Porsche Jealousy.........Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

On monday after enjoying a day's shopping at Meadowhall for my birthday, two to$$ers in a Renault van thought it would be funny to drive alongside me whilst I was waiting to turn right at a roundabout and throw their chav McDonalds strawberry milkshake in through my sunroof. They then screeched off across 2 lanes and left down onto the dual carriageway. Fortunately for my the car behind witnessed everything and I reported them to the Police. The Police said it was a works van and they would be speaking to the Manageress and the persons involved and get back to me. They cannot bring any charges as there is no permanent damage as the car can be cleaned - (by me) (except for my top which has had to go in the bin), so no dangerous driving, endangering other road users, littering, but a minor speeding offence gets you a ticket and fine [ ]

...and with a bit of luck, the gits will get the sack!

I think that the fact that it was a drink is irrelevant. Some "kids" thought that it might be a laugh to throw stones at cars as they drove along a road near me recently. They hit one guys car, the shock of it hitting the car caused him to swerve a hit a bridge support - dead, end of story. You could have easily let your foot slip off the clutch or similar and been in serious trouble. It's great that you've got a witness. They should be able to track them down - and hopefully made to pay for a full valet![ ] (Sorry - just realised that you don't have a clutch![ ])

Causing damage which requires cleaning or, in the case of your top, replacing, at your expense is, indeed, criminal damage. Just look at the various cases of defacing of pillar and telephone boxes and underground trains. Go back to the police and tell them to do their jobs properly - or just forget it.

Absolutely - if this doesn't count as an assault with potentially serious consequences then what does?? Don't let them fob you off just because they can't be bothered - you've handed them a witness and the suspect for ****s sake! [ ][ ]

The Police told me it is only criminal damage if it is permanent damage. The officer used the example of someone throwing eggs at your house is not as it can be cleaned off, but graffiti is as it cannot be cleaned off (or is very difficult). I made the point to him that I could have panicked and crashed but he just said he will speak to the Company involved. I am not confident they (Police) will actually speak to the Van driver. I have asked to be kept informed of what happens and have been given a reference number - whether it is a crime number for statistics I don't know. I despair that if they just speak to the Manager of the Company involved then they will probably all just have a good laugh about it if their 'employees' are any reflection of the company standards. I thought they could at least get one of those fixed penalties for littering if nothing else

He's got a point. It is the small differences that'll make the bigger changes! I'm afraid that some people just know that they can do just what the hell they want - to you or your property - because they know that they're going to get away with it, to the extent that some are looking for the next level of crime these days. A guy in Wales beat another man to death the other day - and filmed it on his 'phone to show off to others about it!!?? You've got to think about the psychology of this; the guy didn't even consider that he'd be done for it! I realise that your situation isn't comparable to this - but you might well be thinking very differently if the outcome had been more serious?[8|] How the hell did they know that you or you passenger didn't have a heart condition? Nail the bas****s, I say.

...And there lays your trump card. You were in charge of a car for God's sake?!

Even though this may not be serious enough (in the eyes of the Police) to warrant criminal proceedings it should be pursued as a civial offence. I would ask the Police to put you in touch with the company to whom the van belongs with the aim of having a discussion with the owners. At the very least they should be offering to have your vehicle professionally valeted and your top replaced. If they don't provide this offer then I would pursue this through the small claims court (it's much easier to pursue someone thru the small claims procedure than you think - I've done it, when someone smashed my wing mirror off, cos they were on the wrong side of the road, and the driver got a shock, but eventually paid up!). I certainly wouldn't let those smug little b******s think they've gotten away this!

Will the police give me the details of the Company involved? When I spoke to the officer I told him my about my top (white) and that I had put it in the wash, I didn't realize until after it had been washed that there are pink stains left on it so it is ruined. The thing that really annoys me is I got called for Jury service last December to Sheffield Crown (yes Crown) Court and the case was a girl had called a boy 'specky four eyes' and pulled his top which had ripped !!!!!! Can you believe it? In the Judges summing up he went into a long spiel about how it was right that the case had come to court as he could see how disgusted the majority of the jury were. So South Yorkshire Police will act for that but it appears not for me

Threaten to write to the Police Authority - the one thing cops hate is politicians on their back ! Chris (former local authority lawyer)

tell plod that your missus works for the IPCC and you have to report all contact with the Police and ask for his number for your report.. which you have to file in one week. See if it encourages some action. Is spitting in someone's face also okay these days? Not a massive difference... just a lot of Stawberry flavoured spit. toerags.

