I propose a toast

[cjsmith]

Random status:

Called insurance companies (both). Called other driver to confirm license plate number. Appears fairly certain other guy's insurance is accepting liability. Guy on phone said so, anyway.

I don't even have collision insurance. Oddly, this amuses me. (Years ago I decided the car wasn't worth enough to keep paying that bit.)

I will now confirm, never having been a customer of theirs, that State Farm is very nice to deal with in the initial stages of a claim. So is AAA, where I am insured.

Lots of meetings today. The lunch one ran very long, and then the 2pm didn't start until 230 and lasted until after five. This would have to be the day I'm playing phone tag with two insurance companies! Bailed out on a trip to a company we're working with in MtView. No time left; that'll have to be Monday. Also bailed on two reference-check phone calls. Drat. Want that wrapped up, darnit. Well, it's just not been a good day, that's all.

Escaped the office and went to my chiropractor before he closed up for the day. Got a gentle once-over and some good advice.

Canceled tomorrow's flight because I have no clue how I am going to feel in the morning and it will be too late to cancel by then.

Drove the crippled beast home. Parked backwards in the garage so I could exit the car.


Now that I'm not flying in the next 24h, and I'm not driving anywhere tonight, and I have had one hell of a day, I am settling down to some DRINKING.

I propose a toast. To our mechanized servants/companions, stolid beasts of burden, haulers of heavy loads in punishing conditions. To the one, loyal for seventeen years, who gave its life for mine today.

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

*clinks glasses*

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Hear hear! :)

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

Perhaps we'll open some wine tonight and toast your health. ;)

[hopeforyou.livejournal.com]

Have a good round on me, and make sure you drink enough water. I hope you don't get hungover tomorrow.

I am of the opinion that today needs a do-over. It was just that kind of day. I'm glad that you weren't hurt in today's accident, but man, it sucked to have one.

*hugs*

[dawnmipb.livejournal.com]

*clunks Diet Coke bottle*

It would have rum in it, but tonight, I am writing.

Here's to insurances that don't suck. And given the business I'm in, that's saying a lot.

Here's also, to being safe and reasonably healthy.

[anirishpenguin.livejournal.com]

Have a glass of wine for me and I'm glad you are ok. Take care and I hope you have a relaxing weekend.

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

Raising a glass to you and to every consumer group and every government agency and every consumer advocate who ever forced automobile manufacturers to make cars *safer*.

Very glad you're okay.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I'd be honored. :)

[sunnydale47.livejournal.com]

By the time I was able to read posts and saw your entry about the car, there were already two pages of comments so rather than add to the pile there, I figured I'd comment here instead.

As you said in that post, as long as no one was hurt, that's unquestionably the most important thing. Metal can be fixed or replaced -- it's a lot harder to fix people, and replacement is out of the question (at least at present!). But once you get past the relief of no injuries, it's still a royal pain to have to deal with the paperwork, the body shop, the rental car, and all the rest.

Especially if you have no collision ... yikes! Then you're on your own unless the other guy's insurance will accept liability. So I'm really glad the other driver told his insurance company the truth and they're not giving you a hard time about that! I wasn't so lucky, and I've heard other horror stories about people who caused accidents and then lied and blamed the innocent driver ... and got away with it.

My incident was six or seven years ago. A guy (in his late 20s) was swerving wide in the parking lot to park in front of his mother's house, and hit my car as Ken was driving out of the parking lot. The other guy was driving a rental car that was rented to his girlfriend -- and his name wasn't on the contract. But he told their insurance company that Ken was on the wrong side of the street, and that Ken had come over to his car and said "I'm so sorry, it was all my fault"!!!

I was furious when our insurance company told us what had come from the other company! I said, "He never said that! We know better than to say it's our fault even if it is!" Fortunately we had collision on the car, so the insurance companies agreed to each drop it and my insurance company believed us and didn't raise the rates. But I did have to pay a $250 deductible, which made me really mad.)

