it is beginning to get annoying: once again last night, for the second time in four months, c & I were involved in a car collision. it's like the new fricking sport here, our accidental idea of a good time: getting rear-ended for no good reason while driving quite safely on bay area streets.
once again, we're doing nothing unusual. driving sensibly, obeying all laws, moving slowly off 101 at the mission street exit. when we hear the loud squealing tires of some craziac's attempt to stop before slamming into the back end of our car. the impact is hard enough to make our stocking caps fly off our heads into the back seat. we're okay, mostly mad, because we're hungry and want to make it to our friends' cabaret in twenty minutes and now we won't. I scrawl the license plate number down on my hand. the adrenaline makes me dyslexic and I write down 3 instead of E. we slowly roll down the exit ramp. we're both prepared for plenty of hassle next, and we sigh and roll our eyes as we get ready for it.
but the driver of the other car does not attempt a getaway, unlike last time. the driver does not pretend to only speak spanish, unlike last time. (his friend whispering "you don't speak english" as we stand there; "I don't speak english," he says, confused.) the driver has a license and seems to have insurance, unlike last time. he doesn't try to hand us two hundred dollars in cash and speed away. I'm not afraid the whole time that we're going to get shot. unlike last time.
I have to say, rear ending #2 was an improvement over the first, though I feel worse physically. it seems this could be ordinary soon, almost routine. time for quarterly taxes: time for the next rear-end collision.