Why I like High Performance cars

[TripleTransAm]

Picture this:

I'm headed to my parents' place this morning to drop off my kid, nestled safe and sound nicely secured in the back in his child seat.

I'm on a 2-3 lane highway headed towards a bridge crossing the river to the South Shore of Montreal Island. Traffic slows down a bit in front of me, then speeds back up. Being the type to regularly check my mirrors and be aware of my surroundings, I instinctively pick up on a silver/champagne-coloured car that just isn't driving to my 100% satisfaction. It's a pre-2004 Honda Accord 4 door.... you know where this is going. :(

About 20 seconds later traffic once again comes to a halt, no big deal, right? I see the Accord coming at me at a VERY decent clip, with the #$%$$#% old hag on her cell phone. Alarms instantaneously go off in my head, I'm pretty sure I emitted an unrepeatable expletive or two, and I turned the wheel and mashed the gas pedal as quick as I could (the lane to my left was shut down... further ahead, it's used as a reserved bus lane).

Too late. Contact.

It wasn't a bad hit... my primary worry was my priceless occupant in the back seat. I've hit potholes that felt worse. But it was a contact nonetheless.

I pulled to the side of the highway. Got out to check the bumper, hoping for the best. Damn. Could have been worse... lots of grey dust from her car, which seemed to wipe off, but the paint was sc***** in some spots and spider-cracked under the Marauder lettering. And one gouge that didn't go through the bumper. From 2-3 feet it simply looks like a dirty bumper, and sadly the spider-cracks and the gouge/scrapes will be unmaskable.

The Accord... the front end was completely demolished. I'm sure it was her front decorative license plate that tore into the surface of my bumper, otherwise I'm sure the damage to my car would have been even less!!! I'm not sure what her damage would cost her, but she'll need a new hood, new bumper, fenders, headlight equipment, and who knows what underhood hardware was damaged. While angrily taking down her insurance info, I noted there was visible damage to her back end as well, and there were two other cars stopped on the other side of the highway. 5 lanes of quick moving traffic separated us at that point, so I didn't really feel like walking over and trading war stories with them. Let them work it out with her, I immediately called my insurance company with the details 'hot off the press', on the spot.

Honda makes good durable cars, to be sure. Too bad they don't include a built-in ignition cut-off sensor to keep them from being operated by morons. When she idled by me after the impact, she had her cell phone still stapled to her ear... from her business card, she appears to be a real estate agent, and judging by the time of impact and where she works, was late for work. My advice... get a better alarm clock, b*tch.

(Which leads to a secondary point... now that I've calmed down, I noticed something different about my reaction in such a situation. My first worry was obviously my kid, not so serious considering the lightness of the impact thanks to having mostly moved out of the way in time. Then I checked my bumper... as I was headed to the rear of my car, I saw her idle by me to a stop. My first reaction to her was to hold up my thumb and scream "Great job!! Good work!" in French (turns out she was English speaking, with a foreign accent). Not ONCE did I even give a flying farg about her state of health. Amazing how a family situation can change a person... I honestly couldn't have cared less if she had lost all control of the vehicle and gone spinning off the bridge into the cold waters below... except for the fact I would have had a harder time getting her insurance information. At least I'm being honest... all I cared about was my family...)

So there you have it, ladies / gents / those-yet-to-be-classified. With a lesser performance vehicle, I probably would not have had the handling or acceleration response available at hand to avoid a worse situation. When used with respect and care, you cannot put a price on having good brakes / handling / power when it comes to keeping you and / or family safe on the road! And by all means, driving defensively allows one to be aware of what's happening around you, which allows ample use of the safety margin provided by the higher performance vehicle (as long as you're not driving near the car's limits).

[merc406]

Glad you and the baby (girl-boy) are OK. :up:

Better check for behind the cover damage. :eek:

People that try to drive while talking are buttholes with a capital B !! :bs: :down: :shake:

[Haggis]

Steve glad to hear that you and Victor are ok and the the damage to your car was minimal. I also agree with you on the welfare of the B**ch driving the Honda, get a new alarm clock and get off the :censor: phone.

