October 30, 2012Dear Sir,Good news for all the third lane users of Bermuda! According to Bermuda law and the Somerset Police Station, a third lane exists and riders are free to overtake whenever the mood strikes! Even yellow lines are no longer a deterrence and the law does not prohibit overtaking on a yellow line. Several weeks ago while driving my two-year-old car (that still partially belongs to the bank, I might add) I turned on my indicator, crawled to a stop and began to make a right hand turn. All traffic had stopped behind my poor soon-to-be-injured car; all traffic except for the 16 year old girl la-de-da’ing her way to school in the third lane. At which point, I was abruptly T-boned on my driver’s door stopping both lanes of all the 8am traffic goers. Apparently, the girl did not “notice” my indicator. If she had noticed it, I would have been shocked by her x-ray vision that could see through the cars that she was overtaking!The police were called, and hastily arrived after about 30 minutes which of course was after the irate parents showed up at the scene to yell at me for turning up a driveway which the father informed me was a “dead end” which obviously means it is outlawed to turn onto. The police officer took names and numbers and essentially informed the parties to deal with it ourselves. However, as daddy’s little princess is never wrong the parents declined liability and left me to pay for their daughter’s $2,500 mistake.After several conversations with the police I was informed that technically the girl was not in the wrong as there is no law that prohibits overtaking a line of cars on a yellow line in the third lane. I gave my statement and have now been waiting a period of three weeks for the police to get the statement of the young girl. Each time I followed up with the constable I was informed she hasn’t had the time. And as annoying as that is, it gets worse! The mother of the young girl phoned me and informed me that the constable in question had spoken with her several times and informed her she did not have to get a statement as we were sorting it out ourselves! Apparently the police lie …. I have requested an in-depth accident report so that I can either take the individuals in question to civil court or at least so I can submit the report to my insurance company so that they can attempt to claim off of the other party’s insurance for the second time.However, this is obviously too much to ask as I have now spoken to at least four police officers and I am still waiting. Each time I called, with the exception of one helpful Inspector at the Hamilton station, I have been treated as an inconvenience and as though simply doing their job is too much to ask. As I look at my dented and scratched car and wait for the police to call me back, I can’t help but be baffled by the fact that there are no consequences to wrongdoing on this Island and law-abiding citizens are forced to pay for the mistakes of the wrong. How is it that driving while using a cellphone is an offence but riding down the middle of the road is not? Why is it that we’re shocked over the number of road deaths, yet initiate no laws to prevent them?So bikers rejoice! A third lane exists and no one is liable ever! So the next time you knock off that old man’s mirror or scratch the side of the persons car don’t stop … you didn’t do anything wrong!ANGRY CAR OWNER