Menace II Society, Seattle version
So here's what I've done (or paid for) in the last two years:
1) Daughter opens car door, dings a guy's new Lexus. $400.
2) Dad (that would be me) opens car door, wind takes it out of his hand, dings car next to him. Car was 15 yrs old -- the guy accepted $200 to call it good.
3) Backing up in parking spot with truck door open, didn't realize car next to me (new PT Cruiser) was angled so I was getting closer and closer to him. Creased his door with mine. $518.
4) Hannah's best friend parked behind me in our driveway. I got in my truck, sorted some mail, made a couple phone calls, forgot completely that there was someone behind me, and backed up into her hood (another Lexus). (And yes, I was looking behind me -- thanks for asking -- but my truck is so tall, and the Lexus was so low and so close behind me, I didn't see it.) I barely felt it; my truck got a little white paint on the bumper; bent her hood and cracked something in the engine -- totalled the car. The insurance paid for this one, so I don't know how much it was, but I bet it was more than $100.
5) Backing up in parking lot (raining, night time), didn't see Toyota pickup sticking out, broke his taillight. Left a note with my number, but haven't heard from him...
No, I won't ask to borrow your car. Or park next to you. I promise.
posted by Rob @ 11:23:00 AM
14 comments
14 Comments:
wow, and someone's had the nerve to "tweak" my driving while that someone was in my car...
actually, i had a little spell like that for a while in parking lots myself but it was when i was *first* learning to drive. :-)
the next time you're working here, we'll get a special, separate parking spot for you so that you're not a menace here too. or at least let me know what kind of car you're driving so that i can stay away from it!
hey, and happy new year! be safe driving *and* parking!
Thank goodness your in Seattle....Try not to run Thomas over...LOL. Glad to see someone step up and pay for those dings. That was great of you. No one ever left a note from any ding my cars have gotten over the years. :)
Wow! It's good to know who to watch for. Maybe you could put a little sign in your window or something (Stay Far Away). Just kidding, of course, but I do feel a little better about the little bang-up I had (both of us were backing out at the same time in a parking lot. I's a little taller than she and so...there ya have it). Anyway. Nice of you to leave a note. Maybe the wind blew it away. Bummer.
when are you coming to colorado?
i'd love a new car. on your insurance, please.
Wow...I will remember not to part next to you..my car dings easily. Instead I will park behind you...I'd like a new car. Just think you'd get off easily..its not a Lexis.
Have a great new year.
Wow, I'm impressed, you left a note - I've got dings all over my 11-year old Honda and nobody ever left a note.
Hope this New Year is much better for you! ec
This will be about me, not you, but this reminded me of the day I was interviewing at my old firm and someone told me about a woman who had interviewed there. Upon leaving, she scraped (swiped? dinged? I don't know how bad it was)a car in the parking lot...but she just drove off!! Hmmm. Anyway this story was told to me no doubt to make me feel better about what was happening to me, which was that I had arrived early for my interview and it was darkish when I left, so I had my lights on. It was lightish when I got there, so I forgot to turn them off. After an exhausting half-day interview, I came to my car to find it with a dead battery. All I wanted to do was drive away and cry because I thought I'd totally screwed up one of my interviews. Anyway I wearily went back inside to ask them if anyone had jumper cables and would jump my car. The recruiting coordinator had some -- she was nice and laughed about it. The recruiter's assistant and the assistant's boyfriend were helping me and then somehow my (old) car caught her jumper cables on fire and the plastic on them melted onto his sweatshirt. Total loss of the jumper cables. Partial loss of the sweatshirt. My car did start, though. And I still got the job. Course I hated that job. But still.
maybe two of the previous commenters had the right idea -- if one angles their car just right, it might mean a new car courtesy of you and your insurance. i'll let people here know that when you come in feb that instead of avoiding your rental car, they should be sure to seek you out and park behind you! or maybe try to drive in front of you or ...
and another thought: maybe your vehicle is "too much truck" for you. you might need to scale down to something more manageable -- like a toyota tercel or mini cooper or something... ;-)
anya/roxy: great story!
Great interview story, Roxy!
hey kief... er, thomas (in case you come back to this post): nice picture! has anyone ever told you that you remind them of someone?? :-)
and if you're ever *driving* in seattle, be on the lookout for a truck with paint on its bumpers/doors -- maybe you should warn the bus drivers too...
Victoria from PK here.
Wow!!!! You paid a guy after you and yours accidently dinged his door.
I drive all over the place, trying to find a safe spot to park my Jag.
People don't mean to ding (most of them anyway), but they sure as hell do it.
what about when you and your brother had to share a white station wagon as your high school car? "ladies, step into my wagon of love. mind the big mac there on the seat, that thing's probably still good. whoa girl, mind the big mac!"
just mind the big mac...
Thanks to all for your comments.
prrrof, i'm not sure what the Nabokovesque sentence was -- was it from Roxy's story?
si, re "too much truck" -- you're killing me here. why don't you just say i have a small patronus?
update on the Toyota taillight: they guy finally called me yesterday -- looks like I'll owe him just over $100 on that one...
i would *never* say that you had a "small" anything... BTW, i only know "patronus" from harry potter. might it have a different meaning of a more personal nature?
also, does this mean that i'm not your "best friend" anymore? :-( i hope that this is not the case as i hadn't cashed in on that status yet... (actually with all of my "little zingers" lately, that status may have been revoked a while ago.)
one more thing (this will make it better, i'm sure): i think it's most impressive that you had so many "wow's" from your commenters on this post -- i was one of them (this plus being "impressed" should count for something, don't you think?). :-)
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