Remember how last year around this time I hit a car that jumped out in front of me? And my car was considered “totaled?” But I took the money and ran (was other driver’s fault) and then two months later I backed into another car? Because I slammed on reverse instead of forward?
Those were the days…
And now, we add yet another car accident to the list :( Making it the 3rd in 12 months, ugh… At least my ratio of fault to no-fault is getting better! (1 for 3!)
Here’s how this latest smashing went down:
- I hear what sounds like an explosion and jump out of the bathtub (that’s right, I’m inside my house!)
- I immediately run after my cat thinking she’s – yet again – done something she shouldn’t have
- I don’t see anything wrong with our house, and go back up to finish bath time with Lil’ Penny (you thought I was naked and running around the house as so, didn’t you? ;))
- 3 seconds later I get frantic loud knocks on my door as if there’s a fire
- There is no fire, but I again go downstairs again and see my neighbor at my door
- “These drunks just hit your car! They were swerving all over!”
- I run outside and indeed see pieces everywhere, along with half the community gawking
- I’m shocked and kinda just stare at my poor baby, wondering what the heck was going on…
- A lady 50 yards from me yells at me and asks if I’m the owner of it, and I say yes.
- She then says she’s super sorry and that her husband is calling the police
- This same husband jumps out of the car and hops into *another* that pulls up behind it. (WTF?)
- I run up to the window to catch him, and quickly realize I’m confronting one crazy tattoo’d mother f’er. One you’d be scared to run into in a dark alley (or a light one for that matter!)
- I collect my thoughts and calmly ask what the deal was
- Mr. Tattoos mumbles about how much it sucks my car was hit (no $hit), and apologies saying they had gotten cut off, and now he needs to go home real quick to blah blah blah blah… None of it made any sense…
- He takes off, and a different neighbor comes over and says he had overheard the husband (Mr. Tattoos) saying to his wife how he couldn’t get in trouble with the law again, and that he had to go
At this point I’m really confused. One person says they were drunk and swerving all over, and the other says they got cut off and totally leaves the scene of the crime… I decide that all that REALLY matters is that a) I get as much info as I possibly can from this (more sane) driver of the car – the guys’ wife – so insurance is squared away, and b) I don’t get myself shot and/or beat up. All while waiting for the cops to finally make an arrival (it ends up taking 45 mins).
I then realized that if Mr. Tattoos was in charge of the calling of the police, but at the same time he was trying to escape them, then it was highly unlikely he’d have placed the call to begin with. So…
- I call up the police myself just in case, and turns out Tattoos indeed took care of it. The coppers were just all on calls so we were told to wait and be patient (easy for them to say!)
- Luckily the car that hit me was pretty undriveable afterwards, so I knew it – and the wife – weren’t going anywhere soon… The main thing keeping me sane.
- Finally I see the police lights in the distance, only to watch it pass us and go down the wrong street.
- “HEY!!! HEYYYYYY!!! I scream while running channeling my inner track star and chasing it down
- Finally when I do, I get a “sigh….” followed by a “…they said it was on THIS street’s address?”
- “Umm… well, it is not. It’s over here (I point far away to my beat up car)”
- Mr. Copper reluctantly turns the car around, and off we go to start the report (YES!)
- He asks for my side of the story (easy peasy – didn’t see ‘nothing, I was inside!)
- And then asks for hers (“Yeah… I actually don’t know what happened, sorry.”)
- “Don’t know what happened???” I thought to myself… “You got cut off didn’t you?? Or were you drunk, maybe?? How could you not know what happened?”
- Mr. Copper calmly asked again, saying her name as if they had known each other (they did! Wasn’t the first time w/ the law!), and eventually came down to the conclusion that they were bickering and must have lost control of the wheel at the time… I see.
- Another 20 mins shuffling id cards and registrations, and we finally had our police report
- When, true to his word, Mr. Tattoos shows up again (gulp)
- So, being the gentleman I am (and half scared out of my mind still), I give the lady driver a hug and say it’ll all be okay and we’ll let the insurance company handle it (HER insurance), and then I make sure to let Tattoos know that it’s “all good” with a manly head nod and shake of the hand.
- Where he offers up another, “Sucks about your car, man” and we go about our merry way…
So. That’s the long-winded version of what happened to my Poor Caddy this week. Funny how life always throws stuff at you when you least expect it, eh? And, from what I gather from her insurance so far (it’s all going through a-okay, knock on wood!), it looks like yet again my car will be considered “totaled” since it’ll cost more to repair than it’s worth :( Which means that I’ll have to decide whether to take the money and run, or give it up once and for all and take a larger sum in its place.
