Ever had really lousy luck? Or: Jodi's Honda is cursed

The BBQ Pit
1

So I have this little silver Honda Civic coupe, which I’ve had for a little over a year. Drives well, looks reasonably nice (though obviously not a sex machine – it’s a Honda), get good gas mileage, cheerfully takes me from Point A to Point B. I bought it new, and we get along great except, it doesn’t have a name yet and I name all my cars. No problems . . . (Cue unsettling music) . . . until this summer.

The first week of August, I was driving back to Montana (from Seattle) for vacation and I hit a deer. Though the car was driveable, it was barely so, and I limped it back to Seattle for $3500 in repairs. (The deer? DOA. RIP.) Fuck. They have the car for three weeks, I get it back all shiney and new, and the next week . . .

The second week in September, I’m involved in a multi-car rear-ender on an exit ramp from the Interstate here in Seattle. The highway patrol person hands out citations like they’re breath mints, I am at fault for my part in the accident (meaning, the damage to the back-end of the car in front of me, and the damage to the front end of my car), the guy behind me is responsible for the damage to the back end of my car, and the Honda gets towed back to the body shop for $5,500 in repairs. I am carless for almost six weeks, and I can hear my insurance rates rising. Fuck. Fuck!

I get the car back Monday of last week and on Wednesday my sister, mother and I head back to Montana on an unexpected trip for the funeral of my aunt, who died suddenly the week before. On Wednesday, I have had my car back for two fucking days. I’m driving slowly – hey, there are deer on this road, I know that! (sardonic laugh) – and keeping an eye out (or as much of one as I can after dark) . . .

BAM! I hit another deer. Having left its suicide note back in the glen and tossed back a whiskey for courage, it decided to end it all on the grill of my car. I canNOT fucking believe this! I do the funeral thing and deal with the sadness of that, ferry my sister and mom back here to Seattle and put them on planes, and take the car back to the body shop. Estimated costs of repairs: $1800.

Now, maybe I’m being too soft on myself (though truly I don’t think so), but I’m chalking this up to bad luck. To that end – and rationalizing that it couldn’t be my fault – I’ve concluded my Honda is cursed. Three wrecks in three months. Don’t get me wrong: I fully take responsibility for my part in the wreck for which I was partially at fault – the chain-reaction rear-ender. But how the hell do I keep animals from racing in front of my car when it’s travelling at 50 mph? Normally I would say “three months: three wrecks” pretty much equals “bad driver,” but what the fuck could I do?

My concern at this point is what’s going to happen to my insurance. I mean, I know “three collision [i.e., at-fault] wrecks = bad driver = cancelled policy,” but what’s the rule on “two comprehensive [i.e., no-fault] + one collision?” Does that equal “cancelled policy,” too? God, I hope not. I know my rates will (probably) go up because of the collision claim, but I’m not sure about the comprehensive claims. I hope the insurance company will understand those were not my fault – indeed, are defined as “not my fault” in the policy – but on the other hand, they’ve had to repair my car to the tune of damn near 10 grand at this point, and that’s surely going to raise a red flag.

Add to the mix is the fact that my family is a group of dedicated shit flippers so now my brother is e-mailing me pictures of enormous cattle-catcher grilles “to mount on the front of your car,” and my father has christened the car “The Deerslayer.” Oh well – at least it has a name now.

I can’t fucking believe it. Anyone know how to exorcise evil spiritws from a Honda?

2

How about a smudge stick?

I feel for you, Jodi. I crunched my wonderful VW Golf (to the tune of $5000) a month after I got it. Then it was hit two separte times in the parking lot, with no notes left or anything. My insurance only went up by $5 a month. I hope you get off lightly too.

3

Well, we did a vehicle blessing ritual last year some time, I can see if it’s still online for you…

Bummer.

4

That is just horrible Jodi. I was all set to read this thread and tell you about the nightmare of a car I used to drive, then I read your OP. In light of the Deerslayer being chosen as a name, just say you’ll sell the car if you catch it playing Russian Roulette. Seriously, that really is rotten luck and I hope things work out.

