hsl acid reflux: resubmitting the important questions

February 23, 2003

LOTTERY OR CAR CRASH

i hate playing the "if" game.

but in some instances, it's very nearly unavoidable.

we were in a car accident today. driving around a curve in a road we'd driven along many, many times before; in the '89 Jetta. suddenly, a lady driving an old Chevy Blazer is coming at us from the right, off of a side street. there's a big stop sign that she either misses or ignores, as well as notification on a large rectangular sign directly underneath the stop sign that advises drivers approaching from that direction that "CROSS TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP."

luckily, there was no traffic in the opposing lane on the street we were on, so Spaz was able to swerve enough that the impact was taken entirely by the right rear quadrant of the car. because as you know, our SUVs here have bumpers designed to match up with those of other SUVs, not actual cars. so of course, the brunt of the damage was taken up rather high in the right rear passenger door, as well as on the section of car behind that (particularly the wheel arch). had there been opposing traffic, Spaz wouldn't have been able to manouevre the car in that manner, and i wouldn't be writing this right now---would more than likely be seriously fucked up and in the hospital. so i'm lucky. we're both lucky, really---neither of us was hurt.

i think i've got some bruises that'll show up tomorrow on my legs, but that's not so bad, really. and even the birthday cake came out of it alright; we'd stopped to pick it up for Spaz' nephew, who's turning 4 tomorrow. the box got a little banged, but i marvelled that the cake itself was alright. it was a completely stupid thing, but i couldn't help but be amazed that the cake wasn't completely ruined.

we're lucky in many ways---the lady had insurance, for one. this has been a problem in the past. also, she didn't run. this has also been a problem in the past; in fact, both have been problems more than once each. i had my cell phone with, so we called the police right away and an officer came and took our reports and separated us from the lady and such.

at first, it seemed that the car would be okay to at least drive home on, but as we pulled it off into a nearby parking lot on advisement of the officer, we heard the fender grinding as the rear wheels spun, and it only got worse going over the kerb up onto the asphalt of the parking lot. so it ended up getting towed away on a flatbed, to a nearby emergency storage facility.

we sat in the back of the officer's police car while waiting for Spaz' dad to come pick us up. never sat in one of those before; wow, those seats are hard.

before the officer got there, the lady had said to Spaz, "serves me right for driving when i was sleepy."

um. *.*;;;

(shall refrain from comment here because trust me, you're better off. i'm sure you have an idea of what i'd say if i wrote about it. wench.)

i don't think this'll put me off of driving. Spaz wondered if it would. honestly, while it's always difficult to trust people (and ESPECIALLY people driving 2,000 lbs. + of potential death machine around), i think if i were going to be put off of driving by anything, it would be by my own fuckups, not someone else's.

and really, sometimes, there's nothing you can do. we were incredibly lucky that it wasn't worse. the car will likely be totalled; the insurance agent(s) have yet to look at it. that'll happen tomorrow. but it's unibody construction, and the damage that was done today will likely cost more than the value of the car at this point in time. i feel rather badly for the car; it's a good car, and it's led a rather difficult life. poor baby's been badly abused. its life definitely has not been lucky, and i feel kind of badly about that (although we didn't own it until a few years ago).

but we were incredibly lucky, and i won't forget it.

okonomi-yakki last had that pepper surrounded at 09:39 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

Comments

Nothing's far when one wants to get there.

Posted by: Quintal Anne at January 10, 2004 04:11 AM

'Of course' is cyanide of the mind.

Posted by: Finstrom Lisa at December 21, 2003 01:37 AM

The fear of death is the beginning of slavery.

Posted by: Brooke Nicholas at December 10, 2003 11:50 PM

thanks, everyone, for your good wishes; i'm really quite relieved that it wasn't worse as well.

Fi: yeah, that usually seems to be what does it, is people's stupidity. and while everyone makes stupid mistakes from time to time, er, there are certain ones you ought to be more careful not to make. such as ones involving manipulation of 2,000 + lbs. of steel around at any speed. >.so much worse, but it wasn't.

Elva: i think the key is more in knowing your own personal limits than anything, too. i'd hope you wouldn't have to make a mistake such as this one to learn them, but i'll bet (or at least hope) that lady doesn't make this same mistake again. O.O;;;

Beeru-boo: XD well, good to know the 3v331 comes in handy for something...

Sooooooomy: i've never really been scared of it, although i did really fear when i was first learning to drive. i mean, it goes back to the whole piloting-a-huge-pile-of-steel-and-other-assorted-materials-of-potential-death-around-at-speed thing. which, of course, is why they start you off in empty parking lots. XD but i got over it, and provided i feel that i actually know what i'm doing, i don't think i'll be scared to drive. my incompetence would be what would scare me more than anything, honestly.

unfortunately, havnae got the finances for a MINI right now. in a few years, probably. but not right at the moment. :P

too bad, too---the Jetta in question was what i had mostly been learning to drive on! ;.;

Posted by: janni at February 25, 2003 11:27 AM

i'm a total pussy. driving, and the idea of it, scares the hell out of me. the mind reels at the scare you had, but phew, as you already pointed, you two are all right and that's what matters. so the car's completely done in? you think you'd be able to get a mini?

