A Sarah Palin supporter tried to hit and run my car... I kid you not...

[zulchzulu]

I just got back from the store where I had to tangle with an apparent Sarah Palin supporter in the parking lot.

Leaving the store with some groceries, I saw my car get bumped into by some other car... to the point that it made a pretty loud bang and my dog, who I had just walked, started barking. It was some woman in a Metro that had backed into my car and smacked it pretty good... and was trying to drive off!

Fortunately, there were a couple cars in the outgoing lane that were ahead of her. I noticed a couple going up to her to try to stop her. So I ran up to the car and knocked on the driver side window. She looked scared... then gave me the finger.

What do you do, I thought? I then BANGED on the window and yelled at the top of my lungs, "You just hit my car and are trying to get away!"

The couple who had alerted her walked next to me and the driver finally rolled down the window. I asked her to stop and talk about what happened. She complied and parked the car in a spot and got out. She appeared to be drunk. As I walked with her to my car (with the barking dog and the slight dent), I saw a "Sarah" sticker on her car. It's one I haven't seen before that has Palin's first name in big letters and small text that says "McCain Palin 2008".

It was funny because I have an Obama bumper sticker prominently centered on the back bumper of my car. She was looking at it with scorn as I assessed the damage, which was a slight, minimal crack in the bumper area.

I took her name, number and her license number and told her I would have to report the incident. She pleaded with me that she had lost her job recently and would gladly just pay in cash for any damage, as long as it's under $100. I just laughed!

I probably won't report the incident since the damage is pretty small and insurance agencies tend to also penalize the person who reports an accident, but it certainly was an interesting moment in time.

My dog stopped barking when she drove away.

[Xipe Totec]

1. Report it.

For your own good, report it.

You don't know, and will not know the extent of the damage until an insurance assessor takes a look at it.

Trust me, Don't wait.

[Dying Eagle]

2. screw her

Report her! I bet she has/will do this again.

[Thickasabrick]

11. Cute baby! Awesome shirt!!

[hobbit709]

3. Turn it in to HER insurance company

[Sarah Ibarruri]

4. So she lost her job and she's not removing that Palin sticker?

What is it with these Bible banging Repugs? Masochism must be part of their nature!

[WileEcoyote]

5. Wrong! Report this nut case to the law

Make an EXAMPLE OUT OF HER!

Drunk driving is enough to file a complaint as well as the hit and run.

Plus: Sticking it to a republican is a trait more of us need to cultivate. Revenge is OK. Certainly better than turning the other cheek. You may well get this fool busted on other stuff.

So turn her in. You can file a police report within a few days after. Don't forget to mention that you thought she was drunk.

Feel guilty for ratting her out? Don't. Enjoy kicking her butt.

You may be helping her get into a program and stop drinking. And may even save another life on the road.

[jberryhill]

24. Parking Lots Are Private Property

Believe it or not, you can't break a traffic law in a parking lot, and there is no way to cite this woman for DUI at this point in time based on other people's observations.

There are no traffic laws on private property. That is why every accident in a private parking lot is a no fault accident - nobody violated a traffic law.

[Dr.Phool]

28. Bullshit. I've seen people get DUI's in a parking lot.

A friend of mine's son got a ticket for running a stop sign in a mall parking lot.

[jberryhill]

43. DUI - yes

But I'd be surprised if that mall or the right of way wasn't public.

But you aren't going to get someone on a DUI by phoning it in hours later.

[tsuki]

31. Must be in your state, not here. nt

[Muttocracy]

32. I had to pay a fine for a minor fender-bender in a parking lot

:shrug:

[ShadowLiberal]

35. Wrong, you can get tickets for how you park in your own drive way

I'm not kidding, you can be ticketed for parking illegally on your own driveway/property. They did it as a joke on candid camera once, but then they said at the end of the skit that they found out later that there's places that really do give out tickets for illegally parking in your driveway.

Also driving anywhere is still driving, so it's still a DUI.

