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MageofFire
Griller of Molerats
Joined: 03 Oct 2003
Posts: 1594
Location: Monastery of Innos |
| Hey! You don't own the road! Share it! |
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You know what I can't stand? Those huge trucks and SUVs littering the road these days. Just today my mom was in an accident involving one of these monstrosities. She was pulling through an intersection (she had the right of way), and this 16-year-old kid with a huge truck pulls through the intersection and rams into the side of our her mini-van. He pushes the van off the road and into a telephone pole. It's one thing to be a bad driver, it's another to be a bad driver and have a monstrosity of a car, taking up half the road, and presenting a danger to anyone else on it. Now we're not sure if the van is totaled or not, but if it is, our insurance will only give us $4,300, which is definitely not enough to buy even a decent used car, much less a new one. I sure hope it's not totaled. The next time I see a Dodge or Chevy commercial advertising a monstrous truck, I'll puke.  These cars also only reinforce the stereotype of fat rich lazy Americans with gaz-guzzling polluting cars. It makes me so angry! 
Here's a song I find humerous. It appears on the show "The Simpsons," which is a satire of American life, for those of you not familiar with it. It's my favorite show.
http://hangingon.org/canyonero.mp3
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OMG! WTF?! MONKEYS!!!!
=Member of numerous usergroups=
=Active in none of them=
Mediocreties, I absolve you! |
Tue Nov 25, 2003 12:54 am |
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Val
Risen From Ashes
Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 14724
Location: Utah, USA |
I don't know what I find more stupid, the idiot driving the truck or you hating the inanimate object that idiot was driving instead of him. 
_________________
Freeeeeeedom! Thank heavens it's summer!
What do I have to show for my hard work? A piece of paper! Wee!
=Guardian, Moderator, UltimaDot Newshound=  |
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Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:50 am |
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MageofFire
Griller of Molerats
Joined: 03 Oct 2003
Posts: 1594
Location: Monastery of Innos |
I try not to hate people. He made a mistake, and it was a bad mistake, and he was being a careless driver, but I don't hate him. By the way, are you calling me stupid? 
_________________
OMG! WTF?! MONKEYS!!!!
=Member of numerous usergroups=
=Active in none of them=
Mediocreties, I absolve you! |
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Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:55 am |
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Val
Risen From Ashes
Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 14724
Location: Utah, USA |
Instead you hate the cold, dead piece of metal that without a hand to guide it, would simply sit there and rust, never hurting anyone. While in the meantime, the one who caused the pain and suffering to your family is let off with a pass.
Somehow, I fail to see the rationality of such a stance.
EDIT: Stupid? No. Silly would be a better word.
_________________
Freeeeeeedom! Thank heavens it's summer!
What do I have to show for my hard work? A piece of paper! Wee!
=Guardian, Moderator, UltimaDot Newshound= |
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Tue Nov 25, 2003 2:59 am |
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MageofFire
Griller of Molerats
Joined: 03 Oct 2003
Posts: 1594
Location: Monastery of Innos |
Ok, perhaps I should hate him. My mom and sister (the people in the car) were unhurt. Had the car been a sedan or a coup the damage would not be nearly so great. Yes, the guy was an idiot. But I don't hate him. Thousands of people have made mistakes like he did. I'm not saying I'm not angry at him, 'cause I sure as hell am.
_________________
OMG! WTF?! MONKEYS!!!!
=Member of numerous usergroups=
=Active in none of them=
Mediocreties, I absolve you! |
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Tue Nov 25, 2003 3:03 am |
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Val
Risen From Ashes
Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 14724
Location: Utah, USA |
Actually, at high speeds, the size of the object matters less and less the faster it goes. A large object just has a bigger surface area to hit you with. Take for instance an arrow. A fairly small object, but when shot from a bow it can have devastating effects just because of it's speed.
Heck, if I dropped a pebble out of an airplane, it could kill whoever it landed on if I dropped it from high enough up. Heh, reminds me of a funny story. Little OT, but I'll tell it anyway, you need a good laugh...
These guys were out in the middle of the ocean fishing on their commercial fishing boat when suddenly...
M
O
O
O
O
!
!
Out of the clear blue sky, a cow comes falling down, smashes through the hull and sinks the boat. What are the odds? Seems a plane that had flown overhead was carrying some livestock. A cow got surly and they tossed it out.
Heh, can you imagine making out the insurance claim on that? 
_________________
Freeeeeeedom! Thank heavens it's summer!
What do I have to show for my hard work? A piece of paper! Wee!
