getting hit by a semi
Archived from May 19, 2006
I was driving down the I5, going a smooth 60mpg - gas is expensive, you know. I'm in the slow lane and all of a sudden a semi carrying asphalt rams into the side of my car.
My initial thought was "This guy must really want to get into this lane." Then I pulled over to the side of the freeway. I thought my car was destroyed. That's what it sounds like when a big rig rams his wheel into the side of your car - it sounds like your car is being destroyed. I pulled over but the semi kept right on going.
I pulled to the side of the freeway in a place that has no shoulder. I was hugging the guard rail. I didn't know if my car would go or not. I was pretty much in shock - a lot of those same helpless feelings of being in the accident last year came up. I figured the highway fix-it guy would come by. The last time I had to pull over to the side of the road that guy was there before I turned off my car. It wasn't the fix-it guy, but instead a nice man named Mario who risked his circa '91 minivan to pull up behind me and knock on my passenger side window. He said "I saw the whole thing. It was completely his fault. Here's my information if you need a witness or anything." His name was Mario. Mario told me that the big rig driver pulled up ahead. I was relieved and thought far better thoughts about the driver than prior to that information.
I felt so tired. I just didn't want to have to deal with this. I pulled up behind the big rig. The driver came out. He was very apologetic. Then Mario pulled up. I was happy to see him. He said he was there in case there was any "funny business". The driver said "so, what do you want to do?" I said "exchange insurance information". He said "It's so expensive to go through insurance. I can just take your car and have it fixed; it will be much better that way." I said I still wanted his insurance information...for insurance. He agreed to give it to me.
It dawned on me while talking to him that if I had gone to his insurance provider, it could've risked him his job. His insurance is basically what makes him hirable. Everyone makes mistakes. The bottom line was: I wasn't hurt. He was offering to fix my car. What else could I ask for? "Please go back in time and make this not happen."
The next day he called me. His name was Ghenry. I got an estimate earlier and he said that he could get it cheaper. He said I could use his car and he would take mine and have it fixed. Which is exactly what happened. I drove his family's car - very nicely cleaned up except for a toy car and headband in the backseat and he got my car fixed. It only took a couple of days, and I enjoyed driving a car with air-conditioning and plush seats.
When the car was fixed we met at the car exchange meeting spot down the street from my house, and my car looked like new. It was good. He said "see, look, it's all fixed, just like new." Yes. Then he asked me what I did for a living and I told him. It was obvious he was a truck driver. Then he said that if I had any problems with my car that I should tell him because he could get me cheap parts and labor because if I "go to a mechanic, they take one look at me and you know, charge everything. Because you know, you're ..." As he trailed off, I said "a woman". He said yes. Then he said he'd been driving his wife's car while I had his. I asked him about his kids. Then he said "so, can I take you to dinner sometime?" I said "sure, with your family, no problem."
I think it's unlikely that I will go out to dinner with Ghenry or his family, but I will probably call him for deals on car maintenance. He was a nice guy and I feel like I helped him keep his job.
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