Pedelecs clears accusation of guilt!

[flecc]

I received a demand from my insurance company wanting to know why I hadn't notified an alleged accident involving my car a few miles from my home.

I had been in no such accident, but although the driver name given wasn't mine, the make, model, colour and registration number of the car was mine, and those details were taken in the presence of a police officer. Potentially a difficult situation, though my new car is unmarked and has had no repairs and was not on the road and locked in my garage on the day in question.

Pedelecs and e-biking to the rescue though. On that day I had made 20 postings through to just after midnight, so a printout of the summary of my postings showed gaps insufficient for me to have been anywhere the alleged accident location with two exceptions.

I'm currently doing some long term testing for two manufacturers and am logging all my journeys on a written record card. Looking back through the entries shows cycle rides of 17.2 miles filling the early morning gap in postings, and 23 miles filling the late afternoon gap. So that was the whole day taken care of. Not absolute proof of course, but a very convincing alibi which would be extremely difficult to fake.

So pedelecs and e-biking has some unexpected benefits as well as the obvious ones.

Using false number plates has become a common offence in London now, the cost of the congestion charge being £8 a day so around £2000 a year for a regular making the offence tempting. Using the number from the same make and model of course makes a stop by the police unlikely, so that's the usual dodge.
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[keithhazel]

I'm currently doing some long term testing for two manufacturers and am logging all my journeys on a written record card. .

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this is the first time i have seen you admitt to testing for a bike manufacturer..when will we know your finding Flecc ?

 

[flecc]

I've mentioned it before Keith, but again, I've no idea when as it's out of my control.

Doing it came in handy though!
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[keithhazel]

i must have missed the confirmation times as i dont read everything as no time, just the ones that look appropriate, but records are always very good, my mother still keeps records daily of phone calls and journeys and even if just once she needs to be able to look back and find where she was or who she phoned it is all worth it, same went for you and your record testing...i really must get going with record keeping...

 

[flecc]

Yes, it is valuable, and I'm methodical with many things like this. I keep all receipts for a fair period too, since they bear date and time, and the credit card and use of PIN helps prove the person and location at that date and time.

Eventually the day occurs when it proves useful.
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[keithhazel]

Eventually the day occurs when it proves useful.
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me mum's moving to a granny flat soon at brothers so clearing out, she has draw after draw of records and data for the last 30 years, cars they have bought, white goods receipts, invoice after invoice, previous house documents,xmas cards 30 years old..ect ect ect...there is keeping useful things and then there is keeping rubbish...lol..

 

[flecc]

That is OTT. My place has no hoarding, it all gets cleared out regularly, but I don't just sling immediately in all cases.
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[keithhazel]

me mum being the old brigade too wont throw anything out with her name and address on so has sat for days and weeks with a pair of scissors cutting them off so the rest of paper can go into re cycle pile... "bless" lol

 

[flecc]

Well Keith, now you know what to buy her for her birthday, a shredder.
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[keithhazel]

Well Keith, now you know what to buy her for her birthday, a shredder.
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-------------------------------------------------------------------------- no as my brother lent her one but never really used as hand cutting gave her something to do, after having my father under her feet for 50 years and looking after him she found herself with a lot of time on her hands after he passed away a year ago and it kept her mind occupied and filled in the time, now moving to a granny flat, large as it is space is at a premium and hard enough to take your "definate" items as it is without things which wouldnt get used for another 30 years ....besides when she gets there and gets the internet she will get so engrossed in that she wont have time for much else, she is the sort that reads things and we know how much there is to read, type the word shoe lace into google and get 15000 plus wbsites....no i do not have a shoelace fetish either

 

[Ian]

A colleague of mine recently recieved a demand for an unpaid congestion charge, fortunately he was able to prove through employers records that he and the vehicle in question were nowhere near London at the time.

I recently received a summons addressed to an unheard of person at my address for driving without insurance, I left it to the courts to prove that the offender did live at my address, which not surprisingly they were unable to do.

I now keep electronic copies of documents, and shred the originals. That policy worked fine until I changed phone provider and received a refund for overpaid line rental from BT. I scanned the letter with attached cheque... and then shredded it . Fortunately the amount was only £3.

 

[keithhazel]

Fortunately the amount was only £3.[/QUOTE]

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are you sure ...maybe it was £30 or £300..very easy to mistake the zero's..

 

[flecc]

A colleague of mine recently recieved a demand for an unpaid congestion charge, fortunately he was able to prove through employers records that he and the vehicle in question were nowhere near London at the time.

