TIME: 12:33 pm
PLACE: Freeway - 30 W near H St
EVENT: We crashed the car while doing 80 miles on the freeway. Beej and I were both stunned because its our first time to be in a motor accident.
HOW: We were on our way to Glendora to have lunch with Tita P when our rear left tire lost thread. We were moving fast on the 30 west freeway when it happened. Beej slowed down, trying to keep the wheel straight, when the car started to wobble. Then, he tried to get out of the lane we are in, aiming towards the right shoulder. Next thing we knew is that we were slowly spinning towards my direction, perpendicular to the incoming traffic and diagonally across the freeway, careening towards the steel gutters in the left shoulder. The rear end of the car hit the gutter, gave us a minor whiplash on our seats and went straight to the left shoulder. We looked at each other after the mishap, thanking God that we were fine.
WHY: Tobey is an old car. A 1997 Summit with 97,000 of mileage that Beej picked from Long Island. Although it is relatively unspent for its age, the tires are now brittle and unfit for the hot, California freeway. The roads were baked in the 110 degree heat that afternoon and the tires is not up for the torch.
WHY WE THANK GOD: We could have died if it happened in a different place and time.
1) If we took the 10 instead of the 30 W, the busy freeway would have created a lot more damage. Imagine a mass of incoming cars coming right at you at 70-80 miles per hour.
2) If it happened during our road trip in the middle of New Mexico or Arizona, I could have been pulling my head and tearing my eyes out.
3) If I was driving, I could have busted my lungs out, screaming. But, then that's a long shot. Indeed, a very, very long shot. While I was learning how to drive, I dented my dad's car. I never touched the wheel since then, ergo, I never learned to drive at all.
CONSEQUENCE: We were stunned for 2 minutes. We were shaking and I couldn't speak for a while. Two drivers who saw the whole thing stopped and asked us if we were fine. In fairness, they made sure we could walk and talk fine before leaving us in the freeway. Beej called the cops, AAA and Geico. AAA was fast, the highway cop was irritating at first and Geico gave us the worst shit of all. To put it in simple terms, basic insurance for the 12-year old car covers wreck when we hit a car or got hit by one. Since the Summit's wreck was due to a flat tire, Tobey won't get anything and Beej receives nothing, just sympathy. Screw them! Caveat emptor: Read your policy before buying your car insurance. Its so easy to sign up online but it's a freaking steal. Now, I'm beggining to hate lizards and cavemen.
LOOKING AT THE BRIGHT SIDE: It was my first ride on an AAA tow truck. Wooohooo!
PROCESSING: As we were doing the 180 deg turn, I was wondering how hard the impact will be. We were destined to hit the metal railing anyway, it matters if the impact is huge enough to cost us our lives. When it hit the railing, my head was thrown to the headrest and the car slowed down to the left shoulder. It was fine...thank God, I thought, but I held my breath until the car came to a complete stop. I freed my lungs with that breathful of air, realizing at that point, that I wasn't alone with that sigh. We actually shared the carbon dioxide and the feeling of absolution in that long, worthwhile release of burning air.
We could have died. We actually couldn't believe the fact that we were in a point that our lives could have expired, and, it will be the end of it all. Poof, gone. And boy, how upset my mom will be! (Thank God, she isn't even near the term tech-savvy, thus, no way to read this post.) After that, we were begging for a supreme force to beam us back to New York. Or a supreme being to do that for us, like Hiro Nakamura. We suddenly felt nostalgia for the subway, the walks in Central Park and convenience of the metro card. New York...where our concerns revolved in weight loss, smoke money and unemployment. Gosh, I couldn't wait to go back.
