Andy F

All, yesterday I was filling my Scooby up when two guys lads pulled up behind me in a knackered Merc and proceeded to rev their engine before moving to literally a couple of millimetres off my back bumper revving constantly, when I asked them what they were doing, they got out and the threats started etc which I deemed it time to leave.

TH QUESTION IS WHY???? Is the world full of AR*Eholes or can we live where this kinda thing doesn't happen. For ref, it was the BP garage near Heaton Park N Manchester.

blp

Next time, dont get out. Sit in your car and call the old bill. Especially as the garage must have CCTV.....all the evidence you need officer.

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Andy,

even worse - a woman, probably late twenties/early thirties in a car with two kids on the back seat tried to pull in behind me from an exit on the other side of the road - if you see what I mean.

However there was not enough room and so she ended up blocking the other side of the road - her choice there was never enough room for her to pull out.

Anyway - she was gesticulating madly to for me to move forward and so I went as far as I could. She wasn't happy with this and simply drove into the back of my car.

When the traffic moved off I pulled over and just as I started to open the door to assess the damage she screamed past me with the front wheels spinning.

BIG MISTAKE - trying to run off from a Scoob. Followed her to get her number plate and then left her too it.

By the way - all of this was in a wet rush hour in Fleet High Street.

boomer

Andy would have to be _very_ brave indeed to calmly sit in the car and phone the old bill.

The odds are that the guys behind have nothing to lose - the car could be stolen and they probably spend most days looking for trouble (their hobby). You end up with a bent car, and possibly a bent face, and rely a CCTV system that may not even be working.

When you "deemed it time to leave", where did you actually go? Presumably you didn't do a runner without paying, so what did you say to the attendent?

mb

RussP

They were probably P155ed off by the price of the petrol

Beef

Hmm. Reminds me of an incident not too long ago. I had just shoved some juice in the hoover when 4 puffa-equipped idiots arrived in a MKII Astra. I ignored them and paid up. When I walkout they were all staring at me, and as I got into the car, they moved forward so I couldn't get out. I wasn't too worried, because what they didn't know was that the car behind me happened to be full of my friends, but I was a bit concerned for the car. I got in the car, and they sat there revving and 'gesticulating' at me. Then they turned around and tried to to a wheel-spin at the same time. I took this opportunity to leave, and I was sure they were going to follow me back onto the motorway. I made sure they wouldn't be able to catch me, and floored it up the slip-road. I didn't see if they did come after me because I was too busy controlling the fish-tailing (some pratt had dropped sand over the slip-road), and I sure as hell didn't slow down until I was WELL away. It was so weird, because they were obviously looking for trouble, but I somehow didn't react. All I can think is that it must have been jealousy. Not nice.

Mike Rainbird

Kind of makes you want to slip into that Michael Douglas character, pull a shotgun out of the boot and watch their faces change...

Shark

Shame this thread started, it just shows that there are a few Muppets out there.

My advice would be to drive off without paying if necessary, then come back later to pay. In my experience the police would understand if they got involved. We run a petrol station too, and normally the police aren’t interested unless the car is stolen, and defiantly won't be if you come back 1/2 hour later to pay.

Still, thinking about it, you meet the same type of people when your out for a beer on a Saturday night, me I just walk away, no matter how many mates I have with me, or is it because I’m not very good in a fight!!

They’re sad people really.

Beef - the '4 puffa equipped idiots' must have looked realy funny , it made me laugh just thinking about it.

David

Subie Gal

We have the same problems here in the states...

I had a guy *chase* me down after HE almost hit ME - ( I swerved around him to avoid him - honked & *gave him the finger*) Then the genious follow me, gets out of his car at an intersection, begins punching my windows, screaming at me - told me he would have pulled me out of the car and creamed me if I was a man.... he then snapps my aerial and gets back in his car & drives off!!!

i turned him in to the police, but he skipped out of court - they've yet to catch up with him.... psycho!!! you never know what these people are gonna do!! be careful out there...

