An excessively eventful trip to BNL.
I get a sense of foreboding every time I turn down the insurance on a rental car. It was particularly keen when I picked up the car on Tuesday night. I had a little mental conversation with myself about it. I hadn't been in an accident for over ten years, there was no reason to suspect that I'd be in one in the next two days. Besides, my insurance covers rentals.
Pretty heavy-handed foreshadowing, right?
I debated about driving the maybe one mile from the dorm to the beam-line Wednesday morning, but I reasoned that having the car might be the difference in getting away to have lunch or not. Also, I had to check in at the admin building and get the parking permit, so it would be better to have the car there.
I signaled and slowed down to make the left turn into the admin building. A car comes up on my left side and slams into the left front fender.
What!?!?!
I have no idea what the woman was trying to do. I didn't really talk to her. I felt kind of bad for her actually. She called her husband, and he showed up and yelled at her a lot in Chinese. The police came. I called my insurance, and the rental car company. It was complicated. I called the beam-line staff to say I would be late.
Serendipitously, I happened to have rented from Enterprise. Enterprise has an office at BNL. Enterprise actually has an office in the admin building at BNL. That would be the admin building where I was going to check in, and where the wrecked car was now sitting. I didn't have to worry about the tow truck, or waiting for an Enterprise rep to come do a damage report. I just walked into the building, talked to the rep, showed him the car and handed over the keys.
The rest of the trip was ok. It was not the smoothest time at the beam-line. The samples were really sticking in the sample holder. My shoulders were aching from loading and unloading samples. By the time I was walking back to the dorm at 11 pm I really wished I had a car. BNL is very, very dark at night.
I finished early today so I headed over to the student and post-doc lounge to wait until it was time to leave. I knew I was supposed to have access to it, but I'd never been there before. It. Is. Awesome. Pool table, ping-pong, Foosball, big screen TV, comfy sofas. But, most importantly, Massage Chair. A good one. Oh My. My poor aching shoulders thanked heaven.
Pretty heavy-handed foreshadowing, right?
I debated about driving the maybe one mile from the dorm to the beam-line Wednesday morning, but I reasoned that having the car might be the difference in getting away to have lunch or not. Also, I had to check in at the admin building and get the parking permit, so it would be better to have the car there.
I signaled and slowed down to make the left turn into the admin building. A car comes up on my left side and slams into the left front fender.
What!?!?!
I have no idea what the woman was trying to do. I didn't really talk to her. I felt kind of bad for her actually. She called her husband, and he showed up and yelled at her a lot in Chinese. The police came. I called my insurance, and the rental car company. It was complicated. I called the beam-line staff to say I would be late.
Serendipitously, I happened to have rented from Enterprise. Enterprise has an office at BNL. Enterprise actually has an office in the admin building at BNL. That would be the admin building where I was going to check in, and where the wrecked car was now sitting. I didn't have to worry about the tow truck, or waiting for an Enterprise rep to come do a damage report. I just walked into the building, talked to the rep, showed him the car and handed over the keys.
The rest of the trip was ok. It was not the smoothest time at the beam-line. The samples were really sticking in the sample holder. My shoulders were aching from loading and unloading samples. By the time I was walking back to the dorm at 11 pm I really wished I had a car. BNL is very, very dark at night.
I finished early today so I headed over to the student and post-doc lounge to wait until it was time to leave. I knew I was supposed to have access to it, but I'd never been there before. It. Is. Awesome. Pool table, ping-pong, Foosball, big screen TV, comfy sofas. But, most importantly, Massage Chair. A good one. Oh My. My poor aching shoulders thanked heaven.