altivo

So, it was a nice sunny day and I was looking forward to the weekend when Holly came in with a stranger and said "This truck driver just backed into your car out in the lot." And he sure had.

We are at the bitter end of six blocks of residential street that dead ends in a city park. He had apparently delivered something at the hospital two blocks west of here and then come down our way looking for a place to turn his 65 foot long rig around. Why he didn't just go around a block I don't know, but he pulled into our lot and tried to back into our tiny loading dock so he could pull out forward. Instead he backed into my car. At least he had the honesty to come in and admit it, and wait to file a police report.

Tail light, tail gate, quarter panel and bumper. He pushed the rear end of my Cherokee four feet sideways before he stopped. The trucking company is self insured, they are supposed to have a claims agent contact me. Still waiting.

Got an estimate for the repairs on Saturday: $1200 and the car will be out of service for at least three days while they do it. The body shop guy said it was a wonder no windows were broken, but as it is he will have to remove the rear windows in order to do the repairs and painting, and then put them back in place.

Presumably this will all be paid for by the trucking company, but it still puts me without a vehicle for several days, plus giving me the aggravation of having to get it repaired. If they drag their feet for very long about the settlement, I'm at risk of being ticketed for the damaged tail light too.

The driver said his wife was moving out on him that day and taking his daughter with her, so he was distracted. Seems to me that Friday the 13th was a bit late in arriving for several people.

And this morning on the radio I heard that it was "National Truck Driver Appreciation Week"... Hrf.