Car Accident!
Bah, it was very minor - just rear-ended a car (white Honda Accord EX 94, exactly the same as my car, except mine's LX). Basically, from a stopped state, I stepped on the gas because I thought she was going, looked down to grab at something, looked up, and couldn't stop in time. We pulled over to the shoulder and I was looking at the bumper - it wasn't caved in or anything, but I noticed 2 holes embedded in it - from the 2 bolts sticking out from my license plate holder.
At first I tried English, then asked her if she spoke Chinese, which she did. Then I asked her if the holes were there before, and she said she doesn't know - her husband takes care of the car, and he's on a trip and won't be back until July 4th. She wants him to look at it before anything happens. I'm like "oh...ok but I also don't want you to take too long and get a call from you couple months down the line." She's like "I understand. If there's nothing wrong with the car, I'd just drop the whole thing. I was surprised, I'm sure you're surprised. Hopefully that's all that happens. Well, on our ways then."
I go home and am like "damnit damnit! What can I do!" I called up Ant because I knew he had experience in this field =( Yeah, he gave me helpful info: tell her I don't make much, I don't want the insurance company involved, my parents are going to kill me, please accept $200 bribe? And the lady calls me going "I just pulled up to my house. When we were on the shoulder earlier, I couldn't see the left side due to on-coming traffic, but there's a crack on the side. This is my address, you need to come. Don't wait too long."
I'm like "shit shit shiit!!!!" So as I'm driving there, I was a bit worried (I'm not sure why - I was pretty certain if it was a bumper job I'd be able to afford it out of pocket....maybe wondering how I'd play the sympathetic card). She calls me 3 times to make sure I'm getting there, which makes me even more nervous and a bit snappy. "How about I call you if I'm lost?"
When I show up, she's outside waiting for me, and is like "now here, see? See the crack? That's the result of you bumping into me. That's all, I just wanted to show you that. Don't worry about it. I'm not going to make you pay, and involving the insurance just isn't worth it." I'm like, "you sure? Can you open the trunk? Can you open your back doors?" She's like "yes yes, they're fine" *waving me off* "Now come on in and check out my lovely vegetables! Let's be friends." I'm blabbering "man, I was so scared and worried...you sure you're fine without payment?" "Yes, you're young, it's an old car."
So she cuts me a long vegetable called "S-Gua" and is like "there! You recognize these right?" But I'm still shocked. I'm like "you're weird, lady". We learn we're both Taiwanese, and I'm born here so my Chinese is bad. She's like "I'm sure you were scared, you look like a nice child so I won't make you pay. How old are you? 10-what?" "27" "ah! Still so young. Time to get married, do you have a boyfriend?" "err..looking..." "oh, well maybe I hook you up." And I go "I promise when my parents have vegetables and fruits I'm bringing you some!" And she goes "yes, let's be friends."
And that's it, no exchanging of information and stuff. We have each other's phone numbers. It was just weird. But I'm really grateful and lucky ><
Oh man!!!
At first I tried English, then asked her if she spoke Chinese, which she did. Then I asked her if the holes were there before, and she said she doesn't know - her husband takes care of the car, and he's on a trip and won't be back until July 4th. She wants him to look at it before anything happens. I'm like "oh...ok but I also don't want you to take too long and get a call from you couple months down the line." She's like "I understand. If there's nothing wrong with the car, I'd just drop the whole thing. I was surprised, I'm sure you're surprised. Hopefully that's all that happens. Well, on our ways then."
I go home and am like "damnit damnit! What can I do!" I called up Ant because I knew he had experience in this field =( Yeah, he gave me helpful info: tell her I don't make much, I don't want the insurance company involved, my parents are going to kill me, please accept $200 bribe? And the lady calls me going "I just pulled up to my house. When we were on the shoulder earlier, I couldn't see the left side due to on-coming traffic, but there's a crack on the side. This is my address, you need to come. Don't wait too long."
I'm like "shit shit shiit!!!!" So as I'm driving there, I was a bit worried (I'm not sure why - I was pretty certain if it was a bumper job I'd be able to afford it out of pocket....maybe wondering how I'd play the sympathetic card). She calls me 3 times to make sure I'm getting there, which makes me even more nervous and a bit snappy. "How about I call you if I'm lost?"
When I show up, she's outside waiting for me, and is like "now here, see? See the crack? That's the result of you bumping into me. That's all, I just wanted to show you that. Don't worry about it. I'm not going to make you pay, and involving the insurance just isn't worth it." I'm like, "you sure? Can you open the trunk? Can you open your back doors?" She's like "yes yes, they're fine" *waving me off* "Now come on in and check out my lovely vegetables! Let's be friends." I'm blabbering "man, I was so scared and worried...you sure you're fine without payment?" "Yes, you're young, it's an old car."
So she cuts me a long vegetable called "S-Gua" and is like "there! You recognize these right?" But I'm still shocked. I'm like "you're weird, lady". We learn we're both Taiwanese, and I'm born here so my Chinese is bad. She's like "I'm sure you were scared, you look like a nice child so I won't make you pay. How old are you? 10-what?" "27" "ah! Still so young. Time to get married, do you have a boyfriend?" "err..looking..." "oh, well maybe I hook you up." And I go "I promise when my parents have vegetables and fruits I'm bringing you some!" And she goes "yes, let's be friends."
And that's it, no exchanging of information and stuff. We have each other's phone numbers. It was just weird. But I'm really grateful and lucky ><
Oh man!!!