Got rear-ended in the snow yesterday

[ubtripn]

A guy in a mazda protoge was following too close, everyone stopped in front of me so I did. (On all four drum brakes) and he slammed int me. Demolished his front end, literally scratched my black bumper. We got out and he lit into me. I told him I was considering letting him off since I really didn't have any obvious damage but since he kept saying it was my fault I was turning it into insurance to make sure everything is still straight on my truck. Oh well. I am really impressed on how bumpers from the 60's really do their job. What a difference.

[Stocker]

Been there & done that, and I too appreciate the value of a stout rear bumper. Funny how the guy blamed you when 1) traffic in front of you was stopped and 2) the law generally places fault on the rear-ender for among other things, following too closely and not paying attention. Maybe he will learn from his mistake -- maybe not. Bet he has fun listening to his insurance agent (if he has insurance).

[ubtripn]

Indeed. I explained that he was following too close for conditions so its on him but he just wanted to escalate. I told him I believe that we all need to start cutting each other more slack on the road and was about to do just that but he would not stop. Oh well - go Chevy!

[big mike71]

People like that need a punch in the face.

[BlueBullet]

. I agree what is wrong with being accountable now a days.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by ubtripn

A guy in a mazda protoge was following too close, everyone stopped in front of me so I did. (On all four drum brakes) and he slammed int me. Demolished his front end, literally scratched my black bumper. We got out and he lit into me. I told him I was considering letting him off since I really didn't have any obvious damage but since he kept saying it was my fault I was turning it into insurance to make sure everything is still straight on my truck. Oh well. I am really impressed on how bumpers from the 60's really do their job. What a difference.

What a jerk. Let me guess, following too close is a kid. Anything beyond that is immaturity. You should have mentioned he has no right to run Mazda trash into one of our righteous 67-72 trucks. That alone commands it was his fault.

Besides, the law likely says it was anyway.

[tommys72]

Haha, i like that answer

[ubtripn]

Lol-I should have said that,

Sad thing, it was a middle aged guy like me who appeared to having a bad day which I can relate to. I have rear ended someone on ice before. The first words out of my mouth were - man I'm sorry, I'm insured and are you ok?

[71threequarterton]

Originally Posted by ubtripn

Lol-I should have said that,

Sad thing, it was a middle aged guy like me who appeared to having a bad day which I can relate to. I have rear ended someone on ice before. The first words out of my mouth were - man I'm sorry, I'm insured and are you ok?

Sounds like a real A-hole. And because he's middle aged and still doesn't understand that when you rear end somebody you are virtually always at fault, he will probably never learn his lesson. Funny thing is, sounds like you were going to let it go and he just shot himself in the foot. Oh well. Glad your truck is OK

[ubtripn]

I was but not now. My son asked why I drive it if I worry about getting hit. I told him that I drive it in Idaho in case I do get hit. I just feel safer in it. Plus potholes don't mean damage, everybody knows all the reasons we drive our trucks. No hangar queens in my family. Every car is in the mix =)

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by ubtripn

Lol-I should have said that,

Sad thing, it was a middle aged guy like me who appeared to having a bad day which I can relate to. I have rear ended someone on ice before. The first words out of my mouth were - man I'm sorry, I'm insured and are you ok?

Yeah, some old fart like me 50ish was on my arsch the other day coming home. The type who acts like you're the idiot, or really, an "inconvenience". One bird wasn't enough, I pretty well flashed him the entire time.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by ubtripn

I was but not now. My son asked why I drive it if I worry about getting hit. I told him that I drive it in Idaho in case I do get hit. I just feel safer in it. Plus potholes don't mean damage, everybody knows all the reasons we drive our trucks. No hangar queens in my family. Every car is in the mix =)

There's an argument to be made these aren't all that safe. I get the steel and simplicity, but a lot of engineering has gone into safety. I'm sure it depends on the crash, but if it's head-on, you're better off in a newer vehicle.

