Driving Blind

Did I mention that I had a "fender bender" the night before I went into the hospital?

Drivers tend to go freeway speeds on the busy street that borders my hillside neighborhood. I used to do it too, until the police realized that it was easy pickings there to write speeding tickets... and I got one myself. Now, I cruise down that street right at the speed limit, and pay little attention to the assholes hurried drivers who swoosh past me.

But last Tuesday's incident occurred when I wasn't even moving: I was stationary ,in an intersection less than a mile from home, waiting for the traffic to clear so I could turn left onto a residential street that leads into my neighborhood. And as I watched the cars rushing past me on the other side of the road, I noticed that one of them looked awfully close...

...and a split second later - before I'd finished that thought - it made contact with my car, tearing off my driver's side view mirror. I turned around to see if the driver would stop, but no one did. All I saw was my mirror, bouncing down the street behind me.

I was shaking. The light changed, I made my turn and I parked the car. I thought maybe one of the vehicles that had been behind me would stop, but no one did. Maybe no one saw it but me. I confess that I sat in my car with the windows rolled up and screamed. I walked back to the corner to see -- I don't know what.

Then I drove home and called my insurance company to find out if it was even worth it to make a claim. It's not. We have a $500 deductible, and even though getting anything fixed on a Volvo is expensive, the side view mirror will likely cost around $300.

"That's ridiculous," my husband sniffed. He did an online search and discovered that the replacement part is only $50. He is going to try to do it himself.

That's great... but between his job and the ongoing home renovation, he's overworked and over-extended, and I've learned from experience that whatever is on MY list tends to go to the bottom of his. Right now, I am driving blind. If I want to switch lanes, I have to open my window and stick my head out to see if it's clear. That's okay, for now... as long as I don't need to get on the freeway. Or until it rains.

I don't want to be a nag, but I don't feel safe driving this way and I can't stop driving because I live in Los Angeles. And it's not just me: It's our daughter, and sometimes, it's our friends' daughters, too.