Urgent legal advice is needed!

[Fernando]

Hello everyone, I am in desperate need of advice, mostly because I do not know how things work in China:

You see, last night  just after I was about to get off a taxi and I open the door, another car (a private one) came from behind,  passing right by us, hitting and  bending the door. Obviously both cars where damaged in the process, but luckily no one was injured. 

Now I decided to stay and wait for the police, mostly because in my opinion it was the other drivers fault and I thought that maybe the taxi driver needed my help testifying against the other people. After all, it was the  other car that passed fast a close enough -on a no speed area- to almost rip off the taxi's door.

Now to my surprise, after waiting two hours for the traffic police and insurance company, they some how decided that this was the taxis drivers fault, without hearing to what I had to say, almost paying me no attention at all.  Suddenly the taxi driver decides that I am partially responsible for the damage and asks me to pay up.

Of course I was outraged! I had only waited there, because I was thinking that I was helping him. So I told him that I was student that I had no money and even if I had I was not going to pay and that if he had any business with me he could call my university's foreign student's office, and I left.

Now I am a little worried, mostly because I do not what kind of problems to expect in the future.

The taxi driver called me twice at 4 AM, and I fear this might be the start of some sort of extortion campaign on his behalf, or even worst that he might seek retaliation of some sort.

What should I do? Has any one of you ever had a similar experience? What should I watch out for?

Thanks in advanced!

[Alejandro Indigo]

Do as Chinese do:

Don't say anything, don't answer anything. better if you change your phone number. The taxi driver is looking to get back at somebody and somehow he has managed to put you in the spot.

Don't worry man, just change your phone number.

[Martin Tsui]

No problemo at all.

Police officers will definitely consider the taxi driver's claim as a joke no matter where or how you get off. Tell the driver to call the police, which he will never do, and tell him if he calls more, you will call the police or a lawyer, which you will certainly be a winner.

[Martin Tsui]

The drive knows well that you don't know how things work in China, and he is trying to take advantage of it. Once he knows you are familiar with China's legal system, he will just abandon his effort to bully a student. Give him a fake number and tell him, 'it's my Spanish/Italian/Brazilian...-speaking lawyer in Beijing's embassy, please call him....'

[Wenyang]

I saw a similar case happened in cc on tv today. It is all taxi' driver fault if he unload the passenger at a wrongful spot
But the passenger who opened the door paid 400 Rmb as a collateral damage I guess
So I think the best way is get the police to settle and pay the taxi driver just a bit.

[Martin Tsui]

I go for Wengyang's view

If a passenger gets off the cab in the right, it's none of his business.

But If he does it in the left, he needs to pay a little money to cover part of the loss.

[Fernando]

I just saw your comments! Thank you every one... Its been nearly a week now and I have not heard anything from any one. It looks that I might be off the hook! :)