A close encounter

 Good morning, dear Blogger friends. Thank you for your kind comments on my previous blogs. I intend to visit your blogs as soon as possible. 

As mentioned in recent posts, I'm either working or walking. I forget to say that for relaxation, once a week, on Friday mornings I join like-minded friends for a Taigelates class. Taigalates is a tri-discipline made up of three other disciplines: Tai chi, yoga and Pilates. 

On Friday 31 May 2024, I was driving 20km to our class. It was early morning, and the sun was rising behind me as I drove towards the foothills of our majestic Central Drakensberg peaks. I glanced in my rear-view mirror and noticed fellow exerciser, Yvonne, in her little blue sedan behind me. As I crested a rise, I felt a glancing blow on my right. So fast and so hard. I screamed out loud as I saw my external wing mirror disintegrate.  

I pulled over to the side and Yvonne pulled in ahead of me. She ran towards my car asking if I was OK. She said she just saw fragments of glass and was concerned my windscreen had shattered.  I said no, the oncoming vehicle had swiped my 30cm mirror off my righthand side door.  She mentioned that I was well within my side of the white line. And would witness to this when I claimed from my insurance. As far as we both were concerned, a guest had hit me and continued merrily on his way. 

I did my hour of Taigalates and only after we'd finished, did Yvonne and I relate my near-death experience to the ladies who were horrified. 

My wing mirror had been clipped by an oncoming vehicle 

which was going so fast I never saw it!

In South Africa, the steering wheel is on the right-hand side of the vehicle. We drive on the left-hand side of the road. As can be seen, the smack was mere centimeters from my right arm (inside the closed car) as I was driving. 

I phoned the insurance company. 

Ergh!

Ironically, I had changed my insurance to another company BUT only effective from 1 June 2024. I was covered by this company until midnight 31 May 2024. It was now 8.45 am.

Not so, according to the young voice who took my call. She insisted I only had comprehensive cover. Then she proceeded to fire questions at me: did I see the registration of the vehicle that had hit me (DOH!). And did I notify the police. Double DOH!  Our protection services would not drive out 30km to an accident scene where only one vehicle remained. Or as things are done in our culture: I would have been told: we will come after one hour. And I can guarantee you that I would STILL be waiting for them!

The questions continued: I was asked for my vehicle registration. And make of car. I supplied them. THEN she asked the color of my car. 

WOW!

I consider myself a patient and mild mannered vintage lady.  But this last question broke the camel's back. I told the lady that I could NOT believe she was asking me all these questions and I had just had an accident.  Didn't she know that I was sitting on the verge of the road, stressed after the accident and she was asking irrelevant questions. I said to her: would you like to know what I am wearing: black ski pants and a stripey top. She retorted that I need not be sarcastic. 

Frustrated beyond belief, I cut the call, put my head on my desk and sobbed my eyes out!  A minute later I heard a message on my phone and saw it was on the on the community WhatsApp group:

"My humble apologies if I clipped your car (with my wing mirror) as I was coming up the hill from the choir school. I was totally blinded by the sun and positioned myself in the road to avoid hitting pedestrians on side of the road. I didn't stop but I will apologize anyway" 

I sent her a message on the Group and asked her to contact me privately. Of  course, several other people contacted me privately too, asking did she hit YOU, Jo? Are you OK? 

Meanwhile this local lady did contact me; I told her that she had damaged my mirror to which she replied that she would pay for the replacement and repair. I immediately contacted the agent which I use in Ladysmith,  who sent me a quote for a new mirror and the labor to replace it. R2400/US$120

With my heart in my mouth, I forwarded the quote to the perpetrator and by way of return I saw a direct deposit into my bank account for the full amount. 

Phew!

I sent her a message thanking her for her consideration and said I hoped we would meet one day under more favorable conditions. She said she was surprised that I had got the quote so quickly. I didn't respond because if I had, I would have said, I am VERY quick off the mark and in this case, has stood me in good stead!

I drove without a wing mirror for ten days before I booked my car into the agent. 

Driving away from the repair garage after having my new mirror installed

Here above I was at the start of a short holiday away from home. But that is another story for a future post.

As for the insurance company. Well, I cancelled the comprehensive cover immediately which evoked several agents contacting me to enquire why I was cancelling. 

Phew!

It's cancelled. Short term insurance is so expensive in our country and almost ALWAYS fraught with to-ing and fro-ing correspondence before they pay out. 

HAVE A GREAT TUESDAY!