4x4, Mounts the Kerb, Hits me

[Crankarm]

A car with 4 complete flat tyres has v little space to get a jack under to lift it to remove wheels to reinflate the tyres at a garage. Only option would be to call a garage/AA/RAC to come out who would hopefully have a mobile compressor to reinflate the tyes.

 

[summerdays]

Strange how this generation of motorists think that it is acceptable to drive onto the pavement

I see this frequently... there are a couple of narrow roads near me, and rather than wait 10 seconds they drive along the pavement for 10's of meters.

Unfortunately this weekend an 11 year old child has been killed in Bristol because a car mounted the pavement - driver fled the scene.

 

[martynjc1977]

Cars parked on the pavement are subject to a fixed penalty notice, at least around here they are. Recently at the local school the police waited with a witness in the morning for the 4x4 owner who tore up the grass verge while dropping there kid off at school the previous day, oh how i laughed at there plight. Screams of the usual " have you nothing better to do" ect, silly fat cow and her fat child. also they only live 1/2 a mile away!!

 

[Joe24]

A car with 4 complete flat tyres has v little space to get a jack under to lift it to remove wheels to reinflate the tyres at a garage. Only option would be to call a garage/AA/RAC to come out who would hopefully have a mobile compressor to reinflate the tyes.

Or car drivers with a footpump will have time to think as they pump up all of their 4 tyres with a foot pump
If you let one down, and the spare is under neath the car just let that one down aswell. They will go for that and not be able to use it.

So then, so far we have:
Let the tyres down
pedal scrape the car
ride your bike over the car to get it muddy
Go and complain to the shop about the badly parked car

Anything else?

 

[janm399]

How about pouring down milk or dropping a few dead-ish snails or shrimp into the ventilation? This causes no damage at all and it will most certainly put anyone off getting into the car for a few days -- the stench is truly eye-watering!
The only downside is that you don't get to see the results right away.

 

[dodgy]

You have to let at least two tyres down as legally cars need to carry a spare.

Not true, perhaps surprisingly. There is no legal requirement to carry a spare, there isn't even a legal requirement for spare tyres to be serviceable even if you do choose to carry one.

 

[Black Sheep]

Not true, perhaps surprisingly. There is no legal requirement to carry a spare, there isn't even a legal requirement for spare tyres to be serviceable even if you do choose to carry one.

yes, its an MOT fail for the spare tyre to not be fit for use.

it is possible to get round this by having puncture repair stuff instead of a spare.

 

[Black Sheep]

A car with 4 complete flat tyres has v little space to get a jack under to lift it to remove wheels to reinflate the tyres at a garage. Only option would be to call a garage/AA/RAC to come out who would hopefully have a mobile compressor to reinflate the tyes.

most cars you can still get the jack under despite the tyres being flat

if you can get a jack under a citroen thats crouched on its suspension and flat tyres i'm convinced you'll get a jack under most cars that have flat tyres.

 

[Crankarm]

most cars you can still get the jack under despite the tyres being flat

if you can get a jack under a citroen thats crouched on its suspension and flat tyres i'm convinced you'll get a jack under most cars that have flat tyres.

Depends on ground clearance of car and height of jack. In my experience years ago working with a local garage and recovery lorry picking up/lifting cars with all 4 flat tyres is difficult as the car is so much lower to the ground. Most cars are a lot lower to the ground today anyway having sporting aspirations, 4x4s might not have such a problem as they have better ground clearance. Your average car now has much bigger wheels with less rubber round the edge but still very difficult to move one if the elastic band tyres lose all their air. Recovery to a tyre outlet is the most sensible option or for them to come to you to reinflate. Anyhow a major inconwenience. Of course puncturing them would be criminal damage and totally wrong IMHO as well as causing any other damage. Pouring putrid stuff into the ventillation system could also be viewed as criminal damage as well. Certainly affecting the current owner of the vehicle and any subsequent owners who maybe altogether more considerate to other road users so is rather indiscriminate.

 

[PBancroft]

Unfortunately this weekend an 11 year old child has been killed in Bristol because a car mounted the pavement - driver fled the scene.

I saw this story as well, and was annoyed on two levels.

1. The driver fled the scene. That's pathetic.

2. The car mounted the pavement - true enough, but indicative of the way driver responsibility is viewed. It didn't mount the pavement by itself, it was driven there. Often stories about road accidents remove the human aspect, and point the blame towards the car when the problem isn't that cars mysteriously kill people from time to time, but that some people really shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel.

Since I've rambled for a bit on that second point, let me flip it round. When did you last see a story about a cycling accident where the perpetrator is referred to as a "bicycle" or "pushbike" or similar? It's always "cyclist" - and rightly so in my book.

However news stories involving motorised vehicles are nearly always "car" "van" "motorbike" or whatever - never "driver of."

 

[buggi]

WAit 5 minutes, go to Customer Services and coamplain that a badly parked vehicle has blocked you in and ask them to call for the driver!

Some companies get quite annoyed about it - the woman in Tescos (North Harbour) actually announced "Would the owner of a RAnge Rover ** *** *** please return to their vehicle as it is dangerously parked and remove it immediately"

Loads of people watched the entrance to see the offending driver.

Brilliant

Upon riding back from work on Fri. some woman didnt even bother to move out when she passed me - I was looking down at the time...so when the traffic bunched up i stayed behind her...not one reaction of remorse..

she prob didn't even see you. i had a mate who pulled up at an island, cyclists knocks her window to let her know she had just whacked him with her wing mirror. she told me she hadn't even seen him!

 

[semislickstick]

I really don't think the "pedal scraped down the side of the car" solution is the right way to go. Surely you are lowering yourself to the same level? (I am sure some will reply and say it was really only a joke and I wouldn't actually do it - however, there are others that I think were quite serious).
It is actually criminal damage and how is that woman going to behave when she next comes across a cyclist?


Gary.

Go out of her way to avoid those pointy dangerous pedals?

Is there a way to let down tires without standing next to it while all the air escapes?
I have one screw on cap that came with some instant tube sealant which you can screw on and 'go do other stuff' while it's letting it down....I need more or another solution. :-)

 

[very-near]

The OP should have reported it and taken pics with their phone for evidence.

No need for her to behave in such a manner. She should get her collar felt for that.

 

[Black Sheep]

Go out of her way to avoid those pointy dangerous pedals?

Is there a way to let down tires without standing next to it while all the air escapes?
I have one screw on cap that came with some instant tube sealant which you can screw on and 'go do other stuff' while it's letting it down....I need more or another solution. :-)

yeh, a valve tool, it unscrews the valve and removes it
available from all good motor factors

 

[Arch]

I have a vague recollection of hearing about a trick where you wedge a tiny stone in the valve cap, then screw it back on a little, and that depresses the valve enough to cause the flat.

Even better if they then pump it back up and replace the cap without checking. Over, and over....