[caraher]

40. My wife used to get tickets for how she parked at home

She had an apartment in a house, and she pulled onto the lawn, which was illegal. She had a deal where the landlord paid all her tickets, because there was not enough parking for all the tenants. The ordinance was intended, I think, to make sure firefighters have reasonable access to the building in case of a fire.

[rvablue]

42. If that was the case driver's couldn't get cited or more if they hit a pedestrian in a parking lot

.....which is not the case.

[vaberella]

6. This sort of reminds me of Upside-down B girl drama.

These people are lunatics. At least it wasn't too much of a problem.But really I'm sick of these people. And to see how far Republican supporters go sober or drunk is just scary.

[Garbo 2004]

7. You said she appeared to be drunk? Did she get back in her car and drive away?

Not reporting a bump in a parking lot is one thing but if the driver was indeed drunk you did no one a favor by not reporting her.

[Barack_America]

16. Correct. nt

[mikiturner]

8. Absolutely report it

You will regret it if you don't.

[liberal N proud]

9. Have the car checked professionally

A slight crack is all you see but damage could be much worse underneath and your car could be unsafe if not fixed properly.

As for the Palin twit, she was probably as clueless about hitting your car as she is about what Palin really is. But don't let that keep you from making sure she takes care of your repairs.

[liberalmuse]

10. Turn that whacko in.

If she was drunk, she is likely to harm someone in the future. I have no sympathy for serial Bush/republican supporters who have a run of bad luck as I respect that it's karma doing her thing.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

12. I'd at least have the car checked out

It could be worse than it looks--best to find out now. And yes, report the incident. I accidentally hit someone, causing what I thought was slight damage that turned into $2000 of work--and rest assured I stopped, called the cops, and exchanged insurance information.

[Cha]

13. Could it get anymore

Symbolic?!

[MrSlayer]

14. You should have said "Ok, give me $99".

Since you aren't going to report it anyway, you should have taken her money.

[patrice]

17. Remarkable sig line pic . . . Lemmy?

[MrSlayer]

20. Yes.

Cool, huh?

[Teaser]

49. Was Lemmy ever not ugly?

.

[jberryhill]

25. Ding - correct answer

Reporting to police or the insurance company won't do a thing, since it was a parking lot.

Taking the $100 is the best result.

I settled a claim with a cab driver who hit me, right on the spot for cash one time. He even had me write out and sign a release when I told him I was a lawyer.

[Dr.Phool]

30. Her insurance company WILL pay. I don't care if it happened in your kitchen.

That car is covered where ever it is. And she can be ticketed. Private property don't have anything to do with it.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

47. I had a Chicago cabby rear-end me once while I was driving a company car.

The guy tried to settle with me for 100 bucks cash. I had to laugh as I was quite certain that "little scratch" would run me 500 plus - I was righ...800 bucks. I had to literally drag him to the cop shop to make a report......Chicago cops HATE cabbies. As the cop turned me loose he stopped the cabby to read him the list of tickets he was about to receive.

I almost felt bad for the guy but I knew if the shoe was on the other foot he would have bit his tongue, spit blood and hauled me in to court for 50 grand.

[Wetzelbill]

15. You should have called the police right away if she appeared to be drunk

Nothing to do with politics, but she hit your car, tried to get away and may have been drunk. You can't risk letting a person like that drive off and possibly plow into a car and kill or hurt somebody a few minutes later.

Also, you probably should report it.

I think it's funny that she flipped you off and then got out pleaded for your help, lol.

Republicans can't seem to make the connection. Unemployment? Republican policy? It just doesn't register. One of my friends last night was telling me I should write down some of my tribal economic development ideas and give them to politicians. (I have) He thinks I should give them to Republicans, however I know they wouldn't look twice at them. The ideological gulf is too wide. He can't seem to grasp that though.

[MUAD_DIB]

18. You should report it. Give them (GOPygs) no quarter.

[Dappleganger]

19. If you don't report her for driving drunk

she could do something FAR worse. It's a matter of public safety.

[Joe the Liberal]

21. Report it, she would report you..........

Republicans are cowards, when they are at fault they try to weasel their way out of it. When you are at fault they come at you full force, she wouldn't think twice about reporting the incident and probably suing you if you had hit her car. Don't just let it slide, especially with a Republican McCain/Palin voter, Report her ass.

