buzzman

I'm with you.

We have an unknown person (A) reporting an incident, for which we have no corroborating evidence, passing along a license plate number belonging to another unidentified individual (B) to another unknown individual (C) via the internet.

Even if person A does nothing with the acquired information, person B's information has been disseminated anonymously with the impression, rightly or wrongly, that they caused an accident with a bike rider. Person C now has the option of doing with this information anything he or she desires.

And a license plate number only identifies the owner of the automobile and not the driver. Could be a car of a family member or friend (possibly of the same age and gender making identification even more difficult).

Wasn't another frequent A&S poster banned for some duration for a similar disrespect of an individual's private information?

If you're in doubt about an incident with a driver- call the cops- if you accept $20 and ride off, fine to share the story of the incident on line but passing along their license number to someone seems decidedly uncool to me.

Rimmer

Not quite... actually she tried to blame me for everything until I explained all what happened including her going in the wrong direction. Then immediately after that she said didn't see me. How she couldn't see a great ball of throwing red light emitted parallel to the road's surface brighter than car taillights is beyond me. I don't think it's overkill, and no one as far as I know has complained about it. Only after I mention my lights and exchanging info is when she proceeded with offering money.

I'm thinking it wouldn't have happened if the bike lane wasn't there. I'm thinking she was on a cell phone, completely oblivious, or underestimated my speed thinking she could cut me off in time.

If she fails to see a great ball of red fire, then God knows what she might do next. You don't find it fishy that she offered money? Who does that? I suspect she has something to hide and didn't want me to call. By the way Chris516 hasn't given me any info yet.

FBinNY 

I don't find the offer of cash at all fishy. Your bike sustained minor damage, and she offered to pay, and you accepted. Every incident can lead to increased insurance costs, and in most states there's no legal obligation to report accidents with damage below a threshold. So it's natural and fairly normal for people to negotiate a settlement at the side of the road.

She didn't want to make a federal case of this, and you were willing. End of story.

If you've changed your mind about this, it's between you and the guy in the mirror. You can report the accident, and don't need help since you have a plate number, and model of car?, plus a physical description of the driver. However, as I said before, don't expect the police to drop everything and pursue a delayed report of an accident with no injuries, and only minor damage.

I'd let sleeping dogs lie, but what you do is entirely up to you.

I-Like-To-Bike

Maybe he had an epiphany and figured out that that may not be too smart.

FBinNY 

I don't know either way. In many states things like the owner of a license plate is considered public information,and can be had on request. Others may impose restrictions and one would need a legitimate reason for requesting it, but having had a collision with that vehicle would easily meet hat burden.

So unless the laws in the specific state were very restrictive, the OP would be within his rights in asking for the info, and the only question would be how it was gotten, ie. illegally using a police computer or favor.

Either way, it's the OPs issue, and between him and the man in the mirror how he handles it.

I-Like-To-Bike

And everybody else who has been informed by the OP of his issue and suspicions and desire to out imagined motorist transgressions

FBinNY 

While some may think it's their issue, I don't believe they have a dog in the fight. Only the OP knows the actual circumstances, and is in a legal position to report it. Everybody else (including you and I) are in the position of the crowd standing around watching a dog fight, and maybe placing side bets.

I-Like-To-Bike

I am willing to make a bet that if the OP decides to take his license info obtained through BF and confront the motorist over this no harm, no damage accident, he will gain nothing and regret it. But you are right it won't cost me anything if the OP chooses to ignore good advice and acts out some A&S fantasy scheme.

buzzman

I think that is accurate to the OP's incident on the roadway.

My issue has more to do with the sharing of the incident on an internet forum and exchanging license plate information with a third party. I believe it is in my interest as a regular BF user to voice my concerns lest this forum degenerate into an opportunity for cyclists to exact retribution, revenge or vigilante actions against motorists regarding incidents which may or may not be true, exact or warranted.

I was sympathetic to the OP and understood his ambivalence as to the best course of action, especially with regard to having accepted $20 in compensation from the motorist. But once the offer was made to look up her stats and accepted via a PM I became less sympathetic and more guarded. I get the sense that the OP is male and the fact that the driver was female makes it all the more unpalatable in my book.

I think I-Like-To-Bike's red flag was a good call.

FBinNY 

I agree 100%.

As I said earlier auto registration disclosure laws vary by state. The issue here isn't whether the OP is entitled to the info (that depends on where he lives) but how he gets it, and how he uses it.

If his objective is to simply report the incident, he doesn't need the info, since the police have access to it from the plate number OTOH- if he decides go go knocking on somebody's door, even with good faith intentions, that opens a different can of worms relating to things like stalking.

wphamilton

If it hasn't been mentioned yet, accepting $20 for the damage is the end of it. Even though it's not in writing, a deal's a deal. Since OP doesn't really have unfinished business with the driver, it's hard to justify his being entitled to further information about her even in states where the DL data is not privileged. It's also hard to see what he'd gain by it.