Hit & Run

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by onetwo_threefour

Nah, I had four witnesses in my vehicle including a lawyer and two paralegals and the cop can't even be bothered to return my phone calls.

IIRC, anyone in either vehicle can't be used as a witness.

[onetwo_threefour]

^ nope, not true. I happen to be a lawyer, there's no such thing as an ineligible witness. You could have the crack addict sleeping on the corner be your witness, it's up to the judge to decide how much their testimony is worth. It would be foolish for the court to say a person can't be a witness because of where they happen to be. Besides what if those people in the car were injured? You have to have their testimony in that case and they are witnesses to what happened.

Edit: I just realized that I spoke too quickly. There are ineligible witnesses but it has nothing to do with where they are. If you got in an accident and then had a lawsuit, the other party probably couldn't call your spouse as a witness to testify against you (ie If they think she knows you are faking an injury).

[BlackArcher101]

When I had my accident, it was described to me that friends in my car couldn't not act as a witness because they weren't credible based solely on the fact they were in my car. I guess it was just the judge in that case?

[onetwo_threefour]

Wow ! That is unbelievable. A judge actually told you that your witnesses weren't credible without even hearing what they had to say. I'd say you had grounds for an appeal. I can see a judge advising that he may place less weight on their testimony, but to come out and say they are not credible without hearing their evidence is just wrong IMO. Had I been your lawyer I would have definitely suggested that the court should be assessing the credibility of witnesses after hearing them, not before. I think you got a bad judge on that one. Did you have a lawyer or was it small claims court?

[BlackArcher101]

It was small claims. Which probably explains it.

[onetwo_threefour]

Originally Posted by BlackArcher101

It was small claims. Which probably explains it.

Unfortunately you're probably right. Small claims judges sometimes seem to make it up as they go because they are supposed to try and account for unrepresented parties. Most judges let parties get away with more than they would let a lawyer, but some seem to go the other way. I sometimes find it hard to even predict for clients what is going to happen for that reason.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by jammies

I had someone back into me about 3 weeks ago in a mall parking lot, and the only reason I knew was because someone ELSE had a left a note saying, "Just so you know, someone backed into your rear bumper."

I didn't really see any damage other than paint being rubbed off, but it made me wonder what the point was of leaving a note if you don't leave your phone number, or at the very least the licence plate number of the guy who did the hit & run...

My ex's car got hit in front of her house while she was at work. She came home to see that it was smashed and there was no note. A few hours later a guy came along, canvassing the neighbourhood, and told her that he saw the accident.

A cab crashed into her car and started to drive away and this guy was a half block behind. He saw the cabbie try to leave so he sped up and got the guy to pull over and leave a note. Then he left but circled the block only to see the cabbie taking the note off her car and bailing.

Anyway, he had the license plate number and the taxi livery ID and she got her damage paid for.

People suck sometimes. And no offense to cabbies. Just adding detail.

[3 Justin 3]

Originally Posted by fotze

I still love the fury of this post from rico:
http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpos...32&postcount=8

same thing happened to me

at deerfoot mall, im sitting in the car waiting for the wife. the car in question is by no means mint, but it is in decent shape, and besides, its mine.

white mid-late 30s lady in a minivan pulls in beside me and her little monster of an 8yr old totally slams the door open, putting a big dent in my door.

i get out, look at it, look at the kid, then her, and ask for her insurance.

she doesnt say a thing, just looks down at the ground and hurridly (sp?) tells little timmy to come on.

i am seething, absolutely raging at this inconsiderate b*tch and her hellspawn and watch them walk into the mall.

so, in retaliation, i kicked the passenger door in about as bad as mine and then proceeded to puncture her 2 tires on that side.

petty? sure, but she had every chance to make that situation right, and didnt.

i just thought she might like a taste of her own medicine.

i've said it before and i'll say it again.

society sucks.

This Rico fellow deserves a beer. Although slashing the tires was a bit extreme.

First of all I will say I am 18 and have been driving in Calgary for a year and 2 months now and have been Hit and Run'd twice. The first time was about 3 weeks after having my license. I park my car outside my work, which happens to be behind more parking, so people can potentially back in to me...if there car is 35+ feet long and drive directly backwords. (I should have known better, but there was no where else to park) So after work one night (leave at 10:30pm) I get into my car and check my passenger side view mirror to see if it is clear to go, and when I look into it, I am just looking right back at myself. Like wtf? So I get out and my mirror is all smashed into my car, so I got my boss and he just grabbed it, pulled and clicked it back into place, but there are about 6-7 black gashes in my car, high up on it. Firstly I was like how the hell did they get so high? But then realized a huge truck would have smashed into me. I am not being biased here, but from my work all "big-truck drivers" (not Semi) have been jerk-off punk kids (23-27yr's old), who don't deserve licenses. Luckily I ended up polishing and cleaning 99% off and can't notice it to this day.

Later in the summer (2 months after, roughly) I do some shopping (Bestbuy) and come home. 3 hours later I go to work but before I get into my car I notice my headlight is all smashed up, wtf?!?! I didn't notice at the mall because I got in the other door and I couldn't see it. My headlight is all smashed up (replaced it for $100) and smears of blue paint underneath it, and 3 big gashes in my bumper. I just fixed these gashes last month (10 months later), and it cost me $40, since I did it myself with my dad. I am not paying $400 for a mechanic to put filler in a gash, paint it, then charge me $500 for replacing a bumper.

