Motorbike knocked over by car - hit and run
Around three weeks ago, a work colleague’s motorbike got knocked over our works private car park. We work in a pharmacy, which shares the building and car park with a very busy doctor’s surgery.
The incident was not reported by the car driver who knocked the bike over. We managed to get the property manager to review the CCTV tapes and a people carrier was observed reversing into the bike. The driver got out and saw the damage done to the bike; they then got into their car and drove off!
The licence plate number was out of focus, so the unfortunately owner can not claim on her insurance until the police have looked at the tapes. In the meantime, her husband had to leave work early and come to the car park to help us repair the motorbike so that she could drive it safely home. At this point the police were informed. My friend’s husband dealt with the repairs to the bike and due to the severity of the damage he had to fit a number of new parts. The police said they would try to send someone out to collect the CCTV tapes, but to date no-one has come to do this. My friend visited the police station and has even made lengthy phone calls to the police. Each time she gets told the same old story "We will try and send someone when we are not busy…"
Since this incident happened she got her bike properly repaired, alarmed (to alert her if any one done drove into it again). Unfortunately this has happened again, although unlike the last time there was considerably less damage.
She decided however, not to even bother reporting the incident to the police as she feels it is completely pointless, particularly as the first issue hasn’t been properly sorted out. Furthermore, she now no longer parks her bike in the private car park as she feels it is safer to park on the main road!
I have watched my colleague and friend cry, be angry, confused, hurt and upset throughout her ordeal. All she did was come to work, park legally and safely in a private car park and yet she has suffered both financially and psychologically through no fault of her own.
Now she constantly worries about the safety of her motorbike. Will the driver who knocked it over ever be punished and will she ever see anything of money spent on repairs? Somehow I doubt it and I think that the way her case has been handled by the police is a crime itself. What do you think?
By: RC
Comments from visitors
Much the same here my bike was knocked over by my neighbour I seen them do it along with my daughter went to the police as they had the bare face that they didn't knock it over - what's happen nothing and it looks like they are going to get away with is as there was no damage to their car as my bike is covered. Going to cover my motorcycle cover with course sanding cloth so next time a car knocks it over the car should have a few scratches on it.
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This is of course an urban legend which has done the rounds in many guises and countries. It is a good illustration though of the apathy of the police in many countries.
-7
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I am sure the police could send someone if it suited them:
Late one night, I awoke to hear noises coming from my garden. I peered out the bedroom window to discover two men had broken into my shed and were in the process of removing my motorbike. I phoned the police immediately, but was told there was no one available. The best they could do, they said, was send someone round in the morning to take a statement. I hung up.
A couple of minutes later I rang again. “Hello“, I said, “I called you earlier because there were people stealing my bike. Well, you don't have to worry now, because I've shot them.” Within five minutes there were half a dozen police cars in the area, plus an armed response unit and a helicopter overhead, illuminating the garden with a huge spotlight. They caught the thieves red-handed.
The investigating officer quizzed me: "I thought you said you'd shot them?" To which I replied: “I thought you said there was no one available!”
Late one night, I awoke to hear noises coming from my garden. I peered out the bedroom window to discover two men had broken into my shed and were in the process of removing my motorbike. I phoned the police immediately, but was told there was no one available. The best they could do, they said, was send someone round in the morning to take a statement. I hung up.
A couple of minutes later I rang again. “Hello“, I said, “I called you earlier because there were people stealing my bike. Well, you don't have to worry now, because I've shot them.” Within five minutes there were half a dozen police cars in the area, plus an armed response unit and a helicopter overhead, illuminating the garden with a huge spotlight. They caught the thieves red-handed.
The investigating officer quizzed me: "I thought you said you'd shot them?" To which I replied: “I thought you said there was no one available!”
-5
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Report it to the insurance company, they will investigate and then request the police investigate, this is a clear case of property damage and the police are duty bound to investigate within a reasonable time limit, If they dont investigate then the insurance company can report the inciident to the independant police complaints authority who will investigate, If you contact the police then keep a log of the contex of the conversation who answered it name/number time etc and any promises made. As for the private land excuse, try talking to a solicitor, there is an implied duty of care when they offer free parking despite their notices they have to show a reasonable amount of care for the safety and security of your vehicle, ask the property manager why there are cameras and who is their authorised data protection contact, they have to have them by law. There is a possibility that another camera may have caught the number plate, if you had followed their exit from the park it may have been possible a camera along this route would have got them.
