iLikeBlue

Bad-ass Mini Van

After 10 years of driving, I finally got into my first car accident. I was rear-ended at a stop light. Luckily I was driving a mini van. Unfortunately, I am still driving that mini van.
The body shop won’t be able to schedule me for a week, so I’ve been driving around with the back end all smashed up and the bumper hanging by just a few wires.

One good thing I’ve noticed is that changing lanes is a lot easier now. People see my bashed in rear end and think, “Oh no! That driver is crazy. I’d better get out of her way before she smashes into MY car!” Getting into an accident is probably the only way for a mini van to earn some respect. It’s not really positive attention - no one is jealous or in awe of my swanky ride, but the de-pimping it’s been through has people a little uncomfortable around me on the road. Other drivers are giving me a little more room on the highway, and that’s never a bad thing.

Those other drivers don’t know I was hit at a stop light on my way to Ikea. For all they know, I spun out and plowed into a crowd of old ladies at a church picnic. No one tries to mess with me. If I need to merge quickly, I just throw on the blinker and go for it. The guy behind me sees my busted up bumper and knows I’ve got nothing to lose, so he slows down immediately.

Too bad in a week it will all be fixed and the van will get a whole new bumper and lift gate. Maybe I can ask the body shop to install some spikes on the back bumper, while they’re at it. You think my insurance would cover that under preventative maintenance?