Ray T

hi all,
i think i will get myself one of those trackstar things, the one with the one press button that gets the police's attention, should definatly suprise any following puffa brigade.

ray t

boomer

Was the Trackstar the thing on tonight's Police, Camera, Acting, with Alastair (i have never, ever, broken any law at all or even trod on the cracks in the pavement) Stewart. He simply said to his Jaguar dashboard "I say old bean, there appears to be a Rover blocking my passage", and ten seconds later a Police 4*4 arrived?

Some folks will believe anything!

mb

[This message has been edited by boomer (edited 28-02-2000).]

MorayMackenzie

Boomer et al,

Police, Camera, Acting's (nice one Boomer!), "Alastair (i have never, ever, broken any law at all or even trod on the cracks in the pavement) Stewart" is the irresponsible, sanctamonious, patronising barsteward who was banned for drink driving not so long ago.

I really do hope that his whiter than a white thing appearances on PCA aren't community service, I already find him offensive enough.

How he was retained by the program when the facts came to light I don't know. Maybe they simply couldn't find anyone patronising enough to replace him.

They really should ditch him and replace him with either a genuine traffic cop, or someone more able (than AS) who is less patronising and has a sense of irony/humour, such as Graham Cole (Bill/Police Stop!) !

Moray
(Sorry, AS just really irritates me!)

Sheridan

This isn't a new thing, I had it happen about 10 years ago at a petrol station on the A24 coming back from Worthing, I was on a bike at the time, and some guy punched me and his mate threw a coke in my face because I was blocking the pump he wanted ??????
I got cautioned by the police for pointing the pump nossle and my lighter at him, stupid I know but I was young and angry, especially as the mate pusheed my now wife out of the way to get to me. Strange that was an Astra....

Ray T

boomer,
don't you think the idea of the the one push button and satelite tracking, while you can actually talk to a control centre is a good idea ? totally hands free you don't have to know where you are or where your going, so you can concentrate on the driving.

ray t

Andy F

Boomer, they moved up close to me when I was paying and then they got out etc etc.....

I agree with the CCTV bit, but at the time odds of two to one on the forecourt versus RB5 against knackered Merc on road was an easy choice.

By the looks of this thread its a common thing happeneing everywhere, WHAT A SHAME!!

bobn3

Hi all,

The only story I heard of this happening in Ireland was one of my brother mates!

He overtook a car with 4 lads in it and they proceeded in following him, he does have a fast car and he was getting a bit worried, so he pulled in a family firends house, who was a farmer and ran to the door. The lads pulled up and came into the drive looking for him. His mate the farmer came out with shot gun in hand and told them to get of his lands, but to leave the car!!!

Lads had long walk home and no car, I'll leave it to your imaginaion the state of the car next morning!!!, No problem with the police and there alot of car dumped up there ;-)

Cheers

GCollier

Sheridan >>>

I loved that bit about pointing the pump nozzle and lighter at them, it really cracked me up. Young and foolish, definitely, but I'd have loved to see the look on their faces.

I'm not condoning violence, and would always beat a hasty retreat in such circumstances, but one of the large 3 or 4 battery maglites is in my car, just in case.

Gary.

Leon

Usefull advice!

If confrontaition can't be avoided with afore mentioned Puffa boys -

Let the air out of their jackets!

We all know what happens to a balloon when you undo the knot.

Besides, by the time they have been over to the air machine for a refil, you'll be at home with a cuppa.

DavidRB

A few years back at a garage, I had just started doing my tyres when a guy pulls up in his car and gets out & starts getting really agitated near me. While I'm still doing my tyres, he starts shouting at me (presumably because I'm holding him up) and by the time I've done the spare (just to wind him up even more), his girl has got out and is joining in the shouting. As my (then) g/f was in my car, I hand over the air line, which he snatches away and they then proceed to insult me and my g/f as I get in & drive off.

Despite being a tad scared, once in the safety of my car, the red mist descended and I was really tempted to reverse into him & crush him against his driver's door (the tablets are helping a lot now), but g/f says "just leave it, who cares", so we did.

