Take Bambi, give the points

[Buffacuse]

I'm driving home from "Bolt" (cute movie) with Buffette Friday night and she screams "look out for the deer"...which of course I see as well...

...I misss the first two but hit the third (medium sized doe) dead on with the front of my tiny little Kia Rio (which has the structural integrity of a styrofoam cup)...

...airbags deploy and hit me dead in the face--fat lip is my big injury. My first thought is "the deer came through the windshield--I'm dead" until I realize it's the airbag...anyone who thinks an airbag is like a big fluffy pillow has never been hit by one...

...I get off the car off the road and smell something awful burning--I think--so I scream at Buffette to get out of the car. Turns out it is the charge that sets off the airbag (how would I know, never having been airbagged before)...so we wait by the side of the road for the police and tow. Mrs. Buff comes and takes a very upset Buffette home (never mind the wrecked car...she is sobbing "the poor deer" which, BTW, was in deer heaven almost instantly) and I get home after the police fill out the report which clearly indicates I am not at fault and had no way to avoid the accident...

...now waiting for GEICO to tell me if they can fix the car or are writing it off. Hoping they fix it--however, restuffing airbags is expensive, fixing the damage to the front end is expensive, and this is a five year old $10,000 car with 90,000 miles on it...I don't like my chances...

...and here's the kicker--I am not making this up...

...I paid off the loan...any guesses...in October. I also put over $1,000 worth of repairs into it...any guesses...last month.

We are ok but this couldn't suck worse.

[TheCalvinator24]

Almost guaranteed that it will be totalled.

I am glad that you and Buffette are okay.

[Snaxx]

I'm with GEICO too and the commercial with the squirrels high-fiving for running a car off the road was just on my TV. Yeah, that does not look good for more than a write-off. At least you are OK, and are in a better position than I would have been; I probably would have dropped collision once it was paid off given the low FMV of the car, so I would be gettin' zip. I'm keeping collision for my 5-yr old Corolla for another couple of years b/c it only has 47K on it.

[silvercamaro]

We are ok but this couldn't suck worse.

You are both okay, and yet you say it couldn't suck worse. Think about it, Buff!

[jaybee]

The car should be worth between $4K and $5K at full retail value. Could be close - front end and air bag fix will be fairly close to that number.

Like landing an airplane - any car wreck that you walk away from is a good one.

[a1mamacat]

Glad you and Buffette are okay. Cars can be replaced, somehow.

Damn those kamikaze deer!!!

[kayrharris]

I'm glad you're both all right. Good luck with the rest of the fun part.

[peacock2121]

This sucks and........ it could suck way worse.


way



way


worse

Glad you and your daughter have just a fat lip.

[MarleysGh0st]

I'm glad you and Buffette are OK. If the car has to be replaced, at least the dealers are desperate to get your business now, so there should be some great deals out there.




Condolences to the deer family.

[gsabc]

Glad you're all okay. Cars can be repaired or replaced, even if the act of doing so is a problem. Repairing you is a much bigger problem, and replacement is impossible.

Airbags can be vicious, though still better than the alternative. One of my cousins got a burned wrist from one years ago as her only injury from nailing a tree while doing around 30 mph. The rapid inflation is caused by a highly exothermic (science word of the day: means that it releases heat) chemical reaction, and apparently some of the chemical spread into the bag right where her arm was. Said chemical is why you don't screw around with the airbag yourself. It's hazardous waste.

[christie1111]

Yeah, what they said. Take back this, it couldn't suck more part!

It does suck, however.

But very glad you and Buffette are okay.



Didn't you get to keep the deer?

[Buffacuse]

Breaking my moratorium on posting from the office to clarify: I fully appreciate that the situation could have, in fact, been much worse--a highschool classmate of mine was killed this way when a deer came through the windshield of her AMC Pacer.

The suckiness I was/am referring to only relates to replacing a car I just paid off--nothing else. I am very, very grateful Buffette and I are ok.

Back to my daytime Bored exile now--thanks to all for your concern.

[mntetn]

Didn't you get to keep the deer?

State laws vary, but in TN you are allowed to keep roadkill.

70-4-115. Destruction and disposal of wildlife — Permit — Penalty. —
...
(c) Motorists are not required to report game accidentally killed by the operation of a motor vehicle. Notwithstanding any other provision of the law to the contrary, wild animals accidentally killed by a motor vehicle may be possessed by any person for personal use and consumption; except that, first, personal possession of a deer accidentally killed by a motor vehicle is permitted only if the person notifies the wildlife resources agency or any law enforcement officer within a reasonable time not to exceed forty-eight (48) hours and supplies that person's name and address; and second, personal possession of a bear accidentally killed by a motor vehicle is permitted only when authorized by an enforcement officer of the wildlife resources agency and the person is issued a kill tag. In deer-kill notification situations where a law enforcement officer rather than someone with the wildlife resources agency is notified, the law enforcement officer or the officer's designee shall be responsible for notifying someone with the wildlife resources agency and supplying the information relevant to the deer-kill. Nothing in this section authorizes possession of federally protected wildlife or wildlife protected by the state under chapter 8 of this title.

[BackInTex]

Bummer Buf, but glad you're O.K.

My truck was totaled on 9/11, 2 days before Ike. I drove it for 3 weeks before finally taking it into the shop. they had it 2 weeks before they said 'bent frame', 'total'. I had about 10 payments left. I got good value, but that good value only buys someone else's used truck. I ended up paying more than I got to get a better 'someone else's' truck because most people don't take as good care of their trucks as I did, and if they do, they keep them.

