Today was not my day..

I got into my first at-fault car accident today. In the Mustang, of course.

Was at the on-ramp near my job, heading to the tax office in the town I live in to dispute the 4% vs 6% tax rate on our property taxes. The on-ramp has a yield sign due to traffic that has a green light coming across the main road at times. There was a truck in front of me, kind of creeping then stopping. The light for cars crossing the main road turned red, which means we'd be the only lane of cars getting on the on-ramp. He looked, went, I looked, went, he slammed on his brakes right in front of me. Boom. I should have been more careful, not the first time someone did that go-stop thing right there - happens to everyone all the time it seems.

Pulled over, his bumper was sort of folded down (bumper brackets bent), my car had a big black streak across the front bumper from the rubber step on the bumper. Rob is fixing the man's bumper for free. He was a super nice guy, felt worse when he told me he was 79 - I have a soft spot for the elderly. I drove him back to his house down the street from the shop. He didn't want to call the cops or insurance companies - kind of suspicious but we asked twice and he said no. Easier on me though!

Ugh. Luckily the black streak on the Mustang is similar to a rubber sole on linoleum, it just rubs off. Didnt dent the bumper or crack the paint. Yesterday my friend who works out with me was rear-ended by a dump truck, and her husband was run into in a parking garage. Not been a great week anywhere it seems.

Hopefully they don't somehow change their minds about that part. Though I'm not sure how it'd work then. ?

Rob should be able to have it fixed tomorrow. The guy's wife called us tonight to find out what was up with it all. Guess she's worried we'd try and screw him over or something and not fix it. The junkyard contact is supposed to call Rob in the AM about the brackets. Heck, I'll just as soon go down to Parks Auto Parts and buy them brand new if I have to/if they have them.

The man even apologized to ME about "having to go through all this." Aw. Guess that part of luck was on my side, to not have a total jerk that got out claiming severe neck pain or something, but have a nice guy who just wants his bumper fixed and to be on his way.

Rob had the bumper off the truck today and found some interesting tell-tale signs that its doubtful I damaged it to the point it was at. A bumper bracket doesn't rust overnight in the spots that are bent when it is clear, southern weather And considering the Mustang's front bumper doesn't even have a ding in it (and only rated at 5mph or something for crashes), no one that came by and saw it at the shop believes I caused the amount of damage the truck had.

Buuuut, we are still coughing up the $250 for a brand new chrome bumper assembly since the scrapyard friend didn't have any chrome bumpers available. It'll be there tomorrow and the man can be on his way. Scrubbed most of the black off the Mustang's bumper this morning, need to spritz some alcohol on it for the tougher spots. Still grateful that it wasn't any worse for either of us.