A friend of mine was once second in line at a light. The car in front had gone a bit over the line and backed up again, and forget to take his car out of reverse. When the light changed, he went backwards and hit my friend's car. He told his insurance company that she hadn't slowed down enough for the light and had hit him, and since in a rear-end accident like that it's virtually always the fault of the driver behind, the insurance companies both accepted the guy's story, and not only did my innocent friend have to pay for her own repairs, but her insurance company paid for his and her rates went up for three years!

So I'm very, very glad to hear that at least the guy was truthful!

Just curious

[sunnydale47.livejournal.com]

Also bailed on two reference-check phone calls.

I've been out of the corporate world for at least 25 years -- I had my own aviation business (which I closed before it was big enough for employees), then worked part-time as an independent contractor, then retired for health reasons. So I have no idea what things are like any more. But what I've heard is that nowadays companies will give only good references, for fear of being sued if they give a bad one -- and therefore nobody bothers checking references any more. Is what I've heard just an urban legend? Or do employers now encode a poor reference by damning with faint praise? Or is it true and you were just checking the "personal references" that I know companies still ask for?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I hope I'm not hung over too -- fortunately I'm not hugely prone to that.

I'd go for a do-over. Absolutely. I imagine you would too.

*hugsback*

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

*kachink*

Yes indeedy, and here's to insurance reps who are nice when they talk to you on the phone. It makes a cruddy day just that much better.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thankee! You have a good weekend too. I'm hoping it will only get better from here. :)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

*clinks glass* My car is even way too old to have all the new now-considered-necessary safety stuff. No air bags, no power seat belts, no traction control, no antilock brakes... Steel doors, that's what it has (had?). I'm drinkin' to steel doors tonight.

Thanks. Me too :)

[kimatha.livejournal.com]

Skål!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Yep, fixing people is a lot harder than fixing cars. The factory just doesn't make replacement parts.

Some people sure are *ssholes. My faith in the human race is usually close to zero; stories like yours are what I'd expect as a matter of course. I feel like something's wrong, today, because this guy was both honest AND polite.

I almost want to bake him a pie. Poor dude's going to $pay$ as a reward for his truthfulness.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

*clink* Skål! :-)

(Thanks for making that character so's I could cut and paste it!)

[veazeyae.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're okay. Don't give up hope on the car yet- they might not total it...

Re: Just curious

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I've heard some of those same tales. So far it has not been my experience that people won't say anything useful. Perhaps it's because I'm asking individuals instead of "the company", or perhaps the worry only extends to some places. When I am asked to give a reference, it is easy for me to give a more balanced picture, because I am almost never still at the company in question! :)

In my case I'm checking not only what it was like to work with this person, but what it is like to use the software that's been put in place at previous companies. This person comes with a bunch of pre-written software and will install it for us (and customize and upgrade to our needs) as part of being hired by us. It's almost like asking my neighbors "so, those roofing people, did they leave you with a snug place when they were done? Did you need it fixed afterwards?"

[therobbergirl.livejournal.com]

I'm on my second beer. You?

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Maaaaybe not, true... it needs two doors, though, and its Kelly Blue Book is something like $1100. Wonder if I could wangle a deal with the insurance company if it looks close. Make a case that it's a low-mileage car in good condition, thus worth more, and I'll chip in for part of the repair, leaving them with only $1K to pay, bla bla bla. Could work.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Second buttery nipple. Mmmmmmmmmm. :-)

[allanh.livejournal.com]

Nostrovia!
Slainte!
Skaal!

Re: Just curious

[rfrench.livejournal.com]

It's true that some companies have a policy of never giving references because of liability fears. However, the vast majority of companies still try to check references. You never know what interesting things you're going to hear. Also it's CYA for the HR people. Be thorough, even if it doesn't buy you anything.

Damning with faint praise is a common thing.

"I can't say enough good things about this person" :-)

Whenever someone who used to work for/with me asks me if they can use me as a reference, I let them know up front if I'm going to give them a bad reference so they can omit me from the list.

[allanh.livejournal.com]

I am hereby volunteering Randy to help you shop for a new car. Even if it's only a "new old" car.

What's the point of marrying a motorhead if I can't lend him out to friends?