I ***ped into a Black Cab..

Perhaps the cabbie pissed himself!

I'm sure I heard somewhere that black cabs are not allowed to take fares if they have a dent anywhere (although there must be a limit), certainly you don't see any mangled ones on the roads.

Was the cabbie very pissed off? Were he forced off the road (until, quite possibly, into January) he would lose his most lucrative time of year. I'm sure they take loss-of-earnings insurance, but such policies are never really a substitution for what is really lost.

Mind you if it was at 3mph, it can't be too much of a dent surely?

Good luck with it...

Rod

Mabye the bumper acted as a water trap, my whole mini did when I owned one.

quote:

---

Mind you if it was at 3mph, it can't be too much of a dent surely?

---

You'll be suprised how much damage you can do at 3mph ask my wife

Regards
Clive

3 MPH to a woman is as accurate as 6 inches to a bloke.

quote:

---

3 MPH to a woman is as accurate as 6 inches to a bloke.

---

Spot on!!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by mike lacey:
At about three mph; rear bumper impact: no damage to my Laguna, but the cab appeared rapidly to leak clear water. I could see nothing that was obviously broken, his bumper was ( very slightly ) dented - one of three dents visible.

Now far be it from me to appear cynical, but could these be a bit of a scam or trick by the cabbie to make it look as if there was more damage than there actually is?

Hi Mike

The only water in the rear of a cab is in the rear washer bottle situated on the inside of the o/s wing its quite near to the boot lid so it is possible that you may have ruptured this (there is not a lot of space in the boot)the bad news is that those bumpers are not cheap and once impacted tend to have to be replaced as well as the floor pan. They are designed as crumple zones so as to protect the interior compartment passengers from rear end shunts.
I dont see how a driver could "scam" you with regards to the water situation the bottle is either damaged (and will leak out of the drain holes) or intact, there is no magic plug to pull with regards to losing the water.
I do wish to remain impartial but am a little concerned at the attention that you have paid to the speed you were travelling at...could it be that you were watching your speed so much that you didnt notice the cab in front?
The good news is that it appears that no one was hurt, its better to lose your excess than your health.

Thanks for the replies, chaps. Probably just me being over suspicious.

I was in the West End at the time, in slow moving traffic. Bumper to bumper stuff ( literally, obviously. ) There was some kind of reception in an hotel that opened onto the pavement: they had foot high naked flames about 6 feet from the road which is what distracted me.

I had a digital camera with me and photographed his vehicle: to me, the bumper had clearly been bent beforehand: I hit the middle, yet the two ends had also been bent.

Regards

Mike

Spending money I don't have on things I don't need.

It's partly because people drive too close (i.e: bumper to bumper) that we have speed limits.

You were driving too close, weren't concentrating, and now you are trying to wriggle out of taking responsibility for ruining a cabby's Christmas.

3mph indeed!

Regards,

Steve.

I wondered what that length of string was running from the cab to the boot. Bump, yank, ch-ding! Oh well, the insurance will take care of it. The main thing is that no one got hurt. Unlikely at 3mph but nevertheless the main priority.

Cheers

Harry

Mike

you hit him in the rear. You're not a vehicle damage expert (which your insurance company will have in the multiple of tens (or even hundreds) at the ready) - why not make it easy on yourself and leave it up to the experts to sort out for you. Try not to worry about the other party scamming - instead why not try to help out someone you have wronged!

The poor cabbie is probably wondering what he did to deserve meeting you from behind.

Karma eh?

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio

quote:

---

There was some kind of reception in an hotel that opened onto the pavement: they had foot high naked flames about 6 feet from the road which is what distracted me.

---

An interesting epitaph for the pedestrian that was flattened six cars ahead of you?

I hardly think any cab driver is going to set up such a contraption to piss water everywhere in the unlikely event of a rear end shunt.

This time of year cabbies are more bothered with getting as many double-rate fares in as possible.

The string would be used to suspend someone from the nearest tree if they put my vehicle off the road, especially if they smelt of drink.

Regards,

Steve.

PS: Mike, nothing personal but you should cough up for any loss of earnings on the part of the cabbie.

Thank's Steve. I always wondered what that was for

Harry

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rico:
Karma eh?

