Goddammit!!! Why am I not allowed to have good days? Seriously, why?
I was actually all excited today. Had the day off from work so I was running some errands. While I was out shopping I got email letting me know that the paper I wrote for PCA/ACA 2016 about Harley Quinn and hypersexualization in comic book characters has been accepted for publication in an edited collection I was trying to get it into on “sexuality and mental illness in comic books. I mean, perfect right? If a book is going to be about mental illness, sexuality and comic books, Harley seems like the perfect choice right? Well, I was hoping so and apparently the editors thought so too, because they chose me. I happened to be looking up a price comparison on my iPhone while I was at Best Buy when I got the email notification, so I saw it right on my phone. Called Stephanie to let her know. Was in a super good mood. It was a good day!
Until…
So driving home from the store, about 2 miles from my house, some genius decides that she was going to dart out onto the highway from a parking lot across two lanes of traffic. In the middle of the block. I saw her edging out and was watching for her and then the second she accelerated I slammed on my brakes. Too late. Tried to swerve a bit, but since she was turning all the way out into the middle lane, it wasn’t enough. Slammed into her as she was turning, smashing in the passenger side front of my SUV, and completely disabling it. Her car is still drivable (of course) and so she pulled over into the next parking lot, while I was sitting in traffic still, and then immediately starting yelling at me about how I was in the wrong because she was “in the turning lane.” I have no idea what the fuck she was talking about… they don’t have “turning lanes” in parking lots. Called 911. Called for a tow truck. Called my mechanic. Called Steph (again) to have her pick me up at the mechanic. Called insurance.
So I waited for the police and did the police report. They claim “well, you know, we can’t really assess blame, could be anyone’s fault. It’s just good that everyone is ok.” And, yes… I’m fine… But my car is now at my mechanic waiting for the insurance assessment, hoping that they don’t decide that it’s totaled, because I really don’t need to be making car payments while I’m still in a grad student and don’t have a grownup job right now, and I am in an absolutely shitty mood on what should have been a really good day.
Someone bring me alcohol and sex and a giant ass Harley Quinn mallet! And seriously… given the paper topic, I would have asked for all three of those things even if the day had stayed good… but now I really want them. So yeah, if you’re coming over for a drunken mallet orgy, then someone also bring me a new car.
FUCK!!!!
Bullshit they cant assess blame. Cars in traffic always have priority over any car coming into traffic.
yeah, I’m hoping the insurance people see it that way
the cops should have seen it that way and given her a ticket. They’re just scared of the black man driving the SUV who moves in circles that involve awful things like comics and orgies.
(Congrats on the paper!)
I feel like that’s a Pittsburgh cop thing? Was told the same exact thing when someone ran into JE & I and you could even easily deduce from the way the crash obvioulsy happened that JE & I were just turning into our own driveway when someone, going pretty fast, slammed into us. But the cop said “I wasn’t here to see it, so I just leave the blame argument to the insurance companies.” But insurance companies are adversarial and want to win for their client. There is no objective judgement there.
This policy is dumb and needs a Harley Quinn hammer.
Sorry you’re day half sucked.
Congratulations on the article acceptance, though!
Thanks, Katie.
(and Reuven)
Maybe she is really Harley Quinn. Nah, she wouldn’t have left you alive.
she was definitely not Harley Quinn
Next time, don’t brake if you think a collision is coming. If she hits you leaving a parking lot, blame is more obvious.
ehhh…. all the same, I would rather have not hit her.
Possibly killing or injuring the Mav or the dumb lady really seems like an especially harsh penalty…
Yeah even if the crash is clearly inevitable and unavoidable hitting the brake to slow down and therefore decreasing the amount of harmful and potentially lethal energy that’s going into the crash is certainly best for the vehicles and everyone in them.
Glad you’re ok and congrats on the good news though, Mav.
UGH.
exactly
Let us know if you need anything.
alcohol, sex, giant mallet, new car…. you know… the usual….
I feel as if at least two or three of these requests are just standard for you on any day ending in “y” however. Not that that makes them any less valid or important however.