5

So, the title should actually have read:

Really lousy luck Or: Should Jodi pay more attention when she drives?

Jodi, thats awful. But me thinks that 3 major accidents inside of a few months has a little more than bad luck involved in it.

The Deerslayer. Heh.

Innocent question: How much driving experience do you have?

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BERSE, allow me to explain a little further. The road where both the deer encounters took place – though almost 75 miles apart – is a one-lane (in each direction) secondary highway. The woods come up to the road on both sides. The area is well-known to be heavily populated (or infested, depending on your POV) with deer. There are deer caution signs about every twenty miles. The speed limit on the road is 55 mph after dark (65 during the day), but knowing the area as well as I do, I was going about 50. Any slower than that, and IMO after dark you are a hazard to other drivers who may not paying close attention.

So if you know of some way to prevent deer from darting out in front of the vehicle at night and at such close proximity that they cannot be avoided, I would love to hear it. Your assumption that I simply need to pay more attention iritates me, since of course you have no earthy way of knowing how much (or how little) attention I was paying. Three accidents in three months is not presumptive proof that “more than bad luck was involved.” If I had been hit by other drivers twice, would that be the fault of my inattention, too? Because in the eyes of my insurance company (I have thankfully found out), a deer-auto collision is not considered the fault of the driver, it’s the fault of the deer. Because it sprang out of the woods four feet in front of the bumper of my car. Me thinks you should not make assumptions that are not warranted by the facts as explained to you.

And I have been driving for 18 years.

7

Deer Whistles or you can get the non electronic kind.
Whether they actually work is a matter of debate…

8

I had heard of deer whistles - and was going to mention them as an idea in case you were planning on driving that road again. But, according to the search I did, it turns out that they don’t seem to do anything.

Sorry about the car.

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That totally sucks, Jodi. Could you have your Civic modified–maybe install something like a cow-catcher on the front?

So, did you at least stock up on venison? Were these bucks? If so, how many points on their racks?

I am glad to see that you haven’t been hurt.

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“The Deerslayer”? Maybe your next car should be a Mini-Cooper.

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Deer whistles don’t work. Where I grew up, everybody knows that (or thinks that) and you’re considered a bit of a rube if you put them on your car. Besides, I’ve driven for 18 years and never hit a deer, so why should I need deer whistles? :: Hollow laugh ::

STRAINGER, have you been talking to my brother? I’ve been advised I’m getting a cattle catcher for Christmas – that or a seeing eye dog, which my father says he’s going to strap to the hood of the car. Har Har. I left the venison for the animals since it was rather smushed. And, no, no points on either, though I don’t think you get to brag about the points on a buck you killed with your car anyway. "Nice buck! What’d ya use? " “A jeep.”

Anyway, the insurance is paying for it and shouldn’t punishment unduly, so I’ve calmed down considerably. I get the Deerslayer back next week. Thanks for listening, guys; I just had a lousy week last week and sometimes it helps to vent about it.

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Wow, Jodi! My thoughts and prayers are with you. It’s just GOT to get better. Hang in there!

13

Mmm, venison…

Sorry to hear about the car :frowning:

Enjoy,
Steven

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Jodi said:

Sure.

Pay even more attention. That way they aren’t so close to you that you can’t avoid it. I live in an area that has more Deer, Elk and Moose than people. I’ve never hit one in my meager 16 years of driving. Why? Because I am constantly scanning the road ahead, and even more importantly, the ditches. Especially at night, although that makes it challenging but not impossible. Unless deer have perfected their teleportation device, you’ve got a pretty decent chance to see them even in the ditch and take action. Personally, I have had many close calls… but thats it, they were close calls. Moose are the real scary ones, as they are big and black and almost impossible to see. You don’t see deer roadkill nearly as often, even though there are many more deer around than Moose… and Moose will sometimes even walk away from a collision that renders a vehicle undrivable.

Call it a hunch. Based mostly on the fact that you got in 3 wrecks inside of a few months.