Posted by: soomydoo at February 24, 2003 09:10 PM

I'd love to say, "of course you'd survive! you're evil!", but instead....

I'm damned glad you and spaz are in one piece. Stay that way!

Posted by: bell at February 24, 2003 03:11 PM

Glad to hear both of you were able to walk away from that one with only a few bruises. Sorry to hear about the car.

I've driven when I was a little sleepy before, but usually I wasn't so sleepy I missed a stop sign or traffic light. :P Although the times on the freeway were hard since I usually was in the middle lane in rush hour traffic so I'd have a hard time trying to pull over, and the effort in trying usually woke me up. :P

Posted by: Elva at February 24, 2003 01:24 PM

wow. i am really glad that you, spaz, and yes, the cake! are alright. jesus.

this woman is incredibly stupid. do not drive when you are sleepy. DO NOT DRIVE. pull over and take a half hour nap. my gawd. i'm pissed that her stupidity ended up hurting you guys.

Posted by: fiona at February 24, 2003 10:17 AM

...while it's always difficult to trust people (and ESPECIALLY people driving 2,000 lbs. + of potential death machine around...

That's part of the problem. Most SUV's weigh in at much more than 2,000 pounds. While this was an older style Chevy Blazer, based on the relatively small S-10 pickup, many of today's monsters (like the Ford Excursion and the Hummer H2) weigh around 6,000 pounds. If one of those had hit us with the same velocity as the Blazer had today... well, yeah... you get the idea.

i feel rather badly for the car; it's a good car, and it's led a rather difficult life. poor baby's been badly abused. its life definitely has not been lucky, and i feel kind of badly about that (although we didn't own it until a few years ago).

Yes, it has had a difficult life. i feel so sorry for this car. However, i'd like to believe that it's had a relatively good time living out its final years with us.

i've fixed and improved quite a few things with this car. In fact, just yesterday i replaced a piece of trim around the trunk latch that had been broken by some dude at a party. We just put a new CD Stereo in it too. Mechanically, sure it needed new V-Belts & pulleys, and probably a valve-job. But it had already received new radiator hoses, a new low-temp fan switch to help the engine run cooler, totally rebuilt shift linkage and new bushings to help it shift smoother, a new fuel filter, O2 sensor, and knock sensor, starter motor, battery & electrical cables, timing belt, brake pads, spark plugs & wires, distributor cap & rotor, etc... Oh, and a full exhaust system from the manifold all the way back to the tail pipe. A little less than a year ago it got a new clutch installed, and most recently it had all 4 wheel bearings replaced, and a 4 wheel allignment done.

It got some hand-me-downs from the '98 too, like a shift knob & boot, headlight bulbs, a weighted shifter rod, and even 14" alloy wheels & Dunlop snow tyres. Of course, it had one of jan's first successful attempts at making car accessories! A very attractive & well made boot & handle for the hand-brake lever!

Somewhat of a rarity, it was one of the last West German production cars to make it into the USA. Most North American market MkII Jettas were made in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania or Puebla Mexico. It was always fun calling parts departments at VW dealerships... i'd tell them "8v, engine code RV, West German production," to which they would always reply "really?" in a somewhat surprised tone.

And it was a good car. We'd taken it to Indianapolis for the U.S.G.P., with absolutely no worries of getting stranded, and got 40mpg doing it! It always started, even after being burried in snow for a month when i wasn't driving it regularly. The engine ran strong, and reliably, and once i replaced the faulty knock sensor, had a rock solid idle and great throttle response. No, it wasn't a sports car, but it was great fun, totally tossable around corners, and infinitely reliable. Damnit... as old and beat up as the poor thing was, even the sun-roof (manually crank operated, thank you) still worked, and never leaked! ;)

Before we bought the MkII, it was obviously subjected to some trauma. If i had to guess, i would say it's been broken into several times, as the windshield and both passenger side windows were aftermarket glass. Probably the result of vandalizm or 'smash & grabs.' There were a few small holes in the seats, which looked like cigarette burns. Obviously, it had spent nearly all of it's life parked outside, too. Poor thing.

ironically, my brother had just bought my Silver '98 MkIII Jetta the day before, so the '89 MkII Jetta got to spend what will most likely be its last night with us parked in the garage, in the spot formerly reserved for the '98. It seemed to like this too, as it wasn't stuck out in the cold all night, and the engine ran much better today upon start-up than it ever had after being out in the cold all night.

Poor thing... and i had just renewed the tags for another year not even two months ago. =(

While we don't know for sure, i bet it'll be written off due to the extent of the damage and the cost of repairs vs. the car's current value.

We'll miss you. You were a good friend, and one tuff little S.O.B.

Goodbye, MkII.

Posted by: Spaz at February 23, 2003 11:24 PM