(no subject)

[eregyrn]

If you're going to speed away from the scene of an accident, you should probably check to see whether you left half of your bumper with the LICENSE PLATE ATTACHED, first.

Just sayin'.

Yes, I got hit coming home from working late (reception) tonight. I had a left-turn arrow, he sped through and hit me glancingly on the right front. The Mini actually appears to be fine (comment from one SUV driver who stopped: "That's a tough little car!"). I'm fine, although I think my shin is going to be bruised. Ow.

I had no sooner pulled over afterwards, than a completely different guy going the other way came running at me from his car yelling that the license plate was still in the middle of the road. Attached to half the guy's bumper. I walked out and got it, and by the time I got back to my car and got my phone out, another guy in an SUV had pulled up and was on the phone to the cops, describing the accident he'd seen and then, when I showed it to him, reading off the license plate number. After he left, two *more* SUV drivers pulled in to make sure I was okay and it was all called in. Then the cops showed up, wrote everything down, and took the bumper away.

The car is completely driveable; all you can see is some scratches. Which means it's going to be a pain in the ass to deal with. But that's better than the alternative!

***

Perhaps ironically (in the dramatic sense), the post I was GOING to make when I got home was:

*SQUIFFED*!!!

(Following plenty of wine at the F&M reception.)

Also: it's kind of cute and kind of poignant to listen to late-September cicadas in the trees at night. Whereas in the summer they go "bzzzbzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzz...zzz..zz...zz...z", at this time of year they just quietly go "click!... ... ... click! ...click!... click-click-click!... click!...click.... ... ... click... ... ... click". I like the sound of cicadas at all times, but -- that's just kind of sad.

Comments

[emilytheslayer.livejournal.com]

Copper and Lynx and I are all really, really glad you're ok, and glad the other guy was such an idiot.
Also, Copper would like for you to know "Meow," and I would like you to know "Yarr. Ye pirated his bumper, me hearty."

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

Yarr! I'm definitely glad it wasn't much worse.

[telepresence.livejournal.com]

Yikes. What a dumbass. Thankfully the entire SUV driving population of Boston, from their high vantage point, is on the case.

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

The freaky thing is that all of the SUVs were silver....

[veejane.livejournal.com]

That's dramatic! But also kind of funny. In the painful sense of funny.

I too boggle at the presence of all these pulling-over SUVs to help you. I thought the function of SUVs was to scare people on 128! But clearly, they also perform key duties as the traffic scofflaw police auxiliary.

[cityofbeige.livejournal.com]

Well, with SUVs being big enough, they ought to have an entire garage worth of tools in the back to help out broken down cars.

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

I'm sure they would have been only too happy to whip those out and help, but I didn't actually need it.

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

I found it pretty funny, yeah. (Esp. since I wasn't hurt except for a little "ow" and my car wasn't badly damaged, so I had time to appreciate all of the Glistening Irony.) Maybe it would be hard to tell if key chunks of your car fell off, but... well, that's why you STOP for accidents, isn't it?

One of the SUV drivers was in fact connected with the police in some way. (When the actual cops showed up, they all said hi to each other.)

[minnow1212.livejournal.com]

Aiee. Sorry for the stress.

Although. Heh. He left his license plate behind. Dumbass.

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

It really does put a crimp in the clean getaway...

[cdeacon.livejournal.com]

Yikes. I'm glad you're okay!

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

Thanks! (I'm glad too; I've been in slightly worse fender-benders, and truly did not want to deal with that.)

[cofax7]

Eeeee!

I'm so glad you're okay!

And, schadenfreude-wise, I'm extremely pleased that the jackass will be made to pay and pay and pay for hitting and running.

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Yeah, two cops showed up and the one turned to the other and said, "You want to drive after and see if he pulled up anywhere? Of course, later, I can just go to his house..." Makes things SO much easier... I was definitely singing "Buuu-uuu-ssss-ted" in my head.

[barkley.livejournal.com]

Buuuusttteeed!

I'm glad you are OK!

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Me too! o.O

[katie-m.livejournal.com]

Geez! Glad you're okay.

Dumb hit-and-runners are fun. The one time it happened to me, the guy clipped me trying to pass and make a light, and... had to stop at the next red light, approximately thirty feet down the road. So I wrote down his license plate number. This is why you don't try to hit-and-run on Route 1 outside New Haven during rush hour. The running part doesn't work so well.

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

*snort*

Raqs made the good point that if he didn't hit *me* hard enough to do much of anything to *my* car, it's a bit odd that he had half his bumper and other misc. bits fall off -- which leaves you wondering if he had hit anything ELSE prior to me.

He had Places he felt he Needed to Be, apparently. I'd love to know whether he discovered the missing bumper/plate before the cops caught up to him, and had that "D'oh!" moment, or not.

[miera-c.livejournal.com]

My great comfort when I hear crime statistics is that so many criminals are just stoopid with 2 Os.

Glad you and the car are all right.

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Yeah, not bright. At least, the ones who get CAUGHT...