=Guardian, Moderator, UltimaDot Newshound= |
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Tue Nov 25, 2003 3:21 am |
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iplaygames2
Master of The Realms
Joined: 06 Sep 2001
Posts: 745
Location: Chicago, IL, USA |
Sorry to hear about your Mom's van. That really sucks.
1) Val's argument of sending your feelings to the driver, not the vehicle, is a sound one. Much like "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" is sound. Without a shooter, a gun would never hurt you; similarly, without a driver, a truck would never run into a person crossing an intersection.
2) I own a big truck. Not the big, lifted, grotesquely oversized tires version, but a full size V8 that guzzles about a gallon of gas for every 16 miles I drive. I live in the north, we get a ton of snow. A coupe or sedan isn't practical for me, as we live in a somewhat rural area, and I work a long way away. Additionally, I grew up in the South, where a man and a sedan, well, let's just say a guy my size is supposed to own a big truck.
Bottom line is, you're right in the fact that a smaller car *may* not have done as much damage. Unfortunately, it still could have done a significant amount. The fault lies clearly with the driver, not the vehicle. I say the legal driving age should be 18 for kids nowadays. Give them the permit at 16, make them ride with a parent (or adult) for 2 years.
I know that won't be a popular opinion, but I know the kind of s**t I pulled at 16 and 17....and I don't like the idea of other kids doing it.
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Member of the "Fantastic ONE"
(hell, everyone else is a member of something..)
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Tue Nov 25, 2003 3:26 am |
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Cm
Sentinel of Light
Joined: 26 Jan 2003
Posts: 5209
Location: Missouri USA |
Sorry about your family. I'm glad no one was seriously hurt. Be a mad as you want at the driver. He was obviouly going way to fast if he pushed the van that far when he hit it. I hope he has insurance, and if not sue him for the difference in what your insurance pays and the true cost of replacing the van. My insurance company went after a guy that hit us for us. They got their money and some for us as well. Look into that as a way to get back losses. I don't believe in sueing for the sake of it. But your Mom should be able to replace her car with one at least as good as the one she had. I agree with iplaygames2. The legal age should be 18. They passed that here and the number of accidents has dropped greatly for teens.
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=Member of the Nonflamers Guild=
=Member of Worshippers of the Written Word=
A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.
Mark Twain
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Tue Nov 25, 2003 3:39 am |
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MC_Renzy
Fearless Paladin
Joined: 04 Nov 2001
Posts: 226
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You can get a hell of alot more then what that vans worth if you play your cards right. I had a friend who's mom was in an accident. Exact same scenario as your mom's. She didn't have a single scratch on her but went to the doctor anyway and claimed of pains in her lower back area. She got a lawyer and sued the driver's insurance company for both mental and pyshical anguish. She came out on top and ended up with one hell of a nice replacement car and some spending money. Teach that little prick a serious lesson, sue his ***.
Big note, never go through your insurance company for help. They could care less about you or your family. Trust me man, get a lawyer. |
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Tue Nov 25, 2003 5:48 am |
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Myrthos
Spoiler of All Fun
Joined: 07 Jul 2001
Posts: 1926
Location: Holland |
Yeah that's what we should teach everyone: Lie and cheat.
_________________
Kewl quotes:
I often have an odd sense of humor - Roach
Why quote somebody else, think of something yourself. - XeroX
...you won't have to unbookmark this site, we'll unbookmark you. - Val
Reports Myrthos for making me scared and humbled at the mere sight of his name - kayla |
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Tue Nov 25, 2003 9:42 am |
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cfmdobbie
High Emperor
Joined: 01 Jul 2002
Posts: 1859
Location: London, England |
I agree that the driver is at fault, but it's partly the car as well. I can't help but think that the size of the car will make a big difference, "even" at high speeds - momentum varies linearly with both the object's velocity and its mass. Hit something with a little hatchback at 70 miles an hour, then do the same with an eighteen-wheeler. Guess which collision will cause more damage? 
As for "guns don't kill people"... Don't get me started, that debate's raged here many times before! 
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Charlie Dobbie
=Member of The Nonflamers' Guild=
=Moderator of the Morrowind/Oblivion Forums= |
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Tue Nov 25, 2003 12:19 pm |
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Lintra
Elf Friend
Joined: 23 Apr 2002
Posts: 9448
Location: Bermuda, the triangle place with SANDY BEACHES |
The size of the car does matter, but not in a physical way. Will a person take more risks driving a huge hunk of steel or a tin can?
