GINA SMASH.
I spent the weekend in Los Angeles with Ben. I drove back around 1:30 today to avoid the hideous traffic, and all was going swimmingly -- it was actually the fastest trip back to my place yet, since there wasn't a single slowdown. I was four or five exits from home when I switched into the middle lane of five.
The black sedan in front of me braked, then moved forward, then stopped completely. I slammed on my brakes, figuring there was traffic ahead, and stopped a few feet behind him. The semi-truck behind me stopped too with room to spare. The black sedan's hazards flashed on for a moment or two and I figured 'great, I'm stuck behind a car with engine trouble, but he'll probably move over to the right or I'll get a chance to pass him.' I didn't even honk because I hate it when people honk at me when I have the hazards up -- heck, they're for a reason!
He turned his hazards off. And then HE BACKED RIGHT INTO ME.
*CRUNCH.*
What the HELL? I honked like crazy at him THEN, of course -- there was a semi truck behind me, there was no way I could've backed up for that jackass! He turned on his right turn signal and for a second I thought he wanted me to follow him to the shoulder or the next exit, like a sane person would with an accident. No. He turned off the right signal, flicked on the left, and suddenly dove off into the left lane and then the far left lane. Too much traffic was whizzing by for me to follow him and so I just kept going, totally shocked.
Luckily there doesn't seem to have been any damage to my little car -- I looked it over with a fine-tooth comb and can't find anything wrong with it after that. I didn't get the guy's license plate number -- didn't think I needed to until he was long gone -- but at least there's no damage, and I'm fine. But if I hadn't been able to stop in time, or the semi behind me hadn't been able to stop in time, I honestly could've been seriously hurt or killed. What. the. fuck.
California, you really are TRYING to make me hate you, aren't you???
Edit: For a while there me/my mom/Ben were concerned that this could have been an attempted collision fraud case (sudden stop, weird behavior). But if he was trying to make me hit him and then cash in, he utterly failed by a) not causing any damage at all and b) not getting my insurance info. I thought about making a police report but since they might need my insurance (which could go up if they get wind of this), I don't have any damage, and I don't have any ID on the guy besides "male driving black sedan" I decided not to. I do have photos of the car with no damage, though, so even if he does try to pull something, the fact I have no damage makes it pretty darn unlikely I totaled the back of his car.
At any rate... that's really fucking weird. We're now leaning towards "guy was a complete idiot" theory; there was a passenger who seemed animated, if they were having a fight and the driver got really irrational he could slam on the brakes to make a point, and then neglect to watch what he was doing with the car and roll into me. I don't know. Fucking weird.
The black sedan in front of me braked, then moved forward, then stopped completely. I slammed on my brakes, figuring there was traffic ahead, and stopped a few feet behind him. The semi-truck behind me stopped too with room to spare. The black sedan's hazards flashed on for a moment or two and I figured 'great, I'm stuck behind a car with engine trouble, but he'll probably move over to the right or I'll get a chance to pass him.' I didn't even honk because I hate it when people honk at me when I have the hazards up -- heck, they're for a reason!
He turned his hazards off. And then HE BACKED RIGHT INTO ME.
*CRUNCH.*
What the HELL? I honked like crazy at him THEN, of course -- there was a semi truck behind me, there was no way I could've backed up for that jackass! He turned on his right turn signal and for a second I thought he wanted me to follow him to the shoulder or the next exit, like a sane person would with an accident. No. He turned off the right signal, flicked on the left, and suddenly dove off into the left lane and then the far left lane. Too much traffic was whizzing by for me to follow him and so I just kept going, totally shocked.
Luckily there doesn't seem to have been any damage to my little car -- I looked it over with a fine-tooth comb and can't find anything wrong with it after that. I didn't get the guy's license plate number -- didn't think I needed to until he was long gone -- but at least there's no damage, and I'm fine. But if I hadn't been able to stop in time, or the semi behind me hadn't been able to stop in time, I honestly could've been seriously hurt or killed. What. the. fuck.
California, you really are TRYING to make me hate you, aren't you???
Edit: For a while there me/my mom/Ben were concerned that this could have been an attempted collision fraud case (sudden stop, weird behavior). But if he was trying to make me hit him and then cash in, he utterly failed by a) not causing any damage at all and b) not getting my insurance info. I thought about making a police report but since they might need my insurance (which could go up if they get wind of this), I don't have any damage, and I don't have any ID on the guy besides "male driving black sedan" I decided not to. I do have photos of the car with no damage, though, so even if he does try to pull something, the fact I have no damage makes it pretty darn unlikely I totaled the back of his car.
At any rate... that's really fucking weird. We're now leaning towards "guy was a complete idiot" theory; there was a passenger who seemed animated, if they were having a fight and the driver got really irrational he could slam on the brakes to make a point, and then neglect to watch what he was doing with the car and roll into me. I don't know. Fucking weird.