Is it possible that a deer collision is entirely bad luck and absolutely anybody in the same circumstances would have hit it? Sure, it’s possible. Twice? Possible. But not likely.

My good friend is an RCMP Constable and he has investigated several collisions with animals. (Most of the time he only gets involved if a person is hurt in the accident) I actually asked him about a month ago about this very thing… people hitting animals. His instant resposnse? People are usually at fault. They drive too fast for conditions and/or don’t pay attention. This may/may not have been your case.

Now, if you were indeed paying as much attention as possible, then yep. It sounds like you had an incredible bout of bad luck. I hope times change for you. I am not trying to call you an idiot or a shitty driver. Everyone has those days where they just aren’t paying as much attention as they should. I am just trying to point out a very real possibilty that it isn’t just related to “luck.”

[sub]PS - I am assuming that your car is mechanically sound and your headlights are functional and properly aimed. If not, then its a whole other ballgame.[/sub]

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bernse - Jodi has explained it, correctly.

Deer do in fact dart out from the woods, and w/o warning. it’s the equivalent of having some one drop a frig from an overpass just before you are going under it and expect that ‘if you’re paying attention’, you wouldn’t hit it.

and, in fact according to my insurance co, if I swerve to avoid the deer and run off the road, it’s my fault, hit the deer, it’s not.

Jodi is also absolutely correct that driving substantially slower than the speed limit on these country roads is a huge hazard.

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You should get some deer stickers and start marking your kills on your driver’s side door. :smiley:

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BERNSE –

Are you dense? I could not have paid any more attention that I was paying. Do you grasp that? Perhaps you possess some super-human vision that allows you to dedect unilluminated things in the woods, off to the side, in the dead of night, at 50 mph, but I do not. And you are hardly in a position to decree that seeing these animals was “difficult, but not impossible,” because you don’t know fuck-all about it, do you? Of course you don’t. Congratulations on not being in my situation; since you admit to several close calls, however, that appears to be a matter of luck. Though surely you would not experience even a close call if you would pay more attention.

I’ve already addressed this. Three wrecks in three months is not in all cases evidence of driver fault. I could just as possibly be in three wrecks in three months, none of which were my fault – if three different nimrods hit me.

Here’s what you know of the situation: You know exactly what I have told you. Do you know anything else about it? No. How could you? So for you to speculate that I was really at fault when I have told you quite explicitly that I was not is the “hunch” of an asshole, because it implies that I am lying about the circumstances under which these events occurred.

When you have admitted that it is “possible,” even if “not likely” that two deer collisions could be “entirely bad luck,” why would you then cling to your totally unfounded “hunch” that it wasn’t really bad luck, as I – the only one who knows the situation – have told you it was, but rather my fault? Just to piss me off? Just to convince me you’re a jerk?

I HAVE TOLD YOU IT WAS NOT. On what basis do you doubt my word? And to what end? Again: Just to piss me off? Just to be a jerk? Help me out here: What is the motivation of your posts in this thread?

I very much resent your continued and clearly baseless “speculation” and “hunches” that these events unfolded in any manner other than exactly as I have related them to you. Two deer, on two separate occasions, darted out in front of my car from woods that come right up to the roadway, running as fast as they could, both within five feet of my front bumper, and both in the dead of night. I COULD NOT HAVE AVOIDED THEM. I COULD NOT HAVE PAID ANY MORE ATTENTION THAN I WAS PAYING. Get it? If not, read the previous two sentences until the concept sinks in.

I am continually amazed by people who, when told of a factual event, will take it upon themselves to speculate that what they are told is not what really happened. I’m especially amazed by this behavior when the person relating the events has no motive to lie about them, the listener has no way to prove or disprove the facts (indeed, no way to know anything at all about them, except what he is told), and the listener has no reason to think the person speaking would lie. I cannot believe that anyone who has thought the matter through could possibly not realize that such “speculation” is aggravating at best and insulting at worst. And I’m at a loss to imagine why you would persist in posting in such a manner.