It's a shame that I would usually suggest a call to the local paper, and possibly national press, to run the story. The problem is that, right or wrong, a large number of people would consider this fair sport - see thread title! [ ] My better half took my car to work one day as our Legacy was in for a service - £16K car. The grief, you would say nasty and abusive, she got for her boyfriend owning a £3k car was enough to never take it again. Even the boss suggested that she wouldn't need a bonus if she could afford a Porsche.....[&o] Seriously, we all need people to take a stand here and not let the police avoid their responsibilities. What if these guys feel more confident next time and hit a moving car? It could be one of us.

are incidents like this that frequent with 911s? I have heard of people getting their paintwork "keyed" but why the hatred for Porsches? ?

Drive a red Porsche for a day and see how many people let you out of side turnings? [&:]

...but why? I know people sometimes take the attitude that BMW or Merc drivers think they own the road but Porsches are a lot rarer on the road and I must admit I never came across a Porsche driver being an a**hole on the road so why the attitude? I am picking up my first 911 in a few days and now this is taking a little bit of the polish off it. I'm buying it because from a young age always wanted one and love they way they handle and perform. I do suppose some buy purely for the badge and to be seen so is this why people react negatively?

Yeah its a shame, my hairdresser noticed I had a Porsche when she came the other day and all she had to say was "Is that a status thing?". Suffice to say I wanted to slap her.

I had the exact opposite reaction from mine - she wants to borrow it! Whilst I agree that the matter should be persued by them, the only problem with pushing the police into doing something they don't want to (too much paperwork for 'em I guess) is that they won't forget it - or you.

I will see what the police come back with, it has only been a couple of days since it happened then I will decide what to do depending on the outcome. The problem with small claims is I don't want the purpetrator to find out my address for obvious reasons which would surely be on the small claims forms?

Vron, I know it would probably be easier to let this go but I would: 1. Write to the Chief Constable stating why you are unhappy this incident isn't being pursued to the point that charges will be brought/someone cautioned. 2. Write to the owners/managers of the company concerned asking for the indentities of the personnel involved so you can pursue recovery for valeting/shirt or small claims court action, with the backup that if they don't you will be going after them as a works van/works staff were involved. I don't think that the grief and aggravation caused by a police visit and threatened legal action will have them and their employees having a good laugh about it. On the contrary, it will probably result in some grief for the personnel involved. It's worth half an hour on the word processor and a couple of stamps just to get it out of your system. PS I'd use a c/o address for the second letter.

Enjoy your car they are fabulous to own which is why those who don't (but wish they could) have such an issue.

Having a Porsche evokes various emotions in the owner and often different ones for the great general public. I agonised in 1984 over whether I should buy my first Porsche as I was and still am a GP in a not very affluent area. Over the years as I have prospered my Porches have changed and got newer and now I am in the fortunate position to afford new cars. I have never had any adverse comments from my patients (my car is parked on the forecourt of the surgery) , never had vandalism in my practice area and when I dont use that car many patients seem genuinely concerned that I might have sold my Porsche. On the other hand when driving there are a group of people who resent ones honest achievements and do become provactive on the road. Driving lesser cars makes one "invisible" on the road. One opf my son's recently bought a second hand boxster and has had a few unpleasant incidents with yobish behaviour and he is quite mildly mannered and a good driver. I do not think that anybody should put up with bullys of any kind and especially as the identity of them is known. Too often they cannot be traced. If the Police wont prosecute go for a Small Claims Court hearing to recover at least your expenses and the cost of professionally cleaning your car.

Malcolm Gladwell's book 'The Tipping Point' tells a story about the New York City subway and that by tackling 'small crime' it has a bigger overall effect on more serious crimes. I sometimes wish our police chiefs would explore such examples as an answer to the social problems our country faces - every crime matters from the seemingly minor to the major crimes... a short summary follows (and there endeth today's lesson)... The Broken Windows Theory that Gladwell explains applies to patterns and waves of crime. It is based on the notion that if people see broken windows that are untended to, then they will assume it is acceptable to break more windows. This example may have more a conscious component but the principle can be applied to other situations as well. The example Gladwell uses to demonstrate this principle is the crime epidemic that occurred in New York City in the 1980s. Subway systems were plagued by petty crime which could be explained by the Broken Windows theory. The subways were also covered in graffiti which is analogous to a broken window as explained before. The graffiti served as a visual symbol of the presence of crime in subways. When people enter an environment marked with crime they are more inclined to commit it themselves. This became evident when a clean up program implemented by the city sought to eliminate graffiti from the subways. After achieving this goal the crime rate began to fall, indicating that the environmental variables were playing an important role in controlling the crime rate. It is very likely that individuals are unaware of the environmental factors influencing their behavior. People planning to commit crimes on the subway were probably not looking for graffiti before the act but its presence may have contributed to their desire to do so. Sensory inputs generated from a person's external environment are processed subconsciously in the brain and affect social behavior of individuals who are unaware of the process. As demonstrated in this example, some inputs can be very small but when they enter the brain can generate significant behavioral responses.

