SharpBits
Gold Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2002
- Messages
- 4,670
How close to the edge you really are until something unexpected happens.
Things were looking pretty good and I was starting to feel good about life again. Not a natural state for me, mind you. Should have been my first warning.
So yesterday I driving to work and it's the usual North Eastern hateful commute. Cold, light rain. Ordinary early November day. I make a manuever that, having done it many times in the past, held no surprises for me. Or so I thought. This manuever seems to have angered the car as well as several well known laws of physics. I make the appropriate adjustments and just as I think I've got this tiger by the tail, the front tire catches on the leftmost curb!
Now I become a passenger as the curb, the soft soil, the guard rail and the aformentioned P.O'd laws of physics fight for control of the streering wheel. The curb: snap spin. The soil: An almost gental backward curve into guard rail. Guard rail: snap spin. Curb again: Yer not gettin' out of this that easily, back to the rail! Guard rail: I think I'll keep this bumper, thank you. Now back into traffic. Hey, I'm still alive! Corner of my eye, another car. Brakes and steering work...just in time. Pull over. No injuries!
No other cars involved! Praise God!
You'd think that that was the bad part of the story. But, no. It's now time to deal with the (wait for it...) insurance company. Sometimes referred to as The House. Car gets towed to insurance company approved and recommended auto body repair shop. the next day I call for estimate. Body shop pit boss tells me that "It doesn't look good. They will probably total it." Hmmm...that used to be good. But he said "looks bad." I call my agent who tells me "they'll pay [about 80%] of the value of the car." Hmmm...quick math tells me that with the deduction and the remaining amout on the loan that leaves my $2500 short and no car! D'oh!:grumpy: Never forget, the House always wins.
So the best I can hope for is that they repair the car and I live with high rates of 5-7 years. Worst case, they total the car and I have to quit my job as it is 50 miles away and I don't walk that fast.
The insurance agents says "Go back to work and they'll contact you in a week or two." Hehe, the jokes on him as my insurance policy doesn't have rental coverage!
You know what is really sad? That even though I'm looking over the edge of finacial oblivion, I'm still in the 8-10% of the worlds population in terms of wealth. When I think of that, it kinda makes it hard for me to whine about my predicament.
-SB
Things were looking pretty good and I was starting to feel good about life again. Not a natural state for me, mind you. Should have been my first warning.
So yesterday I driving to work and it's the usual North Eastern hateful commute. Cold, light rain. Ordinary early November day. I make a manuever that, having done it many times in the past, held no surprises for me. Or so I thought. This manuever seems to have angered the car as well as several well known laws of physics. I make the appropriate adjustments and just as I think I've got this tiger by the tail, the front tire catches on the leftmost curb!
Now I become a passenger as the curb, the soft soil, the guard rail and the aformentioned P.O'd laws of physics fight for control of the streering wheel. The curb: snap spin. The soil: An almost gental backward curve into guard rail. Guard rail: snap spin. Curb again: Yer not gettin' out of this that easily, back to the rail! Guard rail: I think I'll keep this bumper, thank you. Now back into traffic. Hey, I'm still alive! Corner of my eye, another car. Brakes and steering work...just in time. Pull over. No injuries! No other cars involved! Praise God!You'd think that that was the bad part of the story. But, no. It's now time to deal with the (wait for it...) insurance company. Sometimes referred to as The House. Car gets towed to insurance company approved and recommended auto body repair shop. the next day I call for estimate. Body shop pit boss tells me that "It doesn't look good. They will probably total it." Hmmm...that used to be good. But he said "looks bad." I call my agent who tells me "they'll pay [about 80%] of the value of the car." Hmmm...quick math tells me that with the deduction and the remaining amout on the loan that leaves my $2500 short and no car! D'oh!:grumpy: Never forget, the House always wins.
So the best I can hope for is that they repair the car and I live with high rates of 5-7 years. Worst case, they total the car and I have to quit my job as it is 50 miles away and I don't walk that fast.
The insurance agents says "Go back to work and they'll contact you in a week or two." Hehe, the jokes on him as my insurance policy doesn't have rental coverage!
You know what is really sad? That even though I'm looking over the edge of finacial oblivion, I'm still in the 8-10% of the worlds population in terms of wealth. When I think of that, it kinda makes it hard for me to whine about my predicament.
-SB
