Leaving the hospital yesterday, the craziest thing happened.

There is an area near the main doors where you can park for a maximum of 10 minutes during patient pick-up or drop-off. Parked in this area, I had DS strapped into his car seat, and was assisting DD1 with buckling the baby into the back seat when the car unexpectedly lurched backward.

DD1 says, "Oh my God Mom, that lady just hit our car."


I finish strapping the baby car seat in, and think that the lady will approach me in a second or two.


She never did.


After a minute or so of checking out the front bumper, I approach the lady's window. She rolls it down.

Me: Do you realize you just hit my car?
Her: Well, I just bumped it, so I figure there's no damage. It's no big deal.

I walk back to the back of her vehicle & front of my vehicle. I look again. She finally gets out of her car.


Me: Even if there is no damage, don't you think it would be appropriate to offer an apology?
Her: (very sarcastic) Well, I apologise, but I barely touched your car.



Several minutes go by. I'm getting angrier by the second.


Me: How would you know from your rear-view mirror that there's no damage? I have a 2 year old and a newborn in this car, and you don't even have the decency to ask if everyone is OK? You just presume there's no damage to the car, and that's it? No concern at all? As a driver, don't you have a personal responsibility to check and make sure that every one's OK, and to look for damage?



Her: Well, if I had actually done anything to cause damage I would. I said I was sorry.

I think, no, you didn't. You said I apologise. Not the same thing in my book. And she still hasn't asked if the kids are OK.

She decides to try talking to me while I am taking a picture of her license plate with my phone. I tell her not to bother. I'm so angry I'm starting to shut down.

After a few more seconds:

Me: Where is your personal responsibility as a driver? You can't just go around playing 'bumper-cars' and as long as you *think* no damage has been done. But I'll tell you what I am going to do. I have your license plate number, and I will be going to the Police Reporting Centre. If I have anything to do with it, I will make sure that you get charged with careless driving, and I am going to make it my mission to make sure your insurance rates go up.
Her: (as she's walking back to her car) Well, I did say I was sorry.
Me: I can't believe you weren't even going to get out of your car. You weren't even going to acknowledge that you hit my car. You stupid ******. ( I won't repeat what else I said. It was rude, vulgar, and inappropriate for this blog.)


Then she gets in her car and drives away! No offer of any personal information, or insurance company information. Still hasn't asked if the kids are OK. I'm fricking furious!

I'm pretty sure I made her feel really bad. I'm pretty sure I made her cry. But her unwillingness to even acknowledge she had done anything really ticked me off.

Later, relating the story to hubby, he says, "Well honey we have to report it. Even if there is no damage to the car, both car seats need to be replaced. They have now technically been in a collision, which voids the warranty on them. She needs to pay for them both to be replaced. She may be charged with careless driving, but because she left without offering to share any information, she likely will be charged with leaving the scene of an accident as well. That ought to put her insurance rates through the roof."

So after he gets home from work, we're off to the reporting centre. Maybe nothing will come of it, but I'm surely ticked off enough to try to recoup at least the money for new car seats.

My daughter has something really interesting to put in my grandson's baby book. How many kids can say they were in an automobile collision before they were 48 hours old?