Thursday, May 03, 2007

Car Accidents as a Way of Life

I was just leaving my psychologist's office. I started pulling out of a parking space, when a large white van bumped into my car. The other driver and I got out and surveyed the damage, which b"h wasn't too great. He immediately claimed my blinkers were off, so he didn't know I was pulling out. I said they were on, and anyway, he should have been watching the road. My car isn't so small that he wouldn't have seen it without blinkers. And, anyway, I am pretty sure my blinkers were on.

So he hit me. I should have seen him coming, but someone must have tilted my mirror while I was out so I didn't realize but I was partly blinded so I didn't see him coming.

And so, there are two sides to every story. But moreover, there are two sides because it is a story. What really happened? Who is at fault? Do we need fault and blame?

It is funny. As soon as he began saying to witnesses that my blinkers were off, I knew it almost didn't pay to argue. He had implanted the memory within their minds because they didn't notice blinkers one way or the other, they were busy minding their own business. Whatever. Doesn't matter. The damage was minimal. But this happens every day on a larger scale with more at stake and it kills people and destroys the world that tragedy and fighting always continue on and on.

It would make a great story because you could say I am on antidepressants and feeling reckless and suicidal and was in a heightened emotional state and am disturbed because I was at the shrink. Be great reality TV. Or one of those "high profile" cases. "Gay Icon Teddy Douglas Blindsided by Unidentified Motorist"

2 comments:

mother in israel said...

If you are pulling out into traffic, isn't it your responsibility to check that the coast is clear?

Ferran Porta said...

I agree blaming is not the question, specially if the damage is little. Important is that nobody was injured; the rest does not deserve an argument.