Martins World

So, this was my “crash-free” driving history. After some smaller (rear-end) collisions in my wilder times as a young guy ;-) I managed to stay crash-free for several years. Until last Thursday, 23rd September. Then it hit me. Well, this time I was unblameable. I was just returning from the Kindergarten where I left Nadja. I was driving on side streets when somebody took my right of way. He simply misjudged the braking power on wet cobbled roads – or was simply sleeping.

It was an OPEL Astra stationwagon. Quite new. From Hoyerswerda, a small city in the region of Brandenburg Saxonia with not the best reputation. A petty bourgeois’ car at its best. Did I mentioned that I hate OPEL? And in most cases does not like Opel drivers? Then the surprise: The driver was mid-twenty, maybe nearly thirty, not older. Wearing a mohawk haircut and a bit “anarchic-styled” clothes. The solution: he has been driving his parents (in their car) to the Berlin airport where they were departure for their two-week-holidays. And this guy was already very close to home, he told me that he usually drives another street which he missed that morning. Well, another evidence for the “sleeping theory”.

To cut a long story short, here are the results: He is guilty, has to pay a high fine, the car (company car) got damaged for around 9.500 EUR (which means “beyond repair” based on economic calculation of the leasing company), I suffered from a whiplash injury and my wife and me spent a lot of time to handle all crash-related issues. Well, and as special bonus guess which car I got from car rental as replacement? RIGHT: An OPEL ASTRA station wagon. And yes, after driving it myself for some days I still hate Opel… ;-)