Showing posts with label driving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label driving. Show all posts

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Story 234: Fender Bender Mender


            (Friend 1 and Friend 2 are driving down poorly lit streets)
           Friend 2: (In the passenger seat, looking at phone) All right, it’s says there’s a right turn coming up soon.
            Friend 1: (In the driver seat, squinting out the windshield) I can’t see any street signs.  And where are all the street lights?!
            Friend 2: (Ominously) Maybe the people who live here don’t want to be seen.  (Looks out the windshield) Slow down; I know we’re late, but you shouldn’t overdrive the headlights.
            Friend 1: You think I don’t know that?!
            Friend 2: Clearly, I do think you don’t!  (Checks phone) OK-turn-right-here.
            Friend 1: (Squinting to the right) Where?
            Friend 2: Here.  Now.  Right-here-turn-now!
            Friend 1: OK!-OK!-OK!
            (As the car screeches around the corner after almost missing it, headlights momentarily blind the Friends as their car shears the front fender off the incoming car; both vehicles spin around and stop, facing the opposite direction from where they started.  Everyone involved sits there for a few moments; Friend 2’s phone dings to indicate that they completed the turn)
            Friend 1: (Shaking head) Oh no – this didn’t just happen – I can’t have caused an accident – I need to go back in time 10 seconds – oh no – oh no – oh no –
            Friend 2: I’m fine, thanks.
          Friend 1: (Shuts off the car and looks over at the other vehicle) Ooh, I don’t wanna go out there; they’re gonna kill me!  (Gasps and turns to Friend 2)  Unless I just killed them?!  Did I just kill somebody?!!  Did I commit vehicular homicide without meaning to?!!!  Am I an accidental murderer?!!!!
            Friend 2: (Slaps Friend 1’s face) Knock it off.  Look, he’s fine, see?
          (The Other Driver had jumped out of his car, run to the front to see the damage, run to the trunk to retrieve a toolkit, dropped it on the ground near the front of the car, and run to the fender that is now 20 feet away)
            Friend 1: (Gingerly taps the button to roll down the passenger side window; in a weak voice) Are you OK?
            Other Driver: (Freezes while holding the fender) Yeah-I’m-fine-you-OK?
            Friend 1: Yes.
            Friend 2: (Simultaneously) No.
            Other Driver: `K.  (Puts on a face shield and begins reattaching the fender with duct tape and a blow torch)
            Friend 1: (Pulls insurance card from the glove compartment and gets out of the car, followed by Friend 2.  Watches the flurry of activity for a few moments, then clears throat) Need any help?
            Other Driver: (Over the sound of welding) Nope!
           Friend 2: (To Friend 1) I can’t believe your teeny car caused that much damage.  And just look at it!  (The front of Friend 1’s car is smushed) It may never drive again.
            Friend 1: (Covers the car’s headlights) Ssh, don’t listen.  (To Friend 2) Well I can’t believe my life is over when five minutes ago it was just beginning!  And a mile away from the party, no less!
            Friend 2: Forget the party; I’m probably in for a lifetime of back pain and inevitable painkiller addiction, thanks to you!
            Friend 1: You mean thanks to your sloppy navigation, don’t you?!  You don’t tell someone to turn as they’re passing the street!
            Friend 2: You were going too fast!  In the dark!  You weren’t giving me anything to work with!
            Friend 1: And I bet you’re lying about your back pain, everyone else does!
            Friend 2: Just because I don’t feel it this exact second doesn’t mean I won’t in a year!
            (The Other Driver begins hammering the right side of the front of his car)
            Friend 1: (In a lower voice) And what about him?
            Friend 2: What about me?!
          Friend 1: We’ve already covered you; what if he, you know, (Whispers) S-U-E-S me?  For perpetual damages?
            Friend 2: (Staring at the hammering) I don’t think you have to worry about that too much.
            Friend 1: (To the Other Driver) Excuse me?  (The Other Driver pauses mid-hammer) Listen, I am so sorry about all this –
            Other Driver: Don’t mention it.  (Resumes hammering)
            Friend 1: Well, I have my insurance info right here, and we’ll call the cops to come over –
          Other Driver: (Stands and points the hammer at them) Don’t call the cops!  (The Friends freeze; the Other Driver’s eyes dart back-and-forth a bit) I forgive you.  (Resumes hammering)
            Friend 1: That’s very… kind of you, but I think it’s the law.
            Other Driver: (Gathers his tools back into the kit and throws it into the trunk) It’s unnecessary, no harm done, here’s something for your trouble (Tosses some large bills in their direction), and I’ll be on my way.  (Slams the trunk shut and heads back to the driver seat)
            Friend 2: (Nods at the bills and mutters to Friend 1) Don’t touch those.
            Friend 1: (To the Other Driver) I don’t think this is a good idea....
            Other Driver: (Re-enters his car) I don’t see the problem here, it’s win-win, you’ll never get a better offer in an at-fault accident, gotta go!  (They hear sirens approach; the Other Driver whips around to the Friends) I said no cops!
            Friend 1: (To Friend 2) What’d you do?!
          Friend 2: I didn’t even!  You’ve messed me up so much I keep dialing 999 and getting England!
            Friend 1: (Looks warily at the surrounding houses, shrouded in darkness) Maybe one of them called….
            Other Driver: Whatever; peace!  (Floors the gas, spins the car around to the original direction, and peels away with the reattached fender occasionally sparking along the ground)
            Friend 1: That was odd.
            (A police car pulls up next to them)
           Police Officer: Which way did he go?  (The Friends point in the direction the Other Driver departed)  Curses!  Always a step behind!  (Peels away)
            Friend 2: (After a few moments) So, want to go to the party?
            Friend 1: I thought you said forget the party because of your lifetime of pain!
            Friend 2: Yeah, but this night might as well not be a total loss.

