The new cleaning lady starts work at The Rickety Old Farmhouse. She arrives at eight and parks her little old Renault on the driveway behind the dog car.
'The Font' greets her then loads the angelic duo into the back of the VW for a power walk round the lake.
Angus is on the phone to men in dark suits when he hears a loud thump.
'The Font' has reversed into the little Renault. One of those 'I knew it was there but didn't see it' moments. Considering the low speeds there is a surprising amount of damage . Both cars appear to be made of plastic. The little white Renault develops a large crack in the front passenger side wing. Bob and Sophie are delighted. They think it's all part of the days entertainment. They get out of the car.
Bob picks up a ball in his mouth and stands and watches.
His sister also finds the sudden activity to be spellbindingly interesting. She is 'encouraged' not to become intimately involved.
The new cleaning lady is reassured that everything will be repaired as new. Angus takes her car to the local garage. After two hours he gets a quote that you'd think was for a badly damaged Rolls Royce not a sixteen year old Renault.
'The Font' calculates that it's better to pay cash rather than claim on the insurance. We'd have to pay 40% of the cost ourselves and the annual premiums would go up by 35%. We'd also have to answer that question " Have you hand any accidents in the last ten years that were your fault ? "
Just another day in a small French village where nothing ever happens.
French President Macron on Brexit. A more lucid performance than could be expected from any British politician : https://youtu.be/E9Dy1kFl410
After that the best thing to do is listen to this : https://youtu.be/GVdt3x9jdOk
12 comments:
My sympathies to The Font. I did that once, years ago, taking a babysitter home in a friend's car and backed into a stone wall. Ooops, indeed.
I made the mistake of looking at some of the comments on the Macron video. Should know better by now.
Thank you for the shared trauma. It makes 'The Font' feel much better. Best to approach comment sections ( dog blogs excluded ) wearing body armour.
Hari OM
It is one of the dreadful facts of life that we never use the insurance we pay for because it is going to end up costing us more. Biggest con going. Other than Brexit, that is... YAM xx
Assuming the new cleaning lady is working out well, then cross fingers that your prompt action has averted the possibility of her resigning in a huff.
I did a similar thing when, in avoiding a closely parked van on one side, I reversed into the car belonging to my students grandparents. We needed an entire new door, they needed a replacement bumper. Hey Ho. Worse things happen at sea. Macron seems to have a better handle on Brexit than anyone in the UK.
Sympathies to the Font, though glad to know she's human (had doubts, considering her fortitude in the face of pâtisseries).
My brother and his wife are pretty fussy about their stuff, so I was surprised to see my sister-in-law's car with a big gash on the door. Surely, if there was an accident, they would have had it fixed immediately. My brother confided that his wife had side-swiped their mailbox (the kind you see in rural America, on posts by the road). I was proud of him for dismissing it as unimportant and not rubbing her nose in it.
As for Macron, yes, he puts it well. I wish he had the same foresight/insight domestically, like not abolishing the wealth tax, or raising jet fuel taxes at the same time as diesel taxes. Maybe the yellow vests would never have come out from under the driver's seats. And yes, Emm, the comments are...yikes.
She is driving a rental car while her while her old one is replaced. The repairs will cost substantially more than the value of the car. I've toyed with the idea of suggesting I get her a replacement vehicle but that might 'confuse' matters.
Your brother is clearly a diplomat. There are times in a happy marriage when comment is best avoided .
When I worked at the railway for 38 years, and a boxcar had been derailed in a switching accident, the thought was oops, what are we going to tell the managers. Nothing worse than to be reminded, this too shall pass
So sorry about the "fender-bender." You're right about the cost of repair. I remember years ago when someone hit my Dad in his treasured classic car, a 1968 Chevy Impala -- It did $500 damage to his car, and nearly $3000 to theirs. What does that tell you about how cars are made, especially nowadays?
Oh no!! It is probably cheaper to buy a replacement car!!
My sympathies to the Font. About 12 months ago I reversed into a scooter at very low speed. The owner shouted at me but declined my offer of paying for repairs. Most cars have annoying blind spots.
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