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Old 06-16-2017, 08:24 PM
 
120 posts, read 118,273 times
Reputation: 116

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Hi all,

About two weeks ago I was in a car accident where the other driver hit me at a red light. We pulled over - the woman had apologized profusely - completely took the blame, and her insurance is covering all of the damage. This was my very first accident that I have ever been in so naturally I was startled and taken aback, and I find myself overly cautious (to a fault) now when I am driving even though this accident wasn't my fault.

I am currently in a rental car (paid for by the woman's insurance while my car is being fixed). It's a 2016, but the bumper is all scratched up -- I'm assuming from all of the previous renters. This particular car is a Ford Focus and the automatic gear shift (or whatever you call it) is a little different than my car, so I have been finding that I am accidentally going into Neutral all the time while I'm trying to either reverse (from drive) or drive (from reverse), and it ends up jerking the car as if stopping short (I think it auto stops the car). This part is important to my story, which is why I am mentioning it.

Now here is where I can't tell if I am being paranoid. I drove home yesterday, and there was a barricade where police were blocking a street. They were letting cars pass but it looked like it was going to take a while (I was about a block away from home). So I decided to reverse because I had noticed a spot that I could parallel park in and I was going to walk home. I remember specifically changing my mind while reversing and I guess I quickly wanted to go back to drive but went to Neutral, it jerked the car, I said something along the lines of " I can't wait to get rid of this f-in rental" and I changed my mind again and ended up pulling into a different spot on the street. I parked in this spot for about 30 seconds when I decided I really wanted to be closer to my building so I ended up getting back in the car and waiting for the police to let me through the barricade.

I get out of my car, I get my bag from the back and I notice that my bumper looks like it has scratches on it that I hadn't seen before (though I wasn't and still am not sure if they are new or not!). I start getting anxious because it's a rental and it's literally going back tomorrow. I assumed (at the time) that either someone hit me in the parking lot I was at earlier in the day or I am crazy and the scratches were already there.

Anyway, long story LONG, a few hours have now passed, and I'm now developing hit and run OCD thinking that maybe I possibly hit a car and caused the scratches myself? I would have no idea where this would have occurred, but the only thing I could think of that might have happened without my noticing it is when I reversed from the barricade and stopped short --- maybe the jerk was me hitting a car at the same time I shifted into neutral??

So I walked back to the street that I had reversed on and I started looking at all of the cars that were on the street (granted it is almost 4 hours later). I don't see damage on anyone's car, but perhaps the person could have moved. I stayed on the street about 45 minutes to see if anyone was looking for someone. I am now extremely anxious thinking I hit someone's car and didn't leave a note. I would have no idea whose car it was as it is a city street and I'm not even certain this "car" exists. My rental car goes back tomorrow early in the morning, and I still plan on telling the rental company that the scratches were already there because part of me truly does believe they were, but what if I did hit someone's car?

Should I call the police? I have no clue what they would say if I asked to file a report on something I am not quite sure even happened.

Thanks for reading. Apologize for the lengthiness.
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Old 06-16-2017, 08:35 PM
 
Location: Brooklyn
337 posts, read 420,152 times
Reputation: 273
Too late to call the police. You may also implicate your self in a hit and run you had nothing to do with. Go ahead give them a call. Worst case they will laugh at you.
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Old 06-16-2017, 08:39 PM
 
120 posts, read 118,273 times
Reputation: 116
I know I sound crazy, but I suppose I could tell them the street that I had reversed on, but it could have really happened anywhere over these past seven days (if it even happened at all).
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Old 06-16-2017, 09:01 PM
 
983 posts, read 923,251 times
Reputation: 1252
Cars bump each other all the time parallel parking. Maybe you backed up and hit somebody so slightly that you didn't notice? Maybe another driver did that to your rental while you were somewhere else? Who knows. Don't drive yourself nuts over it if the scratches are minor.
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Old 06-16-2017, 09:08 PM
 
120 posts, read 118,273 times
Reputation: 116
Thank you - that is comforting. The rental has scratches, not dents, so if it did happen I'm assuming damage had to be minimal. I mean I didn't reverse over 10 miles per hour. But I have gone back to the street two more times since writing this post lol. I can't help but feel bad that there is a possibility someone has scratches on their car that I may have caused.
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Old 06-16-2017, 11:17 PM
 
3,672 posts, read 3,399,647 times
Reputation: 7411
Holy Nuts!

It's ok Breathe. I rent cars every week, they really don't care about scratches in my experience, one AVIS rep said they don't care about anything unless it is a dent larger than a golf ball. They ignore everything else.

Now if you hit someone elses car, also relax. Whats the worse that will happen? Someone took your plate down? Ok... If you have a scratch YOu DIDN'T KILL ANYONE, you likely just scratched another car (if even that) and the owner might just shrug it off or not even notice. This is NYC, I get new scratches on my car weekly.

If the police are called (Which the cop will laugh at the complainant being called for a scratch) nothing will happen, I promise you.

Sleep well and take some extra meds

P.S. When you return the rental, don't even acknowledge the scratches, just hand over the keys and grab the receipt. Answer only if questioned.

P.P.S whenever renting a car, walk around it and test everything works before driving off the lot. If something is wrong, call it out to the attendant and ask for a different car or ask that the damage you see is noted on a form they have handy. Keep a copy before accepting the rental. This way you have proof the damage was there when you picked it up.
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Old 06-16-2017, 11:52 PM
 
6,034 posts, read 4,387,021 times
Reputation: 13531
You sound unreasonably anxious. An accident can have that effect on you. It'll pass.
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