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Jodi, I feel for ya. I think some cars are just unlucky. Maybe you should think of getting rid of Deerslayer, or get an exorcist or something.

I had a bad luck car too. I was hit by an avalanche on a mountain road. I t-boned a car that pulled out in front of me at night, on a blind curve, in the rain, without it’s lights on. I was forced off the road an into the bush by an idiot passing a semi in a no passing zone, and I let my GF drive it for a couple of weeks and she let it run out of oil and seized the engine. All this within about eighteen months. All three accidents were covered by my insurance, without any rate changes. The engine was not covered so I actually just abandoned the car because it wasn’t worth the cost to repair it. It was (here’s the punchline) a Saab story.

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Wring said:

Absolutely. No arguments. However, unless the treeline is right next to the roadsurface, you should have time to see them. Not necessarily plenty of time, but you should have enough. And since Jodi said the speedlimit is 65 during the day, the treeline should not be right on the shoulder of the road. If it is, I apologize to Jodi right now and recomend she contact someone at the State and get them to rectify that.

Excellent point. My insurance is the same way. I guess the ideal situation though is to not swerve off the road if possible nor hit the deer. If you can’t avoid the ditch though, you probably are better off killing Bambi.

Jodi said:

Listen. Yes. I get it. And yes, at the very least, I honestly believe that you believe that you were paying all the attention in the world.

BECAUSE The odds that you hit 2 deer within 3 months of eachother that were both ABSOLUTELY, NO WAY, NO HOW UNAVOIDABLE is slim, to say the least. BUT, I WILL CONCEDE, NOT IMPOSSIBLE <— In bold CAPS so you see it, since I admitted this in my last post too (in different wording) but you obviously didn’t notice. We have wildlife here thick as flies, and I don’t know anyone that has pulled that off inside of 3 months before. I’m not even really taking into account the accident that you were at fault for. There is no disputing that.

Look, I’ve digested all you have had to say. I read it 5 times. I am telling you exactly what I would tell anyone that would have told me the same thing. And I really couldn’t give a flying fuck if I get you pissed off at me or not.

I don’t need to know anything else, unless you had a rather extraordinary deer hit you or it was the end result of a religious vision. You hit a fucking deer. You say you were paying attention and weren’t speeding. What the fuck else is there to know? If there was anything important, I assume (possibly incorrectly so since you seem to imply that there is sorts of secret, relevant info that you’re not sharing) you would have shared it with me in your other post directed to me, where you mentioned how slow you were going and safe you were driving.

All of my previous post was dealing with colliding with a deer, regardless of anything else. Period. Its applicable to anyone.

2 posts constitue persisting? :confused:

Here is why. From your very own OP:

I’m trying to explain to you that the odds are, yep. It probably is your fault. Not CERTAINLY, but there is a damn good chance.

Believe it or not, I am genuinely glad you weren’t hurt and that it is not going to effect your insurance rates. That would be really shitty. And its too bad that your car had to go to the body shop so many times. That sucks. They’re never the same after that.

Since I see that receiving constructive critisism is not your strong suit, I will shut up. I think I have said about everything that I wanted to say and don’t believe I could be any clearer.

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I’m actually quite good at receiving constructive criticism, and the first time I see you offer some, I’ll be happy to receive it. But after I fucking tell you that it was not my fault, for you to strongly imply that it was in fact my fault is not constructive criticism. It is an implication that I am either lying to you or deluding myself or both and it is insulting. And yet you persist – yes, persist – in stating that “it probably is [my] fault” after I have told you repeatedly that it is not. That is the action of an asshole.

“You believe that I believe that I was paying attention”? You arrogant jerk! I told you that I was. Do you have any reason to believe I was not? Even if the odds are 70-30 that I was not, or even 90-10, when I tell you that I was, why would you continue to insinuate I am not in that 30%, or that 10%? Someone has to be, right? And if I claim that small percentage includes me, do you have any basis for continuing to insinuate that it doesn’t?

Constructive criticism, my ass. If that’s your idea of “constructive” anything, by all means do shut up.