[Raine]

22. Palin supporter ... that figures

they're always the type that commit a crime and think they can get away with it. x(

[jberryhill]

23. It was in a parking lot - private property - it will be no fault no matter what

There are no traffic laws on private property, and I don't care what the sign lives or what kind of state you live in.

An accident on private property is a no fault accident.

[Zomby Woof]

46. Complete bullshit

It sure as hell matters in California (I cannot speak for the OP's state, since that was not mentioned). I was a liability claims adjuster for a major auto insurance company, and I handled parking lot claims ALL THE TIME. You damn well better believe we paid claims, and so did the claimant's insurer when they were at fault. Under California law, most liability claims fall under the "comparative negligence" category, such as cars backing out of parking spaces and hitting the oncoming cars - the backing car is usually mostly at fault, with the oncoming car partially at fault because they may have been going over 10mph or whatever the posted parking lot speed is. In cases like that, if our insured was mostly at fault, we would pay 70% or 80%, and the claimant's insurance carrier would pay 30% or 20%. The percentage had to be agreed upon by both insurance carriers, or it would go to arbitration. It was far more amenable to just agree on the comp neg.

The only reason an insurer could possibly deny the OP's liability claim is by declaring it an intentional act, which is not covered, being that the insurance is for accidents. In that case, comprehensive coverage could be used to repair the damage, which usually carries a minimum deductible of $100 (usually $500). Comprehensive coverage does not take liability into account.

I love that about DU. Ignorant people can just spout off about anything with reckless abandon. Makes you sound like the know-it-all drunk at the end of the bar who just won't shut up.

[Barrymores Ghost]

51. All due respect, you are WRONG....

...And you should refrain from making pseudo-legalistic proclamations when you know little to nothing of which you speak.

You can almost always get a traffic ticket in a parking lot, and be certainly be cited for other crimes if you are driving intoxicated. You may also receive a traffic ticket in a parking lot if you hit another car and try to escape. This is hit and run, or at minimum “leaving the scene of an accident,” and if you cause an accident in a parking lot and leave the scene, you have violated that law -- regardless of whether it is a public or private lot, and regardless of what state in which it occured.

If you were clipped by another driver, the driver/owner of the vehicle that hit you would be responsible for your damages to your vehicle, regardless of whether you had insurance, didn't have insurance, or whether you were wearing any pants.

Period.

[Ikonoklast]

57. Wrong.

I had the front end of my car taken off by a juvenile driving her mother's car, with permission, without a driver's license.

She was driving diagonally across the parking lot adjacent to the side of the building, doing about forty miles per hour, ran a stop sign, and hit me completely spinning the car around. I got to see parts of my front end fly through the air and land 100 feet away.

As soon as the mother was notified by the daughter that she just wrecked her car, she called the car in as stolen. The police waited for her to show up at the scene, arrested her along with the kid for filing a false report...the daughter told the cops that her mom always made her drive to the store to buy her cigarettes when she was too drunk to do it herself.

The police wrote an entire book of tickets for that one, and her insurance company ended up paying for everything, including my deductible and rental just to keep from being sued for personal injury.

Absolutely there can be blame assigned on private property.

[WatchWhatISay]

26. Somewhere on another board

she is probably posting about how she hit some losers car with an Obama sticker, and that she figured they were a bleeding heart liberal so she gave some bullshit story about just losing her job . . . and it worked! and laughing at you for being such a sap.

Giving you the finger part is what really would have decided it for me.

[madamesilverspurs]

27. Ooooo,

driving under the influence of Palin. Should there be more than 12 steps for dealing with that?

[WorseBeforeBetter]

29. Why would you allow someone who "appeared to be drunk"...

drive away?

[biopowertoday]

33. My question also.

[ecstatic]

34. Uggh... I got burned by someone who begged me not to report

NEVER AGAIN!!! :mad:

[snowbear]

36. You let her off way too easy..

.
.

