Poor Drivers

[CaptSquid]

Yesterday afternoon, my neighbours backed out of their parking space and hit poor Klementine in the snout. Damage is relatively minor, but they got out, looked, claimed that they couldn't see any damage, and then departed WITHOUT EVEN A THANK YOU NOTE! I heard the incident from the back of the apartment and witnessed the "investigation." Well, when I left for work, I examined and discovered the damage.


When I got back from work, I left a FLUORESCENT GREEN note on their windshield, telling them that we need to discuss the damage. When I awoke around noon o'clock, I looked out and noticed that the notice was no longer on the windshield! His g/f had removed the note and they were trying to ignore it. I knocked on his door and got SOME information, including his insurance company. SURPRISE! He didn't have an insurance card in the vehicle! It turned out that the agent's name he gave me knew NOTHING of this kid, who works delivering pizza!


THAT WAS THE PROVERBIAL STRAW! I called the local constabulary. Right after that, the kid returned. I demanded an actual insurance agent that knew he existed. Then, I called HIS insurance company. While on the phone, the officer arrived and collected the appropriate information. Junior was admonished that the NEXT time he did that, he was going to be cited for:

Hit and Run
Leaving the Scene
Failure to Report
Failure to have proof of insurance (he didn't have the insurance card.)

plus a few other items that I can't remember.

This kid learned the hard way that I can be an intimidating presence.

*** FLASH UPDATE ***

I got a phone call from this kid's insurance company (Progressive) and I have an appointment to get the damage inspected at a local facility -- a FORD facility! I may never show my face in public! Oh, the horrors!

[remark123]

Squiddy,

You know that this is worthless without PICTURES!!!!

[CaptSquid]

Considering that the item knocked off was the bumper end cap, the picture is worthless. The ENTIRE narrative was about poor drivers not reporting even SIMPLE accidents. If the young man in question had even observed the simple courtesy of putting a note on the windshield stating "Sorry, but I hit your van. Thank you, your neighbour", the entire episode would have probably been glossed over. But the young lad didn't observe ANY courtesy at all. He even tried to AVOID having to report the incident to his insurance company and was ignoring my request to work out any repairs.

Fortunately for him, he does have insurance.. Unfortunately for him, his insurance company had no knowledge of his current employment (delivering pizza) and no knowledge of his HIT AND RUN accident. Well, now, it does and his rates WILL increase.

But, if you want me to take a picture of me taking my GM product into a F**d dealership repair shop to satisfy your morbid curiosity, I will endeavour to provide that which you so desire.

[kings-x59]

reading between the lines....I'm getting that you are rather upset about this Captain. Fortunately it didn't occur at 70mph, 3 abreast on narrow lanes. I have some black paint on my right bumper end cap where a jackass changed lanes on me before he was ahead of me. Gave me a little nudge, almost subliminal it was so slight. He hit the gas and pulled into the lane in front of me.
I gave him the single finger salute. When I got to work I checked the right side of the pig and saw the paint from his truck. sucks to be him.

[CaptSquid]

You got it, king. It wouldn't have been so bad if they left a note, but they chose to NOT leave a note and to ignore the note I left. In my discussion with the kid, I pointed out that it was HIS responsibility to be an adult and own up to his mistakes. He'll learn his lesson with increased insurance costs.

[kings-x59]

funny how each of us on this mortal plane create learning situations for ourselves isn't it...

[CaptSquid]

I think the operative word is TRAGIC.

[T.Low]

When I was in high school we went to Ft Lauderdale for Spring Break. While playing catch with the old ball and glove in a parking lot, I threw a curve ball to my buddy and he couldn't catch it. It bounced past him and broke the headlight of a 280Z. I had no idea whose car it was. I went to KMart and bought a replacement headlight and as I was installing it a guy came out onto a balcony and started yelling at me to get away from his car, until I told him what was going on.

Wasn't a big deal. I broke it. Take a few minutes and a few dollars to make things right. Sheesh.

People never cease to amaze me.

[CaptSquid]

You were acting responsibly. My neighbour was NOT. The fact that he tried to avoid informing me is concrete evidence of that. He'll get his reward with increased insurance costs.

[CaptSquid]

Well, the adjuster looked at Klementine today. He said the damage was so bad, the van is considered a write-off; so, they paid me off. Solves another dilemna -- how to pay for tranny repair.

[Cobra]

wth he hit you that hard? we really need to see a pic of this write off worthy damage

[potskie]

wth he hit you that hard? we really need to see a pic of this write off worthy damage

Pretty much any insurance claim on older vehicles makes them a "write off". It has to do with the cost of repair vs vehicle value. A friend of mine who is a drywaller had his van written off once because some old lady hit the rear bumper and did some serious damage to her car but none to his van. Insurance company had a look and wrote his van off because of the drywall mud that had become permanently part of the rear carpet of the van. Seriously that's why they wrote it off. Worked in his favour. They wrote him a nice fat check for the book value. He went and bought the van back from the insurance company for $250 and then another $150 to get the slavage title off and back on the road. Left him with $2250 in his pocket. Weird how that works.

[potskie]

I had some young kid try to get me fired on friday because of my "driving".

When in reality this kid tried to enter the live lane of traffic i was in from a side street with out actually you know being able to see. Because there were 2 SUVs in the opposing lanes to me blocking his view so he decided to just go for it. I swerved at 70 and just barely I mean barely missed him. There was probably 2" between the drivers side of my truck and his front bumper when I swerved. He called the number on my truck ( it goes to my bosses cell phone) and proceeds to tell my boss I should be fired for driving dangerously and that I ran him off the road and his grandma was in the car and I almost killed her and it would have been my fault.... I told my boss what had happened. My boss gave me the little pukes phone number. I called this kid and told him straight up that calling to save face infront of his grandma by trying to ruin someones life is a big no no. Then I told this kid that him and his grandma are very lucky to be alive. If I hadn't been paying attention or they had pulled out a second later they would be dead. Well this when is the little puke freaked out started yelling and proceeded to tell me I'm just an employee and he would deal with this issue with my boss later. To wence I replied I'm a manager and my boss would probably smack him upside the head. He called my boss back. My boss told the little that he was a moron and should probably be thankful that he wasn't dead for doing something stupid and if he called again he would get the police involved.

All because the little shit didn't want to look like it was his fault infront of his grandma who was in the passenger seat.

[Kabey's Van]

A bumper end cap gets knocked of and your insurance company writes off your van because of it.
Come on.....really. WTF's that all about.

[CaptSquid]

No, HIS insurance co (Progressive) wrote it off, handed me a check for $1500 and I still own the van. Who am I to complain?