Have you ever had one of those chains of events that only needs one thing to have changed to stop the end result?

My friend had a Mazda dealer tell him that he'd need new rear brakes soon. We moved our Mazda out front and I swapped the Camaro for his Miata so we could work in the garage. It turns out he didn't need brakes at all (1/32" worn, if that) and we switched back. My wife was getting quite hungry and wanted me to go get dinner. No problem, I'll take the Mazda and then I can put it back in the driveway when I return. So far so good....

About 1/2 way to McDonalds, I was thinking that I should have driven the Camaro since it wasn't blocked in the garage, but I hadn't.

I get to the drive through and pull up behind a couple cars. Then I hear a "pop". I check the mirrors and a black 2004-ish Grand Am had backed into the corner of my bumper with her bumper. I got out, walked up to the window and advised her that she hit my car. She didn't seem to believe me, but she couldn't leave because I was in her way (which is how she hit me). She looked at my car and started to blow it off, then she saw the red paint streaks on her black bumper and was convinced. I called and tried to get an officer to take a report, but they were busy and said they'd be here in about 2 hours. No thanks (when I left, my wife was getting so hungry that she was going to start feeling ill soon).

One of the two of them hustled the 4 small children (all 5 and under) from the backseat (no car seats) to the inside of the McDonalds play area and came back out. I asked if they had an insurance card, "no". Do you have insurance? "no". Can I get your name and address? They spoke in Spanish for a while and finally gave me a cell phone number and a name. But they couldn't remember their address (which is why I wanted an officer to respond). So, I took the tag number off of the car, a description of the car, the time, date and location and wrote it down. I'll give it all to my insurance company and let them fight it out with the person the car and tags are registered to. By the time this is all finished, I'll probably have to fight with my insurance company to cover it and get them to try to locate the driver to get their money back. I'm just frustrated that people don't pay the least bit of attention, they don't know where they live (yea, right) and they understand everything I say, but don't seem to speak any English.

[/rant]

Note to self, learn Spanish. I've been thinking that for a while, but I guess I should finally look into doing something about it.

Pretty much sucks.

Did they have a drivers license?

Sorry.

Bock

ya, that REALLY sucks. My kid is taking Spanish, you can use his text book....

Every damn day ... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Sucks for sure, Kevin. But McDonald's??????? You are so swave and deboner ...


Say this the next time.

Tú slut ignorante, yo tengo un arma.
Darme tu información del seguro o tu licencia de conductor.


4 years of high school spanish and 2 semesters in college.

A cat moment, eh Mitch? (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) Sorry to hear Kevin!!!!

Beats me, they didn't seem intent on producing one...... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/banghead.gif)



She suggested it, I was just the runner. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/ph34r.gif)

And I'm not sure that it would have been a good idea to tell her that I had a weapon. I'm not saying I didn't, just that I really didn't think it would help..... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Though I would have had to tell the officer, if one had actually had time to show up.....

i think i would have called the cops back and explained you have some non-english speaking people who hit your car. they have no D/L, they don't no where they live and they don't have insurance. some cop would have met his non-existant "quota" for the month and hauled off some illegal aliens, or someone who most likely has warrents for previous "accidents".
your way too nice a guy Kevin.

I considered it. Then I remembered that I'm insured out the wazoo (probably too well). I'll call them, let them deal with it as uninsured/underinsured motorists and their batallion of lawyers can do their best to make these peoples lives hell.

Besides, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry.....

[/David Banner]

And, the officer who answered the phone advised me that they probably wouldn't take a report on private property, but they'd send someone out if I really wanted them to and wanted to wait. Seemed like an easy waste of 2-4 hours, so I got what info I could and went home. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

At least in KY, you can still go in to the police station later (within some short time period) and fill out an accident report. Your insurance company may want one anyway.

sorry to hear about that... learning languages can't hinder (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)
spanish and french is a good start.
I assume the extent of the dammage is esthetics.
You know Kevin, there are other ways to change the mazda into a Mini, you know ?

Yo Kevin... I AM enrolled in spanish this quarter... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I told Danielle "I guess I could have called Eugenio". (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

The damage isn't bad. If she hadn't scratched through the paint, it would almost buff out. But, it's going to need repainted and smoothed/filled where it gouged the plastic bumper cover.

That sucks man, like others said did they even have licenses?

This reminds me New York just decided it would be a great idea to give illegal immigrants the opportunity to get licenses (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

I don't think they had licenses, they said they had no insurance.

And, I called today, I get to pay a $250 deductible and 20% of a rental car for the privledge of having them back into me. If it was anything else, I'd have 100% coverage on all of it, but in this case, it's not my fault and I get to pay..... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/twak.gif)

Something like this happened to me while I had my learner's permit and was driving my Grandpa. Hippies, driving a car they did not own, no insurance. They made a right turn into Grandpa's '62 Chrysler Newport with their crapwagon. Damaged the frame, that was the end of the Newport. We had cuts and bruises, they did not get hurt. In Colorado where that happened Grandpa could have had them prosecuted for an unsafe lane change and they would have lost their license for a while. He did not - I would have.

The bottom line is folks with no insurance really suck for the rest of us! Not coincidentally they seem to be some of the worst drivers to boot.... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/banghead.gif)

Or me.

why call the cops? Call INS.

Oh yea, I guess you might know a little Spanish..... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/banghead.gif)

Wonder what they would have done if I started speaking Afrikaans to them? My vote was to call the INS as well. You know my feelings on the issue well.

My insurance company ran the tags, found an address and a last name (that didn't match). Either it's a house full of people and she was driving someone elses car (probable), or she lied to me. Either way, they are trying to get in contact and I was also advised that I can file a form with the state about a car with tags and no insurance and start the process to get the owners license suspended (if they can't produce proof of insurance).