[tommys72]

[QUOTE=71threequarterton;7833131]Sounds like a real A-hole. And because he's middle aged and still doesn't understand that when you rear end somebody you are virtually always at fault, he will probably never learn his lesson.

Im sure a middle aged man knows that. Id bet hes mad because his insurance will go up and the fact his "newer" car is wrecked while (most likely, in his opinion) your old piece of junk pollution causing truck is fine and drove away from the scene.

I said the above things because, in a taco bell drive through 2 weeks ago a man and his wife. Younger than me, im 34 (in a prius no less) told me to shut off my truck while in line. "It stinks, its loud, and anything that old cannot be good for the enviroment." my reply was....shut up and roll up your window if you dont like it. Their window went right on up to the top! Haha

[71threequarterton]

Originally Posted by tommys72

I said the above things because, in a taco bell drive through 2 weeks ago a man and his wife. Younger than me, im 34 (in a prius no less) told me to shut off my truck while in line. "It stinks, its loud, and anything that old cannot be good for the enviroment."

Unbelievable...

On too many levels...

[tommys72]

Haha. Believe it, it happened.

Sorry for hijacking the original thread.

[muley]

Originally Posted by ubtripn

I was but not now. My son asked why I drive it if I worry about getting hit. I told him that I drive it in Idaho in case I do get hit. I just feel safer in it. Plus potholes don't mean damage, everybody knows all the reasons we drive our trucks. No hangar queens in my family. Every car is in the mix =)

True that! The snow on the west end has gotten so deep I'm buried in the back driveway. Most of the time on snow I'm fine with it. I farmed for years in a 61 C10, and just put a bin of Apple wood in the bed for the winter. Even when you slide in the ditch, it doesn't hurt anything. You really have to smack the rear bumper to hurt it.

[LongBox]

Every time I'm tempted to buy a chrome sport rear bumper and change out my good old fashioned heavy duty painted steel bumper, I think of stories like this!

The guy following is obviously at fault in this situation, and trying to offload the responsibility to the other driver is just an indication of his poor self concept. (Everything is always someone else's fault)

[HO455]

I'm glad to hear that you and your truck are undamaged. The title made think the worst. Good to hear there may be one less plastic car on the road tomorrow.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Ain't it something when the guy at fault tries to blame you.

Happened to me once in my '64 C-30 Stake Body. First I need to say that it had a welded bar on the back of it, something like a big truck ICC Bumper, and it got pulled out and separated from the chassis by the former owner about 1/4 of an Inch.

OK now the hit. The traffic in front of me stopped quick and I stopped quick and the guy in back hit me.

He came up to my drivers door and said "What happened man"? I looked right at him and firmly said "The guy in front of me stopped quick, I stopped quick and you hit me". After that he cooled right down. He had one of those little foreign pick-ups. Hood bent in half, right side fender bulged out, grille smashed in, radiator hit the fan, steam everywhere. The truck was wrecked. My truck? He pushed in the bar and closed up the gap.

His truck was wrecked and my truck ended up being better than before.

Good ole tough Chevy trucks.

[12secondnova]

Originally Posted by C10 - C90 Bill

Ain't it something when the guy at fault tries to blame you.

Happened to me once in my '64 C-30 Stake Body. First I need to say that it had a welded bar on the back of it, something like a big truck ICC Bumper, and it got pulled out and separated from the chassis by the former owner about 1/4 of an Inch.

OK now the hit. The traffic in front of me stopped quick and I stopped quick and the guy in back hit me.

He came up to my drivers door and said "What happened man"? I looked right at him and firmly said "The guy in front of me stopped quick, I stopped quick and you hit me". After that he cooled right down. He had one of those little foreign pick-ups. Hood bent in half, right side fender bulged out, grille smashed in, radiator hit the fan, steam everywhere. The truck was wrecked. My truck? He pushed in the bar and closed up the gap.

His truck was wrecked and my truck ended up being better than before.

Good ole tough Chevy trucks.

Sounds like you got some free body work done. score!