No idea who he was, or why he was so angry, but on reflection, I know I'd have been the one to end up in prison had I done anything stupid. Kinda wish I'd been at a petrol pump & that I was a smoker!

Oddly enough, despite the extra attention that the Scooby now brings, I feel much safer knowing that I can (almost) always outrun anyone who decides to cause trouble. I'd have no problem with driving off a forecourt without paying if I thought I was in danger. Best just to avoid the idiots wherever possible, there's more to life than getting one over a total stranger.

Beef

Shark, if I wasn't so worried, I would have pi55ed myself laughing. It was a horrible turd-brown GL thingy, and they ALL had BIG puffa jackets. They ALL had baseball caps. They ALL had ear-rings. It reminded me of the 4 elephants in a mini joke. They would have been fine in an accident with all that padding, plus the fact that they had to be wedged in place, so they wouldn't have moved anyway.

Wish I'd had a camera.

Stupot

you did the right thing Andy, you never know what sort of muppet your up against these days. Prolly on drugs or something. Either that or they are jealous of the fact that pond life such as themselves could never hope to own a car as nice as yours. Your the winner this time... they will always be losers

Keep safe
Stu

Andy F

Stu, thanks for the kind words!!

Maybe I'll buy a Puffa jacket and drive around with 5 mates in the car.... then again maybe not!!

Andy

bobn3

Puffa jackets,

I once was taken on by a one litre corsa (nove in the UK), it had 4 lads in it with puffa jackets and baseball caps, I let them get in front, just to see the clouds of blue smoke pumping out the exhaust, plus I was laughing so much there were tears in my eyes and I would have crashed, :-)

cheers

Stupot

NeilR

Xmas is a good time for Bad behaviour.

A girlie and her boyfriend decided that queueing to get out of the Savacentre car park (reading) wasn't for them so they pulled out of the junction and tried to force infront of me, except i was alongside them at the time. I wound down my window, the boyfriend did the same and i asked politely what exactly was wrong with them. After a shed load of abuse from both and the girl telling me that she'd do exactly what she wanted, i informed her that she in fact couldn't. At this point the boyfriend told me he'd smash my car up. I calmly told him that id inflict exactly the same damage to his face.....im not one to run away from an argument im afraid.

There was a screech of tyres, she drove the wrong way down the road and across the roundabout the wrong way, forcing an oncoming car to swerve. I stayed put, stayed in the traffic and calmly passed them on the dual carriageway that runs parallel to Theale. I then hit the Warp pedal and their knackered Cavalier went backwards.

Xmas is a time for good cheer!

NeilR

Shark

Beef,

I would have been sh*t**g me self if I was in the same situation as you, but I wish you did have a camera

Now confession time - I have a great big North Face down jacket that looks like a puffa - I think I may have to dispose of it!!

On a more serious note, we now need 2 missile systems for our cars, one for the gatso's and one for the puffa touting muppets

I like the idea of a lighter and a petrol pump, but I fear toasted Impreza....

David

boomer

Ray T,

one-button helpline and GPS positioning all sounds very nice - a friend has an Omega 3.0 Auto with the Philips Carin, and it is brilliant for effortless driving and navigating if you don't know where you are going.

However i doubt the bit about Plod arriving seconds after you call for help - unless of course you have just been doing 71mph on an empty motorway at 2:00am!!!

boomer

Morray,

i agree 100% with your comments about AS, and the fact that _he_ was banned (_and_ for drink driving) makes it even worse.

I also agree that Graham Cole should get the job!

BTW, if there are any AS/PCA fans out there, take a trip to:

Justin Foden

Beef,

whatz wrong wid puffa jackets man ??
you racist or some-ting ???? man ???

listen : keep a small baseball bat in your
car, that always does the trick....also keep
a ball so if your stopped by the rozzers just
say you were playing baseball.

8-)


"Thrustin"

Paul Wilson

Na 6 D-Cell Maglite thats the ticket