Good Samaritan liability

[Escape]

54 minutes ago, mad_pete said:

It’s more for you to video them saying yes I accept liability before you do the tow. 🙂 maybe a once round the car for existing damage.

I know that's what John meant and I can't deny it's a good idea. But coming from the other side, I wouldn't feel comfortable helping someone while being filmed. So yes, it does change people's attitudes, just not always for the better...

[mad_pete]

If they have a dash can you are going end up filmed anyway. I’d be suspicious of a towee filming but would understand a tower wanting to.

[smallfry]

Its sad though, isnt it, that as time goes on, you have to think twice before helping someone.

 

[mad_pete]

I think the thing to remember is most people are fine. It’s just the odd few that you need to cover yourself for.

[landroversforever]

On 12/25/2020 at 8:15 AM, mad_pete said:

I think the thing to remember is most people are fine. It’s just the odd few that you need to cover yourself for.

Trouble is those people can try and make life rather difficult and expensive  .

[mad_pete]

Well indeed. 🙂

[roamingyak]

On 12/23/2020 at 7:47 PM, Gazzar said:

We've some serious floods on the roads around here at the moment. I was coming back from dropping off some bits and passed a car that had failed, just off a roundabout, on the road into the town. The driver was in quite a state and the water was rising, so we agreed that I would tow the car out, to a place well above the flood, mostly off the road into the very wide footpath. It's a semi rural part of the road, so the car wasn't obstructing anyone or anything.

Obviously I took everything very, very slow, and there were no issues, but did I put myself at risk from a legal perspective?

 

"I'm happy to help you, though please let me know that you are happy to accept all risks and outcomes from what happens as I help you?" etc before you start.

[Simon_CSK]

On 12/23/2020 at 7:06 PM, Ed Poore said:

Or being an old BMW you could do what my ex housemate did. His beemer was playing up and had it booked in at a garage so asked if I could tow him there. He'd not been towed before so warned him about what was about to happen and we stuck to some open local roads initially to get a feel for it.

I'd made a passing comment about not being afraid to ride the brakes a little bit where appropriate to keep tension in the rope. I noticed the LR struggling a little more than I expected but as agreed a couple of miles down the road I pulled over to see how he felt about the next bit to hear the engine running.

Turns out he couldn't be bothered to ride the brakes so just left it in gear and had tried to start it (the misbehaviour) but didn't think it had worked. It had and it was running so we detached and he drove to the garage and I followed instead of towing him all the way.

I've got plenty more stories but you can normally gauge a character by having a brief chat and I have walked away a few times.

I was looking after my baby so with a friend of mine when he got a phone call from his brother saying his car was broken down. Never thought anything of it and offered to help tow his Golf home about 25miles in an Old Range Rover classic with a Transit Di engine conversion. Anyway set off with my friend and little one and recovered him home as said I would. I did the usual warnings about keeping the rope taught and watch for my brake lights. Never felt him the whole way the tow was absolutely consistent. 

When we pulled up outside his house he had no brakes left neither the car brakes or the hand bake as he had kept them glued on the whole time. I have to say is was a perfect tow from my point of view because the rope never got slack however he would never ask me for a tow again and think he needed new underwear.