Car Park Bash Up

cochineal

Does anyone know if there are regulations governing the marking of car parks. I've had a very nasty scrape with a concrete pillar that was barely visible in a dimly lit car park - wing mirror smashed and door pretty bashed up. Have never crashed or damaged my car in 7 years driving. I'd presume there'd be some obligation to paint them with highly visible markings. Dosen't that make sense? I took photos and am thinking of writing a stinker of a letter.......

copacetic

barely visible concrete pillar? what was it disguised as? You crashed into an inanimate object, it's your fault.

cochineal

Whoa! Fanny Craddock lives on Copacetic! The driving lane behing me was lit with a double row of fluorescent lights, the pillar was white, and my space was dimly lit as the ceiling slopes down so I was actually partially blinded - ever heard of light adjustment? I'm sure there are very good reasons why they're usually painted red and yellow....

Hal1

Carparks usually have a disclaimer notice regarding loss or injury. Park at own risk etc.

Steve

That happened a mate of mine last year. Bloody pillar ran straight out behind him as he was reversing.

Anan1

I'm afraid copacetic is right.

bikki

Why didnt u have your head lights on?

Keith186

copacetic wrote: »

barely visible concrete pillar? what was it disguised as? You crashed into an inanimate object, it's your fault.

cochineal you knew this would happen! lol

That's why you created a new account.

towel401

In 2008 there is no such thing as '**** happens' anymore

everything has to be someones fault, and that someone needs to hand over a load of money

cochineal

My headlights light what's in front of me, not behind me. I posted this to get information. I know it's my fault but I also think that proper markings and lighting would help to avoid this happening to other people. I think most people would feel that there is a duty of care on the part of the car park operator to ensure that "inanimate objects" are visible and adequately marked. This isn't a nice thing to happen to anyone and sarcastic responses are not a bit nice. To the others, thanks for your opinions.

Random

cochineal wrote: »

My headlights light what's in front of me, not behind me. I posted this to get information. I know it's my fault but I also think that proper markings and lighting would help to avoid this happening to other people. I think most people would feel that there is a duty of care on the part of the car park operator to ensure that "inanimate objects" are visible and adequately marked. This isn't a nice thing to happen to anyone and sarcastic responses are not a bit nice. To the others, thanks for your opinions.

Contact the owner / operator of the car park and voice your concerns to them. They will take your advice on board and paint the bollard so it's very visible or else they'll ignore your advice.

That's pretty much it I'd imagine.

Anan1

I dunno, OP, I think you need to change your perspective. It's not up to the pillar to stop you from driving into it. It is, after all, a pillar.:)

cochineal

Thank you Random, that's what I'll be doing alright. I'm not looking for money from anyone. But I will say that I've lived in countries that do not have any system for sueing businesses or public authorities with unsafe practises and their citizens are by far the worse off for it. The "compo culture" is wrong of course but think what it would be like if there was no comeback at all. It's only privileged westerners who only see one side of this argument.

copacetic

cochineal wrote: »

It's only privileged westerners who only see one side of this argument.

and pillars. how do you think they feel? Just wandering around being invisible and people crash into them..

cochineal

Antisceptic, if you want to p.m. me i can tell you where you can get a great colonic irrigation. Think you might need it. Piggy-backing on other peoples jokes is a symptom. Ciao!

copacetic

cochineal wrote: »

Antisceptic, if you want to p.m. me i can tell you where you can get a great colonic irrigation. Think you might need it. Piggy-backing on other peoples jokes is a symptom. Ciao!

pm sent.

cochineal

Being a newbie can't get them. Ho Hum!

copacetic

cochineal wrote: »

Being a newbie can't get them. Ho Hum!

it might be hiding behind you in the dark. Careful you don't reverse into it.

SV

cochineal wrote: »

Does anyone know if there are regulations governing the marking of car parks. I've had a very nasty scrape with a concrete pillar that was barely visible in a dimly lit car park - wing mirror smashed and door pretty bashed up. Have never crashed or damaged my car in 7 years driving. I'd presume there'd be some obligation to paint them with highly visible markings. Dosen't that make sense? I took photos and am thinking of writing a stinker of a letter.......

thinking of writing a letter?
lol..go for it, we love getting them.

cochineal

Poor Antisceptic, you're getting a wee high by thinking you're writing laugh-out-loud replies. It's addictive, I understand! Now go and make yourself a cup of tea and calm down.

Fighting Irish

I knocked down a house yesterday and i'm up in court next week. God damn house wasn't even lit up....balls to that i'm skipping the country...later suckers

mollydolly271

imo u will probaly just be told u were in control of the car

cochineal

Mollydolly, if they are in any way civic-minded then they will get their act together and get out their paint set. Not only that, it's a five star hotel car park and I pay several grand a year for membership. As a business owner myself, I take on board whatever customers have to say to me about their experience of my service. If I didn't I'd soon run out of customers. Is this some kind of weird Irish psychosis? If you have something to say, even if you're only one lowly customer, you're a peevish harpie? I think it's pathetic and smacks of post-colonial cap-doffing....ick.

Seth Brundle

Get over it. This object not visible in the poor light could have been a person who would now be sueing you!

cochineal

Get over it? I was just continuing the conversation myself. But what you say if true. Thanks for re-enforcing my argument - bad lighting leads to accidents. Now i'm out of here before a whole world of tuppence-worths come down on my head. Adios!

Seth Brundle

I'm not disputing the lighting. I'm making the point that you hit the object. If the lighting was that poor then maybe you should have been going even slower as the item you hit could have been human!

oleras

cochineal wrote: »

, it's a five star hotel car park and I pay several grand a year for membership.

So this was not your first time using said carpark ?

