Near miss today

[peanut]

wow someone was watching over me today for sure.

I was sitting in my S2 parked at the kurb, engine off and a white van pulled up just in front of me. It then began to reverse very slowly alongside my bonnet a bit too close for comfort.

Then whilst I watched in horror the van's rear doorpost started to curve in toward my drivers door.

You know how things happen in slow motion ?! well that is how it was. I couldn't get out or attract his attention in anyway then in a split second I thought of my horn. Turned ignition on and a feeble squeak eminated from my waterlogged horns ...Damn ! I knew I should have replaced them.

The van stopped momentarily 6" away from my door, then started to reverse again.
Quickly I turned the ignition on and started to lower the drivers window intending to bang on the side of the van.

Have you ever noticed how incredably slowly the electric windows wind down ? jeezus.
Just as I squeezed my arm through the gap and thumped on the van as my miror started to be pressed into the door ithe van leapt forward and screamed away , the driver completly oblivious to the drama that had just unfolded behind her.[]

just left me sitting in the car shaking thinking about what had nearly spoilt my Christmas and new year.

 

[RC18B 911 turbo]

That sounds quite scary at least you and the car's alright though, could of been expensive if you hadn't managed to get their attention. Why do people just drive off though or just completely deny it?

 

[peanut]

I chased after her and when I caught up to her making a delivery to my Office I told her what had happened and said " why didn't you stop"?
she said
"Ididn't think I had done any damage"
When I asked how she could possibly know that when she had not stopped and got out to look, she looked at me blankly and repeated she didn't think she had hit me.![8|]

wimin drivers eh ...! don't get me started on that subject.

here's a little study I have observed over the past 4 years

There are 18 resident drivers who live down the single track private lane where I live.The lane is single width and shared with pedestrians . All of the residents are typical middle class professional people (teachers,Architects, Professor, Dr etc )or retired.

there are 4 dogs 6 cats , three severely disabled 8x elderley and several young children playing down the lane on bikes and skates

Of those 7x out of the 9 females drive at a crazy 15-20mph []
6 out of the 9 males drive at a respectful slow 5mph [8|]

skates

what does that prove ? I have no idea
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p261/peanutNboo/DSCF0909.jpg

 

[Black_JPN]

Had a similar thing happen to me where a woman reversed out of a parking space as I passed heading straight for my door. I managed to swerve and beep but she was oblivious. Too busy calming the kids down in the back. Thank your lucky stars

 

[Diver944]

Yikes that's a horrid story, it must have been so frustrating to sit there watching it come towards you knowing there's nothing you can do.

My horn makes a comedy noise too []

 

[locodude]

Sorry to hear about your heart stopping moment but here's the thing. Being a safety rep at work we hear of this phrase a lot 'Near Miss'. How is it possible to 'nearly miss' something? You can certainly nearly hit something but this would be a miss! So logically nearly missing something means you've hit it? Nothing personal as I know it's burried into the English language now but it's one of those little things that infuriates me! Oh and merry Xmas []
p.s. I believe in aircraft parlance it's now known as an air miss??!!

 

[mik_ok]

I'm collecting my scoob from the bodyshop in the morning.

A range-rover sized Volvo XC90 decided he was in the wrong lane at a set of lights, and reversed back to change to a different lane. Unfortunately (due to height difference and his blacked-out windows) he didn't see me behind him at all (?). Not so much as a scratch on his car, but since his rear bumper is at my bonnet-height, I suffered £4.5k worth of broken metal & plastic. []

Thankfully he was honest so it's all going through his insurance. Flippin scary at the time though - he was trying to perform his manouvre quickly, so I got as far as thinking "Hmmm - why have his revers...." before two tons of 4x4 crumped into me at a fair old rate of knots. Pooed my pants I did. [&:]

 

[John Sims]

ORIGINAL: peanut

.....the van leapt forward and screamed away , the driver completly oblivious to the drama .....

Yeah, as if! More likely thought they had hit the car.

You were lucky they didn't trap your arm through the window. Cars can be repaired, severed arms are a bit more complicated.

 

[Hilux]

I know how you feel............

 

[Neil Haughey]

ORIGINAL: mik_ok

I'm collecting my scoob from the bodyshop in the morning.