Sucks about my car, indeed…
Still, it could have been a lot worse. Like, me being INSIDE of the car when it happened, or God forbid my KIDS! So I’m definitely counting my lucky stars, even if I am perturbed… This thing isn’t easily replaceable (custom exhaust, low miles, great mechanical condition), but it’s much more so than my family. Who knows what would have happened if they drove down the street at a different time of day?
Anywho, I’ll let you know what the final damage is…. Maybe I’ll get lucky and walk away with my car PLUS $1,170 again? That would be nice! :)
In Other Money News (Literally)…
Here are some of my favorite posts from the 3rd best site in the entire world, Coin Thrill. AKA my coin collecting blog ;) If you’re a fellow collector, or have questions about any of your coins or paper money, shoot me a note and let’s connect!
- Are You For Reale?
- The “Trade Up” Game
- The World’s Smallest Coin?
- I’ll Grant You That, Lincoln
- Susan B. Awesome
Interviews I’ve Done Recently (If Interested…)
Courtesy of the #1 site in the entire world ;)
- Pros and Cons of Being A Landlord with J. Money @ ListenMoneyMatters.com
- 50+ Money Saving Tips From Some of The Best Personal Finance Bloggers @ MoneySavingDude.com
My Favorite Reads From The Month:
Brought to you this time by the 2nd best site on this planet, Rockstar Finance :) If you’re still not signed up to get the alerts, you can easily do so here! Every morning I email out the 3 best articles on money I come across that day – you learn a lot and meet some pretty killer bloggers too, it’s dope.
- Be Mindful Like a Monk @ Grumpy and Annoyed
- A Simple Path to Wealth @ JL Collins NH
- How to Avoid the Guilt Trap @ VOSA
- My Last 40 Dollars… @ See Jack Save
- The 45 Minute Rule @ Money After Graduation
- The Spender vs Saver Continuum @ Escaping Dodge
- The AirBnb Experiment: How Much Did I Make? @ Afford Anything
- Man Risks His Life Everyday Driving A Used Car @ i Heart Budgets
- The Shockingly Simple Math Behind Early Retirement @ Mr. Money Mustache
Other Random Notes…
- Remember that magical gnome that appeared in my yard? Which was left by either a prankster friend of mine or a psycho internet stalker? I finally found the culprit: A friend of mine (whew!)
- Here’s a fun calculator on whether you have what it takes to be rich ;)
- This is a cool product about to come out –> Ringly.com (esp if you’re a girl)
- This is a bad ass way to teach you about not texting and driving! –> VW Theater Ad
- A fun site I just came across: ADrinkWith.com – You’ll like this site if you like pop culture (they pretty much sit down with all kinds of celebrities, artists, athletes, and wannabe celebrities, and then they interview them over, wait for it… a drink ;)) I don’t see they scored an interview with my Bachelorette friend, Chrystie Vachon, yet though like I did – woop woop!
- And one more cool site: HumansofNewYork.com – From their about page: “I started collecting quotes and short stories from the people I met, and began including these snippets alongside the photographs. Taken together, these portraits and captions became the subject of a vibrant blog. With nearly four million followers on social media, HONY now provides a worldwide audience with daily glimpses into the lives of strangers in New York City. (Hat tip: FitnPoor.com)
And lastly, this ;)
Happy random day Friday the 13th! (Ack!)
——
PS: Seriously, how unlucky is my car?
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A similar thing just happened to my friend!! She went to the store with some one and came back to find her car gone. She thought it was stolen and freaked out. Neighbors then told her that some maniac coming down the road hit her parked car so hard that it jumped the curb and hit a tree. The car is smashed on all sides and she would be badly hurt or dead if she were in it. Neighbors also told her a 10 year old girl gets out of the maniac car saying “my dad’s trying to hurt me and my mom is in the hospital”. All this while she was at the store!
I’m glad everyone is OK including the drunkies! I also hope they are able to get themselves together. It’s a sad life. Good luck with your car also!!
Hot damn – that’s a lot worse! Man…. you just never know what’s around the corner, do you?
Oh man thst sucks!! Hope it all gets worked out!
I’m obsessed with HONY and Postsecret.com they’re great!
This is why I am really glad my cars are packed in my garage… of course if they go hit while in my garage I would probably not handle it as well as I should…
So sorry about the accident!!! Happy Father’s Day to you!!
Hey, thanks! Still getting used to being called a “father” – I like it :) (Though I feel old, haha)
Glad you and your family are safe!
Still though, that sucks. It’s gonna be a huge pain in the butt to deal with. Hope everything works out for the best, whatever you decide to do!
I’m starting to feel bad for you car!! JK!! Still sucks. I’m glad you and your family are safe. Happy Father’s Day!
It’s okay, I feel bad for her too! Poor girl… guess it’s getting to that age :(
Woof, car drama! Glad everyone is safe and the insurance seems to be going through. Love Humans of New York. I’ve definitely spotted some friends on there from time to time.
Woah, really? That’s awesome!
That stinks about your car, but like you said, at least you or your kids weren’t in it. My friend has an older Trans Am (like the one from Smokey and the Bandit) and some guy hit him. It was totaled and he was expecting maybe $1-2K for it. The insurance company paid him $10K which is more than he bought it for. Plus they didn’t want a totaled car (it could still be drive, just needed a lot of work) so they sold it to him for $400! He is now parting it out and making a killing. Oh and he bought another one – much nicer than his old one.
OH MAN!!! That is hotness! I still have a thing for Trans Ams too… still have yet to get my hands on one :)
Your caddy had become an accident magnet. :( Glad no one was hurt. Have a great Father’s day!
Glad everyone was ok! That’s a crazy story. Hopefully insurance will take care of it. I can’t believe his response every time was just “sucks about your car, man”. It’s also weird that he showed up again at the end. Like you said, the important thing was that you and your family were not inside the car!
Seriously Dude, this is now taking on the life of a “Side Hustle”.
HAH! You’re kinda right on that one.
That sucks about your car! Our new-to-us car got majorly hailed on last week and it has a LOT of damage to it. Bad week for cars!
Yuck! Is that covered under insurance? “Act of God” yeah?
You ARE a lucky guy. The only person I know that actually MAKES money on a car without being in it . If I were you….I would hold out for $2K from the insurance company AND have the car returned to you. Then scrap the car for $400. Then take those proceeds and the rest of your “accident fund” and purchase a nice used Prius. They get great gas mileage, good crash test ratings (your a Dad now), and would probably be a bit more reliable then the Caddy. I’m just surprised and relieved that Mr. Tattoos had insurance at all. Hope it all pans out.Happy Fathers Day!
Haha, thanks man. Not a bad plan at all actually ;) Though my wife won’t let me get anything else but a minivan or an SUV – and I bet you can guess which route I’m picking if it comes down to that…
What a great “money card”! Seeing that picture at the very end of your blog post was like watching a Marvel movie. You have to make it through the end credits to get one final treat.
Too bad about your car. She’s a beaut. Can’t wait to hear what you decide to do. Glad you and your family are OK.
Glad you made it to the end to see it ;)
Wow, sorry to hear about your car J! But, so glad that you and the kiddos weren’t in it at the time. Your story reminds me of my mother-in-law who was hit, while driving, 3 separate times over the span of nine or so months and each time the driver took off. It was a major pain in the butt, to say the least, but was just crazy.
Oh man, that blows… People are so rude sometimes, I don’t understand it.
Well, now I know why you drive a Caddy…
Many years ago I heard it explained this way:
“If you driving a little-bitty car and you have an accident, that accident be happening right in your face. But if I be driving my big ol’ Cadilac and that accident be happin’ waaaaay out there some wheres.”
Haha… It is like driving a boat, that’s for sure… And worse gas mileage too :)
Damn! That reminds me of the time my (badass) Buick LeSabre was smashed right in front of my parent’s house by a guy who only cleared the snow off 1/2 of his windshield. He never even saw my car! I felt bad for the guy because he had two little kids in the backseat who were understandably frightened. I couldn’t just take the money, though, because one of my front headlights was totally busted!
Scary :( Anytime kids are involved it’s a horrible situation… Happy to have my car hit anytime as long as none of us are in it!
Seriously, your car needs an exorcism. There is some very bad karma running around that thing and I would quickly find some witch doctor with a chicken to handle it before anyone in your family gets hurt. SO crazy!!! And I wasn’t thinking about you running around the house naked, I was wondering what a grown man was doing taking a bath? Glad to hear Lil Penny was involved. Happy Father’s Day to you!!!! I hope Nickel and Penny let you sleep or give you a few moments of quiet or something beautiful like that.
Hehe, thanks friend :) It’s nice having a day which celebrates our kids moreso than us! Can’t be a father without having wee ones, right?
I’ve totalled 5 cars in less than 10 years, with only 1 of them being my fault! The first died while legally parked on the side of the road, I came out the day of Christmas vacation to find it in a heap on the sidewalk! I feel your pain, happy to see you’re ok! :)
Oh man, haha… At this rate I’ll catch up to you in another year :)
Wow that really stinks! I used to have a super unlucky car that was hit all the time. I think my total was around 18 or 19. It was absolutely ridiculous and not a SINGLE time was it my fault :(
Dude that SUCKS! Sorry to hear about your car. Hopefully this won’t be the end of it. I had a car I was in love with when I was single and about three weeks after I got married, some chick t-boned my wife in it, Four years later, I still mourn its loss–as well as all the money that’s gone into my wife’s back and neck problems because of it….
Oh no :( Health stuff is no joke!!
Painful! Especially dealing with these characters. Hopefully the insurance crap is behind you soon.
That’s crazy. Sorry to hear that, but maybe you should get a different color car. Red is the color of passion and other cars just want to give it a little kiss.
I believe this is the best comment I’ve read all week, haha…. way to cheer me up :)
Oh man that stinks. Here’s to hoping for a happy ending.
One way to put an even “silverer” lining on the totaled situation and not buying a new car is if someone offered you $1,000 for the right to hit your rear corner with a baseball bat 5 times would you take it? If so, then it’s a no brainer to keep the car in disrepair (or junk-yard part repair) and hope it’s totaled.
I’m not a “car guy” though, so the decision is easy for me. If you offer to pay me the value of my car you can have at it. Ten swings even. Just no windows. That’s a pain in the butt to replace. ;)
HAH! I don’t mind anyone hitting my car anytime really at this point, as long as a) my car remains street legal so I don’t get pulled over (so no tail lights!), and b) you don’t wake up my kids in the middle of the night ;)
Glad everyone is okay. That’s the most important thing. Of course it still sucks to deal with all the hassle associated with a random event like that.
Reminds me of something I saw years ago, when I was downtown and saw a car swerve across lanes and ram into a parked car for no apparent reason. Saw on the news that night that they guy had a seizure. Hard to account for such randomness!
Yikes! I hope he ended up being okay! Hard to get mad at that if you’re the owner of the other car…
Eeek! That sounds crazy! So glad you were not in the car, and your kids are safe. It could have been so much worse! I’ve been in car accidents before and now I just prefer not to drive. :) Your life is so nutty! I can’t wait to meet you at FinCon! We can share some hilarious stories, haha.
You no longer drive??? Did you win the lottery and pick up a chauffeur? Cuz THAT would be pretty cool ;)
And yes – see you at FINCON indeed. Will be fun!
Sorry about your car… my that was a crazy story. Now simmer down and try and relax and enjoy your Father’s Day weekend. :-D
Wow what a crazy car accident! Its lucky that you were inside and no one was hurt, but it must have been unsettling. I know it would take me a while to calm down from all of that. I think I would also be paranoid about my car for some time afterward. Usually you feel confident that nothing bad will happen to the car when its at home!
Dude! Major bummer. I hope it works out for you. About a year and a half ago, I got backed into by some silly girl who I guess mistook reverse for forward (hey, it happens…) :). Ended up getting a tiny little blemish in my bumper, and a free full detail job out of it. Thankfully there was no permanent damage.
I figure she was just checking me out in the rearview and in shock of my amazingly chiseled face.
Probably :)
Crazy story! Just glad no one was hurt in that accident! And glad you weren’t in the car with the kids. Always pretty scary being in the car when it happens. Hopefully it’ll all work out with some fat stacks of cash. Or short stacks.
I’m so sorry about your car. I finally own one that I love and understand how sad that would be. Good luck!
Yikes! Scary stuff. I used to fly sailplanes (engineless airplanes), and when people would tell me they would never fly in one of those, I used to tell them the most dangerous part of the flight would be the drive there. :)
Driving is dangerous, especially with drunk and distracted drivers. Glad you and the family weren’t hurt!
HAH! You’re right – way more odds getting in an accident on the road than up in the sky :)