Not Happy Jan!!!! - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

Rollin · 10-25-2002, 04:44

for those not in brisbane, the story bridge is 3 small lanes in each direction.

well i was driving to work at 7:30 this morning, across the story bridge in the far right lane, all lanes were packed. i was about half way over the bridge and noticed there were about 20 steel re-inforcing bars strewn across 4 lanes, two each way!!!

they were about 1" thick and nearly as long as a Falcon!

so i slowed right down, about 30ks an hour, there was no chance of changing lanes, and managed to make it over about 5 of them when a car coming the other way kinda flicked one up, which hit my car and tore the bumper extension right off!!! obviously, it went straight under the car and made a hell of a noise. i looked in the rear view mirror and saw the car behind me had stopped and my front bar sitting in peices on the road behind me.

so i put the hazard lights on and stopped, got out and walked back, picked up my spoiler and put it in the back of the car, and continued on my way, madder than a cut snake and ready to go postal!

i stopped at the police station in the valley and went in, after calming down a little.

the constable gets up from his desk and wanders over, conversation is as follows, as best i can remember:

me: um, i just drove across the story bridge and there is a heap of iron bars laying on the road.

him: yes (bored and puzzeled look on face)

me: well, i drove over one and another car flicked it up and it tore part of my front bumper off...

him: yes (same expression)

me: i thought you might like to send someone to have a look at it?

him: how many are there?

me: um, definately more than 10, and they are about 1" think and at least 6 feet long.

him: would you say they are disturbong traffic flow?

me: (thinking, WTF?!?!? there are 20 huge iron bars on a 6 lane road in peak hour!!) i say: um, yeah like i said, one flicked up tore off my front bar and i am a bit concerned one might flick up and stap someone in the head...

him: (looks at other cop) spose we should ring the council?

me: (waiting for this momentus decision)

so he rings the council, i am still waiting cause i want to talk to him more.

him: can i do anything for you? (spoken with tone and body language that clearly say "i dont want to help")

me: well i was wondering if i could give you my name and details and if you find out the name of the trucking company could you please ring me and tell me, for insurance purposes?

him: (takes out a small piece of paper)

me: (give name, address, vehicle description)

him: ok we will see what we can do...

me: leaves...

heard nothing all day, went back in the arvo just in case, the lady cop had no idea what i was talking about, the guy in the morning had not even kept my details!!!! and she didnt look too concerned either.

so im REALLY pissed off that my immaculate EB XR6 is now missing a front bar, and they are not exactly common, and also that the cops clearly just did not want to know at all!!!

they are all too eager to bust you for 63 in a 60 and crap on about speed kills, and here we have 20 huge iron bars in the middle of a 6 lane road in peak hour and i have to CONVINCE them that it is a traffic hazard?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

WTF!!!!!!!!! i really try to respect cops, but every time i meet one, no matter how polite and respectful i am to them, they dont give a shit or dont want to know.

so now the money i was saving for a set of cross drilled and slotted DBA's is needed for a new front bar!

P.S. thank you for reading my "RANT OF THE DAY"

rsgerry · 10-25-2002, 06:59

thats really shithouse. sorry to hear about this. i hope your car gets well soon, and you get hold of the dickhead trucking company and nail the bastards for everything you can. sorry to hear the cops werent interested, but you probably went in at morning tea time and he was thinking more about his donuts than you...

ondori · 10-25-2002, 08:35

Yes I agree rrr,

If you can motivate your self enough you can write email or visit your local MP government repersentative and let her or him know about your situation, and the effort or lack of it that the police put into it.
Sometimes they can help get results or get some more information on your situation for you. Here you go, just find you area and you'll get your local MP details,, if you interested...
www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Parlib/Members/

Prud · 10-25-2002, 14:05

Hey,

Sorry to hear of the beast, she shall be 100% again soon.

As for the coppers, I have an interesting one:

Clipped a guy with the EDV8. Thankfully he wasnt hurt. He'd decided that running backwards and forwards on a country road, at around 1 o'clock in the morning, miles from anywhere, no street lamps etc, would be fun.

The first I saw him was the flash of his foot in the passenger headlamp. Stop the car, check hes ok. He's standing on the side of the road, sees me, and runs toward me. He begs me not to sue him. So I leave him with his mates (who were parked behind some bushes and killing themselves that he'd got hit) and roll around to the cop shop.

Opening sentences.
Me: "I just hit someone with my car"
Copper: " And?"
Me: "I'd like to make a report"
Copper: "Why?"
Me: "Just in case this guy sues"
Copper: "So?"

After about 20-30 minutes of arguing, I get the copper to take down my story. In his notebook, not officially.

The interesting side of this one is the Police had just announced (like the day before), that they were "targetting pedestrian accidents" because apparently there are too many of them, especially ones involving the car driving off.......

L8a,
Prud

snavy · 10-25-2002, 15:03

i think ive gone stupid!!! what whats wrong with ya car? doesnt look like your cars stuffed??? is that bit on the ground, meant to sit below the front bumper or something???

xf351gt · 10-25-2002, 17:19

sorry to see your baby hurt.

you would think the dum **** truck driver would of realised
some load fell off .

or to lazey to go back .

hopefully someone out there has a cheap or free spoiler
lip from left over i ask around.

brenton

XWJG34 · 10-25-2002, 17:35

Quote:

Originally posted by snavy
what whats wrong with ya car? doesnt look like your cars stuffed??? is that bit on the ground, meant to sit below the front bumper or something???

That "BIT" on the ground is/was the front spoiler.

I hope you get your car fixed Rollin. If you can track down which idiot left those lying on the road you SHOULD have no problems although I can't beleive the attitude of the officer.

Rollin · 10-25-2002, 23:03

well, no way of finding out who dropped the load, the cops didnt want to know...i talked to my dad when i got home, (he is a sargent at a differnt police station) and he told me that the cops at the valley police station have a reputation among other cops for being lazy buggers.

he says he might ring them or something, to give them a kick in the ass or something, the ones i spoke to were only a constable and senior constable...i hope he reams them, that way the next person that goes in might get treated a bit better than i did "just in case"

snavy, the thingS on the ground are supposed to be in one peice, attached to the bottom of the standard bumper - pics below:

what its supposed to look like:

what it looks like now - its in 2 big pieces and 2 little ones...

ghentboy · 10-25-2002, 23:56

And that BIT is darn expensive too, fiberglass i think. From memory it was 2 or 3 times more than the actual bumper, on en ED XR8.

Xyphoid · 10-26-2002, 01:06

Dammm, that is a real shame !
Hope you manage to return the front end back to its original condition again, without breaking the bank.
That is one very sweeet ride, and its very obvious that you do take good care of her !

Prud : Just read your post and Laughed my butt off.