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: As many of you know thanks to Pure-Evil's overblown post (I know you were just concerned, but MAN scare the hell out of everyone why dontcha!) :) Anyway, it was MINOR and I am totally fine and the car is fine as well...but it wasn't exactly a run-of-the-mill encounter (nothing ever is with me, you notice that?). : So I'm cruising down the 110 Freeway minding my own business in light/moderate traffic. I'm in the fast lane doing around 70ish when I feel the rear end come out a bit. I corrected it and checked my rear view mirror only to see this guy in a little red Tercel speeding past me. He made a run for the exit and I followed him...it's a TERCEL for god's sake. I don't think he realized I was behind him because he made two quick rights and parked it, sitting there like he had "gotten away". I casually walked up, knocked on the window and he got out. : Only what got out was a huge Mexican Mafia looking fool. The stereotype was dead on since he was sporting a wife-beater T-shirt, tattoos on his arms and a shaved head. Sure enough, I'm in a bad area of L.A. Los Angeles is bad in it's own right and we all get used to it, but this was another level. So I ask him what happened and he tells me he didn't see me, blah blah blah. I ask him if he had insurance and he says no. Considering the car had NO PLATE front or back, I wasn't surprised. I'd think the damn thing was hot, but it was a Tercel...who steals a Tercel? : So rather than deal with this dick, I get out the polish and the rags (always prepared :) and get to work. Not without taking a photo or two first. Here's the before... :  : Looks pretty bad compared to how it turned out...I sat on the curb scrubbing away for 20 minutes HOPING for a miracle so I wouldn't have to deal with this guy and his story. I got pretty close... :  : And here's the little piece of crap that hit me... : 
: Truth be told, I got out LUCKY for what happened. The crack pisses me off because it's JUST above the Stillen piece which would have taken it better. The two yellow lines are either scorched paint or it's down to the factory urethane which could be yellow (anyone know?). Though it still feels SMOOTH...so I'm hoping it's just a little burned. Can't get to an orbitial buffer until the weekend. I'm praying! Damn...money and time I can deal with, but repainting a panel is something I do NOT want to do because I hate dealing with paint matching.
: So my brain is going a MILLION miles a minute trying to think about what I should do. I'm totally prepared for anything except this combination: A non-insured driver with no license, damage that's enough to be pissed about but too little to pay my $500 deductible and the fact that this guy has probably eaten guys like me for lunch (and I'm a big guy!). So I figure I'm screwed for the insurance...I can't even claim "hit&run" or "uninsured motorist" because the damage isn't more than $500 (or barely over with undo and repaint)... and there's NO dent thank god! Just paint scuffed and a small crack. I know I'm not going to get any real info out of the guy either. I managed to get the VIN number in a quick glance, but I doubt my memory got all the digits right. So he says to me "I have $80". I scoffed at him in disgust. He said he had another $100 at home about 40 minutes away but I had to get to the airport and I was not about to follow this guy home.
: Then he mentions he has a friend a few blocks away that he can get the money from. I'm thinking about the neighborhood and this guy...but I said screw it, I want something for this! So I followed him to this house and I didn't have a good feeling. I look around and I'm smack dab in the middle of the movie "BoyZ in the Hood" complete with people sitting on their porch, drinking 40s and the random craps game going on by some bushes. Of course I had a small crowd gather around my car and my work-dressed self. L.A. has it's ghettos and I've lived here most of my life and it doesn't phase me, but this was the ghetto man's ghetto. : He runs up to the gate and three more vatos come outside and give me that look. One of the other guys whips out a stack of 100's (perhaps I should have asked for some crack in return?) and gives it to me along with the other $80 the Tercel dude had. I took the money, told the guy to stay the hell off the road with no ID/insurance and got the hell out of there. Sheesh...I consider that a mild victory though! Honestly, if this shit buffs out tomorrow and I have $180 in my pocket, I can live with that. I have a friend who's a master at touch-up (he's an artist) and that crack will cease to exist...best of all, it's not on the driver's side! lol. : Anyway, that was my fun little escapade today. A totally minor incident really, so I'm majorly thankful. I'm telling ya...SoCal is never boring and as nuts as it sounds I wouldn't trade it for the world!
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