I think Ford needs to hook up a Honda alarm to our cars. Ever time a Honda gets within 50' feet the alarm goes off telling us to get out of the way.

[Slowpoke]

I wish there was a button on my dash to use in cases like this.

When i press the button, a huge Spring deploys from my rear bumper to bouce off these pesky asswipes who think it's ok to tailgate or to not pay attention when they are driving. Perhaps instead of a large spring, it could be a big metal spear so i could make japenese shishkabob.

glad your occupant[s] were ok

[Paul T. Casey]

Wow, glad the whole Triple gang came out unscathed! I think what impresses me the most about this story is the presence of mind to try to avoid the imminent impact, rather than the all too typical response of the deer in the headlights look. I don't know how Canadian insurance works, but if it's like a lot of our more "liberal" states, you may be responsible for your own damages. Down here they call it "no-fault." It's not deemed to be politically correct to try to blame someone for an "accident." After all, they are called "accidents." This is how it was explained to me in Michigan by my insurer. They were of the opinion that the other guy, who was at fault, and recieved a citation for his lack of driving sense, should have paid for all my damages, but the politicians had taken away that re-course. Well, good luck anyway, and I hope all works out for you, and again, even more important, I'm real glad for the lack of injuries.

[Dr Caleb]

Picture this:
Could have been worse... lots of grey dust from her car, which seemed to wipe off, but the paint was sc***** in some spots and spider-cracked under the Marauder lettering. And one gouge that didn't go through the bumper. From 2-3 feet it simply looks like a dirty bumper, and sadly the spider-cracks and the gouge/scrapes will be unmaskable.

The Accord... the front end was completely demolished.

Yet another Marauder gives up a shiny spot to save it's occupants.

Whoa! Dude! I know how you feel, the same thing nearly happens to me about 3 times a week, but I have no occupants to be concerned about, and I usually drive the CV, which I don't care that much about. It's purpose for existing is to save my life in such situations. Good reactions too, Toro! Toro! Let the guy in front of you take the impact!

I'm very glad to hear you and the ankle biter are all right. I'm also very sorry to hear the other lady is too. Airbags + anti lock + crumple zones are a detriment to natural selection.

If they remove the rear facia, sand and repaint, it'll be as good as new. No worries.

[Dr Caleb]

Ever time a Honda gets within 50' feet the alarm goes off telling us to get out of the way.

No, every time a Honda gets withing 50' a panel opens from the trunk and emits a 50 terrawatt Electromagnetic Pulse to disable and fry it.

[Dr Caleb]

W I don't know how Canadian insurance works, but if it's like a lot of our more "liberal" states, you may be responsible for your own damages. Down here they call it "no-fault."

Most provinces here don't have 'no-fault' insurance. I'm not sure about Quebec, but Saskatchewan does IIRC.

But irrelevant - she was on a talking cell phone. In most provinces, this is specifically illegal, and in all others it's called "driving with undue care and attention". Typically, rear ending another vehicle is "following too closely". The accident is 100% her fault, whether she is charged under the Highway Traffic Act or not.

Her insurance company will have to pay for Steve's repairs.

[sailsmen]

It reminds me of a "safety automobile" GM was touting in the 1970's. It was chock full of technology to protect the occupants.

Airbags, soft impact absorbing interior, crumble zones.

GM was so proud of it they put it on tour around the world.

They even sent it to Germany and showed it off to Mercedes Benz.

Mercedes Benz repsonse was the car did not meet their current safety standards! How could that be?

The "safety automobile" had inferior brakes, substandard handling and poor acceleration.

In so many words Mercedes said the driver would not be able to avoid an accident.

[Constable]

Honda makes good durable cars, to be sure. Too bad they don't include a built-in ignition cut-off sensor to keep them from being operated by morons.


