dwasson
07-12-2004, 07:33 AM
It happened to me too.
So, I’m on my way to work and my car gets bent. Not too bad but still...
Let me tell you how it happened. <wavy flashback sequence screen>
I’m on the northbound Southfield service drive, in the middle lane. A little Mazda Protégé exits the freeway and stays in the left lane, ahead of me. The light at Warren Ave. is red so I’m just idling toward the intersection at about 5 MPH. About 50 feet before the intersection the guy in the Mazda turns his right turn signal on and heads to the right lane at about a 45 degree angle. The light turns green so I accelerate mildly and approach the intersection. When the Mazda reaches the intersection, with the right turn signal still on, he makes an abrupt left turn across three lanes. Right in front me. And I hit the left corner of his rear bumper with the right corner of my front bumper.
I follow him into the left turn in order to pull over and exchange information. He doesn’t indicate that he wants to pull over so I turn on my right turn signal and tap the horn. We pull over into a gas station. I get out of my car, carrying a note pad and take a look at my car. The right corner of the bumper is scratched and there is a small hole in the top of the bumper cover where a piece of the plastic broke and fell out. The marker light assembly looks like it may not be flush to the leading edge of the fender too. I write down the plate number from the Mazda and I ask the driver (male) to see his driver’s license. He says, “I don’t have my license with me.” Then he looks at the woman he is with and asks if she has hers.
I said, “Lets call the police and sort this out.” And I pull my cell phone out of my pocket and I start to dial.
The guy says, “We don’t have to do that.”
I say, “Why? Do you have $2000 on you?” I’m thinking that any damage you can see is $1500.
He says, “We can make a deal.”
“I’ll just call the cops,” I say.
And as I dial they both jump back in the car and drive off.
Now I wait an hour for the cops to come. The dispatcher told them I was on the wrong corner. I tell the cop everything, show him the drawing and notes I made immediately after calling the cops and he tells me that the plate is legal. So, maybe someone will get picked up. I don’t have any illusions about anyone going to jail. They’d have to release some murderer or rapist to put this guy in jail. But it does amuse me to think about him in jail with a full dance card.
We’ll now I have to find a body shop and deal with insurance. I guess I’ll get stuck with the deductible. This really sucks.
So, I’m on my way to work and my car gets bent. Not too bad but still...
Let me tell you how it happened. <wavy flashback sequence screen>
I’m on the northbound Southfield service drive, in the middle lane. A little Mazda Protégé exits the freeway and stays in the left lane, ahead of me. The light at Warren Ave. is red so I’m just idling toward the intersection at about 5 MPH. About 50 feet before the intersection the guy in the Mazda turns his right turn signal on and heads to the right lane at about a 45 degree angle. The light turns green so I accelerate mildly and approach the intersection. When the Mazda reaches the intersection, with the right turn signal still on, he makes an abrupt left turn across three lanes. Right in front me. And I hit the left corner of his rear bumper with the right corner of my front bumper.
I follow him into the left turn in order to pull over and exchange information. He doesn’t indicate that he wants to pull over so I turn on my right turn signal and tap the horn. We pull over into a gas station. I get out of my car, carrying a note pad and take a look at my car. The right corner of the bumper is scratched and there is a small hole in the top of the bumper cover where a piece of the plastic broke and fell out. The marker light assembly looks like it may not be flush to the leading edge of the fender too. I write down the plate number from the Mazda and I ask the driver (male) to see his driver’s license. He says, “I don’t have my license with me.” Then he looks at the woman he is with and asks if she has hers.
I said, “Lets call the police and sort this out.” And I pull my cell phone out of my pocket and I start to dial.
The guy says, “We don’t have to do that.”
I say, “Why? Do you have $2000 on you?” I’m thinking that any damage you can see is $1500.
He says, “We can make a deal.”
“I’ll just call the cops,” I say.
And as I dial they both jump back in the car and drive off.
Now I wait an hour for the cops to come. The dispatcher told them I was on the wrong corner. I tell the cop everything, show him the drawing and notes I made immediately after calling the cops and he tells me that the plate is legal. So, maybe someone will get picked up. I don’t have any illusions about anyone going to jail. They’d have to release some murderer or rapist to put this guy in jail. But it does amuse me to think about him in jail with a full dance card.
We’ll now I have to find a body shop and deal with insurance. I guess I’ll get stuck with the deductible. This really sucks.