As a heads up, my spouse had a similar experience. Police did not assign fault at the accident scene. 6 months later our insurance went through the roof because the other driver (driving at night without their headlights on) went to see a physician and made an insurance claim. Nothing we could do.
yeah, I’m trying to not think about that….
Brutal man. But congrats too. ?
thanks
The police don’t assess blame. That is largely the job of insurance adjusters. Unless she needed to be arrested or given a ticket, in which case it is their job.
honestly, she probably should have been ticketed. But yes, I’m sure they wouldn’t do that having not seen it…
but again, as Reuven Goren said above, there’s not really any way the accident could have happened without her breaking a traffic law. She was coming out of a parking lot. We weren’t at a light or anything like that. She cut across two lanes of traffic.
I’m sure she was absolutely in the wrong. Similar thing happened to Don and it SUCKED
many police officers will insist that they can’t write a ticket for what they didn’t personally witness but state law says otherwise.
From: https://www.pacode.com/secure/data/234/chapter4/chap4toc.html
“A law enforcement officer may issue a citation based upon information that the defendant has committed a summary violation, which information may be received from a personal observation of the commission of the offense; a witness; another police officer; investigation; or speed-timing equipment, including radar. Contrast Commonwealth v. Hatfield, 453 A.2d 671 (Pa. Super. 1982), decided before the adoption of previous Rule 70 (Defects in Form, Content, or Procedure—Summary Cases) and the 1983 revision of the previous Comment.”
Not the same as assigning blame for insurance purposes
Not the same as assigning blame for insurance purposes
That sucks. Congratulations on the paper!
thanks
That’s awful! I hope your car’s okay, but super excited about your article!
thanks
Cars are temporary; chapters are forever.
Heh…. Kaitlin Green actually texted me almost the exact same thing.. if you keep saying it, maybe you can make it a thing…. like “Fetch”.
It’s too late! Can’t stop it if you tried!
I concur with Dr Siler.
Meron Langsner and I with the good Dr. Langsner.
GET A ROOM!!!!
You’re just jealous that you’re not Dr Maverick yet.
Maverick doctors?? What the hell is this world coming to?!
Congrats on the publication!
Thank you
There must be balance in the force; clearly, you were enjoying yourself a little tooooo much. Haha
Congrats on the paper— can’t wait to read it. I love everything that you write.
I actually already wrote it for a conference 2 years ago. I want to do some revising of it. But I’m pretty happy with it.
Chris Maverick, that’s great! How’s the dissertation coming along?
Eh… Slow. I have a 1st draft of the first chapter written. Taking a break this month to do some conference papers, which are also proceeding slower than I want.
Chris Maverick, very good! Keep going! I found the literature review to be the most difficult phase, and admittedly lost my mojo there for awhile. In the end it all seemed to take waaay more time then I ever imagined it would. I had a lot of encouragement from others in my program and that definitely helped me regain my motivation. Hang in there. Slow progress is still progress— just keep moving forward!
Awe I’m so sorry Chris! I’m glad you’re ok though! Congratulations on your paper!
Thanks
Congratulations on the paper! But the collision…grrrr-ugh!
Thanks… and yeah… I’m still in very much a pissed off mood 8 hours later.
Congratulations on the paper!! collision -gahh.. glad you are physically ok.
Thanks
Congratulations you are blessed with great talent
Thanks
🙁
?
I knew it would find a home – it was an awesome paper 🙂
Thanks. There’s a few things I want to change up. I didn’t focus as much on her mental illness in that version but now I feel like I should given the collection concept. But other than that i think I’m pretty happy with it.
I have to remember that. “The accident wasn’t my fault for driving out in front of oncoming traffic where there’s no intersection. I was in the turning lane of the parking lot.”
I’m glad you’re ok.
Yeah…. I honestly don’t understand her logic at all. Thank you though.
“Somebody bring me alcohol and sex” is going to be my go-to line from now on.
the problem is I said it like 2 days ago and none of you fuckers has come knocking on the door yet. 😉