A range-rover sized Volvo XC90 decided he was in the wrong lane at a set of lights, and reversed back to change to a different lane. Unfortunately (due to height difference and his blacked-out windows) he didn't see me behind him at all (?). Not so much as a scratch on his car, but since his rear bumper is at my bonnet-height, I suffered £4.5k worth of broken metal & plastic. []

Thankfully he was honest so it's all going through his insurance. Flippin scary at the time though - he was trying to perform his manouvre quickly, so I got as far as thinking "Hmmm - why have his revers...." before two tons of 4x4 crumped into me at a fair old rate of knots. Pooed my pants I did. [&:]

I never cease to be amazed. FWIW I would have reported this one to the plod. Idiots like this shouldn't be on the road. My mate had a similar crazy incident in a pub car park some years ago. I was in the passenger seat of his sierra next thing I see is a car reversing straight into my door. My mate chatted to the guy who apologised said it was his fault etc. Thing is though it took several months to get the money out of his insurance and we both knew at the time the guy was drunk as a skunk. Wish in hindsight that we phoned the plod. Ppl in this country are just far to Polite, that is why we have so many aholes/idiots etc.etc.

 

[Guest]

What a stoopid barsteward....! Should have reported the dozy auld mare.....!

Today I was nearly wrote off in the middle of a roundabout by a complete numpty who didnt see me on the roudabout (Even though I drive with the dipped beam on at ALL times) Stoopid dozy cretin pulled straight out without looking. I nearly T-boned her... If I would have hit her I would have killed/seriously injured her for theres no way a Daewoo Lanos will stand a side impact at 40mph from a Focus. I braked that hard that my beloved Focus van was sideways.... []
Happy Christmas to you too Mrs. Daewoo Lanos [&:]

 

[peanut]

sounds like you need to carry some spare strides in your van lol[]

I had a female person (pc) drive straight out of a garage forcourt across a busy A road 20 foot in front of me a few months back. ?
How can someone drive out of a garage across a busy A rod with vehicles travelling at 60mph + without looking sideways ?

I reckon some of these people must be either drunk or on drugs. I have never thought this before but its the only explanation.!

I was so close to this car that that I could have told you her eye colour if I had had time . As it was I didn't even have time to yank the steering wheel before she had gone past phew nearly wet meself that time

 

[Mark Elder]

Sitting in a parked rental car few weeks back and a woman reverses into me but does nothing other than drive forward and back a bit to get into next parking place.

I get out and bang on her window until she winds it down.

"I could not have hit your car, I have a device that beeps if I get too close to other cars, it did not beep".

"Well my car has a device that goes bang if another car hits it and it went bang - so I don't care about your beeps"

I'm over in the US right now and I notice the drivers of nice cars here use same tricks as us (take two parking spots to preserve your beautiful Corvette)

 

[peanut]

I thinkI'll start doing that too. Makes sense .Its either that or have your doors and bonnet dented.
I also read somewhere that in the US people leave their cars with the handbrake off ![] ok I suppose if you are not parked on a bit of a slope lol

It would be good if you could have some 12" bumper extentions pop out front and rear when you park up.

 

[RC18B 911 turbo]

I believe that in America they mostly drive autos so they don't really need the handbrake as they can just leave it in park

 

[peanut]

yes thats probably true but then we can leave a manual in gear which is effectivly the same thing. At least the car will move a bit if bumped during parking rather than cause damage hopefully.

 

[Neil Haughey]

Not if its a door panel. Doesn't take very much to put nice dent in one of the doors and IMHE this is one of the most likely supermarket parking dents that one will really notice because of how easy it is to cause a lot damage.

All 4 corners of my daily driver have scuffs on the bumpers (only 1 caused by me) but I can't be arsed to get it fixed because 1 trip to tesco's and it will be as bad again.

You need at least 1 car that is a general purpose jalopy that you don't worry about these days.

 

[Diver944]

ORIGINAL: Neil Haughey

All 4 corners of my daily driver have scuffs on the bumpers (only 1 caused by me) but I can't be arsed to get it fixed

Disgraceful behaviour, kindly leave the forum