Julian's advice above is correct. It is my firm view that you have been the victim of criminal damage. What the officers have told you regarding this is wrong in law. Trust us, we're criminal lawyers (puts flak jacket on and ducks for cover...)

Rob - you are the man!!! Go for it Veronica - nail 'em !!!

If some one throws a milk shake over a police officer what would be the out come?

they don't need the sack, otherwise you will be paying for them .... a fine is in order ... but I doubt that will happen

Sadly "a darn good thrashing" is no longer on the statute books!

you cant even cane schoolchildren anymore...sad times we live in

Cant believe plolice attitude! Lift your phone for a second while at traffic lights £60 & 3 points Eat something or take some fluids while driving potentially Ditto Through something into a car thus potentally causing driver to loose control and possibly cause accident no action works - fail me assault charges come to mind As someone earlier mention do that to the next police car you see and watch what happens! Letter to Newspapers, Chief constable, MP and anyone else you can think of and the small claim court should be pursued

Unfortunately this sort of thing is all too common. When my car was hit in a car park recently and I asked if anyone witnessed it the majorities attitude was "you can afford a porsche so you can afford the repair". If I could have found the culprit then I'd have been straight an to the online small claims court for recompense.

I am genuinely sorry to hear of your recent experience. Having read the comments left on this tread I would have to agree with not giving up and settling this matter entirely to the end. Thugs, low life individuals with no regard or consideration for human life should be punished & severely reprimanded. Once they get away with this, at what point will the law then decide an act of deliberate vandalism, mocking, social bullying - call it what you will "" is unacceptable. What is the fine for dropping litter? The law needs to readdress what is criminal and socially acceptable. This is an example of how the appalling law in this country protects scum & is in short inexcusable to say the least.

I have to advise that in my extensive professional opinion, that IS criminal damage and that the police should investigate the offence properly. After all, it they can spend time and energy chasing drivers who exceed the speed limit on a dark nighat 3.00 a.m. with no-one else on the road, they can spend some time doing their jobs which include investigating an allegation of crime. And just think. If the perpetrators think that they can get away with this sort of anti-social behaviour, what would happen if an accident is caused if their actions are repeated and they went to Court and said, "I thought it was alright because the police did not seem at all concerned the last time I did this"?

Terrible story on all levels, I think its obvious that the lack of police action is exactly why this type of thing happens, but at least as this type of thing is not illegal in any way you can pop round to thier firms premises with a muckspreader. I do remember when many years ago someone (a passenger) droped a McDs milkshake in my Austin Metro and when warm the smell of old milk was ever present, so I would recommend a pro clean. But in around ten years of Porsche motoring I cant remember any bad feelings from others no matter what age of car I have been in. Happy belated bday and I hope this unpleasent business ends well for you.

Vron, there is a lot of sound advice being given and I think you are going to have to be prepared to put in some effort to pursue the matter...hopefully you will receive a more cooperative attitude from the Police, and perhaps even from the perpetrators' employers, but you won't know until you start the journey. Be prepared for a slog, but unfortunately you have a duty to all fellow Porsche drivers to ensure justice is done, as well doing your bit to ensure the toerags don't try the same trick (or worse) again. However, it's a sweet feeling when justice is finally served - I speak from personal experience...it took some months before I got paid (when someone smashed off my wing mirror, as referred to previously), but I 'd definitely do it again, with less hesitation! I do hope that the defendant is now a much considerate driver (/human being). Neil.

