Hit and Run

[sooner333]

If you are in a parking lot and hit another car that is parked with nobody in it--do you leave a note with your insurance or get the hell out?

[rkmsuf]

hypothetically?

[Ksyrup]

No, he needs to know now, before the cops get there.

[sooner333]

I didn't hit anybody...just wondering what other people think about this. It happened to me for the second time in a couple of years...I would leave a note because I know it sucks to have happen to you, but I can see where some people would want to get the hell away.

[digamma]

Seriously?

[MikeVic]

What would you put on it? Your name and phone number...?

[rkmsuf]

Seriously?

Yes, your note should be in a serious tone. That's really not the place for witty observations or limericks.

[Karlifornia]

I voted just leave.

[sooner333]

What would you put on it? Your name and phone number...?

Maybe..."Sorry, I dented your door and scratched it up pretty bad. Here is my name and number and insurance information so you can file a claim." Pretty much what you would say in person if you hit someone while driving.

[MikeVic]

I mean I was confused by the insurance information... what exactly would I give? I've never hit a car or been hit. I never really even took a close look at what my insurance paper says...

[sooner333]

I mean I was confused by the insurance information... what exactly would I give? I've never hit a car or been hit. I never really even took a close look at what my insurance paper says...

Ah, just the insurance carrier, policy #, and the claims number or something like that...at least the carrier and policy # for sure. That's what I'd do.

[path12]

I would leave a note with my name and contact number, but I wouldn't just leave my insurance information out in the open.

[gstelmack]

Happened to me when I was a kid. Annoying jeep on my bumper, big boat of a car sticking out into the way, and I stripped off the rubber along the back of the reay bumper. Left a note.

Then it rained, guy didn't see the note, called the sheriff out and everything, but then he didn't spot the note until later.

Fun part was he was a teacher that worked with my dad, so I paid for the damage to the bumper and we both went on our merry ways without involving insurance on either side.

[nilodor]

I didn't hit anybody...just wondering what other people think about this. It happened to me for the second time in a couple of years...I would leave a note because I know it sucks to have happen to you, but I can see where some people would want to get the hell away.

My girlfriends brother hasa a 99 M3 (he enjoys living in debt). And he always parks it in a garage, back of a lot, kind of thing. So he parks on the third level of parking garage downtown one evening, when he returns to his car someone had smashed the back end. It looked like someone swerved into the back of his car. Needless to say he was pissed, and whoever it was didn't leave a note. Some guy who was selling parking stubs witnessed it but wouldn't come forward when questioned by the cops, because he's selling parking stubs. Luckily his insurance paid for it but it was one hell of a clusterfuck.

[albionmoonlight]

I hit a car in a parking lot. I left a note.

12 years of Catholic school, it's hard not to picture the damning fires of hell when faced with stark moral choices like that one.

[Mustang]

I'd leave a note unless the car I hit was a piece of dented crap anyways.. I figure I would get blamed for alot more damage than I did in that case.

[Cringer]

The only time I did such a thing I was 19 and drunk off my ass while driving in snow and ice. I left after I made sure I did no actual damage (according to my super-drunk vision anyways). I had slid on the ice in my apartment complex whie trying to turn and had slowly slid into the rear bumper of a car that was parked. I didn't get away real clean though, because at the next turn I then slid into a moving car and broke the guys tail light. The two guys in the car clearly knew I was drunk and let me off easy by taking my $20 to pay for the tail light.

I wasn't even done driving after that, as I still had to run to the auto store and get a part for my friends 4x4 and go back to them. We had decided some drunk 4x4'ing in the snow would be fun, until they broke down.

I got very lucky that night. I was young and stupid.

[Fidatelo]

You gotta leave a note, name and license plate number. I wouldn't put anything else out there, that's all the info they need to get their insurance company to track you down.

[Pyser]

i hit a car in a lot last year. left a note.

[King of New York]

Depends.

If I saw that I did some damage, or if I hit the other card hard enough that I could have done some damage that I cannot see, then yes, I would leave a note.

If I saw no damage and just gave the other car a tap, then, no, I wouldn't, to avoid the risk of some guy lying and claiming that I had done $10,000 worth of damage.

[Lorena]

Am I the only person that thought this was baseball related?

[LoneStarGirl]

Am I the only person that thought this was baseball related?

Yes.

[Grammaticus]

I usually only call this one when the runner is really fast and the hitter has no power.

[Toddzilla]

I never leave my insurance information - I'm paranoid that someone nefarious will grab the note and then either file a false claim against me, or go smashing into cars and leaving my information.

Heck, even if I just left my phone number, who's to say someone can't walk up, grab the note, and the call me claiming to be the owner of the car?

If I can slip the note *inside* the car, I'd probably leave my info. Otherwise I'm taking off.

If there is a crowd of people, I'll write a note that says "Sorry I hit your car. Have a nice day" so I don't catch flack from the eyewitnesses.

[spleen1015]

I hit a car in the mall parking lot on my wife's birthday. I waited for 3 hours for the owner of the car to come outside.

