Decceleration Poisioning
Well, I hope my friends got a good look at my car during their visit because it is likely the last time they will see it. Yes, friends, I was involved in a car accident yesterday. Just to get it out of the way... yes, I am fine. The driver of the other car is fine. The accident didn't turn into a multi-car pile up.
After I left the office, I decided to go to a nearby music store to look at new bass guitars. I had practiced with the borrowed one a few times and felt that I was at a point where buying my own instrument might be preferable. The logic was to get one that I liked the feel of now instead of finding one that I like later and then adjusting to a new instrument.
So, here is me in the left turn lane on the highway waiting for the green arrow to come on. I get the green arrow and I begin my turn. Before I knew it, my nice clear intersection now contains a white SUV. It was at this point that physics took over. Gypsy (my car) struck the SUV toward the front broadside and it spun around and ended up facing oncoming traffic on the highway. I kept control of Gypsy enough to complete the turn and come to rest a few feet into the side road.
Since Gypsy basically had her face torn off as a result of the collision, I decided that it might be better not to try to move her any further, put on the hazards and switched her off. I then climbed out to look at the other vehicle as well as dial 911. The SUV wasn't moving but the driver did come out and she looked uninjured.
My call with 911 was interesting though. First you get in touch with the national dispatch. I told them Minneapolis and they transferred me. I told the second operator that I was involved in a car accident and needed assistance. I gave her the street names and she balked a little bit asking me if it was in Minneapolis. I kept telling her yes but interceding that if it made a difference it was technically Golden Valley. She also repeatedly asked me if I was on the highway. I told her no, I was on the side street but had just come off the highway. To her credit, she did ask if anyone was injured. I was then transferred again and went through the spiel again. The third one was either testing me for shock or a concussion because she kept asking me if I was sure that I was in Minneapolis. Finally I got them to dispatch a unit.
By this time, the other driver had made her way to where I was standing and I told her that the police were on the way, hopefully. She was pretty troubled because she was pretty sure that she was at fault. I tried to reassure her that things would be alright and when the units arrived that we would be taken care of. It had been her first accident too.
The police arrived and one unit worked the area with the SUV so that oncoming traffic didn't exacerbate the problem. I was directed to try to move Gypsy into the adjoining parking lot. She made it without further incident. It was at that point where the officer was telling me how it was all going to shake out. He suggested that I have the car towed to the impound lot because it really wasn't drivable. He also gave me the case number for the report that they were filing. In speaking with the other officer, he said that the other driver's insurance information would be on the report and that allayed my fears because I hadn't gotten it yet. He also told me that in the report, they were citing her for driving through a red light given the information they had.
With that, Gypsy was loaded onto a tow truck and whisked away to sulk in her agony and I was now stranded... left to my own devices. So I called Squid and Lemur's place. Got their machine, but I knew that I would. Their schedule was off from dropping off the last of our visiting friends at the airport. I left them a message and then found a warm place to hang out.
That place was the music store. Yes, I was within sight of the place where my accident occurred. They greeted me and I started chatting the guy up about what I was looking for. He lead me through and I tried out a couple of basses. After noodling around a little bit, I decided that I liked the first one I tried and told them to ring me up. I also got a stand, an extra set of strings, a gig bag, a tuner/metronome... you know, the whole bit. I completed my sale and realized that it didn't take nearly as long as I thought. I asked them if they wouldn't mind me hanging out and filled them into my situation. They were very accommodating.
Time passed and I wasn't hearing back from Squid. I called the Old Codger and got their answering machine too. Then I started cycling through my phone book and happened upon a name of a fencing buddy that lives near me. I gave him a call and he was home. I filled him in and the first words out of his mouth were "Do you need to borrow a car for a few days?"
I said that perhaps that was the case but the more immediate need was to be less stranded. He and his family were just sitting down to dinner and I was all to happy to wait for them to finish up before he came to get me.
So now I get some quality time with the staff. I get to know a couple of them pretty well actually. The one guy actually lives near my house and was offering to give me a lift should I actually still be stranded come 9:00.
St. Fencing Buddy gave me a call somewhere around 6:30 to refine the directions to the store because he had gone a little too far east. He stepped into the store a little after 7:00. We drive to his house and he tells me that there's no rush in returning the car. His kid is in college and it is basically an extra vehicle. I thank him deeply for the hospitality and I make my way home.
I settle in. I am tired and a little achy from the trauma. I poured out a soaking bath and had some whiskey and then called it a night.
Today, I find out that the police won't give me the other driver's insurance information over the phone... which means I have to make a trip to the police station. I needed to anyway, but it does keep the ball from rolling until tomorrow essentially. The interesting thing about this excursion is that it will take me the exact same route that led me to the accident yesterday. Talk about facing your demons.
I do feel a bit like McCroskey from Airplane! in that I have fencing tonight, bowling tomorrow, a hockey game with Squid on Friday night and a fencing tournament to run on Sunday. It looks like I picked the wrong week to get into a car accident.
On top of which, I do not particularly like the prospect of buying a new car should Gypsy be declared totaled (which is a fair assumption I think). Sure I'll get insurance money but in the end, it will also mean car payments.