Hi Vron, Sorry to hear of your incident. I would not let this go and pursue in a Civil Court. In my opinion there is assault of some descriptin here. I am tempted to throw a milkshake over a police officer to see what the outcome would be[ ] . Clearly there is the matter of costs to clean the vehicle and your clothing, the police have to act on this matter. They have the registration number to trace back to the Firm as you have stated.. The Firm would keep records as to who had the van so they will know who the individuals are and you and your witness can confirm from an identity parade. Job done. This ,one would hope, will give them a shock and hopefully they will think twice about such antics. Any member of my staff doing such a thing would definately get a serious reprimand and a big blemish on their work record. Sorry state of affairs this Country with all the anti-social behaviour, knife crime, gun crime, arson and general standards of decadence. Hope you get some resolution. Regards Alan.

Hi Vron, sorry to hear about this, i have experienced my 911 being spat at by a van driver and another whom wanted to crawl through his window and beat me up!?!? It is a sad and jealous world we live in. I was able to clean the spit from the car so not a big deal just stupid. Is it a medium/large company?? If so as a company director myself i have access to a service which gives me the home address of the directors of the company. I pay an annual fee for this so can do the check for you for free. Whenever i have a serious issue i write a letter to all the directors home addresses and have always had a good response in that they have resolved the matter to my satisfaction. They are usually shocked to get a letter at home, but then are obliged to do something about it, after all surely this is illegal, i am surprised at the police response but again it is easier for them to do nothing. This could have caused a serious accident, i'm sure this event caused you a shock and was very distressing, it must have taken a while for you to calm down after such a shock. Without doubt they should pay for the cleaning of the car and for the expensive top you were wearing at the time. If it is not such a big company but you still wish to write to them you may want to use a friends/work address to write from in case the letter is passed down and these muppets whom should be sacked as this is gross misconduct, pay your car a visit at night. if you want the details of the directors send the full name of the company. Good luck

you could accidentally drop the company name on a few forums and they could accidentally have a few McD's shakes thrown a their premises... no risk to anyone if it's not an offence?! I've not ever had any abuse for driving a Porsche other than a few snide comments from previous work colleagues... but then again I am a 16 stone skinhead. I know I'm a bit uncooth but I would expose the company for this cowardly crime by every means possible if I didn't see some results very soon. Hope you can put this behind you soon. mik.

That is my concern, if I pursue this, how do I keep my home address confidential?

Hi Vron, I'm sorry to hear about this for more than one reason. Firstly I drive a 911 and do experience resentment towards it and secondly because I am a police officer, put the two together and you will work out why, I've got nothing better to spend my back handers on! If specialist cleaning is required it is criminal damage. If your top is ruined it is criminal damage. If you were in moving traffic endangering other road users under Sec 22 RTA could be considered. The offence was in public so Sec 5 of the public order act can be considered. All have a power of arrest. The offender COULD be arrested for common assault but a prosecution would be unlikely for this offence in my opinion. My advice is to pursue the officer or his immediate supervisor to get action. It will be lost in translation if you start writing letters of complaint and barriers will go up with the officer if you start threatening to complain, its never bothered me a dot. I would not bother with small claims, the burden of evidence with lack of interview may end up failing you leaving you with more expence. The officer needs to look at this again. I agree with the views expressed in tackling minor crime in the bigger picture. Remember the officer maybe very over worked and desensatized to the impact and the annoyance this has caused. In his/her world this is a minor incident with no serious outcome and they may have bigger fish to fry with limited time and resources. I am in no way making excuses because this needs following up. The officer may have insight into the company not complying, the driver going no comment on the ID of the passenger and it going no where- I have a similar problem re a dangerous drive offence currently with a company being obstructive-not a reputable firm and you maybe faced with the same. I would suggest this is very likely as the employee did it in the first place. Go back to the officer and reason with them. If it had been me I'd be locking the t**t up in the small hours to p*** him off when I could find the time but then you have my sympathy.....Persist with the officer, print this off and take it to them. The officer could also consider a Sec 59 warning re the driver so if a similar incident occurs the vehicle can be seized. Its all in translation and use of legislation, sometimes it needs twisting so the s88ts get whats due to them. Devils advocate now. "The police" clearly seem to take the broad brunt of blame . I work hard to deliver but am tainted by bad service others have given. Good news is never remembered. There seems to be an abundance of advice from criminal solicitors stating what the police should and should'nt be doing. Its worth remembering it will be this profession (and their place in the criminal justice system is invaluable and neccesary, I'm certainly not anti solicitor) who advise your milkshake throwing friend to give no comment, hide behind ID issues, attempt to tie up the officer and CPS with a disproportionate of paperwork in order to get them to drop the case and doing so at the tax payers expense. In fairness most solicitors I know on the quiet like to see the wrong doers get what they deserve. I just find it ironic that they express such opinions about what the police should and shouldnt be doing when it is these people who make so much work for the police in doing what they prescribe to be right.......I will standby for the backlash I hope it gets sorted for you Vron.

over to Julian, I'm not taking the bait. then again... you agree with what we said regarding the offences committed (in fact, you go even further!) and it's not easy to get somebody prosecuted without police involvement so, yes, the police in this example have let Vron down. Pretty badly in my opinion.

