03/12/2010: "Car Crash Fun!"

Wow.. talk about disappearing for awhile. Hate to say I'm getting pretty good at it. It's not that I mean to, it's just that.. dunno, I find myself increasingly introverted as of late. Then stuff piles up and it becomes more and more intimidating to actually write. But I should at least get around to some important stuff while it's still relevant.

First and foremost, I'm okay. Not injured, fine, nothing serious nor lasting. That's the good news! It just goes down from here, yo.

So, got into the first car crash of my life yesterday. Luckily, I went from a dead stop (stop sign) and was turning right when it happened in a neighborhood, so it was only about 7mph or less (my speed) and 20 or so for the other car. But speed of the collision aside it, as the kids would say, sucked. Happened at 9pm, right after work, was on my way home. Turning, BAM, hear a nice, delightful crunching noise and the car jerks a bit. Unlike all movies, TV shows, and commercials would suggest, my reaction was a bit on the underwhelming side. I certainly said some choice words that I wouldn't repeat in front of a nun, my grandparents, or young children, but it was more of a statement and less of a exclamation, yell, or anything else.

Does this matter? No, not really, but I still find it odd at how minimal my reactions are to serious situations. I mean, c'mon, shouldn't I be more responsive? Bah.

Of course, that was just the beginning of my nightmare. Fortunately, the other driver was also okay (middle-aged woman). I checked on her, got her to report it to the police, and called my boss. You see, I drive a company car, so the most important thing I had to do was notify my boss and get the wheels of insurance in motion. Let me assure you, this is NOT a call you want to make. It went a lil' somethin' like this:

"Hey, Mrs. Ta--ma. It's Jason! Remember your car? The one with working headlights and was drivable? Weeeeelllll..... it's still got one of those headlights, and I'm not sure about the driving part."

She lets me know the insurance guy is racing to the scene, and to cooperate with police (like I had any other intention). Fortunately, the woman I plowed into was pretty kind and understanding and let me wait in her car while we waited for the police.

Speaking of police! I don't know anyone who actually enjoys talking to police. Unlike most of the people I know, however, I rather like police, respect them, and think they're great, fine people (maybe I'm naive). But remember that Japanese is a language of nuance, NOT my first language, and that this is a traffic accident investigation. Oh joy, let me try out my hard-won language skillz! (<--- yes, with a Z)

They were, for their part, mostly kind to me and really understanding. One guy continuously tried to talk me into admitting fault ("So you didn't stop?" No, I stopped. "And you didn't look, right?" Of course I looked. "So, you just glanced before speeding out?" I was going slower than a bike, and I totally looked.), but hey, that's his job. Not gonna fault him for trying! Unfortunately, this is where we hit problem #2: Japan is a country all about admitting one's faults, owning up, and saying you're sorry.

HA!, I say. Yes, HA! Of course, I felt ridiculously guilty. My fault or not, this woman has to stand out with the cold, her husband worrying about her, and deal with police. Sure, I do too, but I just want to apologize. But nay, I am American. If I've learned one thing in life, it's that in legal situations, you ADMIT NOTHING. Got a picture of me clubbing a baby seal while speeding? Sir, I contend that picture is FAKED. Even if it were real, it's a photo. You don't see how moments before, the baby seal attacked me. Self defense!

While I really, honestly, don't feel I did anything wrong, I just feel bad for not being able to apologize to the poor woman. But an apology--an admission--is a guilty verdict. Now and forever. Facts can be re-analyzed, but an admission is a one time folly. In the end, the police found no one at fault and threw it to the insurance people.

Speaking of, the insurance guy finally arrived. Not to put my company and boss' business deals into question, but the insurance guy kinda scares me. Like, 'knee-capping yakuza' kinda thing.

Got driven home by my boss ("Hey.. uh.. sorry about the car?"), had to car pool today, and should be using a loan car tomorrow.

Can't say I'm feeling all too chipper. Of course, part of it is the loss of face in front of my boss and costing all this money. The other part, though, was the sobering realization that when bad things happen, there's really no one for me to talk to. I come home at 10pm, look around, and.. stare at the roof. Even if something big happens, it all occurs in a vacuum. Kinda.. sad.

Anyway, got more to talk about later, on a more uplifting note (future plans and the like), but this is long as it is. I'll update this weekend with some pictures.

Later!


Jason