Feeling Brobdingnagian
A few weeks ago, I went to hop in my car after a long day of work so I could go fetch the Bean. On my windshield was a note – one of those “Oops! I totally dinged your parked car!” notes.
I hopped back out and checked the damage. And it was a wee bit more than a door ding.
It honestly doesn’t look as bad as it really was…
So, I called the person that hit my car, scraping up the wheel in addition to what you see above. She gave me her insurance information, and I filed a claim. I took my poor old girl in for an estimate, and it came back at $1500. So glad I wasn’t paying!
Last Monday, I finally dropped her off. The place thought I get my old girl back on Friday. Waiting for me was my loaner (also picked up by the other insurance company). When I’d talked to Enterprise on the phone, they said I’d get something about the same size as my Hyundai.
Instead, they presented me with this:
Yes, I am HYOOOGE
Jeep Patriot. Comprised of largeness. (The architect noted that the Jeep is an anti-TARDIS – much smaller on the inside.)
I’m no size expert, but I feel that the Jeep is not in the same size class as my Hyundai Elantra.
I was not impressed.
I had to drive! In traffic! And park! In parking garages! It was a little on the ridiculous side. Also? The Jeep is an automatic, which meant that on Day 1, I depressed the clutch eleventy million times, jerking myself forward uncomfortably. (Why is the brake pedal so wide on automatics? Is it just to mess with manual transmission drivers?)
On Day 2, I noticed that I could sure see a lot of things. All the things, in fact. And I kind of liked it. I felt like a giant! Brobdingnagian! (Also, smart…)
See how ginormous I am? I am sitting on my giant-sized loveseat, completely dwarfing all the regular-sized liquor bottles! (ca 2006)
I also noticed that on the sun visor of my Jeep, there is an exciting warning:
So now, just because my visor told me not to, I kinda want to do some abrupt maneuvers at excessive speeds! So far, I’ve resisted the urge.
I am enjoying the Jeep much more than I thought I would, although I do miss the manual transmission. I know that my car will need to be replaced sometime in the next couple of years (I’ve had her longer than I’ve had the architect!), and I kinda want something bigger now.
In the meantime, I got a text from the autobody shop letting me know that my car was enjoying her spa day so much she decided to stay a few extra days. Apparently the wheel damage was not just cosmetic! The person who hit my car really meant business, I guess.
I will be sad to give the Jeep back (hopefully tomorrow!), but it’ll be nice to have my very own, much peppier-engined car back. Alvie will miss the Jeep almost as much as I will, I think. He felt so authoritative while driving.
Hey you! Where’d you get your license? Out of a Cracker Jack box?