Personally, when riding a scooter here I am a 136.8% defensive driver and very happy that I can not be distracted by a radio ... there is nothing between me and the outside world, one mistake means a lot of pain. When driving in a car, on the other hand, there is a certain amount of security. Security, by its very nature, breeds complacency. No matter how hard one tries complacency always sneaks up on you. In a car you've got 4 wheels to help correct mistakes. Not so on a bike. Taking that trend I can only imagine how impervious one might feel in a honking big truck.
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=Just plain clueless= |
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Tue Nov 25, 2003 3:09 pm |
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MageofFire
Griller of Molerats
Joined: 03 Oct 2003
Posts: 1594
Location: Monastery of Innos |
You all make good points, but for those of you suggesting us to sue, it's not gonna happen. We're not gonna sue the kid for what he did. It wasn't intentional, and he didn't want to hurt anybody. Put yourself in his shoes right now. By the way, you're cow joke is pretty funny.
@Val- The size of the car DOES matter. The truck actually wasn't going very fast when he hit the van, but the weight and momentum of the truck caused it to push the van quite a distance. A smaller car wouldn't have done that.
@iplaygames2- I agree with you that the driving age should be raised to 18, even though I would be getting my learner's license next year . It's a good point you make that you need a big truck because of the conditions in which you live, but a lot of people only buy big cars for the size and feeling of power they give. Those are the people I'm mad at. People like the kid that was driving the truck shouldn't have cars that big, especially at his age.
@MC_Renzy- Taking money from people through deception isn't our style.
My dad was thinking about not filing an insurance claim and just paying to fix the car ourselves, so if it's totalled (if the cost of repairs to the car goes over the blue book value, our insurance company will call it totalled), we will only lose a few thousand dollars instead of paying for a new car. Insurance companies are inconsiderate scum, aren't they?
_________________
OMG! WTF?! MONKEYS!!!!
=Member of numerous usergroups=
=Active in none of them=
Mediocreties, I absolve you! |
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Tue Nov 25, 2003 6:52 pm |
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iplaygames2
Master of The Realms
Joined: 06 Sep 2001
Posts: 745
Location: Chicago, IL, USA |
Well, Mage, unfortunately your situation isn't unique. Many people have older model or high mileage cars, and when in an accident, the insurance company just doesn't put an accurate price on them. Granted, the monetary value of such a vehicle isn't too high, but the value to the family that owns it is tremendous. That said, at least your family will be able to recoup *some* of the loss.
As for the kid and the fact that he was driving a truck, well, I don't think that's right. I agree with you that little boys and big toys = bad things. I suspect the guy that was driving the truck is the rule, not the exception, as far as teenage drivers go.
My first vehicle when I turned 16 was a 1982 Oldsmoblie Cutlass that had no reverse. It was tough picking up chicks in THAT car, let me tell ya!!! Taught me how to drive though. It was a 2 door, rather safe, low speed machine. I could gun it on the highway and *maybe* do 80. 80 is fast, yes, but some kids nowadays have sportscars at 16 or 17 years old! I worked with a kid from a rich family that had 2 brand new imports (he wrecked the 1st one) before he was 17.
Anyway, good luck to your family on pursuing whatever course of action you decide to go. Here's hoping your insurance pulls through for you guys!
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Member of the "Fantastic ONE"
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Tue Nov 25, 2003 7:19 pm |
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Val
Risen From Ashes
Joined: 18 Feb 2002
Posts: 14724
Location: Utah, USA |
quote:
Originally posted by cfmdobbie
but it's partly the car as well.
No. It is not. A car is a dead, chunk of metal with no will of it's own. It is not capable of doing anything without a driver. Displacing blame from the person to the object is a cop-out. Don't even try to convince me otherwise, because any arguement otherwise is pathetically pointless.
As for all of you who think size does not matter, a question:
If an object speeds towards you at lightspeed, will it really matter if it's the size of a pebble or a 10 ton boulder?
The result will still be the same. You are dead.
quote:
Originally posted by MageofFire
Insurance companies are inconsiderate scum, aren't they?
That's a load of crap.
I was driving my little Toyota Tercel through an intersection when a young woman driving a mid-size truck failed to yield and made her left turn anyway. CRASH! (btw, never at any time did I blame her truck for her stupid action) She was found at fault and my insurance company was more than generous in paying for my loss. Frankly, they over-paid for what that beat up Tercel was worth. Then I let them go after her and washed my hands of the incident.
I'm driving a nice Corolla now. Frankly, that accident was a good thing, because that Tercel was on it's last leg.
_________________
Freeeeeeedom! Thank heavens it's summer!
What do I have to show for my hard work? A piece of paper! Wee!
=Guardian, Moderator, UltimaDot Newshound= |
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Tue Nov 25, 2003 7:46 pm |
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