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?