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RawMustard I can only assume you have never put much effort into anything.
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On the contrary, Hasbeen. I fully restored a HT Holden Premier Station Wagon from the ground up and the same to an LC GTR-XU1 Torana. I'm fully aware of how much blood, sweat, and tears goes into to such projects.

My wife slammed the wagon into a pole at a shopping center 3 days after I'd finished it. My Torana was stolen and burned after being stripped for parts. I got it back two days later, I was in tears.

You have a path for redress of grievances. Get their details and put them through the ringer. If they don't comply, then you have a case for the cops to get involved due to property damage. It is vandalism after all!

It might not be to your liking, but that's the way it's done.

My neighbours kids throw their sh!t over my fence all the time. Should I just dump my whole garbage bin on his lawn as a form of revenge?

Dear Poirot,

We're all only human. And flawed. Especially
me. So forgive me if I don't rise to your
expectations.

What does Margaret Thatcher have to do with
any of this? I did try to maintain a balance
on that particular thread.

And as for the Dalai Lama?
He's someone I greatly admire - but I certainly don't
have his forebearance although I do try to settle things
peacefully, most of the time.

In the case of Hasbeen's car - The reality is
I probably, like him,
wouldn't have done anything either. Although in retrospect,
I may have made a note of the other driver's licence
plate - and referred the matter to my insurance company
to deal with.

Cheers.

Going to your insurer is an exercise in exasperation. It is only where the other person is found to be at fault (think court) that your insurer may pursue the offender for payment of the repair and you are refunded your $500 or so that you were obliged to pay up front.

The police are not interested and you are lucky to get them to record a complaint.

BTW, even where you are the totally innocent victim of car vandalism and an offender is charged, found guilty and the insurer gets its money from her or her insurance, that still has ramifications for your cost of renewal of policy, either with the same insurer or with another. They still regard you as having made a claim and increase your insurance premium, or may not even insure you. As I say, regardless of your innocence and that they were refunded in full by the offender or her insurer.

What happened to Hasbeen is infuriating. Unfortunately it is common.

<< No! It'll come back and bite you. Get their details and go to the cops. That's what we pay them for! >>

Oh, how I wish it was that simple, RawMustard!

But, much to my chagrin, having made quite a number of ‘minor’ complaints over the years, I have been forced into the conclusion that you just DON’T EVER GO TO THE COPS!!

They are a million miles away from what they are supposed to be.

<< Vigilante justice - one would have to wonder what that type of person is capable of doing in other scenarios. >>

Well unfortunately, Philip S, given that the cops need to just be entirely excluded from the scenario, you are left with the option of copping it sweet or taking some sort of vigilante action. And yes, it is of major concern as to what other people might be capable of if your retaliation comes unstuck!

I dearly want to be able to support the police and totally denounce vigilante action or any sort of unlawful retaliation, but I’ve moved way beyond that and I find myself in very difficult territory… because the police being what they are, are just completely unsupportable!!

<< It is what they're paid for but it's not what they do. I'm pretty sure that taking this to the cops would not have achieved a damn thing. >>

Tony Lavis, yes. And isn’t that the pits!

A slightly different but pertinent Should I, Would you!

At an overpass there had been an accident involving a couple of vehicles. I slowed down to pass the scene safely and all seemed well in hand, but for some reason the car in front came to a stop. That wasn't a problem for me as I was ready but the guy behind slammed right up the rear of my car.

We were both a bit out of sorts and he initially got a touch aggressive about exactly whose fault it was so I thought it might have escalated, but a bloke who had witnessed the crash sided with me defusing the situation.

He then apologised saying he had had a hard week bricklaying the fruits of which just jumped into the repairer's pocket. I calmed down enough to accept and we exchanged details. As his car was going nowhere I offered him a lift home and he was pretty grateful.

Then a police car pulls up and I was keen to file a report with them so there was no issue with liability. By the look on his face I knew something was up. I asked 'You been drinking?'. He replied 'Only one or two but I'm not keen to chance my luck as without a licence I don't work'.

I told him to jump in the car and we took off.

I would love to say this was purely altruistic since I did feel some empathy for the man as I've often had few on a Friday night after a big week especially in this industry. Plus I didn't want to see him lose his job over something that could have happened to any of us. But I also knew that if he got done for over the limit he would lose his insurance meaning I would get my money in dribs and drabs, if at all, and I've been down that path before.

So perhaps I let a bloke who might have been a habitual drink driver off, just so I wasn't out of pocket.

Good to see you back Antiseptic!