Car Shenanegans

Hi all, finally decided to make a blog, and so for my first post I'll tell a very recent and enraging story from a few days ago (day before yesterday).

Let me preface this by saying I think my car is bad luck.  Some people hold to the belief that I'm a bad driver, and this is, for the most part, based on my teen self who was indeed a terrible driver.  I blame this mostly on the fact that I got my license with a waiver from drivers-ed after only 6 hours of driving, ever.  I learned to drive by myself, taking my terrified friends around town.  I have, however, improved significantly.

My car is still bad luck.  Ever since I got my car it has been in an accident roughly every six months, none of which were my fault (except one where I fell asleep driving 20 mph on campus).  People love ramming into my car.  On this case, blame is somewhat debatable.  I'll take responsibility, but to call it a "fender bender" is really extreme, since nothing was in fact bent, or dented.  The situation was as follows: I was leaving the gym.  It was about 9:30 PM and very dark out.  In a stroke of genius, or sheer cheapness, my 24 hour gym decides the parking lot needs NO lighting, save a few very distant posts in the far back and the light coming from the doors of the gym itself.

I pull out of my parking spot and head out, looking around for other cars.  I failed however to see the dark grey shadow car coming from the darkest possible area of the parking lot.  This car was so invisible the paint job should be called "lurk in the shadows grey".  Regardless, like I was saying, I looked around and seeing nothing decide to go. Then out of the corner of my eye I see this car emerge from the shadows and immediately stop.  I stopped literally as soon as I started and was certain I wouldn't even connect with the other car, but alas, I felt the friction of contact.  I sigh as I see the other car stop directly in the middle of the parking lot so as to block as many other people as possible, and the driver gets out.

 Since not even the insurance adjuster understood what the parking lot looked like I drew a crappy picture:

This is where I stopped when I saw her:

This is where she stopped after we touched:

This should have been my first indication she was a moron.

I then get out of my own car and, as suspected, I see the only damage to the left corner of my bumper is a small scrape, not even a dent.  Reassured by this sight that it was indeed a non-issue I ask the other driver if her car is fine, to which she sighs like her life is over and says "No, I really don't think so!"  I think "Great, I scraped the most fragile car in the planet..." and walk over to see the damage for myself.

I shit you not, her paint wasn't even scratched, I could literally have taken my sleeve and buffed out the small scuff on her back bumper, but I didn't want to touch her car any further in case she broke down into actual tears.  "Oh... ok... I'll pay to polish that out I guess..." I said, confident it couldn't possibly cost very much even if she had the whole panel repainted.  Then she says, "OMG! My wheel!!!"

I'll admit for a second I was alarmed, mostly by her reaction, but also at the sight of her seemingly F'ed up wheel.... until I realized it was literally just the hubcap had cracked and the wheel was completely fine.  I neglected to mention there is also a police officer permanently parked at the gym, which the woman I hit ran screaming up to as he pulled back in (I assume he was out getting donuts, or changing shifts, one or the other... I'm leaning towards donuts.)  She literally stood in front of his car as he attempted to park and told him I hit her.  He looked over seeing no damage and said, "If it's not a big deal you can handle it yourselves."

At this point she comes back and starts talking about how scary it is to look at and if it's "even drivable."  At this point I start to really lose my patience and say, "Of course it's drivable, there's nothing wrong with it.  The hubcap is cracked.  The wheel is fine.  You can see it."  She continues saying things like, "I have to drive an hour to work, I'm concerned about the alignment, I think we should talk about me getting a rental."

I continue trying to be patient, considering I go to a local gym where I bump into the same people over and over.  I tell her, whatever the issue, my insurance will look at it, and silently continue taking pictures and fighting the urge to shake her.  I had already given her all my info (insurance policy #, insurance phone #, my phone #, etc.) when she says, "So your insurance is handling it right... so you're going to call them?"

"Well it doesn't actually matter who calls, you can call if you want."

"I'd feel more comfortable if you called them to let them know I'm going to call."

"Ok, if you want me to do that I will."

"Ok..."

"You want me to call them right now."

"Yes."

I again heave a sigh, curse my luck, and grab the number I just gave her and call the insurance company to file an entire claim in the middle of the gym parking lot at 10pm.  After the 20 minute conversation and lots of holding I'm finally done with the claims person.  The woman however is still harassing me over where she can get her car repaired the very next day, since it will be labor day. "I don't know, the insurance company will tell you."  Well what about a rental?  I drive an hour to work!  Will I get a rental?  "I don't know, the insurance company will tell you.  They said they'd call by noon tomorrow.  Good bye."

The next morning she leaves a message on my phone telling me to call the adjuster immediately to handle the claim so she can get it fixed because otherwise she will "have to rent a car for even longer."

Thankfully, the adjuster told me he had set her straight and told her she couldn't get a rental just because she felt like it, if the car was still drivable she had to drive it.  Holy crap, I've never seen someone so fucking concerned over a cracked factory Honda Civic hubcap.

P.S. Sorry my first post is monstrously long.