Its a puzzle that when someone is mugged for a few pounds there are enough cameras around to track a single individual across a city centre but if a car causes damage worth 100s no help is available
Its a puzzle that when someone is mugged for a few pounds there are enough cameras around to track a single individual across a city centre but if a car causes damage worth 100s no help is available
-1
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I live in an apartment building with an underground garage behind locked electronic gates, I park in my allocated spot and had my bike knocked over, no one had any right going anywhere near that spot, but they managed to ram a car into my GS500. The garage is meant to have CCTV, I asked and they said they only covered the entrances and lobby, I called the Police and they said they wont do anything unless someone was injured.
I'm fully insured, but still out $400 excess due to the fact I can't find the person who did it. :(
I think it's criminal to do these things, in my case, they knocked it over, then decided to stand her back up to hide the damage, didn't think i'd notice the side mirror sitting 10 metres away, she fell that hard the mirror went flying, so angry.
I agree with the judge/jury solution, now that I know there aren't any cameras in worthwhile places, it's me, a knife and about 16 sets of tyres.
You should look to find safer places to park the bike, I think i'll be parking in the inside lobby, anyone complains, i'll give them the receipt for my repairs, if I can't have protection in a secured parking lot that I pay for, i'll put her where she is protected.
I'm fully insured, but still out $400 excess due to the fact I can't find the person who did it. :(
I think it's criminal to do these things, in my case, they knocked it over, then decided to stand her back up to hide the damage, didn't think i'd notice the side mirror sitting 10 metres away, she fell that hard the mirror went flying, so angry.
I agree with the judge/jury solution, now that I know there aren't any cameras in worthwhile places, it's me, a knife and about 16 sets of tyres.
You should look to find safer places to park the bike, I think i'll be parking in the inside lobby, anyone complains, i'll give them the receipt for my repairs, if I can't have protection in a secured parking lot that I pay for, i'll put her where she is protected.
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OK this is what you do - get a hammer and go around the local car parks beating crap out of people carriers until youve got your moneys worth. - works for me.
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dontbustagutoverthis - 7-Apr-10 15:45
Pete, that is awesome I would have loved to have seen the look on her face
-8
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There is a big issue over this kind of thing. I had parked My landrover in a large store car park with no other vehicles near by. After I had shopped I came out to find the exhaust tail pipe had been hit by something and was bent out from under the vehicle and was touching the rear tyre with broken glass all over the floor too. The stainless steel system had been fitted a week earlier at £240. I found a trolly pusher who said a lady had pulled in, turned to park next to me and ripped her front wing half off doing the damage to my landrover Being parked under a CCTV camera I went to the management and asked to see the tape. I was told the only people who could view the tapes were the police; I pointed out about data protection act and was told they would have to get the other person blanked out as I would only be able to see footage of me or my property NOT the 3rd party. I contacted the police who said as it was not on the highway and in a private store carpark they could do nothing to help me. I asked if this meant that If I decided to drive into a load of cars on a store car park they could do nothing, they also confirmed this!! It is also an issue regarding insurance companies too, as you are on private land not the public highway. Final note. My local Dr has a bay marked for motorbikes to park in. Last time I went down there was a car parked in the bay. SO I parked my bike across the back of the car and locked it in a way that it would not be possible to move unless it was picked up and carried. Went in to see the Dr, came out into the waiting room to head towards the chemists, and was confronted by a lady complaining about my bike being in her way, I replied with 'so you will be the owner of the car parked in the motorbike only signposted bay then' her reply was 'well there were no disabled bays left' my reply 'so you have a disabled badge then?' 'No but I’ve just had an operation'. I went to the chemist, got my prescription, then moved my bike.
+1
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Such cavalier behaviour from drivers is not confined to running to parked motorcycles, other cars are just as likely to be bumped or dented.
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I say, if the police dont help, become Judge and Jury yourself... It works!!!
+9
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24 months ago - my son had a Honda MBX125, which he rode during and after passing his CBT (he now has graduated via a Yamaha 500 radian to a Kawasaki GPZ500 and now owns a Kawasaki Ninja.
During the time he had his little 125 on the road, my next door neighbour took umbridge at the fact that he parked it behind my car (chained to my tow bar for extra safety). We always made sure it never restricted the available space for him to park his car.
More than once, we found my son's bike lying on it's side. These were always times when his bike was parked alone (i.e before I got home with my car) He always used the centre stand and not the side stand to rest the bike.
My son actually witnessed my next door neighbours friend, push his little Honda over, as he walked past it. We had to replace clutch levers, foot pegs and mirrors quite a few times.
When we confronted them about the damage, they denied having anything to do with it!
Did we call the Police?
Nope . . no point!
During the time he had his little 125 on the road, my next door neighbour took umbridge at the fact that he parked it behind my car (chained to my tow bar for extra safety). We always made sure it never restricted the available space for him to park his car.
More than once, we found my son's bike lying on it's side. These were always times when his bike was parked alone (i.e before I got home with my car) He always used the centre stand and not the side stand to rest the bike.