I honestly couldn't have cared less if she had lost all control of the vehicle and gone spinning off the bridge into the cold waters below... except for the fact I would have had a harder time getting her insurance information.

^^^ HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! ^^^

I had to get that laugh out, but I'm really glad you and your little one are alright.

I was coming up Rt 130 in Bordentown, NJ at about 3am on Saturday. I had my girlfriend and two other friends asleep in my MM. As I was approaching an intersection I saw a stopped Mark VII at the other light. When I got about 50 feet from him, he pulled out into the intersection... RUNNING HIS RED LIGHT!!

I didn't have time to think because the Mark was now stopped again directly in front of me. I did a shuffle-steer to the left as I laid the pedal to the floor. The a$$ kicked out a tad and then I counter-steered. I just kinda slid right around the Mark. Afterward, I pulled into a Wawa to grab a breath of fresh air. I looked back at my passengers: they were wide-eyed and appeared to be still hanging on for dear life. Wish I had a camera for their faces!

[Ross]

Glad to hear that you and the baby are OK. Dip****zes like that gal should be whipped!

[Logan]

Steve, glad you're both ok. Another good reason why I left Montreal... :) Too many idiots drivin' 'round... Beware on your bumper, your cover would've popped back, but you probably took fairly significant damage to the bumper infrastructure underneath the cover. Won't be evident until the cover's pulled off...

[junehhan]

Steve, i'm glad that everyone is okay, and the damage appears to be minimal. That is just terrible how these dip**** people punish other people with their carelessness. It seems like Marauder owners are really taking a beating by getting hit left and right by other people out there. What's worse, is this was another Honda! What in the hell is up with Honda's and Marauders?

[Constable]

It seems like Marauder owners are really taking a beating by getting hit left and right by other people out there.

^ That reminds me of something I was taught during the pursuit portion of police academy. The main instructor told me that, if I was ever in an uncontrollable spin, I should never look directly at an object. He said that if I stared at a pole, tree, divider, or other car... then I was doomed to collide with that object. He was obviously being humorous and trying to make a joke... but it seems to be true. Everybody out there driving a little riceburner keeps staring at the MM's and they eventually hit us. In fact, mine is sitting in the body shop as I type... getting ther rear bumper filled and sprayed from a run-in in a parking lot.

[LNYTUNS]

Steve glad to hear that you and Victor are ok and the the damage to your car was minimal. I also agree with you on the welfare of the B**ch driving the Honda, get a new alarm clock and get off the :censor: phone.

I think Ford needs to hook up a Honda alarm to our cars. Ever time a Honda gets within 50' feet the alarm goes off telling us to get out of the way.


TTA, glad that you and your child are OK. I would feel the same way about the lady in the Honda.

Haggis, your idea is good but I would have to listen to that alarm 24/7, as I have a Honda sharing a garage with my MM. So far they have gotten along quite well, no fights yet.

[Fourth Horseman]

Sucks about the damage, but I'm pleased to hear that your car protected both of you so well. What is it with these *(!#$)(@ Honda drivers, anyway? :mad:

[Dan]

I am glad that you are well.

One of the things that I always do in a quick stop situation is put my hazzards on. I do this because it is the only thing that I can think of to do to prevent a rear end collision. I have gotten pretty reflexive at it and am happy to say that I have not been hit in the rear end yet.

I learned this trick from my Dad when, as a boy, I would watch from the back seat as he hit the button.

I am thankful that his care and protection of his children was as strong as yours is. If this trick that he taught me can be useful to you and your family then by all means, feel free to use it.

Best,

Dan

[TripleTransAm]

Thanks for the well-wishes... I washed the bumper yesterday evening and took pictures of the damage. With a flash on the camera, it REALLY highlights the damage, but without flash, the visible damage is not dramatic.