[BrianD]

I never leave my insurance information

How often to you hit other cars?

[Lathum]

It depends on if the lot has security cameras or not

[Axxon]

There is no doubt I'd leave a trout
I would not shout
I would not pout
I'd drop the popular FOFC fish
then promptly boogie out.

[molson]

It seems almost impossible to accidentally hit something that isn't moving. I'm not saying I'm the best driver in the world, but I can't imagine hitting a parked car when I'm traveling less than 10 miles an hour. I don't understand why that's so common.

[Axxon]

Here's an even trickier dilemma.

One night, very late at night I was backing out of my garage and thought I had accidently hit my neighbors car who had parked outside his garage which he never did and there was not enough room to really do. I didn't feel a hit but I slammed on my brakes when I realized he was there and there was huge damage to his car. The only thing I could think of was that I maybe had hit it when I hit the brakes so I only felt the one motion.

I didn't tell him that night because it was late and I had an emergency to attend to but the next day I went over to tell him and he told me he'd been hit and he named some other guy that he said had done it. I asked him if he'd seen it happen and he said no but he was quite sure it was the guy. He wasn't sure exactly when it had happened either but again, he was certain it was this other guy.

Now, given this, do you tell him what you may or may not have done the night before? :)

[st.cronin]

I would think you could just look at your car and pretty easily figure out if you had hit him or not.

[sterlingice]

I never leave my insurance information - I'm paranoid that someone nefarious will grab the note and then either file a false claim against me, or go smashing into cars and leaving my information.

Heck, even if I just left my phone number, who's to say someone can't walk up, grab the note, and the call me claiming to be the owner of the car?

If I can slip the note *inside* the car, I'd probably leave my info. Otherwise I'm taking off.

I've never been in this situation before *knock on wood* but I had never thought about this angle before and unfortunately, it's fairly plausable.

SI

[Axxon]

I would think you could just look at your car and pretty easily figure out if you had hit him or not.

I did and there was what appeared to be some paint on my one bumper but the guy said that the other guys car had his paint on his bumper and I really don't see how I caused as much damage as he had. I could see that possibly I had hit an already wrecked car. I could also see that maybe that paint on my bumper wasn't his and I'd hit nothing. I really didn't know and he really seemed convinced.

[Crim]

I hit a car in the mall parking lot on my wife's birthday. I waited for 3 hours for the owner of the car to come outside.

Did you kick his ass?

[-apoc-]

Ive had my cars hit in parking lots 3 times (big dents and brokens lights hard) and no one ever left a note. I mean really is it that hard these were all during the day too. If it was only a scratch I wouldnt care much but if you do anything above a little scratch you should leave a note. Of course I sleep well a night knowing that Karma willl screw them.

[EagleFan]

Find a car that is unlocked and leave that person's name and insurance information? ;)

[sooner333]

I guess that I have just gotten bad luck based on these numbers of the poll--that, or FOFC posters are incredibly honest.

Anyway, just got my first estimate on the dent...$815, so I guess I'll have to go get some more on Thursday.

[Marc Vaughan]

I'd leave a note - treat others how you hope to be treated and all that ....

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Two thoughts to add. First, since many people ding your car, by not leaving information, you're breaking even. It's kind of like everyone gets a free pass for parking lot dingers. Second, if the damage is bad enough, I leave a note, with the contact info of the guy at work I hate.

[Izulde]

I don't drive, but if I did, I'd leave a note with contact info in the event that this happened because I know I'd get pissed if the same thing happened to me and the other person just took off.

And besides, there's no guarantee that the other driver will contact you anyway. A couple people I know have left notes when they've hit someone like that and the driver whose car they hit never got back to them.

[Swaggs]

I guess that I have just gotten bad luck based on these numbers of the poll--that, or FOFC posters are incredibly honest.

Anyway, just got my first estimate on the dent...$815, so I guess I'll have to go get some more on Thursday.

If it is just a dent and there is no paint damage, see if you have a Dent Wizard nearby. They can do paintless repair very inexpensively, as long as it is in an appropriate spot (ie: not on a body line or the edge of a panel).

[Neon_Chaos]

I would leave a note.

"Hi. I just hit your car, and now people are smiling at me like I'm doing the right thing. Of course, I'm not writing down my personal info... although these people think I am. Anyway, sucks to be you dude. See Ya!"

[sooner333]

Update: I ended up getting the cheap fix (actually, practically free from a local body shop)...not perfect, but it looks a lot better and not upwards of $900.

Bad news...it happened again. This time the estimate is more. However, while the person did not leave a note, a witness has the license plate number of the car that ran off, so I'm confident I'll get the insurance info somehow.

[thealmighty]

Been there. Done that. Left a note.

[lighthousekeeper]

Am I the only person that thought this was baseball related?

I thought it was a crop dusting thread.

[Crapshoot]

Seriously, this is in doubt? You fuck up, you apologize for it.

[TargetPractice6]

You need to get J. Walter Weatherman to teach them a lesson.