Thursday 21 February 2013

A silly woman



I am chastened.
Quiet.
And I admit it.
I AM A SILLY WOMAN.
I have been berating myself ever since I did it and I had so hoped I would get away with it but there you go, it looks like I haven’t.
I was on my way to collect the boys from school and I nipped down a lane that I know as a good shortcut and arrived at a puddle in the road.
And I drove through it.
Now in my defence the puddles on this lane are usually not very deep and you can get usually through them. There were no flood warnings to say to watch out. And indeed other cars had got though I could see them driving off on the the other side of the puddle. It was getting dusky
However, I hadn’t factored in snow melt or sodden fields…why should I? It wasn’t raining, in fact it hadn’t been raining all day. Yes there had been rain the night before and it had taken away all that snow but surely, in the afternoon…
So I drove in and… the car konked out.
Not to worry thought I’ll get it pulled out and everything will be OK.
Problem was I had no signal on my mobile phone.
I had to get out of the car and walk to some cottages to get help. They couldn’t get the car out but they could let me use their phone. They were so kind.
So I phoned my local garage to ask them to help me get the car out. No worries they said we’ll be over.
However between the time the car konked out and the time we got it out of the puddle, the puddle was more than a puddle it was like a long lake taking up most of the lane and my car was in the middle of it right up and over the seats in brown murky water.
I still thought we’d be OK.
Or at least that is what I was convincing myself but I was beginning to get really worried.
The next day at the garage they took the injectors out and blew away the water that had seeped in, the engine was fine – I had got away with it.
But there was still so much water.
Unbelievable amounts of water.
The boys at the garage emptied it all out, gave the car a service, checked everything they could and then gave the car a bloomin’ good valet.
I drove her around; the engine seemed fine, everything seemed OK.
BUT
We hadn’t plugged her in for diagnostics.
So yesterday I went over to the garage for one last time to get her sorted, so I thought…and the news was devastating.
It seems as if the ECUs [electronic computer units] of which there are many in my car were not talking. As far as they were concerned I had been in one almighty crash – electrics and water DO NOT mix.
While mechanically everything seemed fine, without the electronics working it is a different matter altogether. For example if I were to be in a crash, things like the airbags wouldn’t work – in effect my car is too lethal to drive.
So I called up the insurance explained what had happened and now the car is gone and I feel SO stupid.
I may have totalled my car by driving into a puddle.
I am going to cost my family upwards of £14,000 because I was stupid. A £14,000 bill we can ill afford.
Everyone has been so kind. The insurance people, my local garage, the guys running the valet service, even my husband and I feel like shit.
I am a silly woman…

11 comments:

mrsnesbitt said...

Put the stick down...walk away from the stick. Wave goodbye to the stick ...the stick is gone, do not use it anymore. Accidents happen and nobody was hurt. A quotation I saw yesterday rang bells with me...."Don't look back - you're not going that way!"

Kristy said...

Accidents happen and that is what insurance is for.

Expat mum said...

Well, you've convinced me that driving through puddles is to be avoided, so thank you. My husband did this (in my car of course) a few years ago and although it wasn't as dramatic as your outcome, he drove over a huge nail and.... You get the picture.
So, what's done is done. Move on. Won't the insurance company write the car off? Surely your excess isn't fourteen thousand?

janerowena said...

But how could you have known how bad it would be? I have to drive through a huge puddle nearly every time I go to school to collect my son lately, my car is quite low and it is a bit of a worry, but I wouldn't feel silly if it happened to me, just cross that the road didn't drain better! Mind you I don't think my car is worth £14000. Were you only insured third party?

Elizabeth said...

Oh you poor thing ... what an awful nuisance. You are certainly not the first though - so many people here in Australia get swept right off the road into rivers.

We are constantly being warned not to drive through water so when I saw water over the road the other day I stopped and drove the other way. It looked pretty flat and nonthreatening though and I felt like a silly woman actually, but now having read your story and the comment about running over a nail I don't feel quite so silly.

Anonymous said...

It's easy done and with all the rain we've had lately I imagine there are lots of people in the same boat (see what I did there ;-))

The main thing is that you're okay.
CJ x

Unknown said...

My husband drove us into a similar 'puddle' and trashed our car...I sympathise with you because he wouldn't have been as tolerant of me if I had done it!

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Could so easily have been me! I drove through an enormous puddle only yesterday. Now I realise I was dicing with destruction of the car and I won't do it again so you have done some good!

Tattieweasle said...

Denise Nesbitt - Breathing deeply and taking as my mantra "dont look back..." prob is new nickname is puddles....grrrr!!!!
Kirsty - it's what I'm hoping!
Expat Mum - £14,000 was cost of car new obvisouly it wasn't worth that when it died so in order to get replacement car not sure how much I will have to stump up!
janerowena - puddles are a natural hazard rund here but will avoid them ALL in the future!
Elizabeth - terrifying thuoght to be swept off into rivers! I'd def avoid all puddles I leaned my lesson and I wouldn't wish it on anyone else! EVER!
CJ - Too easily done! And if I had to write my car off I'd rather do it by flooding where no one got hurt at all than any other way!
Caro Ness - they never are! Though mine did concede he'd have done the same after three days of growling!
Elizabeth Musgrave - avod all water! A lesson I will forever remember!

Jen Walshaw said...

Just catching up with my reader. I for one am glad that you are well and that this was just an accident. It could have been much worse.

Take care and stop beating yourself up

Muddling Along said...

Stop beating yourself up - anyone could have done it and hopefully that is what insurance is there for?

Go on you know you want to...

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