I realize that in most states, accidents and fender-benders under $500.00 in damage (unless there are injuries) don't require immediate police notification...

BUT in the case of a "hit and run" (which according to your description, it was) the local authorities should have been notified.

Even if they couldn't have immediately responded, without notifying them when it occurred, she'll probably just wind up having to deal with the insurance company and that's it.

She should be grateful to you for not only letting her off the hook for a hit and run citation, but for a probable DWI.

If your local police department has on-line report filing (most do)... you should log on tonight or in the morning and file the report (along with the witness info) while it's all fresh in your mind.

It's simple to do, and it will give you an automated police report number -- which you're going to need for insurance purposes at some point.

...

[snowbear]

37. P.S...... Here's the website:

.
.

http://www.cityofmadison.com/police/sru/

You're in Madison, right?

Seriously... if you're going to be dealing with insurance companies -- yours, hers or both .. you're going to need a police report number.

p.s.s... I'm glad you're ok! (and your good doggy too!)



-

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

38. If you don't report it, you risk HER reporting it as your fault.

[slampoet]

39. You are liable for NOT reporting her if she drove off and killed someone while drunk.

Screw reporting the accident. Report the DRUNK.

You made a very big mistake by not reporting a drunk driver who ALREADY has been in one accident.

[rufus dog]

41. My wife got hit in a drive thru

Depending on what type of car you have it could be pricey. Ours cost about $1000. The girl who hit her said the same thing, just lost my job, don't call my home my parents will kill me, I will pay you cash, while they were talking a cop pulled up. (Someone inside called) Anyway, the girl quit returning calls so after a couple of month my wife called her home number. She said her parents told her there was nothing we could do. So we finally called insurance and we are out $250 while they will fight the girl.

Take it for what it is worth.

[zulchzulu]

44. UPDATE: I decided to file a report

Granted, here in Madison (WI), these kinds of incidents go through the Citizen Self-Reporting System on the local web site.

I filed her name, license, insurance number/info and what happened, including that I thought she may have been DUI. We'll see what happens.

The more I think about this, I more I get pissed. And, as some here have implied, this person would probably do it all again...so, goddamn it, it's time to fire back.

Thanks for all your input on this. Even if she wasn't an obvious Palin fan, it still sucks that someone would try to hit and run and then act like an ass when cornered. The fact that the person is a Palin supporter does tell me that her judgment is impaired on many levels.

As Mike Malloy would say, did I ever tell you how much I hate these people...

[Jennicut]

50. Good for you...this happened to me once before.

A guy in a white van pulled out in traffic while I was ahead of him,he tried to go around the back of me to make a left hand turn and scraped my car. It was loud and I knew that the guy in the van must have heard it too. But he drove away and from my angle I could not get a good look at his license #. To this day my car still has a big long scrape mark on it.

[MurrayDelph]

54. Good for you

Your car may only LOOK slightly damaged, but you can't tell until it's checked out professionally. Cars are too complicated to take chances with.

Also, I have been in several parking lot accidents
- someone in Vegas once backed into me because I had stopped at the stop sign, and got VERY belligerent when I asked for insurance information. To him, the dent on my car was "No damage"
- my car was once backed into by a big truck (or SUV) which drove away before I got back.

and my insurance company always recognized the fact that since I had done nothing wrong, they were not going to penalize me.

The "no fault" in a parking lot is the lot owners saying if someone hits your car, it's not the fault of the garage owners.

[hamsterjill]

56. Good for you.

If nothing else, there will be a paper trail of this happening, in case this whacko starts a pattern of running into Obama stickers!

By the way, sorry this happened to you. I like the fact that you banged on her window, etc. Too many cowards try to run and think they are going to get away with things. (No, I don't advocate confrontations, but you, at least, made her admit to having hit your car).

[Frank Booth]

45. Funny how these things always happen to you.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6368149

[biopowertoday]

55. yeah

:thumbsup:

[marshall]

48. A Palin supporter in a Metro?

Wow, that's a shock.

[madmom]

52. Report her before she reports you for having backed into her. It happens!

[KingFlorez]

53. An incident like that really should have been reported