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Dings and things

The other day I hit a parked car as I backed out of my driveway. It wasn’t much of an impact, and the nose of the car was in fact intruding a little bit into my driveway. I lost some paint on my rear bumper, and there was a patch of missing paint on his—but then, there was none of his paint on my bumper or on the ground, so maybe that scratch on his car was already there. I don’t know. There were no dents, and both of our cars are, let’s say, well used.

So anyway I left a note, telling what happened, apologizing, and giving the owner my phone number and address. Nobody has called. Part of me figures that the woner thought it was no big deal. But part of me keeps fretting that I’m going to get a bill in the mail, and wishes the car’s owner would call and TELL me whether he thinks it’s a big deal.

I know I did the right thing leaving a note. Am I wrong in thinking the other car owner should call me?

Hit and Run

Dining Out says: As luck may have it, the person you quasi backed into may have been a true cosmopolitan car owner! On the Island of Manhattan, “bumper tapping” and “paint chipping” are the least of car owners worries.

Towing, ticketing, rear ending, side swiping, head-on collisions, and GPS theft trigger a much more hostile reaction. As there was no indentation and only a bit of paint chipping, you should be off the hook. If you really feel guilty or start to lose sleep over the matter, file a report with your local police department.

And try backing your vehicle into the driveway for a change.

The Catholic Perspective: I cannot speak for all Catholics, as only our Holy Father in Rome has that authority. I believe you have done the right thing. That being said, perhaps the person received your note and felt that there was no need to pursue the issue. Perhaps you will get a letter from an attorney. At least you don’t need to head into the confessional with this one.

Dr. Sigmund Fraud says: I know automobiles are a major cause of global warming, and soon they will have to give way to “greener” forms of transportation or the planet we live on will be unrecognizable and uninhabitable. That being said, I’m going to miss them—and all the stupid headaches they bring to our lives.

First, let me say cheers to you for driving a beater. That right there tells me that you have something of a sentimental streak. You’ve probably been through a lot with this car. (Did you know, by the way, that Neil Young’s “Long May You Run” was written about his first ride, a 1948 Buick Roadmaster hearse?) That sensitivity is what made you do the right thing by leaving the note.

Don’t fret over what may happen. They’re just cars, burning out their fuel as they head for extinction. You and the other driver are made of more divine stuff, and I bet that’s why you’ll never hear from him. Life’s too short to waste on little things like this. May you both realize it, and go on with your lives. Run your race until it’s your turn to take that last ride in some solar-powered hearse of the future.

Still, it’s a damn shame it won’t be in something as cool as a stylin’ 1948 Buick Roadmaster.

Ruthless says: Hmmm, so you know you did the right thing, but your conscience is still bothering you? Well, I hate to bring this up, considering you are already feeling guilty, but how do you know the other driver even got your note? Maybe someone stole it (just to be mean), or maybe it blew away, or maybe the other driver thought it was one of those obnoxious flyers people spam cars with and he threw it away himself. Seriously, why else wouldn’t the other driver have called you? Would he want his insurance rates to rise?

Actually, now that I think about it, considering that both of your cars are “well used” (as you put it), he probably doesn’t even have collision. He’ll probably have to pay for the damage out of his own pocket.

Good going!

(Hope you sleep well tonight…)

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