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio

---

No: Akiva.

Mike

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rico:
Mike

you hit him in the rear. You're not a vehicle damage expert (which your insurance company will have in the multiple of tens (or even hundreds) at the ready) - why not make it easy on yourself and leave it up to the experts to sort out for you. Try not to worry about the other party scamming - instead why not try to help out someone you have wronged!

The poor cabbie is probably wondering what he did to deserve meeting you from behind.

Karma eh?

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio

quote:

---

There was some kind of reception in an hotel that opened onto the pavement: they had foot high naked flames about 6 feet from the road which is what distracted me.

---

An interesting epitaph for the pedestrian that was flattened six cars ahead of you?

---

yeah, why not stand back and be shafted by someone on the make,fucking bastards,the slightest bump and they are off work for the buisiest part of the year.

quote:

---

Originally posted by AL4N:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rico:
Mike

you hit him in the rear. You're not a vehicle damage expert (which your insurance company will have in the multiple of tens (or even hundreds) at the ready) -_ why not make it easy on yourself and leave it up to the experts to sort out for you. _ Try not to worry about the other party scamming - instead why not try to help out someone you have wronged!

The poor cabbie is probably wondering what he did to deserve meeting you from behind.

Karma eh?

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio

quote:

---

There was some kind of reception in an hotel that opened onto the pavement: they had foot high naked flames about 6 feet from the road which is what distracted me.

---

An interesting epitaph for the pedestrian that was flattened six cars ahead of you?

---

yeah, why not stand back and be shafted by someone on the make,fucking bastards,the slightest bump and they are off work for the buisiest part of the year.

---

sorry,i thought the nasty words would be censored

quote:

---

Originally posted by AL4N:
sorry,i thought the nasty words would be censored

---

cabbie, vehicle expert, naked - which one should be censored ?

quote:

---

yeah, why not stand back and be shafted by someone on the make,fucking bastards,the slightest bump and they are off work for the buisiest part of the year.

---

I'm not quite sure what is meant by the above and exactly who the "fucking bastards" are.

I will point out though that cabbies, even employed ones are not on a wage, they are on commision.

In simple terms, if some twat runs into you then you are off the road during the busiest period of the year.

No work for a cabbie = no money, and November/ January are usually the worst months of the year.

Regards,

Steve.

I thought the comments were tongue in cheek. At least I hope they were.

Cheers

Harry

HI,
Just make sure the insurance companies do what they are paid to do - sort it out. I get sick to the back teeth of insurance companies chasing you up to do stuff for them that they are getting paid to do (contact police for details, speak to other party, get quotrs etc),

andy c!

To clear matters up for those that have had enough time to comment but not quite enough time to read the thread:

-The impact was at walking pace. It was in the West End, and I dont think anyone EVER speeds there. Too much traffic.

-Full details where exchanged. I even gave the bloke my phone number.

-Damage was minimal. It looked like the dent from me was not the only dent on his bumper.

-I am not trying to wiggle out of responsibility for ruining someones Christmas.

-No pedestrians where flattened six cars ahead of me. Just a low speed collision between two vehcles.

-Loss of earnings should be covered by insurance.

Regards

Mike

Spending money I don't have on things I don't need.

Alan, I take it you don't use taxis.

Rico - SM/Mullet Audio

quote:

---

time to comment but not quite enough time to read the thread:

---

PS - yeah Mike, we didn't miss that you ran into the car in front.

In Denmark most city taxies are immaculate, late-model Mercedes saloons.

I suspect their back bumpers attract rather more respect and rather fewer Lagunas than "Black Cabs".

Nime

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rico:

PS - yeah Mike, we didn't miss that you ran into the car in front.

---

Stunning perspicacity: you deduced that merely from the title: "I bumped into a Black Cab."

Rico, would you please stop sniping at me? It really is getting tiresome and I wonder why you are doing it. Dont bother explaining, just try to give it a rest would you?

Cheers.

Mike

Spending money I don't have on things I don't need.

[This message was edited by mike lacey on Tue 28 December 2004 at 17:21.]

quote:

---

Originally posted by mike lacey:
-I am not trying to wiggle out of responsibility for ruining someones Christmas.

---

Why did you start this thread then?