On a closing note, I am hoping this experience has burned off some of the bad karma I've been building up. In fact, I plan on picking a few dollars worth of lottery tickets (no one hit it on Saturday it seems) to see if payback does come full circle.
After I left the office, I decided to go to a nearby music store to look at new bass guitars. I had practiced with the borrowed one a few times and felt that I was at a point where buying my own instrument might be preferable. The logic was to get one that I liked the feel of now instead of finding one that I like later and then adjusting to a new instrument.
So, here is me in the left turn lane on the highway waiting for the green arrow to come on. I get the green arrow and I begin my turn. Before I knew it, my nice clear intersection now contains a white SUV. It was at this point that physics took over. Gypsy (my car) struck the SUV toward the front broadside and it spun around and ended up facing oncoming traffic on the highway. I kept control of Gypsy enough to complete the turn and come to rest a few feet into the side road.
Since Gypsy basically had her face torn off as a result of the collision, I decided that it might be better not to try to move her any further, put on the hazards and switched her off. I then climbed out to look at the other vehicle as well as dial 911. The SUV wasn't moving but the driver did come out and she looked uninjured.
My call with 911 was interesting though. First you get in touch with the national dispatch. I told them Minneapolis and they transferred me. I told the second operator that I was involved in a car accident and needed assistance. I gave her the street names and she balked a little bit asking me if it was in Minneapolis. I kept telling her yes but interceding that if it made a difference it was technically Golden Valley. She also repeatedly asked me if I was on the highway. I told her no, I was on the side street but had just come off the highway. To her credit, she did ask if anyone was injured. I was then transferred again and went through the spiel again. The third one was either testing me for shock or a concussion because she kept asking me if I was sure that I was in Minneapolis. Finally I got them to dispatch a unit.
By this time, the other driver had made her way to where I was standing and I told her that the police were on the way, hopefully. She was pretty troubled because she was pretty sure that she was at fault. I tried to reassure her that things would be alright and when the units arrived that we would be taken care of. It had been her first accident too.
The police arrived and one unit worked the area with the SUV so that oncoming traffic didn't exacerbate the problem. I was directed to try to move Gypsy into the adjoining parking lot. She made it without further incident. It was at that point where the officer was telling me how it was all going to shake out. He suggested that I have the car towed to the impound lot because it really wasn't drivable. He also gave me the case number for the report that they were filing. In speaking with the other officer, he said that the other driver's insurance information would be on the report and that allayed my fears because I hadn't gotten it yet. He also told me that in the report, they were citing her for driving through a red light given the information they had.
With that, Gypsy was loaded onto a tow truck and whisked away to sulk in her agony and I was now stranded... left to my own devices. So I called Squid and Lemur's place. Got their machine, but I knew that I would. Their schedule was off from dropping off the last of our visiting friends at the airport. I left them a message and then found a warm place to hang out.
That place was the music store. Yes, I was within sight of the place where my accident occurred. They greeted me and I started chatting the guy up about what I was looking for. He lead me through and I tried out a couple of basses. After noodling around a little bit, I decided that I liked the first one I tried and told them to ring me up. I also got a stand, an extra set of strings, a gig bag, a tuner/metronome... you know, the whole bit. I completed my sale and realized that it didn't take nearly as long as I thought. I asked them if they wouldn't mind me hanging out and filled them into my situation. They were very accommodating.
Time passed and I wasn't hearing back from Squid. I called the Old Codger and got their answering machine too. Then I started cycling through my phone book and happened upon a name of a fencing buddy that lives near me. I gave him a call and he was home. I filled him in and the first words out of his mouth were "Do you need to borrow a car for a few days?"
I said that perhaps that was the case but the more immediate need was to be less stranded. He and his family were just sitting down to dinner and I was all to happy to wait for them to finish up before he came to get me.
So now I get some quality time with the staff. I get to know a couple of them pretty well actually. The one guy actually lives near my house and was offering to give me a lift should I actually still be stranded come 9:00.
St. Fencing Buddy gave me a call somewhere around 6:30 to refine the directions to the store because he had gone a little too far east. He stepped into the store a little after 7:00. We drive to his house and he tells me that there's no rush in returning the car. His kid is in college and it is basically an extra vehicle. I thank him deeply for the hospitality and I make my way home.
I settle in. I am tired and a little achy from the trauma. I poured out a soaking bath and had some whiskey and then called it a night.
Today, I find out that the police won't give me the other driver's insurance information over the phone... which means I have to make a trip to the police station. I needed to anyway, but it does keep the ball from rolling until tomorrow essentially. The interesting thing about this excursion is that it will take me the exact same route that led me to the accident yesterday. Talk about facing your demons.
I do feel a bit like McCroskey from Airplane! in that I have fencing tonight, bowling tomorrow, a hockey game with Squid on Friday night and a fencing tournament to run on Sunday. It looks like I picked the wrong week to get into a car accident.
On top of which, I do not particularly like the prospect of buying a new car should Gypsy be declared totaled (which is a fair assumption I think). Sure I'll get insurance money but in the end, it will also mean car payments.
On a closing note, I am hoping this experience has burned off some of the bad karma I've been building up. In fact, I plan on picking a few dollars worth of lottery tickets (no one hit it on Saturday it seems) to see if payback does come full circle.