Monday, January 28, 2008

Maybe I haven't loved you like I should have...

(IF YOU'RE HERE FOR FUN MONDAY, IT'S BELOW THIS POST)

I've never claimed to like my car. To me it never had a personality or was particularly wonderful in any way except that it got excellent gas mileage. Putting in the miles I was putting in at the time I got it, that was a necessity and everything else came second.

I have a strange history of cars, which I will go into some day, but today I will just say that I traded in my beloved but expensive-to-fix 1988 Volvo that I bought for $400. For this. A plain-jane, four-door Ford Focus Sedan SE. And it was RED. I absolutely hate red cars.

But I got a good deal at a time when both that and the gas mileage thing were of utmost importance and who cared as long as it got me from point A to point B in a reliable manner.

Today, that stupid car went above and beyond the call of duty.

I was driving home from taking ZBoy to school. Kida was in the back seat and I was in the neighborhood. At the bottom of my street, the road takes a ninety-degree turn onto another street and I was on that street headed back towards my house.

I noticed a very large black truck coming down the hill into the turn going much faster than was warranted, so I slowed down. He'd have to slow down at the curve, right?

Um. Hello? Big black truck? Are you going to make the turn? (I am stopped on the street waiting to see.) Yes! Yes, you're making the turn!

Oh, shit! You're in my lane, still going fast, all I can see is truck grill.

I love you, Darling Man! I love you, ZBoy! I love you, family! I'm sorry, Kida - your first ride to school has to end like this....

Just before a possibly deadly (or at least very painful) head-on collision, the guy realized that I'm there (hello? I have my lights on!!!!!) and whips his steering wheel around, away from me.

Not all the way away, but enough. Our bumpers kiss. A small jolt, but less than you'd get on a bumper car ride. My cup of coffee doesn't even spill.

I must be dead. No way could my car have taken that hit so gracefully. After a minute, I get out. The other guy has backed his truck up and out of the way and is getting out too.

The first thing I notice is plastic bits of car in the road. Great. This is JUST what I need. I walk around to the front of my car. And look. It's all still there. There's a sort of smudge of rubber on my bumper and the lens on my headlight is cracked. That's it. That's all there is.

Truck driver guy is amazed. Talk about "Ford Tough"! My little crappy car is Ford tough. And his truck? Pieces in the road. We are stunned.

The sun got in his eyes and he didn't see me at all until that last second. I know how that can happen - it happens to me at that turn all the time, but I SLOW DOWN when I can't see.

005 002

003 004

Truck driver guy works at a body shop. He's going to buy me a new headlight and replace it for me. We're okay. Well, I'm okay.

He had to go home and change his pants.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

So glad you, Kida, and your little red Ford are all ok.
Geesh, that was a close call.
This would be a great commercial for Ford. You should notify them.

Sandy said...

and now that your little red car has proved itself, it at least deserves a name! Maybe a contest there....

Sayre said...

For some reason "Rasberry Beret" keeps going through my mind...

If not a name, perhaps a bath. In all the time I've owned it, I've never washed it. First I lived on a dirt road and there was no point. Then I lived on paved roads and it just always looked clean enough to me...

Me said...

Omgosh.
I am glad you are ok.
That was kind of close.
And tee hee on him "having to go home and change his pants"

Unknown said...

Glad you're ok! I think I would have needed to change my pants!

Anonymous said...

That is pretty crazy that you didn't have any more damage. I'm impressed. I hit a dog on the highway a couple of weeks ago...my car didn't fair quite as well as your car.

apricoco said...

I'm glad you and Kida are ok. Accidents no matter how small can be scary! Give your little red Ford some TLC and you will be paying back the "favor".

=)

Anonymous said...

Thank goodness you and Kida were okay and it wasn't worse. Someone upstairs was looking out for you.

Linda said...

Yikes! What a story - glad you lived to tell it! Good story for one of those Geico commercials... I can see it now, Prince would be the hired celebrity to tell your story... he could sing Raspberry Beret...

Nona said...

Sayre, I am so glad you are okay. How quickly bad things can happen. So glad he saw you in time. That was toooo fricking close. I'm sure Ford would love that story.

Wanted to let you know that the light I have is a Philips Wake-up Light (HF3461). It's amazing to believe that a little light can make such a big difference. I just love this thing.