My white truck had a big steel bumper on the rear and my uncle rearended it with a hay squeeze with the weight of an entire dump of hay to boot. Pushed the truck about a foot forward but it hit dead center and didnt even leave a dent.

[special-K]

The world is upside down, especially the insurance companies. I was sitting in line at a red light waiting to get up to the entrance to my bank on the corner. It was a 2-lane road that AFTER THE BANK ENTRANCE widens from one to three lanes for the light. One for straight, one for right turn, and one for left turn. We start rolling, I put my right signal on, and start my turn. That's when I see something in my extreme right peripheral that shouldn't be there so I stop. I heard tools clank from jamming the brakes but didn't feel him hit. I pull on into the bank and this bozo pulls in, walks up, and says "You hit my car". HUH?? I told him I wasn't driving backwards, I had my signal on, and you screwed up trying to slip by where there is no lane. He tried anything but own up to his mistake. He said I was in the left lane, didn't use my signal, and even when my adjuster told him the lanes don't form (marked) till after the entrance he tried saying I made my turn after the entrance. I asked my adjuster just how that could work and he said, "Exactly". I figured all was good until I had to call his insurance company after not hearing from them. I told them I hadn't heard from them and I was wondering what I do next about getting my dent fixed (teeny). That's when I was told we were both found at fault. First of all, when were they going to let me know that? Mostly, though, they said while he was obviously at fault for being there at all since it was not a travel lane, they also found me at fault for allowing enough room for him to try his bozo move. So I'm at fault for giving him the chance to screw up? If it's one lane it's one lane, I signaled my intentions well in advance (and moving at 5 mph), and you can't make a right turn from up against the curb or you will hop the curb. There was a car coming out of the lot, so no option to swing wide...not that I should have to.

I figure USAA screwed me because I only have liability on that vehicle, so no loss to my insurance company, so no fight from them. Just the good driver who pays his premium getting shafted

[Ed F]

Another observation here. Not only was your truck not hurt but your drum brakes out performed his anti locks. Well, maybe you performed his poor driving habits and bad attitude, but my point is that the brakes kept you out of trouble. No doubt discs are great, but drum brakes are better that they typically get credit for. Glad you and your truck are fine.

[ubtripn]

Yeah drums actually seem to do better on snow due to the delay or slowness if you will. Thanks you.

Your right Special K and the sad truth is that court is held on the street. Whatever the Officer decides occurred, occurred in the judges eyes and I get why. So it is definitely better to call the police in some cases and in others let the shared liability laws take affect but they have been so twisted up that now who knows. Its a gamble for sure.

Also you are right about other types of wrecks, I saw a girl WALK away from a full head on at 60 due to an airbag and the other driver pass away. Massive improvements in all areas but being rear-ended. Nothing beats these step bumpers. Or even the front bumpers to an extent. I went to notch the bumper support with an angle grinder and was taught a lesson in how strong old American iron really is. In the 60's they weren't asking yet - how thin can we get this metal while still maintaining its shape in the wind? I got hit once in a Nissan Hardbody (sorry, I know) in the rear quarter panel, it spun me a full 360 off the ground and only left a dent 10 inches long no frame damage. That impressed me. But today we are all going faster, closer and defending five seconds of time like somebody insulted our Mother. It's sad. Now I see these spike lugnuts on Big rigs. What are these? Mad Max hardware to keep other drivers away? Maybe I should get some. =)

[Rickysnickers]

Originally Posted by 71threequarterton

Unbelievable...

On too many levels...

I think I would have sat on the skinny pedal for a while.

[Rickysnickers]

[quote=tommys72;7833159]

Originally Posted by 71threequarterton

I said the above things because, in a taco bell drive through 2 weeks ago a man and his wife. Younger than me, im 34 (in a prius no less) told me to shut off my truck while in line. "It stinks, its loud, and anything that old cannot be good for the enviroment." my reply was....shut up and roll up your window if you dont like it. Their window went right on up to the top! Haha

This is the quote I meant to respond to about sitting on the gas pedal for a while sorry.