Those are my 2 experiences in a year of driving. Oh and my bosses van/truck has been hit about 7 times in the past 3 years of knowing him. One was outside my work and the guy backed into his van (like my car) and put about a 7" deep dent into his bumper (in the corner of it), and one guy was outside saw him and tried to get his license plate number, but just bailed off. Probably the same c*nt who hit me.


Also, I would like to tip my hat to that guy who caught that one taxi driver. Those are the people I wish we had more of in our society, but unfortunately we have just a ton of jerk offs.

[BuzzardsWife]

Originally Posted by 4X4

Well, it's been a week so time for another vehicle rant from yours truly.

Two weeks ago my truck got hit and ran. They hit it pretty hard because my rear bumper is fairly mangled and underneath they squashed the steel pretty good. It doesn't look that bad, but it'll be over a grand to fix and of course, I'm on the hook for the $250 deductible.

Last week, my truck got broken in to as well as my uncle's truck. I left my truck at his house over night and they both got raided. Probably made off with $20 or $30 between the two vehicles, plus they stole a screwdriver and a mini pry bar from my truck. I guess my act of charity by leaving my doors unlocked was not enough and my hand tools were probably used to break in to more cars. Like my uncle's.
I'm starting to wonder if there's a master key for my truck. This is the third time in the last year my truck has been entered without signs of forced entry even though I'm a total lock nazi. Especially after my $1,000 golf clubs got ganked last summer. The f'ers even raided the mini cooler I had in the back and took some left over beers. Either someone has a key for my truck or else the only three times I've actually forgotten to lock the damn thing, thieves were in wait.

Now my neighbour just knocked on my door to ask me if one of my friends maybe hit his car in the parking lot. His car has a nice dent on it on the side adjacent to my spot. Luckily, it's obvious that it wasn't my truck that his his car, so the guy knows it wasn't me. But someone must have used my spot while I was out yesterday and hit his car. WTF?

Then, while we're in the parking lot chatting about hit and runs, he tells me that last weekend some chick smashed her car into two cars in front of our building and then grabbed her purse and ran.

To hell in a handbasket, I tells ya. This city. I'm almost reluctant to buy my new truck. At least I don't really care too much when my current ride gets dinged in a parking lot. My doors have their scars. My front end got smashed last year (another hit and run) and I had to fix my headlight.

If it's not getting hit and ran or broken in to, the cord gets stolen in the winter (right, Jolinar?). I've taken to opening my hood when I plug in and leaving the connection inside the engine compartment so that the cord can't get stolen. Two times it has been yanked out and destroyed and once it was just unplugged, likely out of spite (if I can't plug my car in, neither can you).

Then there was that freak snowstorm a few months ago. I saw a guy hit my neighbour's car and then try to drive off, but it was so slippery, he couldn't get away in time as I casually walked up and stared at his license plate until he stopped and then agreed to go and tell my neighbour that he hit his beautiful new mustang.

F'n people.

Oh, and here's a little piece of wisdom for anyone that has had their cds stolen. Only keep burnt copies in your car. At least then you're only out $20 for the cd case and a few hours time to re-burn your traveling music. The guys last week didn't even bother taking my cd case this time. I guess they're not fans of Gunners, Gordon Lightfoot and 90s grunge.

What a kick in the guts hey? Steal a screwdriver, but your music is wayyyyy too bad to steal? That made me laugh when I read it. Sorry for all your crappy luck though.

[chid]

People are such jerks.. Ive been almost screwed like that too.. Last winter I BARELY touched the cars bumper in front of me, I had my block heater plug out and I lightly tapped their rear bumper with the plug -- zero marks on my car and not even a scratch on theirs either. I was very very fortunate that day to have had my good camera on me, because I took pictures.

The lady was so pissed off, yelling at her husband telling him that they wanted to charge me and just these ridiculous things, I was super apologetic but kept saying would you just STOP yelling and look at your car, there's nothing on it. Not a ding in the paint

They were trying to claim over 1000 in damages in the police report until I printed the pictures and brought them as part of my statement. The police officer actually laughed and said the lady was pretty insane. I never drive without my camera any more after this, I could have been so screwed.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by chid

People are such jerks.. Ive been almost screwed like that too.. Last winter I BARELY touched the cars bumper in front of me, I had my block heater plug out and I lightly tapped their rear bumper with the plug -- zero marks on my car and not even a scratch on theirs either. I was very very fortunate that day to have had my good camera on me, because I took pictures.

The lady was so pissed off, yelling at her husband telling him that they wanted to charge me and just these ridiculous things, I was super apologetic but kept saying would you just STOP yelling and look at your car, there's nothing on it. Not a ding in the paint

They were trying to claim over 1000 in damages in the police report until I printed the pictures and brought them as part of my statement. The police officer actually laughed and said the lady was pretty insane. I never drive without my camera any more after this, I could have been so screwed.

I applaud the use of the word 'lady'. I would not have been so kind.

[Draug]

I feel your pain 4X4...

When I washed my car on Thursday, I found that someone had hit the newly replaced rear bumper and rubbed off a good 6 inches of paint. I'm pretty anal about my cars, so I was/am pretty pissed off about it. I have no idea when it even happened, other than in the past week. It must have been in a Safeway parking lot or something similar.

The bumper was replaced after someone hit my Mazdaspeed3 in front of my house (in a school zone) and pushed it forward 6 ft into the Grand Am. Sigh...

Why cant people just drive? It isnt that complicated of a concept.