Mu-mon-kan

Going through the nerve-wracking experience of a car accident can be scary, especially if one never experienced it before. My friend, Irving, unfortunately, went through the ordeal tonight. On the way to a nice dinner at Bove’s Italian Restaurant, we collided with a Chrysler minivan–the government safety rating on those things still holds. It was like hitting a tank with a pillow. The tank sustained minimal damage, whereas the offending pillow, nicknamed the Hyundai Tiburon, looked haggard. So, we pulled off the road to exchange information and wait for the Police to arrive. After the officer assessed the damage to both vehicles, we overheard him ask for a St. Michael’s College security officer to help clean up the fluids leaking from Irving’s car. Apparently, that job was beyond their manpower. In a few minutes, the entire Colchester Fire Department arrived with about 8 people (about 3 of whom actually did the work), 1 SUV, and 1 full-size fire truck. Eventually, the entire spectacle ended and the officer transported us home–my first time in the back of a police vehicle. Thankfully, no one was hurt and Irving, though a bit shaken up about his car and pride, seems to be handling it well. I told him tonight (to paraphrase Kevin Spacey in American Beauty): It’s just a car. Hopefully, the rest of the ordeal (i.e. dealing with the insurance company and body shop) goes well for him.