I recently received a summons addressed to an unheard of person at my address for driving without insurance, I left it to the courts to prove that the offender did live at my address, which not surprisingly they were unable to do.

I now keep electronic copies of documents, and shred the originals. That policy worked fine until I changed phone provider and received a refund for overpaid line rental from BT. I scanned the letter with attached cheque... and then shredded it . Fortunately the amount was only £3.

I've heard of these things many times, but the only time I experienced anything remotely like it was from the TV licencing people when someone had put down my address when they bought a TV, the usual licence dodging thing. I do copy and shred loads, but keep a few originals.
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[Ian]

Considering how little you use your car Flecc, and the fact it's out of sight when not being used makes you very unlucky to have had your number cloned. Someone must have been looking fror the right car on one of the rare ocassions when you were using yours.

 

[musicbooks]

I received a demand from my insurance company wanting to know why I hadn't notified an alleged accident involving my car a few miles from my home.

I had been in no such accident, but although the driver name given wasn't mine, the make, model, colour and registration number of the car was mine, and those details were taken in the presence of a police officer. Potentially a difficult situation, though my new car is unmarked and has had no repairs and was not on the road and locked in my garage on the day in question.

Pedelecs and e-biking to the rescue though. On that day I had made 20 postings through to just after midnight, so a printout of the summary of my postings showed gaps insufficient for me to have been anywhere the alleged accident location with two exceptions.

I'm currently doing some long term testing for two manufacturers and am logging all my journeys on a written record card. Looking back through the entries shows cycle rides of 17.2 miles filling the early morning gap in postings, and 23 miles filling the late afternoon gap. So that was the whole day taken care of. Not absolute proof of course, but a very convincing alibi which would be extremely difficult to fake.

So pedelecs and e-biking has some unexpected benefits as well as the obvious ones.

Using false number plates has become a common offence in London now, the cost of the congestion charge being £8 a day so around £2000 a year for a regular making the offence tempting. Using the number from the same make and model of course makes a stop by the police unlikely, so that's the usual dodge.
.

Lucky escape Flecc.. Mind you, who in their right mind would wish to impersonate a Lada driver

 

[flecc]

It's actually a Chevrolet Matiz. "Cor" I hear you all respectfully exclaim.

There could be a funny side to this incident. As well as the number plate scam, another one that's common now is jamming on brakes to cause a rear end collision on an old banger to claim for whiplash. The fact that this happened right outside a police station apparently and the driver in front insisted on an officer coming out makes me think this could have been one of those cases.

If so, it was a scammer trying to con a crook! Wonderful.
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[simonbarnett]

Car plate cloning is widespread in London. Happened to me so here's 3 bits of advice if you get a charge that's not yours:

1. get the photo for the offence. Assuming they're bright enough to use the same make and model of car, check daft details like (in my case) the position of the number plate screws or GB or other stickers. It's sensible to put such a sticker on your car before you get cloned anyway.

2. buy a cheap personalised plate and change yours immediately. It's £200 or so but the fines and points you may incur mount up with these loons driving around as you.

3. drive like a saint for the next 12 months or so as you'll still be pulled over regularly as police computer systems aren't very bright.

 

[flecc]

3. drive like a saint for the next 12 months or so as you'll still be pulled over regularly as police computer systems aren't very bright.

This aspect isn't too much of a problem for me. In the third month of this car I've reached 93 miles, with 34 of those day one in familiarising myself. I can sometimes go three months without using a car and have a jumpstarter for that reason!

Under 400 miles a year is typical, that normally only in rain and the like as that's what it's for, so the police have few chances to spot me.
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[simonbarnett]

Wouldn't it be cheaper just to get a taxi when required? Then you could dedicate your garage to secret project bikes.

Also, how many people still have garages? I'd die for one- last preserve of the male?

 

[flecc]

Wouldn't it be cheaper just to get a taxi when required? Then you could dedicate your garage to secret project bikes.

Also, how many people still have garages? I'd die for one- last preserve of the male?

Convenience Simon. To use a taxi for shopping for example means first waiting for one to attend, I'm slightly out of the way. Then for the return it means calling another and a second wait, so many of the disadvantages of all other public transport. Another factor is that it's mainly wet weather use, and that's when taxis are the most difficult to get hold of. Also, taxi drivers don't appreciate a wet dustbin filled with refuse for the tip, can't imagine why.

And I'm fortunate enough for the cost to be immaterial.

The garage is over a hundred yards away from my property though, and no electricity, so not quite the luxury of a townhouse heated one with a doorway into it from the hall and automatic up-and-over door.
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