Has This Ever Happened to You? Hit and Run at Boat Launch.

[chickeywing]

Today, I got the boat out for the first time. Classic Indy day: LOTS of small Crappie with a few small Sunnies and Bass mixed it. After dropping my buddy off at his place, I stopped at the store on the way home. Heading back to the truck, I noticed someone had backed their trailer into my passenger side door! Granted, it's not an Escalade but, COME ON!!!! Being this is the most read fishing site on the web, the *^%#@ who did it is probably reading this right now. Step up to the plate big guy!

TC

Yeah, I'm irritated!

[RussC]

We were heading out fishing on Beebe this winter and had to help a guy push his van up the access road (really icy, hard to get up with that big van), and he had a brand new utility trailer for his snowmobile that some backed into and taken out the whole tail light assembly. It's too bad people don't try and own up to what they did, after all it's only an accident.

[Neighbor_guy]

I dont have the greatest boat in the world, but it is mine.

The trailer is worse. I had a chuckle head hit the trailer wile I was out on the water and he tore the fender and wheele well off of one side. They picked up the chunk and tossed it in the back of my truck.

No note, no buisness card, no nothing. I wish people would take resposibility once in a while.

[crazyice]

People are just plain inconsiderate. If I did something like that I would own up to it, but I am sure that 75% of people would look to see if anyone saw what happened, then if all was clear, run the other way.

[JP Z]

Neighbor guy, are you my dad????? Just kidding, as that was exactly what happened to us a couple years ago at the Corp of Eng. Access on Crosslake.....man that stinks.

[Daze Off]

Somthing like this may have been responsible for a trailer tire blowout and trashing of my fender last year. Also have seen people crash their trailers into something/someone else while doing weigh-ins at landings and attempt to drive away oblivious to what they just did.

[rtwills]

Happened to me last summer on chisago. Guy hit my trailer and took out brand new led tail light, suprised to find a note on the windshield offering to pay for damages.I called the guy,he was very appologetic, told him not to worry about it, it happens,and that I was just happy he stepped up and left a note for me.

[Northlander]

Had someone hit my trailer hard enough to move it 4' and knock the axle out of wack by a foot. No note or nothing. Guttless!

[Eric Wettschreck]

I hit a guys trailer last summer. I can back up pretty much anything I can see but I have a hard time seeing my trailer when it's empty. I didn't hit the guy hard, but it was a hit none the less.

My trailer isn't the greatest thing in the world so I didn't care about the dent on mine, however, the paint on his got scratched and it broke a tail light.

I left a note explaining what happened and a check for 50 bucks (I have no clue what a scratch and a light is worth) under his windshiled wiper. I told him if 50 bucks doesn't cover it to let me know and I'll get them the proper amount PDQ. I felt like a big loser for hitting the dude.

I never got a phone call and a couple days later I got my check back in the mail with a letter pretty much saying "Forgetaboutit."

Honesty and "Manning Up" to a situation has unfortunately gone by the wayside. However, there are still a large number of honest and decent people out there.

[DaBigDog]

A couple of years ago, a buddy and I were duck hunting. I was towing his boat/motor behind my truck. We had good luck in the morning and by noon we were done for the day, sitting in a local restaurant.

When we got finished eating and headed for home, I decided to check to make sure everything was good to go. To my surprise someone had hit the motor (25 hp Johnson tiller) so hard that they busted the lower unit off of it. Not sure what they did with the lower unit, we never found it. Just a puddle of oil and some scrapings where it looked like they had dragged it after hitting it.

No one there saw anything (naturally), no note, nothing. Let's just say we were slightly angry. Hope the scumbag did major damage to whatever he was driving, and a high deductible too.

[slipperybob]

My car just got a bumper scratched, in the 10 minutes that I went into Cub Foods and came out.

[Down Deep]

I hate it when I hear about people who do this kind of thing. However, it did remind me something that happened at a local boat shop a couple of years ago. I was at the shop picking up some parts when I run into a buddy of mine. He was picking up his boat from the service dept. We talked for a while, then he hooked up his boat and started backing across the parking lot. Well he planted the lower unit of the boat into the right side door of a parked car. He didn't hurt the lower unit, but really mangled the right door. He pulled about 3 feet away from the car. We examined the damaged and decided to look for the owner. He went into the repair shop and I went into the showroom. I made a loud announcement about the accident and no one came forward. I even told the owner about what happened. About 1 minute later we meet up in the parking lot and see some lady driving the car out of the lot onto northbound Hwy 53. We tried to chase her down, but she was long gone before we could get on the road. My buddy called 911, and the Duluth, Hermantown, St. Louis Co. and State police and reported the accident. He never did hear anything. I can just imagine what that lady must have thought when she discovered the damage to her vehicle. She probably is still cussing the deadbeat that hit her car a left the scene.

[Sandmannd]

 Originally Posted By: boilerguy

I hit a guys trailer last summer. I can back up pretty much anything I can see but I have a hard time seeing my trailer when it's empty. I didn't hit the guy hard, but it was a hit none the less.

My trailer isn't the greatest thing in the world so I didn't care about the dent on mine, however, the paint on his got scratched and it broke a tail light.

I left a note explaining what happened and a check for 50 bucks (I have no clue what a scratch and a light is worth) under his windshiled wiper. I told him if 50 bucks doesn't cover it to let me know and I'll get them the proper amount PDQ. I felt like a big loser for hitting the dude.

I never got a phone call and a couple days later I got my check back in the mail with a letter pretty much saying "Forgetaboutit."

Honesty and "Manning Up" to a situation has unfortunately gone by the wayside. However, there are still a large number of honest and decent people out there.

Did you leave a blank check in the "Pay To" field? How did you know who to right it to?