I didn't think to ask the cop whether the guy would be looking at a citation, but I think from what the cop said, probably so (leaving the scene of an accident, and running the red light). Dope.

[grooni.livejournal.com]

*hugs* I'm so glad you're okay. And what an idiot! Sheesh.

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Yeah, I feel lucky that it wasn't worse. God knows what he was thinking. (Since according to the witnesses, he sped past a line of cars waiting at the red light in order to barge through and ram me.)

[okojosan.livejournal.com]

Wow, glad you're all right! Glad the mini seems to be okay too. Car repairs are not fun to deal with- though I guess the idiot who hit you would have been nailed for them.

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

The idiot who hit me will STILL be nailed for them, luckily. I've learned with cars that even things that look really small can cost a surprising amount to fix -- often, I think, because cars are all fiberglass these days, and you can't tap out a dent and buff out a scratch, you practically have to replace/repaint the whole thing. :P

We'll see. I'm not quite at that stage yet, of finding out if it's worth trying to get it fixed.

[betacandy.livejournal.com]

It's awesome so many people bothered to stop and be helpful. Did you get contact info in case you need witnesses for anything?

I'm glad you're okay, but be on the lookout for aches and pains in the next few days. Anything in the back, shoulders or neck might be worth seeing a doctor, maybe getting some physical therapy. (Yeah, been hit a few times.)

And what a pleasant surprise that your Mini handled it so well! I guess size isn't the only factor. :D

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

*nods* I was paying extra attention for this the next day, but actually, I didn't feel anything. So I'm cautiously hopeful that I really got out of it without much damage. I think he must have been braking hard by the time he hit me (I was only just starting to accelerate so I wasn't going fast either). I have the bruise on my shin, and that's about it. (My left back hurts, but muscularly, and the thing was, it was hurting for several days prior to the accident, and it's unchanged.)

I am very proud of my Little Car. :) And glad that all the SUV drivers took note of how tough it was. HAH!

even weirder

[sazabhadri.livejournal.com]

How weird is it that you and Tyellas were both hit and run within a week of each other ? Both by people too dumb to actually accomplish the "run" part ? Except Tyellas wasn't actually *in* her car at the time. I wonder who's third ?

Re: even weirder

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

!!! Perish the thought! Or at least, if it's really going to run in 3's, then the third one also has to be low-damage attempts at hit-and-run where the guy totally gets nailed anyway. :P

[aeshna_uk]

oh, ouch! Glad to hear that you're okay! From the other guy's behaviour, I wonder if he had other reasons for not wanting to talk to the cops, but I guess he's not going to be getting much of a choice now....

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

From what I found out from the accident report today... I'm still betting that's the case, yes. (My current theory is that he was drunk, scared of police finding that out, and he ran home. The police got to his home and found the car, but not him, just his father, who claimed he didn't know where the guy was or how to reach him. Perhaps I malign them, but -- I'm guessing the father was covering for the idiot. I hope the father himself read him the riot act later!)

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

SHIT!!!!!!! But oh, that that moron left the plate behind. Now that's perfect. Still, grrrrr.

I am so glad and relieved that you're ok. And that your car is scratched. :::massive gentle hugs:::

I hope you'll be able to stay in and relax today, and that you're not too ouchy.

Ps. so wonderful that so many folks stopped to help. They're going to hang that guy by his you know what.

Also, yes to what you said about cicadas. *sigh*

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

When I stopped by the station this morning to pick up the paperwork, I told the lady it was a hit-and-run, and she groaned, and then I told her about the license plate, and she LAUGHED and LAUGHED and LAUGHED.

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing it's the talk of the station...and saw your other comment, am still boggling.

{{{massive hugs}}}

[zats-clear.livejournal.com]

seconds what betacandy said about future aches and pains. and see a chiropractor or osteopath (preferably the second unless you have a really good rec for the first) just to cya.

on another note, there is justice!!! can you update as this drags on (pun intended). it is so heartening in a world of non-justice to see karma at work! like stories about rescued puppies ;)

PS I drive an SUV and we stop, baby! I have all kinds of "save you" things in my truck LOL

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

I will think less ill of SUV drivers in future, it's true. :) And I'm very glad that I didn't get hit by one!

I'm keeping an eye on the aches and pains, but so far I really do seem to have gotten off with nothing but the one bruise. *knock wood*!

[lynxreign.livejournal.com]

If only I'd been in my Pathfinder I could have assisted you too!

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

If only!

[elishavah.livejournal.com]

Yeeks! But heh, SUVs and stupidity to the rescue.

Oh, and keep meaning to e-mail to ask, but might as well while I'm here -- did those links to the vids help? And did you watch the older Starbuck vid?

[eregyrn.livejournal.com]

Oh, and I meant to mention it yesterday -- they worked for me! I keep forgetting to ask Len. I *did* download "God is a DJ" -- great vid! It grows on me. The first time I watched it, I thought, "this is good but I like Cuz I Can just a little bit better". But it *is* really fantastic, and they make a great set.