Rob, I am in no way defending the police action, just trying to give a real backdrop to the type of problem the officer might be facing however the lack of positive action needs addressing. My point is people are quick to jump on the police for lack of action (and I agree, I think it is justified in this case albeit I don't know the ins and outs of it, none of us do) but the people claiming the moral high ground here are those who make money out of defending the offender. They will no doubt say "Well if the police did their job properly"....... I'm preaching to the converted no doubt but I think I make my point.

I think we're both singing from the same hymn sheet really. Your explanation is completely credible and very helpful. I don't think that Julian or I have sought to take the moral high ground, we have simply given our (expert [ ]) legal opinion which you clearly agree with! As for making money out of defending the offender, I think that's a bit of a cheap shot; we make our money dealing with evidence, law and procedure, just like you! Interestingly, we are currently dealing with a case where a serving police officer faces a very serious allegation and perhaps nobody would be surprised to learn how quickly he sought independent legal advice... Anyway, I very much hope that Vron receives a positive outcome following a most unpleasant incident.

expert ! ?.........I've heard you called a lot of things rob.....but expert ....[ ][ ][ ][ ]

Now THAT is what I would call a cheap shot!No wonder we had the Battle of the Roses.[ ]

Zeb, I don't think you're allowed to swear on here are you? Bit of supoprt would be nice or I'll go and buy a 993 and tell you your car's rubbish!

ooh christ thats a bit severe mate...![ ] noooooooo not that old air cooled nonsense!! I take it all back, rob is expert on many things..especially concours ! [ ] happy now you blood sucking vampire legal type..! ? [ ][ ]

Don't follow me then[ ]

Rob, My intention isn't to have a pop at you or Julain whatsoever so please don't take it personally. It is a regular event for me to come onto the forum to read endless posts critisising the police(read back on this on for example!) Think how you feel in your perception of my comments. Its is a bit demoralising as a forum member to think this is the view of my fellow club members. I don't resent them for it, the service is far from perfect and bad news makes good reading so peoples views are influenced. I don't want to harp on about legal wranglings and the rights and wrongs but I have SO much time wasted by briefs getting their little darlings to go not guilty until the nenth hour causing me hours of extra work and wasting tax payers money and the only people to benefit are the briefs. Meanwhile the cry of "Where are the police?" pours out, I'll tell you where they are, they are tied to the desk doing full files! I'm sure you can empathise with me really as I can you. I appreciate you have a duty of care to your client and I will be gracious enough to say if I fell upon stoney ground I would be seeking your services. I'm not taking a cheap shot, your profession is worthy and essential, I'm expressing my frustration at the ironey of the mad world in which we live. I would hasten to add if the milkshake had landed in my 911 I have probably been calling you........Sometimes violence has a place! Any progress with the officer Vron?

Vron, Regarding your address stick to pursuing the police then it will not become an issue. You can seek compensation by completion of an MG19 and the t*t who did this will get a conviction, they won't in a civil court. Pursue the officer, if they are not forth coming speak to their skipper. Pity you don't live on my area, justice and retribution......

Robbosliding, nothing taken personally I assure you. Had to smile in you raising the irony of those being paid to defend highlighting the offence committed, you're quite right. Please don't get me wrong, I am not anti-police. I was arguing in relation to this particular matter, not in general terms and apologies if this didn't come over. I also agree with the point you raised in your first post regarding solicitors you know - in my experience and generally speaking, defence solicitors have more robust views regarding sentences than many others. You still have to go long and far to find a profession as disliked as mine though (other than amongst the criminal fraternity that is) ! Zeb, yeah, I'm happy now [ ]

I have still not heard anything back from the Police. I was going to give it another few days then follow up.

