[jimhelm]

I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop since Tuesday night.

On my way home after work at 10:30 at night, I was stuck in traffic behind an accident on 676. sat for 10 minutes dead still. then it cleared. just like that. passed over a pile of cat litter or something where the accident had been, but saw no cars. Just cops on the shoulder. great. Off we go. ..... and then we stop!

well, most of us did. I stopped slightly less quickly than the car in front of me, unfortunately. I rear ended an old Taurus with a family of 4 in it. goddamn it.

air bag didn't go off, it didn't hurt.... and I couldn't even tell where I had hit her car. (funny, they live in a trailer park right near Honey Brook where jinx and I had our first apartment)... but my car ( the fucking Juke I was so enjoying) lost 90% of it's power... it felt like i had the clutch in 2/3 of the way, but it's an auto trans.

I limped it onto the shoulder, got out and went to see if everyone was ok. The little girl in the back seat had a bump on her head, but said she was ok. (they wound up taking her to Children's Hosp as a precaution anyway) A philly cop rolled up just then, but they were transporting a prisoner, and it was State Po Po juris anyway, so they called State Police to respond. They just happened to be about 1/4 mile back up the road, so they were right there in a hurry. I looked at my car, and the damage looked negligible there too... but I was not going to try driving it with 10% power on the Schuylkill Expressway, so they called a tow truck. He also arrived very quickly. I guess I finally made the traffic report on KYW... they had to close the east bound ramp to 76 for about 20 minutes.

Now, apparently, 'get this car off the highway' translates to 'take it to the PPA lot in South Philly' ...and tell the stupid prick that wrecked it to get out of the tow truck and come back for the car tomorrow.

I was surprised. I'm like.. Ok, now what? and dude says... 'well, you call someone to come get you.' ...The little building there is dark and closed, and this area is basically abandoned at night.

SO.... at 11:30pm, I'm standing near Oregon and Columbus ave waiting to be rescued. I wonder what happens to a little old lady that has no friends, or cell phone? My ride got there 5 minutes later because I had been in touch from just after the accident... but damn. that's cold hearted, dawg.

anyway, it took my service department 3 tries to get the paperwork and $check amount right in order to retrieve the car from the parking authority. Finally got my dealer tag and phone charger back on Friday, and today they got it up on a lift and determined that although it didn't LOOK too bad, it is pretty fucked up under there. I was hoping to get the car back and for the damage to be less than $1000.... but no such luck. One more thing coming out of my already paltry take home pay.

I keep telling myself that it could have been much worse. No one was hurt, and all that... so I'm lucky, right? RIGHT?

worst part was that it ruined my plans with my kids the next day as I had to go to work and get a new car to drive.