Well, now I know what it's like to go hurling backward....
Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2005 8:47 pm
...at 45 miles an hour.
Yep, you guessed it, I got into a car wreck. Now, I've smashed the life out of a deer before (mmm, venison!), and had my old Buick totalled by some drunkard while it was parked, but I've never actually been in a real two-car wreck before.
Well, today, the ghost of Ernest Hemingway descended upon me and informed me in no uncertain terms that I would now experience part of his favorite pastime, motorsports. To be specific, The Sideswipe and The Resultant Crash.
The scenario:
Divided highway (2 lanes each side), going under an overpass. As this overpass has two ramps coming into the right lane, I usually stay in the left lane to avoid merging problems. (Minnesota drivers can't marge worth a damn, FYI) It's also early in the morning, and the sun is at my back. This area is fairly slow, since it's just outside the 30mph zone where the last of Rochester's inner business district ends.
So, here I am, cruising along at about 45, listening to the South Park soundtrack, and i see this car in the right lane in front of me. Now it's windy here in Rochester, so one expects folks to sway in the lane a bit. Problem is, the other driver wasn't swaying, but coming into my lane (I don't recall seeing a signal).
SMACK! Sounded just like that. I got tapped good and hard on the front right side of the car, and before I know it, I've spun to the left, moved to the right (sideways) across the right lane, up over the curb, and down into the very large median of the second offramp, only now I'm going backwards. Car comes to a halt.
Here's the funny bit.
Soon as the car stops, the CD, which skipped when i got hit, comes blaring back on. The song: "Blame Canada!"
I sit there for a bit, taking stock. Totally unhurt, didn't even get thrown around. At this point, I grab my insurance card, hop out, and head up the embankment to see if the other driver is OK.
Now, here's Minnesota for you. The other driver is also fine, and instead of us standing about arguing, we get into her car, out of the zero degree weather (with high winds), share a smoke, and start exchanging info.
Turns out she's coming from Mayo too. Her daughter was oging through her 18th hour of labor, and she was headed to the daughter's house to prepare things for homecoming. But she was making a wrong turn (literally--into me and onto the wrong ramp), so I gave her directions while we waited for the cops to get there.
So, all things considered, I can't really be mad at the lady. Sun was in her eyes, we were just coming out of the overpass's shadow, and she's trying to deal with her daughter's long labor. I can see myself doing the exact same thing she did, easily.
So, the cops get there, we both get into his car after telling our stories (let me tell you, the back seats of cop cars are not made for anyone larger than, oh, say.... Lisa Loeb. It was a circus act getting in and out of that.), fill out paperwork, exchance official insurance card information exchance cards, and get on our way. Tow truck comes, takes the car to impound, drops me off at home, I get the other car up and going to go pick up Mrs. Bug from chemo, and now I'm home, recovering from massive jolts of adrenaline.
Insurance is allll over this. The other driver got a ticket from the cop right then and there, improper lane change, I think. They're already to the point of sending an adjuster out to look.
So, I'm fine, just terribly shook up, car may be wrecked pretty good, but insurance should take care of it.
I figured you all could use a nice story out of this.
Yep, you guessed it, I got into a car wreck. Now, I've smashed the life out of a deer before (mmm, venison!), and had my old Buick totalled by some drunkard while it was parked, but I've never actually been in a real two-car wreck before.
Well, today, the ghost of Ernest Hemingway descended upon me and informed me in no uncertain terms that I would now experience part of his favorite pastime, motorsports. To be specific, The Sideswipe and The Resultant Crash.
The scenario:
Divided highway (2 lanes each side), going under an overpass. As this overpass has two ramps coming into the right lane, I usually stay in the left lane to avoid merging problems. (Minnesota drivers can't marge worth a damn, FYI) It's also early in the morning, and the sun is at my back. This area is fairly slow, since it's just outside the 30mph zone where the last of Rochester's inner business district ends.
So, here I am, cruising along at about 45, listening to the South Park soundtrack, and i see this car in the right lane in front of me. Now it's windy here in Rochester, so one expects folks to sway in the lane a bit. Problem is, the other driver wasn't swaying, but coming into my lane (I don't recall seeing a signal).
SMACK! Sounded just like that. I got tapped good and hard on the front right side of the car, and before I know it, I've spun to the left, moved to the right (sideways) across the right lane, up over the curb, and down into the very large median of the second offramp, only now I'm going backwards. Car comes to a halt.
Here's the funny bit.
Soon as the car stops, the CD, which skipped when i got hit, comes blaring back on. The song: "Blame Canada!"I sit there for a bit, taking stock. Totally unhurt, didn't even get thrown around. At this point, I grab my insurance card, hop out, and head up the embankment to see if the other driver is OK.
Now, here's Minnesota for you. The other driver is also fine, and instead of us standing about arguing, we get into her car, out of the zero degree weather (with high winds), share a smoke, and start exchanging info.
Turns out she's coming from Mayo too. Her daughter was oging through her 18th hour of labor, and she was headed to the daughter's house to prepare things for homecoming. But she was making a wrong turn (literally--into me and onto the wrong ramp), so I gave her directions while we waited for the cops to get there.
So, all things considered, I can't really be mad at the lady. Sun was in her eyes, we were just coming out of the overpass's shadow, and she's trying to deal with her daughter's long labor. I can see myself doing the exact same thing she did, easily.
So, the cops get there, we both get into his car after telling our stories (let me tell you, the back seats of cop cars are not made for anyone larger than, oh, say.... Lisa Loeb. It was a circus act getting in and out of that.), fill out paperwork, exchance official insurance card information exchance cards, and get on our way. Tow truck comes, takes the car to impound, drops me off at home, I get the other car up and going to go pick up Mrs. Bug from chemo, and now I'm home, recovering from massive jolts of adrenaline.
Insurance is allll over this. The other driver got a ticket from the cop right then and there, improper lane change, I think. They're already to the point of sending an adjuster out to look.
So, I'm fine, just terribly shook up, car may be wrecked pretty good, but insurance should take care of it.
I figured you all could use a nice story out of this.
BTW - if you want your book The Art of War back, you need to come to Robbinsdale to get it when you and Mrs. Bug are able. I'll cook whgatever you want, I'd just love to see ya again. Glad everything is gonna be ok, and shoot me an email sometime. 