Reply to: Hit and run and pass and pass and pass and

[Board Game Geek]

Some niggling voice in my head (no, not like the voices that Chico hears - those are special) says

""All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

Which taken as a moral absolute, means that we should, no matter what, intervene in any situation where evil is being perpetrated.

Of course, things get a little more complicated and personal safety gets in the way. As do thoughts about family and loved ones left behind if it all does go belly up and you dont make it out alive.

So....we pay a police force to do this stuff for us. To fight the good fight, to clean criminals off the street, and make our lives safe and worry free.

(Ok....feeding criminals KFC bargain buckets of chicken is another matter entirely, and some would point out that the act itself is more a violation of human rights than starving him to death, but I digress).

The bottom line is...we are supposed to intervene in this sort of thing whenever it rears it's ugly head. But, increasingly the move is to walk the other way, and value one's well-being over and above someone elses.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what crime you are falsely accused of by innocently assisting, so long as in your heart of hearts you know that you are in the right. Let them think what they may, but only you know the real truth.

Getting banged up for 20 years is another matter entirely of course, and I can't think of a way round that if it happens, apart from your right to a lawyer and fair trial of course.

Would I have passed her by ?

Depends on several factors....number of strangers I could see acting suspicious and waiting to jump out and car jack the vehicle, whether someone else was attending to her, whether I was late for a meeting and whether the chair would believe my story or not.

So saying, I have stopped to move a large St. Bernard from the middle of the road, that was sitting there quite happily. This was in a leafy lane between rural villages. He had a tag, with his address on. I read it and knew the house. Probably one of the biggest houses I have ever seen (excluding Buck Palace of course!). I went up...rang the bell to the gates...no joy. So I had some rope, tied him to the gates, rang the cops, reported the house and dog, and left.

I drove past about an hour later and the dog was gone and a RR Phaeton was in the drive. I stopped and rang the intercom. A mockney voice said "yer ?"
I said "I handed in your dog, I take it you found him. Is he ok ?"
The voice said "He's Fine", and then the intercom went dead. No word of thanks at all.

Next time I see the dog loose, I'm half-tempted not to bother. But to be fair, it's not the doggies fault. I might report them to the RSPCA though.

The other time also involved a dog. But I didn't stop. It was 12.30 am on a deserted country road that ran through a Traveller's Camp either side of the road. I thought it best not to try and explain why I had hit some traveller's dog which ran off limping. I did drive straight to the plod though and reported it (as you must do if you hit a dog). The constable agreed that stopping in the middle of a traveller's camp at midnight, in the middle of nowhere, was not a good idea. He also mentioned that several of their animals were always causing RTA's.

I'd like to say I'd take my chances with a dog over a human being, but as shown above, even that does not follow an absolute unfortunately.

[Fungus]

I would like to think that I would stop and help the child, but I would be worried that a relative would think that I was the culprit, and kick the living out of me, or take me for a paedophile, and kick the living out of me.

Three years ago I stopped and helped at a car crash, and acted as a witness. I would expect anyone to do that.

Almost 10 years ago I saw 4 children, all about 12 years old, stealing a car in Hayes town centre. To my amazement people were paying no attention. I gave chase to one of the scum, but since I was carrying a large rucksack and tripod, and had spent the day walking 10 miles in the New Forest, I failed. I rang the police and the plod on the other end seemed bored, and uninterested, and I got the distinct impression that I could be done for wasting police time. I found his manner offensive. On another occasion I reported dangerous driving, and the plod on the desk took the piss out of me. Not long after I saw a car overtaking on blind bends, then drive on the wrong side of the road and go the wrong way round a roundabout dodging oncoming traffic. I didn't bother to dial 999.

Last night I found a group of chavs using a nature reserve as a play ground, with a fire and barbecue. I should have pointed out that numerous people put in large amounts of spare time to create a refuge for rare plants and animals, and they were destroying it, but I didn't want to get done over, so I stayed away.

And don't forget that the lad who was recently stabbed to death was intervening on behalf of a friend who was being picked on.

[Fungus]

No, I think talking 'complete arse' is your job, isn't it

You could job-share? And then you would collectively increase the employment figures by 2.

HTH

[lilelvis2000]

ahhhhhh...thatcherism. ain't it nice.

[BlasterBates]

Why blame Thatcher, this was quite obviously caused by Harold Wilson.

It is strange though how problems can be attributable to prime ministers. I remember an engine of a rusty VW Polo I used to drive, blew up, I mean who else but Konrad Andenauer could have been responsible.

[threaded]

I don't know many members of this board spend 99% of the time complaining about falling standards in this country and yet the same people condone this kind of turn the other cheek behaviour. The mind boggles

Name and shame, name and shame...

[Numptycorner]

I don't know many members of this board spend 99% of the time complaining about falling standards in this country and yet the same people condone this kind of turn the other cheek behaviour. The mind boggles

[bogeyman]

Well, the front end of a lambo tends to catch on stuff like that, and they felt they were doing their good deed for the day.

You are a total tosser Threaded.

Lambo? Nasty, plastic wanabee sports car!

[threaded]

So what do you reckon made this driver deviate from the vicious herd mentality and stop to help (the by now helpless) victim?

Well, the front end of a lambo tends to catch on stuff like that, and they felt they were doing their good deed for the day.

[bogeyman]

I know of someone who swerved, pulled over and stopped when he saw a dead body on the motorway. It had been run over by at least 5 other cars in front that were seen to bounce and they lost count of the others that just ran over it whilst waiting for the plod.

They won't ever ever bother to stop and report again.

So what do you reckon made this driver deviate from the vicious herd mentality and stop to help (the by now helpless) victim?

[The Lone Gunman]

If you don't notice the car infront of you knocking someone into the air then you are driving without due care and attention.

And where do you get the idea she was knocked into the air? She said herself that the cars front wheel hit her leg (the rest of her was out of the way) and its back wheel ran over the same leg.
I dont see how that could include even a small flight.

[Tex]

Here's a good one...

An open verdict has been recorded on a driver found dead next to his car on a motorway in October last year.

The inquest on Martin McDonagh, 27, heard that he was struck by a van which failed to stop after getting out of his car on the M40 in Oxfordshire.

He was three times over the drink-drive limit and was standing in the slow lane after having crashed on the motorway.

Police have been unable to trace the vehicle that hit him but believe it was a blue Nissan Urvan.

Oxford Coroner's Court heard that forensic investigations showed Mr McDonagh's Mercedes had struck the central reservation of the motorway before crossing the carriageway and ending up on the hard shoulder.

They also found he had been standing in the slow lane of the motorway and not the hard shoulder as previously thought.

Police sent letters to all registered owners of the 2,347 blue Nissan Urvans but the driver responsible failed to come forward.

Now there's a surprise, he didn't come forward. Perhaps next time there's a crime committed, the old bill could try writing to everyone in the country and ask whoever did it to come forward?

[threaded]

If you don't notice the car infront of you knocking someone into the air then you are driving without due care and attention.

I know of someone who swerved, pulled over and stopped when he saw a dead body on the motorway. It had been run over by at least 5 other cars in front that were seen to bounce and they lost count of the others that just ran over it whilst waiting for the plod.

They won't ever ever bother to stop and report again.

[Xenophon]

If you don't notice the car infront of you knocking someone into the air then you are driving without due care and attention.

Gut feeling is I agree, but I reckon that is debatable.

[Numptycorner]

Once again, and not just to you Bogey, where is the evidence that any of these people "failed to stop" rather than "failed to notice"!

If you don't notice the car infront of you knocking someone into the air then you are driving without due care and attention.