My son actually witnessed my next door neighbours friend, push his little Honda over, as he walked past it. We had to replace clutch levers, foot pegs and mirrors quite a few times.
When we confronted them about the damage, they denied having anything to do with it!
Did we call the Police?
Nope . . no point!
-5
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Being a Doctors surgery, perhaps the person will come back at some point - after all they are probably regsitered with that surgery/practice ....but probably use a partners vehicle??
As someone pointed out, this is what society is turning into...
If someone opens their car door into yours in a car park, I bet 9 out of 10 will just quiety close their door as if nothing happened, and drive off - even move into a different parking spot!
It makes your blood boil to think someone has damaged my property, something I have paid decent money to own, understood what they have done, then disappeared knowing they probably will get away with it......
What comes around goes around, as the saying goes. :-)
As someone pointed out, this is what society is turning into...
If someone opens their car door into yours in a car park, I bet 9 out of 10 will just quiety close their door as if nothing happened, and drive off - even move into a different parking spot!
It makes your blood boil to think someone has damaged my property, something I have paid decent money to own, understood what they have done, then disappeared knowing they probably will get away with it......
What comes around goes around, as the saying goes. :-)
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I have a feeling that as it is a privately owned car park, even if the driver was caught it is up to him whether or not he complies as the police have no authority over accidents within a private car park, if it was a public car park they would be able to help
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My partner and myself run our own business and our unit has been broken in twice, both times we had the police round, finger prints done and the CCTV tape taken away, they asked us if we wanted someone from the Crime Prevention Department to come out to us, we said yes, four years on and we are still waiting, after several phone calls to them to find out if they have any news from the CCTV tape etc, they said someone will phone back, again we are still waiting.
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re jon,what if bicycle got stolen or damaged?and what if it happened more than once?Then what?
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Sell the motorbike and cycle into work. You'll have none of this stress.
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I live in London and my GSX750 has been knocked off its side stand several times right outside my house. Once when I was in and got to the door just in time to see the offending *$"^! speeding off up the street, but too late to see the number plate. And a couple of times by people who have been 'kind' enough to pick it up but not leave any personal details.
I don't even bother to report it to the police. They aren't interested and couldn't catch a cold anyway.
It's just a sad fact that people don't care and will get away with damaging other peoples property with their careless behaviour quite happily.
I now make a note of the reg. number of any car parked next to my bike when I go out and am thinking about leaving a webcam focussed on my bike when I go out.
Paranoid? Maybe, but I'm sick of spending my hard earned cash and valuable spare time repairing damage caused by someone elses stupidity.
I don't even bother to report it to the police. They aren't interested and couldn't catch a cold anyway.
It's just a sad fact that people don't care and will get away with damaging other peoples property with their careless behaviour quite happily.
I now make a note of the reg. number of any car parked next to my bike when I go out and am thinking about leaving a webcam focussed on my bike when I go out.
Paranoid? Maybe, but I'm sick of spending my hard earned cash and valuable spare time repairing damage caused by someone elses stupidity.
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Mike Restall - 10-Dec-06 15:38
I agree with russ's comments,this would have been so easy to sort out, if the offending driver just wrote their details down and left them with the bike.Fair enough the car driver might not have known whos motor bike they had knocked over,but they just drove off without doing a thing,which is not right at all.Due to the car driver,just driving off,the police are now involved,the bike driver is still distressed,and it sounds like a waiting game.I hope the car driver does get caught up with and that by being contacted and questioned by the police,will make them more responsable for there future actions,whilst driving.Everyone should beheld responsable for there actions, esecially in a case like this
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I wrote this article,since this happened the police have collected the cctv tapes.They had them for over a week before realising they couldn't actually view the tapes,as there system couldn't unlock the code.After much delay and my work friend having to chase them yet again,the police now have to bring the tapes back to our work premises, inorder to view them.This is the only way they can actually view the footage.The only reason we wanted them to collect and view the tapes,were so they could enhance the images of the offender and licence plate.When this was put them,the police officer who is dealing with the situation on a part time/or when they can be bothered basis,said they have years of evperience and maybe able to detect further information by just being to beable to view the tapes.I think this is maddness!why have cctv tapes if the police haven't got the right software to view them.My work friend has said that the female police officer who is dealing with the case has been very understanding, but she hasn't got any results.The motor bike owner is now writing a letter of complaint to the chief of police,to try and speed things up.The main reason is because she seems to be doing all the chasing up,as the police dont tell her anything.They dont turn up when they tell her, they will.They dont even telephone her to let her know anything else.I will keep you posted with any updates or progress made.Hopefully we will have an outcome soon
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It's madness! I mean I could understand the person being worried about who the bike belonged to and how s/he would find the owner of the bike but a simple note with details would have helped to sort the mess out.
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