On another related note, Mrs. BiT was coming home from Pier 1 the other night and passed a large buck that had been hit. It was just sitting in the middle of the road, head up, eyes blinking. It must have broken a leg or something. It was about 6 points and its head, while sitting, was about 5 ft. high. She said she'd never seen a deer that big. There were 4 or 5 cars stopped a a group of folks standing around looking at it so she assumed someone had already called the game warden or deputies. Hopefully a rescue Dr. can fix him. Maybe he can replace Mr. Buck who was murdered about a week ago.

[tlynn78]

We are ok but this couldn't suck worse

.

Buff, very, very glad you and little Buffette are okay, and at least hitting hte deer on the way home meant you got to enjoy the movie first.

Buff got the message regarding the above before I could join in, but I can't help cringing anytime someone says that. I was in LBMart one day and ran into a friend. She asked how things were going. This was a few months after my hubby's accident, a serious illness for my niece, and my nephew had been diagnosed with bone cancer. I laughed a little hysterically and responded, 'at least it can't get any worse!" I kid you not, not 30 seconds later my cell phone rang and my son was telling me someone had run a stop sign and t-boned him. I nevernevernevernevernever, ever say, "It can't get any worse," and all of you have to promise you won't say it, either. The end.


t.

[peacock2121]

We are ok but this couldn't suck worse

.

Buff, very, very glad you and little Buffette are okay, and at least hitting hte deer on the way home meant you got to enjoy the movie first.

Buff got the message regarding the above before I could join in, but I can't help cringing anytime someone says that. I was in LBMart one day and ran into a friend. She asked how things were going. This was a few months after my hubby's accident, a serious illness for my niece, and my nephew had been diagnosed with bone cancer. I laughed a little hysterically and responded, 'at least it can't get any worse!" I kid you not, not 30 seconds later my cell phone rang and my son was telling me someone had run a stop sign and t-boned him. I nevernevernevernevernever, ever say, "It can't get any worse," and all of you have to promise you won't say it, either. The end.


t.

I promise.

[SportsFan68]

We are ok but this couldn't suck worse

.

Buff, very, very glad you and little Buffette are okay, and at least hitting hte deer on the way home meant you got to enjoy the movie first.

Buff got the message regarding the above before I could join in, but I can't help cringing anytime someone says that. I was in LBMart one day and ran into a friend. She asked how things were going. This was a few months after my hubby's accident, a serious illness for my niece, and my nephew had been diagnosed with bone cancer. I laughed a little hysterically and responded, 'at least it can't get any worse!" I kid you not, not 30 seconds later my cell phone rang and my son was telling me someone had run a stop sign and t-boned him. I nevernevernevernevernever, ever say, "It can't get any worse," and all of you have to promise you won't say it, either. The end.


t.

I promise too.

I actually quit saying that in my HR days. EVERY time my assistant or I said it, or anything even remotely resembling it, things got worse immediately.

[gsabc]

We are ok but this couldn't suck worse

.

Buff, very, very glad you and little Buffette are okay, and at least hitting hte deer on the way home meant you got to enjoy the movie first.

Buff got the message regarding the above before I could join in, but I can't help cringing anytime someone says that. I was in LBMart one day and ran into a friend. She asked how things were going. This was a few months after my hubby's accident, a serious illness for my niece, and my nephew had been diagnosed with bone cancer. I laughed a little hysterically and responded, 'at least it can't get any worse!" I kid you not, not 30 seconds later my cell phone rang and my son was telling me someone had run a stop sign and t-boned him. I nevernevernevernevernever, ever say, "It can't get any worse," and all of you have to promise you won't say it, either. The end.

t.

I learned it from Bill Cosby in the mid-'60's:

"You should never challenge 'worse.' Don't ever say, 'Things couldn't get
worse.' Worse is rough ..."

[JBillyGirl]

I'm sorry to hear about your car accident and the associated expenses, but I'm very relieved that both you and Buffette are OK, even if she was understandably shaken. The most important things in life can't be replaced. And cars can be replaced.

I'll let Shakespeare have the last word on this:

"The worst is not, so long as we can say, 'This is the worst.'" -- King Lear

[silverscreenselect]

It could have been worse:

http://www.sedaliademocrat.com/news/sed ... eason.html

[Buffacuse]

OK, the lizard came through for me...GEICO assessed the damage at $3200 and is fxing the car. I'll bet it was a pretty close call, but in the end I don't have to go car shopping. We'll see what kind of shape it is in when I get it next week--but right now I am a happy Buff.

[SportsFan68]

OK, the lizard came through for me...GEICO assessed the damage at $3200 and is fxing the car. I'll bet it was a pretty close call, but in the end I don't have to go car shopping. We'll see what kind of shape it is in when I get it next week--but right now I am a happy Buff.

That's good news.

[MarleysGh0st]

Hurrah for the gecko!

[peacock2121]

OK, the lizard came through for me...GEICO assessed the damage at $3200 and is fxing the car. I'll bet it was a pretty close call, but in the end I don't have to go car shopping. We'll see what kind of shape it is in when I get it next week--but right now I am a happy Buff.

Yay for the lizard.

Great news for you!

Do they pay for a rental while your car is being fixed?

[Jeemie]

I know what it feels like to have a daughter in the car that's mourning for the dead deer while you're fuming over the broken car.

Same thing happened to me when I hit a deer with my van about 6 years ago now.

Airbags didn't deploy, but the front end was smashed (luckily, it was drivable enough that I got home with it- I was only a mile or two from home anyway).

But instead of getting to vent about the van with some choice profanities, I had to comfort my daughter who was sobbing "I didn't want you to kill it. Why did you have to kill it?"