Yesterday I was in a car accident that I wasn’t even a participant in. Wait, is that the right way to say it? I was in a car wreck when I wasn’t in my car. No, that doesn’t sound right either. Driving skills in Texas were definitely on display yesterday as I lay ill in my bed and a passing Texas motorist unintentionally held a mini demolition derby with my car on the street.
As you can see from the un-funny picture Paffooney above, it was mainly the left hind leg of the old pony that took the hit. The other car hit the rear driver’s side wheel with enough force to flatten the tire, wreck the rim, and bend the end of the axle so that, with an emergency spare in place, I could still pick up my kids from school, though it was with a definite wibble-wobble added to the experience. It was an inconvenient accident for me. But it was worse for the other guy. His car bounced off mine and skidded down the street about 200 feet. It came to rest against the curb with a front wheel so bent that the steering wheel could no longer move it. It sat at a weird angle to the rest of the car.
The young guy driving was rather shaken up. He had trouble calling for the police to come and make an accident report because his hands were still shaking, yet he felt guilty enough that he wouldn’t let me make the call. I tried to be as calm and helpful as possible. I found out he was also originally from Iowa. He also moved to Texas for work after college. He could easily have been me thirty years ago. He said that he had just dropped a friend off in the neighborhood, and the friend had left a drink cup from 7-Eleven on the dash. When the cup fell, he made the mistake of trying to catch it, and drove directly into my car.
The timing of the accident was miserable. I was already feeling ill before it happened, and it caused me to have to stand outside to give and send information to his insurance, my insurance, the police officer, and AAA Automotive Assistance to make my car drive-able enough to get my kids from school during the Friday afternoon rush. The repairs are going to be extensive because of a bent axle. But I survived it. And it gave me something to post for today. So let me end with a reprise of my cartoon homage to Texas city driving.
Catch a Falling Star 