Me and the Mrs went for a cheapo carvery last Saturday teatime. We took the Range Rover as the Z has a power steering leak. Wow, didn't think the Z having a power steering leak would potentially save injury or even life! We stopped, signalled and with brake lights on, waited for oncoming traffic to clear and a lady to exit the car park in her car. Must of been at least 10 seconds when I heard an almighty squealing of tyres, looked into the rear view mirror and watched an open top double decker bus smash into the back of us at what must of been 25 to 30mph! What a noise!

 

As my foot was already on the brake our Rangie barely moved forward!! I pulled a few yards forward into a bus stop layby and the bus followed. I dreaded going round the back to see the damage, but when I did, frankly I was shocked, at the lack of visible damage. Now, I don't know yet if there is any damage to underneath, chassis etc but above, the damage was, nearside quarter panel creased at the back by the tailgate (caused by the nearside bus wiper), a similar dent in the tailgate upper half, (the other wiper caused that), a small ding in the bumper and a small ding in the lower tailgate, plus the nearside rear lamp cluster lens is broken. That appears to be it!!

 

The bus however, because we have a tow bar, had the front ripped apart and the radiator torn apart. It had to be towed in. We had our carvery and drove home.

 

How did it happen? Well it appears the driver was not paying attention, suddenly saw us and stamped on the brakes. It had been raining. He locked up all four wheels and totally lost control of the bus (luckily no one else was aboard the bus). The back end smashed into a bridge pillar knocking the two foot six square pillar top onto the ground beyond it and then, bounced back straight and into the back of us!

 

I am so pleased we were in the Rangie, as hopefully it will be repairable, but the Z would have been a total write off I'm sure off that!

 

Anyway waiting now for the assessor to view the Rangie. Full liability has been admitted by the bus company and I await the repairs!!

well the best thing is that u and wife are ok ... a car is a car and can be replaced or repaired

 

all the best

Blimey Trevor, that was a stroke of luck you were in the Rangie. Too right the zed would have been written off no doubt, glad you were both unharmed, albeit a bit shaken no doubt. Good food at the sloop for the money too lol

Wow - glad you are OK mate!!

 

And good thing indeed you were in the Rangie; if anything can withstand a hit from a runaway bus, it's the good old Range Rover....

 

Richard:oops:

Strange how these things can happen. A couple of years ago i put all my bike leathers on to fly up to my brothers but when I went outside my girlfriend had blocked my bike in so I went inside grabbed her keys, all the time muttering myself and not even bothering to take my leathers off, and went out in our ML. Within twenty seconds a stolen X5 came flying through a crossroads and smashed the side of my car nearly tipping me over! The police said he was doing 55mph when he hit me! If I'd been on my bike there wouldnt be much left of me!

 

As other people have said glad your both ok and it seems fate played a part in making the Zed unusable!

Is it me or are bus drivers getting worse, the amount of times they have tried to pull out when iim half way down it. I actually saw one do this the other day to a slow moving ie 5mph or less old lady unfortuntly he hit her and pushed her a good 10 feet along the road before stopping!

i see that here and oftern its me at the bloody side of them

think they own the rd .... lol Not!

I can remember a bus driver telling me they have the right to pull out as soon as they put their indicators on, after that its the oncoming cars fault :xxx:

It used to be in the highway code to allow thrm to pull out but you cant do that half way through overtaking them! I thinks its been dropped now, theres certaintly no more signs on the back like there used yo be. The buses are crap anyways we have bus lanes empty in rush hour and no bus and we have3 buses in the same stop stopping every 10b metres, there really isnt a need for so many buses and so many stops grrrrr

Blimey Trevor, that was a stroke of luck you were in the Rangie. Too right the zed would have been written off no doubt, glad you were both unharmed, albeit a bit shaken no doubt. Good food at the sloop for the money too lol

 

Yes we were shaken, not stirred lol! Unfortunately the Sloop meal was the worst we have ever had there so the bad luck continued beyond the crunch!!

Glad you are all ok mate, how was the neck this morning?

Is it me or are bus drivers getting worse, the amount of times they have tried to pull out when iim half way down it. I actually saw one do this the other day to a slow moving ie 5mph or less old lady unfortuntly he hit her and pushed her a good 10 feet along the road before stopping!

 

Yes they are mate!!

 

My journey home from work takes me over the type of wretched speed humps where the road narrows to one lane for either direction - consequently one side has to "give way." I have lost count of the number of bus drivers ignoring the give way sign and driven at me, expecting me to stop, even though I have right of way. Only a couple of weeks ago (when I was not in the best mood) did this happen - but I decided to stop in the middle of the road instead of backing off. The bus driver honked, gestured, shouted, but I wasn't going to back down......

 

.....instead I got out of my car and dared him to come any further - I even (unlike me) said something like hit my car and you'll be the one who's sorry. But common sense prevailed - I took out my phone and took photos of the situation (including his numberplate) then the next day reported it to the manager of his depot (next door to my office in fact!!). And I still didn't move - I made the bus reverse back away from the speed hump and continued on my way.

 

But I fear it's not just busses - the standard of driving in the UK has gotten progressively worse in recent years; it's nearly as bad as the bad drivers' attitudes!!!

 

Richard:sad: