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Virgil

I'm a Schmuck

Rating: 2 votes, 5.00 average.
19 Comments
by
Virgil
, 01-18-2008 at 10:27 PM (4154 Views)
I had some weird experience today. I had a minor car accident. Mind you there was no other car, just a solo accident. I drove into a curb. It was out of the parking lot at work. Good Lord I've only been driving out of that parking lot for over 20 years. The way the parking lot is arranged is that in front of the building is a curb that wraps around a paved parking lot. The parking lot is fairly large and the sidewalk/curb surrounds it except for an openning on each end to go in and out. So I leave my building, get in my car, and I'm eating an apple. I back up to back out of the parking spot, shift into drive, and head for the exit openning. The sun is in my eyes, almost directly, bothering me but I can still see, and I'm still eating my apple. I've just finished my apple and thinking where should I put the core, and I place it down on the center console.

Then WHACK!!! It's as if the world stopped and hit me in the head. I'm stunned. I have absolutely no idea what happen. My eyes are trying to focus. And then I my head clears up. The airbags, both, deployed. The one on the steering wheel is right in front and deflating. I smell the sulfer from explosive and the air is foggy. I couldn't believe it. And I still didn't know what happened. I openned the door and stepped out. What did I hit? Nothing is in front of me. And then I see the curb. I veered too far to the right; I was going to make a right turn; I missed the openning and hit the part of the curb that wraps up. The bottom of the car was high enough to go over the curb, scraping it, but the curb was high enough for the wheels not to climb over. There wasn't a scratch on the car. Nothing.

It took a while to collect myself. I wasn't hurt. No blood. No apparent injury. I wasn't going fast. I could not have been going over 10-15 miles per hour. I was approaching the exit out of the parking lot so I was breaking to go onto the street. My lip was smacked by the air bag and feels a little swollen but nothing that I can see in a mirror. My left hand now hurts. Apparently when the air bag went off, my left hand which was on the steering wheel, was propelled by the explosion and I think struck the door handle. I drove home. I had to keep the windows open most of the way because of the lingering sulfer. The car drives fine.

Now here's the kicker. I called up the service station to get an estimate. For two air bags, sensors, and trigger mechanism, and labor and taxes, it will be over $2600. Aaack!! That hurts even worse. I don't know whether it's worth doing this. It's an old car, (1996) and has a little over 141,000 miles. The car is driving well, but at that age it can go at any time. I checked the value and it's right around $2600, depending on whether one considers it in good shape. And it is.

I had one scotch already to settle my nerves, and I may have another before the night is over. So I'm sitting here, my lips stinging, my wrist now swollen, and every ten minutes calling myself a schmuck.
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Comments

  1. Shalot's Avatar
    I am so sorry. At first, I was kind of amused by what happened (because the way you wrote it I had this whole funny comedic event playing in my head) but the whole having to possibly buy a new car was kind of sobering there. I don't know what kind of car you have, but my co-worker was telling me that her Mazda has 181,000 miles on it. On the other hand, I've known a lot of people who can't seem to get anymore than 120,000 miles out of the car they have.

    If you do buy a car, I don't have any tips there either. If it were me and I were buying a new car, I would get a Jeep! I know I am no help, but I feel your pain. Cars are so expensive.
  2. mtpspur's Avatar
    I figure the car (or cars) are in the long run more expensive to maintain/pay off or live with more then I ever spent on my ungrateful guttersnipes yet alone the long suffering one. Was surprised by the high cost of the airbags--I was expecting something in the 1500 range. Glad you weren't hurt. At AAA we have people hitting curbs all the time though.
  3. andave_ya's Avatar
    I'm really sorry, Virgil, that's harsh. I hope you'll find a good deal, or some merciful mechanic. But no schmuck -- not you. Besides, everyone does weird things like that.
  4. Virgil's Avatar
    Well, it is kind of funny. Thanks for your sympathy. I don't mind people laughing. It's almost like a cartoon scene. The car's a Saturn. I can't believe the air bags deploy at that low speed, but we looked it up and they do.
  5. Janine's Avatar
    I think I would call this article - is it worth having airbags? Yikes, Virgil, that much moula to replace airbags? You could go back to just seatbelts, just a thought. Hey, sounds like airbags are dangerous too - swollen lip, sore hand, it is a wonder you were not blinded. Next time eat you apple in the office or parking garage, discard core in the trashcan! No, seriously, this story is rather funny, but NOT really, I know-those lost dollars will hurt - ouch! I think I would think seriously about a new car; doesn't seem worth it to put that much money into an older one with that much milage. Glad you were not hurt.
  6. motherhubbard's Avatar
    Well, this just makes me feel better about myself. I suppose that's a terrible reaction to have to your misfortune. But you have to understand that I have hit trees, gates, power polls, the garage door, a fire hydrant, a log in the road, curbs and much much more. I broke a strut and bent my tire on one curb. Over a six month period about seven years ago I had more than forty flat tires (two sets of new tires- the last set being truck tires on my minivan) and I lost 17 hubcaps. It was so bad that year. now that I've read this I feel reassured that being a schmuck must be pretty cool if Virgil is one!
  7. Niamh's Avatar
    christ virgil! I'm not going to teese you over that, my boyfriends done same, except he ended up with slow punctures and we had to put superglue over them just to get home. By the sounds of it you'd be better off getting a new car. Maybe it was fates way of telling you to.
  8. Virgil's Avatar
    Thanks ladies. I'm going to see if I can get a better quote to repair the car. Mom-H, my God, you sound like a horrible driver. I'm surprised your husband lets you drive.
  9. Weisinheimer's Avatar
    I was chuckling the whole time I was reading the entry, but you have my sympathy.
    I've hit the curb backing out of the parking spot at my house so many times, but I have no funny stories to tell, no apple cores or airbags, or anything. I just ran into the curb, for no reason.

    good luck with figuring out what to do with the car.
  10. Petrarch's Love's Avatar
    So much for the idea that an apple a day is helpful in any way. Seriously, though, I was worried when I first read the words car accident, and so glad to read further and find that it wasn't a more serious accident. Everyone does clutzy embarrassing things like that now and again, so don't call yourself a schmuck more than neccessary. Happy that you're safe and sound. The estimate on the airbags is an astounding amount though I had no idea it was that much for airbags. What a pain!
  11. motherhubbard's Avatar
    I've improved, slowed down, I keep a healthy distance from everything, and avoid backing up! It was as bad as it sounds
  12. Janine's Avatar
    I am back! I have been reading all the comments and some made me laugh. I can fully relate, MH ! I am guilty of these offenses: have "hit trees, gates, power polls, the garage door, a fire hydrant, a log in the road, curbs and much much more." - well, maybe not the garage door - we don't have one! My mother always used to tell me she did the same when she was younger and she said "funny how those trees and telephone polls grow up behind you!" I have to add a few more things to the list - a parking divider when on vacation - car went right over it and it was stuck in the middle and had to be lifted up by 4 men to free it! That was one of my more notorious accidents. I also, ran over a divider in the road late at night - that sure woke me up! My last mishap happened at a concert last Christmas, at a church and I was trying to park in this overcrowded parking lot and bang! What the heck did I hit??? I thought it was another car and it was one of those "fast growing trees"; skinny little tiny tree, too, and would you believe it? The tree was just fine, not a mark on it, but my back bumper had a definite, very noticable dent...great!
  13. crazefest456's Avatar
    No you're not a schmuck...Don't beat yourself over this thing. Maybe that "crash" prevented you from getting something worse, I dunno. I hope your wrist feels better...I bet it sucks typing right now.
  14. B-Mental's Avatar
    I'm going to say (thank God you are OK) wth airbags...always airbags! And YES you are a Schmuck...You single handedly got the most comments and beat me...on the comment/entry count. My 27 was on a Entry that I posted 70% of the comments. You are cool as hell Virg. Sorry for the monetary and vehicle problems it was my aura passing through and checking in on you, B
  15. LadyWentworth's Avatar
    I am sorry to hear that you have this car situation now! I am glad to hear that you are fine! I know only too well about all the financial situations that come up with a car. I have a 1993 Buick Century. Something is always coming up that is costing me money with this thing. Now, today, I discovered the terrible rust problem has gotten worse (along with the fact that I still need to get my alignment fixed). I know that when it is all taken care of something else will come up! It always does! So, my sympathies, Virgil! Anyway, I have only had 1 incident (it wasn't an accident, but it was something SO STUPID!!). It was this past summer. I was somewhere in the middle of Minnesota. I stopped to get gas. McDonald's was across the way. I really wanted a soda. So, I was going to drive straight across to it. I seriously thought I saw some sort of ramp. I don't know where my mind was! I ended up driving my car off this HIGH curb. It made the loudest noise while doing so. Also, the boucing that it did when it "landed" was quite an experience! EVERYONE in the drive-thru line looked at me! Needless to say I just drove away. I decided to wait until I could stop somewhere else. I was so worried that I did something to the bottom of my car (that scraped the curb). When you say that there was a low speed and that still happened to you (the airbags), maybe I am lucky that mine didn't go off! That was a pretty shocking experience! And like I said, very stupid of me!!
  16. kiz_paws's Avatar
    Virgil, hope you are feeling better soon. Don't feel like a 'schmuck', worse things happen, I am glad that you didn't break your wrist like my brother's neighbour, when the airbag went off. Those things are dangerous -- my dad said that if those things ever go off on him, he's planning to poke them with his pocket knife... but then, they could save a life.... so anyhow. You take care, kay?
  17. Anza's Avatar
    aww. glad that you're all right! My dad owns a paint and body shop, and each airbag (without explosives to deploy it) is ~$900. if you've got two that comes to $1800. the explosives are also incredibly expensive, and it's a biatch to install. Sorry that happened to you!
  18. 1n50mn14's Avatar
    Ouch! That's really harsh, especially the cost!

    Glad you're alright. My stepmom got into a car accident the other day- she was hit by a car while walking our dog, but the dog saved her life and he's fine too =].

    In response to your comment on my blog- if your wife wants a horse, I'll sell her one