! I'd claim for a big dent or scrape, but hopefully people would tell you about that. But maybe not!

If you have a white car it's inevitable that these things are going to happen.

Mind you when i was younger I had a really beaten up car & was a bad driver manoeuvring in tight car parks/ streets. I have been known to touch park & on one occasion scraped a white work van. It was my paint on the van & I figured it'd come out! Blush

difficultpickle · 16/04/2013 20:29

If it is in a private school car park then I would put good money on there being a CCTV camera. Fingers crossed you were caught on camera.