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Story 205: Waiting to Make a Left-Hand Turn



            7:27 a.m.
           The Driver advanced to The Intersection, the point where all roads met, where rush hour traffic never ceased, and where no quarter was given.  The left-hand signal was turned on, and the game began.
            Inch up – inch up – maybe – nope – after these three – traffic light’s red – now there’s a bunch on the right – inch up – maybe now – maybe now – maybe – maybe – maybe –
            7:39 a.m.
           “Hi, Sue?  Yeah, I’m probably going to be a little late this morning… Yep, I overslept and now I’m stuck at The Intersection…. Oh, it’s infamous around here, you can probably find news reports about it online…. Yep, that’s the one…. OK, I guess you’ll see me when you see me – oh shoot, I missed an opening!” [BEEEEEP!!!  SCREEEECH!!!!!]  “You go for it, dude!  At least one of us made it out of here.  Welp, I should go before I miss another one – it’ll happen any minute now, I just know it.”
            8:01 a.m.
            The mini-microwave dinged! at exactly the same time the mini-percolator finished dripping.  Simultaneous Completion of Hot Coffee + Morning Pizza = Serendipity.
            8:35 a.m.
           <The reason for all your suffering, the reason for all your pain; you know there could only have ever been one answer: I AM YOUR GHOST.>
          “Whoooooooa,” The Driver breathed while watching the screen propped in front of the steering wheel.  “Glad I missed everybody talking about it this morning.”
           <Wait a minute – do you mean “your ghost” as in Dead-Me-From-The-Future, or “your ghost” as in Embodiment-of-a-Torment-That-Is-Literally-Haunting-Me?>
            <…The first one.>
            <Whoooooooa!>
            An opening!  The gas pedal was floored as the screen went flying.  Fake out: someone was just changing lanes on the main road.  Good thing the brakes recently had been replaced; the new tread marks on the ground joined the thousands previously left behind.
            9:30 a.m.
           Snoooorrrrreee – gak?  The Driver awoke to see traffic was clear in both directions and to hear the horns blaring from behind.  The car smoothly pulled out of The Intersection now that the Rush Hours were over, since everyone else was at work.
          If I my play my cards right, The Driver thought, I can do this all over again tomorrow!