About 07:15 this morning stopped at the zebra crossing on Southampton Row near Tavistock Sq. Screech of brakes and “bang”.
Bloke in a Golf GTi glanced off the right hand side of my bike.
We pull over and almost straight away I get “attitude” from the bloke.
Him: “What do you want to do?”
Me: “Swap details”
Him: “I’m not giving you my details, I haven’t damaged your bike”
Me: “Of course you have, you hit me”
Him: “Where?”
Me: “My exhaust is bent and scrapped”
Him: “That isn’t damaged”
Me: “Yes it is” etc etc
He called over two people to look at my bike and both confirmed they could see a scrape. I told him it was a week old and I wanted it replaced, he refused and said I was a con-man!!
The scrape isn’t too bad, but the rivets on the can where it joins the link-pipe are popped. In the end he agreed he would pay to have it repaired, but having spoken to Delkevic, they don’t do repairs, so I will take it to Keith at Motopsycho to see if he can repair the rivets.
Pretty annoyed, because it is only a week-old, but then don’t know if I want the hassle of going to the Old Bill and the sh1t-storm that might stir up over a £160 can. I also have a philisophical mind-set which is it “could” have been so much worse and thank G-d all I have to complain about is a slightly bashed up exhaust.
All you need is a witness or two maybe you find another two bikers that go that way & saw it happen :Whistling: so you have to contact him once its repaired to get the money off him?
You would have thought the person on the zebra crossing I stopped for would have come forward…no better witness than that, but he just f**ked off. W4nker.
I would report it as a failure to provide details. I hope you took his licence number?
You may “think” that it is only the exhaust that is slightly scrapped, but you may discover in 3 months that your swing-arm has been slightly bent, or your frame has taken a knock, or that where your exhaust took a hit the bolts have sheared.
Make a report, make a claim on the insurance and have the bike thoroughly checked over by someone with some expertise.
Thats London for you If it doesnt involve you then walk on! If the bloke got of his motor and repeatidly stabbed you the dude would of probably still kept walking…
Did you try his mobile number at the scene to confirm that it is his? Having that plate doesn’t mean as much as you’d hope (was it Jetstream who discovered this last year?)
If he did not give you his name, he has failed to provide details. I would report this in self defense as there is nothing to stop him going to a police station and reporting YOU for failure to provide.
I agonised over this a few weeks back when a similar thing happened to me with a cabby and decided that you’re better off reporting it than not. You can download the form from the Interwebs and fill it out in the comfort of your own home. You can then drop it in with police reception, so you do not need to queue or have an appointment.
I gave him my number then he called me from his phone, so I definitely have his number.
I doubt he would even dare try and report me. Apart from anything else this accident happened in Tavistock Sq right where that bus got blown up on 7th July, if there isn’t decent CCTV round there I would be amazed.
I want to wait and see what is what before deciding what to do next.
Part of me thinks he shouldn’t be allowed to get away with behaving like this, but then another part of me thinks, I have enough to worry about and as I said thank G-d I am completely unharmed.
Sorry to hear this.Get a PO Box address…then, should something like this happen again, you can swap details and worry less about some dickhead coming after you…!
Hell no…because the only one who will suffer will be me.
I will end up having an “accident” against me, my insurance will go up all because of this d1ck-head. I will not be out of pocket because of this slime-ball.
Thank god your alrite though fella. Could of been a
Lot worse. I saw a bloke on a vespa in a suit get shunted from behind a few years back up on tower bridge. Bloke in a hummer hit him from behind. The vespa went up in the air like a rocket and managed to go up and over the railing of tower bridge and land in the thames. The marine support unit had to wynch the geezer out. He was ok though just a bit wet… Be careful out there people. Keep safe…
I know the feeling. I let my incident go with just a police report about the accident. Normally I would have got hold of the cab licensing authority and raised hell about his behavior and driving, but I had a birthday that week and didn’t want the aggro.
aren’t you curious why he wouldn’t give you his details? It leans towards him being uninsured, without a licence etc. If I got knocked at the roadside and the driver was giving me aggro when it was blatantly his fault my ankle would start hurting and, as a result of the rtc causing an injury, the police would have to attend. Not only does it remove any doubt, it also helps any insurance claim you may have to make.
Plate - we know that means feck all, mobile - pay as you go throwaway (I used to go through one a day in my distant past!) and as for making enemies I am sure you have enough friends that would support you if you have to meet the d1ck again. My advice phone him, tell him what the cost is and if he is not going to play ball, report it. Glad you are ok mate.
