h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

New bloody years. I tell you what, this so-called 'festive' season hasn't lived up to its name. I'm not just being sour. I was all ready to go to a friend's place last night - just kick back and have a chat - that's all I wanted.

We drove a couple of friends into a rave in the city (after they'd found their e - don't even get me started ) - on the way back we were involved in a car accident. Not a big one - we were driving through an intersection, the other car was doing a hook turn - the light turned orange as we entered, and they for some reason thought that means they can go *without* looking. It was bizarre. They didn't slow down - we veered around them but I (sitting in the passenger seat) was so sure they weren't going to hit us that I didn't even look at them - there was no way they couldn't have seen us. It was weird. They hit the back door on my side - the whole door is bent in and you can't open it any more, the back panel's beat up as well. Their front bumper came off. They got straight out and rounded up witnesses, we had to move the car so it didn't block traffic, so by the time we got back to the corner they had two guys saying the light was red. I *know* it was green as we approached.

They were trying to pull a dodgy move, I think - the guy who was dealing with us was all big and loud and controlling, and it wasn't until we exchanged licence details that we found out it was his wife driving - one of the kids came forward and said "yeah, and she's got a broken arm, you know" - the dad kicked at the kid and told her to piss off. I took that to be that the kid was telling us something the dad didn't want us to know, but my friend (the driver) took it as the kid saying we'd broken the lady's arm. If I was right, then maybe she wasn't driving? Maybe he was drunk and driving? Maybe she was driving and shouldn't have been?? I don't know. Maybe the kid was taunting us. Half of them were saying the light was orange and the other half were sayiong it was red - they kept changing their story.

It's all so crap - it *wasn't* our fault, but my friend is being blamed cos she's a P-plater - they drove into *us*, they didn't look as they were turning, there was *nothing* we could have done to stop them hitting us. It was absolutely bizarre. The worst thing is that it was another friend's car, so we're not even sure if insurance will cover it.

Yes, thank goodness no-one was hurt, but what a crappy crappy thing to happen. We just had no idea what to do, while the other guy was bossing us around. What are you meant to do in that sort of situation?! We were dazed, standing there going 'this is surreal, what on earth is going on?', and they were all 'we know the law, we know our rights' How do you learn what to do without being in that situation?! The first thing they said to us was "you are p-platers, you should drive carefully" *EVERYONE* should drive carfully, you freakin knob brain!!

I need to swear loudly and hit something hard. FRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG.

*offers a few spare tentacles for the purpose of being punched*



Oh, and by the way it doesn't matter whether the light was red or not - they're not allowed to move until the light in the street they're turning into turns green - a difference of about 3 seconds. You would've noticed that, I'm quite sure.

Really? Hmm, I'll pass that on. Thanks

There were definately no pedestrians crossing, as we were able to continue through the intersection, and there were pedestrians around cos that's who the big mean guy collared as witnesses.

Just glad you're ok, Caf - if they hit the door right behind you, it means they came very close to hitting *you*!

As I was reading the description of what happened, I was very confused... at one point I was thinking that you're so down there that red means go and green means stop



Didn't anyone call the police? Aren't you required to notify the police when you have an accident there?

I don't know how insurance is there but we (personally, anyway) have on our insurance set up so that anyone we allow to drive our cars is covered by our insurance.

The truth will come out eventually about who ran the red light...

Ah, that would be because of hook turns. Hook turns are the nasty little things we have to do to get around the tram lines (keeping in mind that we drive on the left) if you want to turn right in the inner city where you're in a street with tramlines, you have to get into the *left* lane, pull into the middle of the intersection, and wait until the light goes red for the way you are travelling. You then CHECK TO SEE IF ANY CARS ARE COMING () and turn right, thus becoming the first cars in the line of traffic which was waiting at the lights.

It's a pretty nerve-wracking manouvre the first few times you do it, I still like being the second car in line, cos that means there's no pressure to take off quickly. I can totally understand someone screwing it up, but you ALWAYS check if there are any cars coming towards you, no matter *what* you're doing!

Yeah, it was close to hitting my door, but the speed they were going at (they just started up) meant that even though the outside of the door is all bashed in, the inside's ok. Even if they had hit my door I would've been fine.

We honestly had no idea what we were meant to do - the guy who was taking charge of the situation didn't mention the police, and we didn't even consider it. Yeah, we shouldn't have let him walk all over us and accuse us like he did, but we were pretty shaken up and had no idea what we should be doing. I think it's only if there're injuries resulting from the accident that you should call them.

The girl who's car it is - her Dad is the one with the insurance policy, and she's the nominated driver, so the girl who was driving probably isn't covered.

Oh dear oh dear

I agree, Sarge...

I'm having problems understanding your description of a hook turn as it driving on the left - we don't have trams here, so I'm gonna have to read that a few times carefully to understand what you're describing.

The first time you have an accident is always very scary, and I'm glad that you and your friends are ok.
P2

A211212 <- description of hook turns

We went to give a statement yesterday and the police lady laughed at us and said we didn't have to, just to let the insurance companies sort it out

>> The first time you have an accident is always very scary it's hopefully the last time!! I'm so glad I wasn't driving!

Thanks for the support

Thanks for the link, Caf - I understand a little better now!

I had to substitute left for right and right for left as I read it so I'd be seeing it in my mind as if it was how I'm used to the roads being set up - otherwise, I kept switching back in my mind to driving on the right instead of the left - US style

There is an odd little stretch of road just south of Lancaster where you occasionally see that you can't make any left turns at all, but on the right, you see a sign occasionally with an arrow pointing to the right that says "all turns", which points to a little road that goes off to the right and loops you right back to the road you just left, situating you directly in front of a crossover to the other side of the road. I have no idea why this is necessary on this particular stretch of road, since even though it's a 4 lane road with no left turn lanes, making a turn from the left lane certainly would not block traffic, as there is very little traffic on this road. There's no room for a left turn lane to be installed - there's only a guard rail between the north and south bound lanes. Perhaps as Lancaster county becomes even more urbanized, with more and more roads, more and more traffic lights and such, we too will be faced with hook turns. Oh, the horror! Hopefully that won't be for a *very* long time, as that particular area seems to be mostly farmland right now.

Glad you're okay, Cafram.

Any accident, no matter how small, is *no* fun. Next time you run into a large loud clod at the scene of an accident, simply whip out your stun gun and make short work of him. Then, simply pay off the witnesses with many s and leave.



By the way, never, never, never run into the lady in front of you while six Ohio State Troopers witness the incident from across the street. Since I possess amazing talents ... I've actually done this. It was my only accident ever, but who wouldn't be distracted by four squad cars flashing lights and herds of handsome officers? Moo.

I'm not sure the show was worth the US $110.00 ticket they gave me. My boss had been speeding at 95 miles per hour the week before and all he got was a $75.00 fine. If I had known, I would have hit her faster.

Let me just give you a

Thanks El



Hmm...overcome adversity with a stun gun and copious amounts of . Sounds like a top plan!!

They must have been *very* handsome for you to run into the lady in front!! That's a pretty hefty fine, too - what was it for? 'drooling at officers'? 'gazing longingly at handsome men in uniform'?

I think hitting her faster could definatley be the solution to your problem - then you could let your insurance company duke it out with hers - you could argue *she* was drooling at the officers!



sounds like a *very* odd road, Lady Scott!!