Vron, It might seem mind boggling but the officer has 6 months to deal with summonary offences-I would hope they will deal with it expediciously to preserve evidence and accounts etc. I wouldn't expect to hear anything in the immediate future if they don't seem to bothered and for this reason I would make contact. Have you and your witness ( who may well shrink away as time goes by ) been asked to provide a witness/complaint statement? If not the officer has no credible evidence to put to the offender and its indicative that they don't intend to do a great deal. Get in touch and tell the officer you are available to make a complaint statement- and if you have made a written note of the vehicle details keep it safe- it may well become an exhibit. Also ask for your crime number- if one hasn't been generated it means the officer hasn't reported the incident as a crime which should be done immediately and at the outside 72 hours by home office rules. Once "crimed" the officer has to come to some end state to get it off their workload. In the short term if its not been done tell the officer you are unhappy with their actions to date and ask them to update you with progress as it is made(should be done every 28 days anyway). It may well be the officer has every intent to do everything they can and they have been on nights/leave/courses etc so have a bit of understanding for them, they may have alot on! Hope this helps, yours seething about the sheer thought of your experience, Robbosliding

Take civil actions against the company which can start at letters, threats or legal action, naming and shaming in local paper. Ultimately if driving a works van and in uniform they are representing the company so it is the company that has thrown a milkshake at you and ruined your clothes. I would be very surprised if they avoid getting sacked, that alone would be worth more then any of the daft sentencing likely to happen as a result of a criminal conviction. My dad for example was punched in the face on a bus leaving him with a very bad black eye. We had several witnesses so it was an open and shut case, the guy had to pay his fine/compensation of at something pathetic like £1.50 per week. A good beating would have been much more satisfying and ppl wonder why no one has much respect for the law or Police these days.

[FONT=arial unicode ms"]I' m in danger of sounding very much like my 70 yr old father 30yrs early, but what on earth is the world coming too that you can't even take a drive without some 'retarded neanderthal' ruining your day,....and your shirt? Rely on PC plod?....yes to pinch you doing 66.5 in a 60 limit !! You have my utmost sympathy my friend.

I agree with this too. Some weeks ago as I approached my place of work some idiot in skip wagon swerved across the road (coming from the opposite direction) so that he could get a good swing into our works car park. It caused me to put the anchors on to avoid hitting him. I followed him into the car park and he was so fast an erratic I just had to stare at him while he did a 3 point turn at breakneck speed. I couldn't believe that someone with such a massive and intimidating vehicle could act in such a dangerous way. As I parked up the 911 I could see that he had stopped (not yet collected his skip) he jumped out the cab and came across to me as I got out the car. I asked if he had a problem (he definitely has one) and he said that he didn't like the way I looked at him! That's a shame I said because I was not too happy the way he had been driving in a dangerous manner. He then said ..." Where I come from people who look at me like you did get smacked!" To which I replied "Where I come from people who threaten other like you have just done get reported to the Police and may even get sent down for it!" We had further words and I even offered him the chance to smooth thing over to which he declined. He turned on his heels and went back to his wagon dragging his knuckles with him. Needless to say I reported the issue to the Police and they were round to see me within the hour - they were marvellous I must say. His employers were not too happy and he was sacked, together with a Police caution for threatening behaviour. The Police asked if I would like it to go to court ( I had witnesses) but in view of him being sacked I thought that was enough punishment! To date - not scratches on the car!

What is wrong! - Pete - the rot is as the top, meaning the government, I support the police at every attempt - 'though tis' difficult at times, however the last senior copper who seemed to try with a policy of zero tolerance was "encouraged to resign" (sacked) I think his name was Halliwell and he seemed to believe in the system adopted in New York where it appears to work, or it was the last time I was there. It's really all our fault as we the voters put these self seeking do-gooders in office - " all it takes is for a few good men to do nothing"[X(] When you have images of an 8 year old blatantly stealing and the authorites say that there is nothing they can do - then for sure "we are all headed for hell in a handcart"

It really is unbelievable what people get away with today...

I know the answer to this... They nick you and take you to the station and charge you with assault. How do I know? It happened to me when the police nicked my friend for stopping a bloke beating the s**t out of his girlfriend. When I went to try smooth things over 'because my friend was being nicked', a copper came at me with the intention to either nick me or rough me up, I threw my whole milk shake over him and was duely arrested. Get the pricks that did it to your car, they could have caused a major accident. It is assault and driving with undue care and attention. The police are talking bollocks if they claim there is no case to answer.