Monday when I got my car back I was a bit miffed about my door. I know I said I'm coming to terms with what it means to have a recycled door but it's still irritating. The door I received, while nice on the outside, is completely banged and scuffed up on the inside.
So while I was inside my car listening for new bumps or rattles or noises and noticing that the impact of the hit broke my radio display, I tried wiping down the car door... to no avail.
But what did I do after that?
Lock my keys in my car.
Yep.
The only good thing is I have one of the keyless things and my keys WERE NOT in the ignition.
***
So it seems I'm not overly sensitive about my door. I've gone and requested several other opinions and the verdict is in - I could definitely break my key off in the door if I'm not careful.
It sticks, horribly, and it's not aligned right. The corner of the driver's door is banging into the back door and nicking paint. Apparently the car door I received was originally red.
So this means giving my car back to the shop... which I'm dreading so I haven't called yet. And yes, I realize I need to do this ASAP.
***
I've been trying to pack my lunch, but today I have to go out and get something to eat as our mayonnaise had expired and I didn't notice till after I fixed the tuna fish. Incidentally, it didn't make me sick on Monday, but I've again asked for a vote and it seems I should be safe rather than sorry and not eat it.
***
I have no idea what to get my sister for her birthday. Either of them.
I am coming to terms with the term "recycled door."
I'm also coming to terms with the wreck breaking things that probably will not be fixed but bug me because my car was extremely well taken care of.
There's also a new sound from the engine that I'm ignoring. Hopefully if I ignore it, it will go away.
But I'm not driving the Monte Carlo - and that makes me very happy.
Having a week-long vacation in two weeks makes one useless.
In other news, I received a message on my home phone (which I never check) on Friday from Enterprise informing me that Rockingham Group had called them and told them that Friday would be the last day they would pay for the rental car. I needed to return the car by midnight.
Oh hell no.
Of course by the time I get home Rockingham Group is closed as is my State Farm agent's office and the body shop. I called Rockingham Mutual and got some generic claims office, again, and left a message. I then called Enterprise and they told me not to worry about it since my car wasn't done.
So, I called the body shop this morning, they forgot to check the alignment and so my car should be done this afternoon. I called State Farm and my agent assured me that they would extend the rental car since my car isn't ready until this afternoon, but if I had a problem to let her know.
I then called Rockingham Group, got the voice mail of the woman I want to talk to and haven't heard a thing back since. I think this is the worst insurance company I've ever had to deal with, and I don't like dealing with the State Farm claims people. These people are worse. I can't wait for this to be over with.
Update: I FINALLY talked to her and the rental has been extended. Now I'm able to breathe normally again.
I hate insurance companies. But I love my State Farm agent, I really do. This is such a hassle, especially since the kid and/or the kid's parents have not called their insurance company yet.
Normally, my agent would call the person and ask them about calling their insurance company but BECAUSE the kid's father is who he is and he apparently uses my State Farm agent for other things (I guess like court things) they were hesitant to call him and were hoping to get it resolved through the insurance company. Yes, perfect.
The lady from Rockingham Mutual was a bit of a jerk. I found out that I can not really take the car anywhere I want. I can take it to one of their 3 approved places or I can have their appraiser come out, look at it and then they can give me a check for what they think it will cost. I think someone would be crazy to take the later route. The good thing is one of the places I could take it is apparently really good, so that worked out - I hope.
My agent then took over as I didn't know what the hell to do and got my car towed to a repair shop - there is some talk that my car may be totaled - and got me a rental car.
My rental car is a Saturn Ion - and this thing has the world's smallest steering wheel. And not to be vulgar, but the car smells like ass. Like nasty body odor. I have febrezed the hell out of it and left the windows open, hoping that the smell will go away. It's really that gross.
And I think it got on my clothes. Blech.
Okay, so apparently there is a rumor that the kids were friends of the cop's kids and were leaving a note or had done something to the son's car and were making their get-a-way when they had the accident.
Nice to know a prank caused thousands of dollars worth of damage and hours of frustration.
The judge finally came home and he hasn't been contacted by the kid's insurance company or heard anything and he's a bit irritated.
I would be too (and am), especially since I filed a claim with the kid's insurance company yesterday and gave them mine and the judge's phone number.
That's when I heard it. Crunching metal is the most horrible sound, and one that stays with you after you've been in a wreck. All that flashed through my mind was that it was close, too close.
I jumped to my window and opened the blinds in time to see a car (the Honda Accord) smashing into my own. And I admit it, I screamed. You know that scream that takes you up and octave higher than you ever thought you could go? Yeah, that's what I did... I screamed "someone's hit my car."
My sister was downstairs and in a chair right by the front door and when she'd heard the noise she had jumped up to look out the window. She then heard me scream and ran, full-speed, out of the house with me right behind her.
I got out there after her. She ran straight up to the kids - who looked 12. Seriously. She was yelling, "What the hell happened? How fast were you going? How old are you?? Are you even old enough to drive?"
I was shaking. But I managed to run back inside and call 9-1-1.
*continues below
The Volkswagen, which is the 17 year-olds car, was coming down the street. They insisted they were just eating french fries and going the speed limit. They got distracted and hit the Honda Accord. The Honda was parked on the right side of this street about where the Volkswagen is in the photograph.
The Honda was then pushed across the street and into my car. They then backed up the Volkswagen and got out of the car when my sister came running out of the house.
The first thing my sister saw was the passenger... standing there still eating his french fries. And he was a little prick, seeing no blood and everyone out of the car and fine (and eating french fries) - she started asking questions.
That's when he started to give her attitude. Because after he told her that they were going the speed limit, she asked him what was going on in that car and what he had been doing to distract the driver.
Both insisted they were doing nothing. B.S. I've been in two wrecks (I was in the backseat both times and both times were in high school) where the front passenger flipped out and grabbed the wheel or was distracting the driver resulting in the car accident. But that's not what the cops heard. But whatever.
So, of course... everyone comes out of their houses. Great. This is why nothing got done because now the entire neighborhood is up and out on the street meddling.
First cop on the scenes walks up to us and goes, "this kind of thing never happens here." No, no it doesn't, until you get the high school friends visiting going 50 in a 15.
So, of course, the next hour and a half is waiting for the cops to get all the information and talking to the kids and waiting for the tow trucks. No one was really concerned with my car, mainly because the Honda was totaled and the owners weren't home.
The kid is being charged with reckless driving and I probably won't be subpenad to court, but I might go anyway.
I'm glad I wasn't in the car, because my sister and I almost were. We had gone to the gym and were going to stay another 20 minutes but decided to go on home. If we'd stayed we would've been getting home when the kid was driving down the street.
It's just sucks. My car was supposedly safely parked outside my house and it gets smashed into. And if one more person is like, "that's what insurance is for," I think I'll scream. Yes, I realize that's what insurance is for, but I'm a good driver and I try to watch out and drive defensively and I had a great car that wasn't damaged and it's just frustrating that I have to waste my time and effort getting this fixed.
But yes, I'm fine. Slideshow below.
My car got smashed into.
Pictures and story later when I calm down and after I sleep.
Update: Sorry, as my friend pointed out on my MySpace page - yes, I'm alright. My car was parked and I wasn't in it.