And what the heck are you doing with a check book? Don't you know check cards are the new thing?

[Eric Wettschreck]

Yes, I left it blank.

Up der in da fancy schmancy cities perts dem der cards mite be da kiddys meow, but doon her in dixie we's still be payin wit cash mooney, or writ a chek.

[Sandmannd]

That's fun right there boiler, just givin' ya a hard time.

[slipperybob]

Ah chute...One day an old lady accused me of hitting her car. Yes I parked next to her, but how does one impale a dent in a car door from the other direction if two cars are parallel? I mean I would've have to angled in to hit to make it possible, but maybe it's the same lady? 20 mins...went by. I was ready to call 911, but then she drove away.

A few days later, my truck get's a major bumper scratch. Now I wonder who did it? ....hhhmmmm....

[IFallsRon]

I found the wheel lugs loosened on the trailer one time. I would have missed it but kid asked it it looked right when pulling weeds off the trailer.

[porterhouse]

Happen to me 2 summers ago at Orchard Lake. Walking back to my truck to pull out my boat from the water and I notice my trailer light was smashed and the light mount was bent to [PoorWordUsage].

No note on my truck!!!!!

Some people make me sick!!!!!!!!

Brian

[Hoffer]

I know this isnt the same thing...but I was parked at a restaurant tonight taking a call on my cell phone before I went in. A bright yellow mustang pulls right beside me in the parking lot - the guy gets out and throws his door open so hard it jarred my whol evan - i thought I was hit from behind at first. It was a Dad with his I am guessing 12 year old son. I got out and said Dude - cant you tell you just slammed your car door against my van?? He kept on walking and said "No I couldnt tell" no sorry, not nothing - just kept on walking with his saon - and he was shaking his head like I had just done or said something wrong!! Nice lesson to teach your 12 year old son! I looked at my van and the door hit the "gaurd" area so it ddnt leave a huge mark - luckily - or I would have followed him in to the restaurant - its just unreal how inconsiderate some people can be!

[eyepatrol]

Last year on opening day while a storm was moving through a guy who had pulled his boat out had finished packing up and when he took off, his trailer clipped another trailer just enough to break one of the rear trailer lights on the other guy's trailer.

The guy had been turning to get out and so we didn't see his license plate, but I doubt he even knew what he did. It wasn't a hard hit or anything; just enough to break the red plastic light cover on the other trailer. We waited around until the rain stopped to see if the guy with the broken trailer light showed up, but he must have stayed out fishing. After the rain quit, we went back out fishing ourselves.

I guess my main point is that some people do these things and know it, others might do these things and not know it. Obviously if it's knowingly done, guys should put on a pair and man-up. If it's unkowningly done, all one can say is 'stuff happens'.

[wplatehunter]

Its not a hit and run, but a couple of years ago I had my truck parked at the landing. Someone broke out my back window and took my new a bow and all my arrows. All of my fishing equipment and boat was left alone. I would love to find the guys who did it.

[MNpurple]

A few years ago I was parked at the landing of a small lake East of Brainerd. Small lake with some smallies is what brought me there with warning that the locals are very protective of their lake. Didnt think much of it until I returned from fishing and found that someone had decided it was fun to wad up balls of wet sand and chuck them at the side of my reltively new Tundra. Must have been 10 sand balls thrown at the truck and they sure do leave a nice mark. Last time I fished that lake.

[Skeeter21i]

A few times trailer has been hit, light assembly in pieces on the ground and/or a twist to the fender and no note. First time to the lake with a new rig trailer got hit a few years back. A note was left with a phone number. As far as the trailer got pushed it was a hard hit but only a broken light and some medium level damage to the back corner of the trailer. Called the number and a female voice answered. Told her not to worry about, thanked her for the note and left it at that. It was her boyfriends truck she was parking when she hit my trailer. Sounded like he didn't take it very well so she was relieved I was Ok with it. I was just impressed someone left a note. Next time my truck is what gets hit. L.F. fender ripped almost completely off as was the front bumper, parts everywhere. Ends up a buddy of mine was pulling into the boat ramp and saw the accident happen. A kid going way too fast through the ramp pulling an empty trailer for a pontoon boat. The kid was making tracks to get out of there but my buddy caught him and got his info and parents phone number. Its not fun at the end of the day to be pulling parts off your truck just to be able to get your boat out of the water! His parents did pay for parts, labor and paint but had a buddy of mine not seen it, that one would've been on me and my insurance company.

[fishguyd]

I average 3 trailer lights per summer--and I park on the end in the bushes, no cowards have ever left a note yet, and I have a phone number and HSOforum on my trailer-- I just laugh now and wonder how it will come back to bite them in the !@#$ later! Could be worse.

[JimBuck]

I was fishing at Steiger Lake a few years back.....It was just myself and another boat on the lake. I launched my boat and parked my vehicle....walking past the other vehicles trailer I noticed they were missing a few key components to the trailer (a few ball guides and a roller wheel). I thought to myself "Wow, that can't be good for the hull." I get in my boat and begin enjoying the day. The other boat on the lake was a couple teenagers that were joyriding in what must have been "Daddies fishing boat." I didn't think anything of it.....they were cruising around at high speeds, pushing the boat to the limit. Finally, they get off the lake. I noticed while they were getting off the lake that they were having serious problems getting the boat on the trailer...I could only shake my head and smile. A few fish and a few hours later I get back to the dock. I arrive at my trailer and notice a few missing parts including one of my ball rollers went missing while I was out. I never found the little *@&#'s that stole parts off my trailer. Now I am ultra paranoid and take down license plates of all vehicles after I park my car/trailer.....I figure this would help myself and anyone else that experiences such foolish behavior. Using the process of elimination, justice can be served!