You need to pay more attention i think.

cochineal

My final word - People are not generally immobile barely visible objects in carparks - unless they're lying prone on the ground. I did not reverse out fast - I never do. Carparks are difficult places to drive in - having to reverse with restricted visibility. I think all the visual aids possible should be in place to make it as safe as possible. If you disagree, go off and form the "we want dark and dangerous carparks society". :cool:

oleras

cochineal wrote: »

My final word .......

I doubt that.

You bashed your car because you were not paying attention. badly lit or not. get on with it and learn from these mistakes.

cochineal

What a twit Oleras. Do blind people walk into things because they're not paying attention? No, it's because they can't see them.

Steve

cochineal wrote: »

My final word - People are not generally immobile barely visible objects in carparks - unless they're lying prone on the ground. I did not reverse out fast - I never do. Carparks are difficult places to drive in - having to reverse with restricted visibility. I think all the visual aids possible should be in place to make it as safe as possible. If you disagree, go off and form the "we want dark and dangerous carparks society". :cool:

All you can do is write to them and ask that stripey tape is put on the pillar.

You claim to have pics - why not post them here and give us a chance to see what you're talking about?

cochineal

I'll go and put the stripey tape on the pillars myself! I'll even knit the stripey tape at this stage! But I'm not going to post a picture of my van with my phone number on the side of it on this site Steve....I'd really be in the proverbial then.....Oiy, karumba!

Steve

Fair enough if your phone number is on the van.

I was more interested in seeing the visibility of the pillar though

Could you remove the phone number - easy enough with paint etc.. and post it?

oleras

SteveC wrote: »

Fair enough if your phone number is on the van.

I was more interested in seeing the visibility of the pillar though

Could you remove the phone number - easy enough with paint etc.. and post it?

Why do i have visions of the OP out the front of his house painting over his phone number on the van..........lol

Fishtits

You were driving, in complete control etc. you smacked a bollard...

Take your medicine.

Unfortunately driving a car sometimes involves situations where visibility is less than ideal.

If you can't accept that these kind of sub-optimal situations occur then you have a serious problem.

SV

cochineal wrote: »

I'll go and put the stripey tape on the pillars myself! I'll even knit the stripey tape at this stage! But I'm not going to post a picture of my van with my phone number on the side of it on this site Steve....I'd really be in the proverbial then.....Oiy, karumba!

block it out so.

Steve

oleras wrote: »

Why do i have visions of the OP out the front of his house painting over his phone number on the van..........lol

:D:D

harsh...





but good....:D

cochineal

What's an OP?

Steve

cochineal wrote: »

What's an OP?

Original Poster, whoever started the thread. i.e. you.

It's lust a larf, don't take it too seriously...

tallaghtoutlaws

cochineal wrote: »

What's an OP?

Original or Opening Poster I.e you as you started this thread.

And honestly cochineal I drive both vans and trucks and there are times I have parked in some badly lit areas where you could see fook all my method for this if not sure get out and look at the situation before continuing to drive. Only way to be sure if you have no one with you that you are not going to hit those unexpected bollards. Should the hotel put something on it most likely. Ask them nicely see what they do but in my experience you gots to grow a third eye to these things other wise you will defo come up against more sh1t car parks and spaces. If in doubt jump out.

cochineal

Sure I know that! I didn't reverse up my own ar~e!

cochineal

Thanks Tallaghtoutlaw - i'll remember that one - if in doubt jump out.

copacetic

cochineal wrote: »

Sure I know that! I didn't reverse up my own ar~e!

thank god for that, watch out for mine as well though, it's badly lit down there..

cochineal wrote: »

Thanks Tallaghtoutlaw - i'll remember that one - if in doubt jump out.

It is a good tip, if you can't see where you are going, don't just reverse and hope for the best. who knew?

cochineal

I'd reverse out of that faster! Damn the damage!

Masada

Jeez, are you really blaming a concrete block for your inability to watch where you are going?
If you couldn't see behind you with the poor light, why did you reverse in?

You could apply the same logic to any situation, its like saying, if I park on a poorly lit street at night, I should have to put yellow strips on my car just so you don't crash into it, while your blissfully away with the fairies again...

Henry Ford III

Park at your own risk I'm afraid.

Dabko

Jesus, does nobody want to take responsibility these days for acting stupid? I know acting stupid sometimes can cause a feeling of embarrassment and in turn, cause people to want to pass the blame anywhere but them selves, but christ, this is ridiculous!

OP - Dont tell people when you do stupid sh1t, just have a little laugh to yourself, and learn not to do it again!

Dr.Dabko will be here all week should any other silly posts arise!:D

rabbitinlights

Can the OP please explain exactly what happened? Were you driving into a space or reversing out of a space or even vice versa?

S.

su_dios

I could understand if it was a low bollard you crashed into that you could argue was in the wrong or dangerous position! But it wasn't..the pillar holds up the floor above it and when entering a carpark you would expect to see a lot of these placed around and to be cautious if pulling into a space next to a pillar. How could you miss the pillar?! I imagine you just judged it wrong as opposed to missing it completely though right?

pburns

rabbitinlights wrote: »

Can the OP please explain exactly what happened? Were you driving into a space or reversing out of a space or even vice versa?

S.

Who cares!??

How can a post like this drag on over 4 pages?

You're right, in an ideal world the concrete piller would be marked with reflective paint. But we don't live in an ideal world...

Drop the car park owner an email or letter if you feel so strongly about it and mark it up to experience. More than likely nothing will be done but it'd be more productive than coming on her keeping an non-argument going on and on...

You come across as one of those over-competive people who won't let thing lie and has to have the last word - the jokes cracked at your expense are quite funny I'm afraid!