[commodorenutt]

Yes, I read that post in the "Why is it" thread, and you're 100% right.

I had a similar thing years ago in a VH Commodore. Guy in a crappy HQ rolled back into me at the lights. He proceeded to claim he was a cop, and I was in the wrong for not keeping a safe distance.

I still wrote down his numberplate. He wouldn't exchange details, claiming he didn't have to, as I was in the wrong, and he would be a "great bloke & not charge me for the dent in his bumper." His towbar had gone over my (steel) bumper, through the grille, and into the A/C condensor, bursting it.

No matter how much I pleaded, he wouldn't give me his name or address, but repeated that he was a local cop, and if I wanted to push the matter, he'd get one of his highway patrol buddies to give me a fine, and then drove off.

A few nights later I was in the area again, and still fuming about it, so I decided to call into the cop shop. At the counter I asked if I could speak to the cop who owned a white HQ, with this rego. Being a smaller rural town, the desk Sarge said he knew every cop on every shift, and nobody had a HQ Holden. He then ran the rego, and said nobody by that name worked at that station, nor had for 20 years he'd been there, but the guy was a local.

He looked at the car, I explained what had happened, and the claims he made. Didn't that make the Sarge's night. He proceeded to ring the guys home number, ask him about his car (he denied any incidents) and then asked what station he worked at. Whatever the reply was didn't do him any favours, and the Sarge ripped into him about impersonating a Police officer.

He got me to fill in a P5 self-reporting form (I don't think they have them anymore) and gave me a copy so I could claim insurance. Being a young guy with a V8 Commodore, I only had third party property, but it had uninsured driver protection up to $3K on it, so I figured it was worth a shot. A week after I put my claim in, they called me & said the guy did have insurance, and I had to claim against him, as they don't cover me unless the other driver at fault is uninsured. They wouldn't give me his details, nor who his insurance company was, for privacy reasons.

So I decided to go back & visit the cop shop & explain it to the desk Sarge again, in the hope I could get his details, and put in a claim with his insurer. It took a few goes to catch him on shift, but eventually I did. I explained it all, and he said he couldn't give any details, but he felt sorry for me, and would see if he could do something. He rang the guy and did the whole "remember me, I busted you for impersonating a cop" line, and spoke to him a bit more - not quite loud enough for me to hear the convo. He told me to come back & see him in a week - same night, same time. I duly went back, and he said he got the guy to come in, roasted him about what he did, and gave me an envelope with some cash in it (about $200). "He won't give you his details, and I can't force him to, but he's offered you this to fix your car." There are some great cops out there, just a shame there's a very small number who give them a bad name at times.