However, it was bad enough to be noticed by a fellow Marauder owner I stumbled across this morning. I gave him the site address, he seems to be the type of car guy I'd get along with... family man, probably my age, 3 kids, likes performance sedans... seemed to know a fair amount about the car, I hope he decides to stop by and contribute.


I'll have the dealer take a look at the under-bumper area, just to make sure nothing's been compromised. I'll ask around to see what kind of paint shop quality this dealer is capable of, and then make my choice as to where it gets repaired. At this point, I think I'll get it repaired as I don't see myself capable of improving the look anymore than what I was able to do yesterday night. It's just a matter of finding the free time (building a new home, in 2 bands for a charity gig in mid May, selling a home, 3-4 hours on the road per day...). Probably after mid-May...

As for the hazzards idea... I like the idea, and have used it in other occasions. However, while it was a 'quicker' stop, it was far from a panic stop situation. The only thing that made me spot the incoming ballistic was the fact that I had previously 'not quite liked' the way she was driving... nothing concrete, just a gut feeling, and the fact that I always like to look at all my mirrors. There was nothing 'surprise' or 'panic' about my initial stop...

But in this situation, she didn't even see the plain brake lights on my car, much less any hazzards. The way she was up in the clouds (on her phone, I suspect), not even a Ratheon MIM-104B surface-to-air missile would have been sufficient to faze her distraction.

We have a 'no-fault' insurance, but the way things seem to work is: the deductible is paid by the insurance company of the person at fault. I was assured any claim would not have an impact (!) on my premium so I want to make sure this thing is repaired to the best and safest extent.

With the speed she was bearing down on me, had I been in the Honda Civic, I would not have had the beans underhood to get me out of the way in time, nor the physical mass to deal with an impact from a speeding accord. She must have been cooking at a good 50-60 mph by the time she hit me, but I was already moving at that time. All I could think of all day was patting myself on the back for having made the choice to buy this car... those who remember my first posts back in Jan '03 remember my criteria and reasons for looking at this class of automobile.

Every evening before bed time, we lay down and I ask Victor to talk about what he did or experienced during the day (he stays at my parents' while we're at work). I feel blessed that I was able to do the same yesterday once again, everyone safe and sound (although it was funny to see him recount what happened at the moment of impact, and re-enact how I was behaving outside the car as I was 'interfacing' with the lady who hit us).

[RF Overlord]

Picture this:

I'm on a 2-3 lane highway headed towards a bridge crossing the river to the South Shore of Montreal Island.

Montreal is a ISLAND?! No wonder the Portuguese Swedish Canadians from there all talk funny...

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Dr Caleb]

(although it was funny to see him recount what happened at the moment of impact, and re-enact how I was behaving outside the car as I was 'interfacing' with the lady who hit us).

"Daddy, did we get a flat tire?"
"No, son"
"Then why did you get the tire iron out of the trunk? . . . "
:lol:

[woaface]

Glad to hear it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

You know, to steal thunder, but I was in tap yesterday and a guy walks in at the end of class and tells my teacher that she was in front of his wife when a kid broadsided her and killed thier poor Caravan. Well, apparently the kid was going 32mph when he skidded to avoid her so says the state trooper. HE claims however, that the kid was going at least 45-50mph (judging by the length of rubber and impact left I'd at least agree he wasn't going 32, there was at least 50 feet of good ol' rubber)

Anyways, make a long story short, he was driving an 88' prelude...pill-poppin' kid, just dropped out of highschool. :baaa:

I've avoided a bunch of s and they have mostly been SUVs, Vans, and kids in honda's...but I couldn't begin to count how many didn't have their eyes on the road because of a cell phone and/or other distraction.

But then again their are old guys who think that because their 60, they can run stop signs and blame it on me because I need to learn a thing or two anyways:lol:


Ok Steve, back to you! Hey, doesn't it kick ass that your car held up so well? Nothing can be finer on the road!

[jgc61sr2002]

Steve - I am also glad that you and your son were uninjured. The liability for the accident is 100% the fault of the driver that struck your Marauder.