X Car?

[magid]

Rainy. Car ahead stopped for someone in the crosswalk. I stepped on the brakes. The wheels spun, didn't catch on the wet surface, though I wasn't going quickly. I smash into the stopped car. The airbags deploy, leaving a huge cloud of what I thought was smoke in my car. I was scared my car would blow up. Pulled over. Woman ahead of me very nice, a bit shaken, lower back hurting. Not blaming me, but I feel horrible, total shit. She is taken in an ambulance, with back board and neck brace, just to be on the safe side. I feel so guilty about her. Her car's fine, though. Mine is not. The passenger airbag deploying meant that something flipped open to release it, and with such force that it shattered my windshield. Seems like a pretty stupid design... Her bumper was higher than mine, so my front bumper is lightly hurt, but the row of lights above are smashed, and the hood is bent into an upside-down V. It runs, though, so perhaps it will be salvageable (after an infusion of how much $?). I am fine, though shaken (even my still-impressive-though-healing blister remained intact). Had to sign a waiver refusing medical attention. Towed to the shop on call with the police, which is, of course, way out in the back of beyond in Arlington. Called the insurance people - it may be days before I even get an estimate. Have to fill out paperwork, accident report, find the damn title to my car (somewhere in my apt, presumably, but I have no idea where. And I have tons of paper around. Feh. How do I get a duplicate? No idea.), find the info on the witnesses. Deal with repairs to the car. Hope it isn't totalled. Pay for a rental in the meantime. Hope the other woman is fine. Try not to feel totally incompetent when dealing with all the paperwork. Try not to feel guilty. Try not to feel horrible.

And the electorate is stupid.

Can I go to bed yet?
o

Comments

[magid.livejournal.com]

The policy doesn't cover rental; last time I looked into it, it was enough more money for a partial reimbursement (up to $15/day just isn't that helpful, around here, anyway), so I elected to pay less. It's not so cheap to rent a car for a week, but not having paid the extra for a couple of years, I might end up out of pocket for about the same amount.

The other part of the cost is how much my insurance will go up.
*sigh*
almost 20 years without a major accident...
r

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Man . . . I wish I had a car to loan you. What rotten timing.

[queue.livejournal.com]

Yes, it would have been much more convenient to smash your car next week. In the future, please inform us at least 2 weeks in advance of any upcoming accidents.

[magid.livejournal.com]

Depends on whether your next family car is acquired by next week, and whether it's automatic, since I *still* don't know how to drive stick (though I have more of a clue than when I was 16....).

Can I put in a standing order for some sort of accident 2 weeks from now? ;-)
n

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

*sigh* What I _meant_ was: what rotten timing for my car to be an X car at the moment. *grump* *wags finger at you*

[magid.livejournal.com]

I appreciate it.

If my car is totaled, I'll prolly be asking you what you found on the car search. (It would be so cool if there were something other than ZipCar to do a car co-op with, somehow.)

Still, this didn't happen last Monday...
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