I Got Plowed Tonight (Part I)

And not in the way you might think.

Dammit...

Local grocery store closes at 10 PM, went to get a gallon of milk for in the morning, and a few other items at around 9:30 PM Saturday night.

On the way home, doing the speed limit, driving my wife's Taurus, minding my own business, heading east in a 25 MPH zone... I see headlights not slowing down for a yield sign from my left.  Impossible to stop in time, so I swerve to the right... nearly got out of the way, but the rear quarter panel got clipped.  Spun me around 180° and suddenly I'm facing west.

Had I not swerved, the car would have been T-Boned and I would have Buick grill prints on my left butt-cheek. Instead, it was a glancing blow.

The top of the left rear wheel is slightly canted inward. I managed to slowly drive it the few blocks home, but smelled some burnt rubber when I stopped.  The wrap around rear bumper panel is fractured, the alloy wheel is at the very least scuffed, and the quarter panel near the rear door is dented.  Could have been worse.

Something's bent that ain't s'posed to be bent...

As soon as the car came to a rest, I was out of there and ready to ruffle some feathers.  The gal driving the other car rolled down her window, and while I wasn't profane or obscene, I did give her a piece of my mind.

Her first words?  "You don't have to yell at me!"

Now, anyone who knows me should, by now, know when I am yelling at them.  I will grant that my voice was probably raised, but I was NOT yelling.

Anyway, I explained that I was upset... I took a few deep breaths... and I got down to business. I got her info, I made sure I copied her license plate number, and when asked... "she doesn't have insurance."  Priceless.

Perhaps I should have been a dick and called the cops.  The Sheriff's Department volunteer who lives across the street came over and offered to call them for me. I declined. She said she and her husband would pay for the damages.  I don't think they know what they're in for, cost-wise.  But my policy covers uninsured motorists.  We'll see what happens with the adjusters, legal team, etc.

I've got a feeling this gal needs a break. She lives in a rental trailer court, has no insurance, and was hurrying to work at 9:45 PM or something like that.  I don't really believe in true "karma" but I do use the phrase "what goes around comes around" for lack of a better term. At the very least, she'd be looking at "failure to yield" or something like it, plus "no insurance."

Ultimately, if we are all kind an honest to one another, I think the world will be a better place. I'm a cynical sum-bitch, but I do believe that most people are decent.  I am wary, but my thirst for blood is temporarily sated.

We'll see if my faith in humanity is misplaced.  This is a uniquely fresh post.  Time will tell if I get to add another layer of scar tissue to my view of others.

Click here for Part II