On our last trip to Missoula it really bothered me that my car was so dirty. This is winter in Montana--snow melts, slush splashes on your car, if you wash it, it will get splashed again when you leave the car wash--and your doors might freeze shut. However, I was more worried about hitting a deer on our way home, since my husband had hit one the week before. Technically, the deer hit him, but his car couldn't tell the difference. So I insisted on an early departure from Missoula to lessen the likelihood of deer dents, although most of the dead deer I saw on the way there were between Kalispell and Lakeside. So we left Missoula in time to get most of the way home before sunset. We even had time to stop in Polson for dinner. While I was at the salad bar, I heard a woman say "gold Impala". We drive a gold Impala, I knew she did not have good news.
Actually it was mixed news, she had backed into our car--that was bad, but she came to find us instead of driving off--that was good, she offered to pay for the damage--also good, but she didn't want to go through insurance--that was scary. I understand the feeling of being an insurance hostage. We pay for auto insurance for decades, but are afraid to use it lest they make the price to not use it even higher. We were sympathetic, but not stupid. There is a big difference between admitting the damage and writing the check. So my husband took pictures of the damage, had her write a statement admitting responsibility, and had the restaurant manager sign as witness.
It's funny how your perspective changes. Suddenly it no longer mattered that my car was dirty. I told Reed he might as well hit a deer. He did drive over one that had already been hit, but managed to straddle it so there were no deer parts mixed with the dirt on our car. The damage was fixed in a week, her check arrived days before the paint dried. My Impala looked not only undamaged, but shiny and new. Then more snow melted. Now it is dirty. No big deal. New perspective.
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