Yes I smashed my car...I can't believe it!I was driving to the gym yesterday morning, and I wanted to find my wooden rosary ring so I could pray the rosary while I was on the treadmill (it did occur to me to take my rosary ring from home just after I locked the door but thought I'd get the one from the car). So anyway I have a little compartment under my dashboard and I was sort of driving and getting the rosary ring out when I noticed there were three packets of gum in the compartment as well. Now this was very strange because I was sure there was only one pack there, maybe one and half but certainly not three! Now all this obvioulsy happened in a matter of seconds and it would not have been a problem except that while I was absorbed in the mysteries of the multiplying gum the man driving the car in front of me decided to put on his blinker to turn right into a driveway so subsequently stopped while a car passed in the opposite direction. So I looked up and it was too late. I knew I was going to hit him and there was nothing I could do. I hit the brakes but of course, SMASH, straight into the back of him. It actually felt like I was on some sort of dodgem car (without the rubber bumpers unfortunately).
The back of the other mans car seemed to have suffered more than my car did, the tow truck man thought that perhaps the other car might actually turn out to be a ride off as there was a lot of underbody damage. I hit his car at about 50 kms an hour and there really was less than one second for the brakes to kick in and slow my car down before it hit.
After we had exchanged details I walked back home to call the insurance company. I would have driven the car back but as soon as we hit the radiator cracked open and the fluid leaked all over the road so I didn't want to risk causing more damage to the engine. The insurance company warned me that the tow truck driver will try and convince me to take my car to somewhere he recommended but they had an assesment centre they said I should take it to. I can choose my own repairer but I have absolutely no idea what is good and bad when it comes to repairs so I'm happy to leave it in the hands of the insurer.
And as they predicted the tow truck man promptly pulled out the card of a place he recommended, Inkerman Panels, (also convieniently closer than the insurer's holding bay) and even dialed their number so I could speak to the manager and hear about how wonderful their work and reputation was. Now I'm sure that they are a great company, they have been a family business for 50 years but I don't like being pressured like that. Ironically the panel beater on the phone was telling me that I didn't have to be pressured by the insurer into taking their chosen repairer. The pressure was only coming from one place though as far as I could see! After the much unappreciated phone call (now I was getting confused about what to do) the towie suggested that I go with him to Inkerman Panels and if I didn't like the quality of the work there we could take it to the insurance company's holding yard. Now I don't know what quality work looks like as opposed to dodgy work, I am no mechanic or car guru. Unless they have sprayed the repair work in green when the rest of the car is silver it's all going to look the same to me! After 30 minutes of the tooing and frowing I asked him to take the car to the insurers holding bay in Port Melbourne. I tell you what, if you didn't have a tough determined will, those towies would win out everytime. I'm sure he was meaning well but they really should just come and tow the car, not try and sell me a panel beater.
So my car sits in a holding bay waiting for assesment. We have a public holiday here on Monday (not that it makes a difference to me) so the car won't be assessed to until Tuesday now. It's not the temporary loss of the car that bothers me as much as the fact I have to pay $450 excess and I lose my rating one premium next time to go to insure. Someone said to me that I should be thankful that I wasn't hurt and I suppose that is true but I can't help but see the dollar figures leaving my bank account. Incidently I didn't think I got hurt at all but today I have a sore back and neck so I guess even a 'small' hit like that can have effects.
Well that's the story of my car accident in a nutshell and the moral of the story is...always check your supply of chewing gum prior to leaving home!
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