A learner in a coach sided our car

I didn't know if I should post this in rant or general chit chat or here. I decided here because there may be others that love their cars as much as we do ours.
Basically we own a yellow MX5 California Mark 2 [also known as a Miata in the US], it isn't just a car to us, it is our baby, our pride and joy. Especially joy, because when you have not much money, you can just get some enjoyment by taking it out on a summer's day, with the roof down, listen to music and drive through the countryside.

One of our nightmares [both of us - husband and myself], regularly dreaming that something happens to it and waking up upset.

Well now it has happened. Through absolutely no fault of us, well, me, as I was driving.

Narrow country lane, see coach, drive up to the bend as it is the only place to let it pass [plus there is a big driveway, so the coach has more than enough space. Everyone driving down these lanes know each spot and use the space to let others pass.

Learner driver and idiot, instructor even more of an idiot. He takes the large coach too close in the curve and in slow motion I see how he's gonna scrape us. I shout 'stop' and drive even backwards for a little bit bit have to stop as I am close to a ditch.

He doesn't stop and slowly scrapes our baby, I can still hear it. And at that moment all our fears came true regarding our car.
I knew it would be hassle, I knew it would be a pain in the backside for us and we would lose the car and have to get another one etc, hassle.

The instructor comes out and I am full on shouting obsceneties mode. I was in shock, I cried, I screamed all with anger inside of me and the knowledge that the lovely day we just had with our baby has now come to an end. That our car has come to an end.

He comes out and dares to say: 'It's only a scratch'

You are frigging kidding me right? The whole drivers side is dented from front to back. The coach has a yellow streak but no actual damage.

Then the instructor tells me off and asks if I didn't see the Learner sign. Well no, I didn't actually. I am sitting about 1 meter and a half below that poxy sign and he was far too close and the wrong angle.

Then he tries to say I should have stopped on the straight. Another stupid comment from someone who has never driven down that road. the straight holds about one and a half cars, it is already very difficult to get past another normal car without landing in the ditch, so no. The coach alone would have difficulties on that stretch.

Anyway, I know it's boring but I need to vent.

We took a lot of photos. It shoudl be really simple to deduct that I did everything right and they did everything wrong. But as I predicted seconds after it happened. This is doing my head in. I am suffering from anxiety and I have M.E and can't be without a car [courtesy car has not been delivered and it's been 5 days.
I wake up at night with fear and worry, because the insurers will probably write our 'boy' off and we might get a similar one.
How this will happen and how much hassle is involved I don't know. All I know is that I never asked for this.

I know there are worst problems in the world but I just wanted to write this all down and hopefully hear from others that had similar experiences. It's all so daunting to me and I am so upset about losing our 'pride and joy'.

This is all happening in the UK by the way.

Bastard!!!!. I am gutted for you. Part of being an instructor in any subject is to lead by example. What sort of example does that Wanker think he is setting his student.

a reply to: Hecate666

I have a Mazda 3 and yeah would be gutted if anything happened to it so I feel your pain , can't see why the instructor would take an obviously inexperienced learner down a lane speaking as an HGV / PSV licence holder.

I doubt the insurance company will write your car off if there is no structural damage , dents can be pulled out and scratches resprayed , I think your baby will survive this.

Hope you get it resolved sooner rather than later.

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: Hecate666

I have a Mazda 3 and yeah would be gutted if anything happened to it so I feel your pain , can't see why the instructor would take an obviously inexperienced learner down a lane speaking as an HGV / PSV licence holder.

I doubt the insurance company will write your car off if there is no structural damage , dents can be pulled out and scratches resprayed , I think your baby will survive this.

Hope you get it resolved sooner rather than later.

An older vehicle might be unviable for a respray and undenting sadly as it could need a lot of work to match the new paint to the older detirorated remainder.

We Brits are funny for getting attached to our old bangers, I love our J reg Frontara 4x4 scuffs dints and all.

Sounds like the instructor needed a good old-fashioned beat down. A beating that lasts until he admitted he was totally at fault. A beating that went a little further than that where the bleating sounds he was making gave you reassurance that he would never allow himself to be found in such position again.




Sorry to hear your car got beat up.

a reply to: Hecate666

Instructor sounds like a moron in self-defence mode. He misjudged and it's all on his head by the sound of it.

Autotrader's saying £2-4000 for a replacement. Guessing the insurers will call it a write off if the dents are bad. They're likely to be creases instead of dents so you'd be looking at panel work and a respray.

I hope you come out on the right side of all this and either get the 'baby' fixed up or find an equivalent replacement.

a reply to: Hecate666

I'm not into cars, but my Dad had a couple of mini austins he named 'baby blue and racing green'. He treated those cars like gold, lol. Hard to find parts for them though in Canada, near impossible.

Anyway, great post!

a reply to: Hecate666



Ummm..."I feel your pain"...(to borrow a Clintonism)...I used to drive RX7's...I absolutely loved how I could get that 2nd gear peel and scream down the road with the whine of the Wankel engine keeping tune...

I'm wondering if you might be able to...save...your MX5...I know it's a pain...but it's not too costly to replace fenders and a door...the paint job is usually where it gets expensive...Here in the States...we usually have the option to buy back from the insurance company the vehicle at a low cost...I just bought a 2006 SAAB 95 AERO for a couple hundred that has front end damage...I'm going to replace the hood...fender...inter-cooler...radiator...condensor...and all the other front end parts myself...then drive it...

Maybe I'll document the process and add it to the forum...

Do you have any pics to add...?









YouSir

a reply to: Hecate666


I learned a long time ago not to get overly attached to vehicles.
I loved my first truck, 85 ford ranger....
Rolled it over and totaled it.

My friend had a 67 mustang. His pride and joy.
He rarely drove it out of fear of what happened to you.
His garage got struck by lightning and burnt down with his car inside..

Just be happy nobody was hurt, buy another one and enjoy life.

a reply to: Hecate666

Sorry to hear about your MX5. Hope the damage is just superficial (body panels and paint) and that there's no real structural damage done. Most of the time a fender bender can be repaired rather well, and almost spotlessly.

As for the other driver...wow. If you're stopped, and he hits you...it's automatically his fault, at least here in the USA. As for the corner, how much of a bend was it? And why didn't the jack-wagon stop? It would have been easiest for him to stop, allow you to pass, then for him to continue his merry way.

Hey look on the bright side and imagine turning your baby into a Rat Rod

a reply to: Bluntone22

right?

my girlfriend was totaled 2 weeks ago..

I don't have imsurance for it..

so learning life again lol.

# happens. You dont get to hold on to imperminent life. Its always slipping away. Sucky but at least you keep the memories for a bit.. haha.




so im sorry about the ops baby. I know the feeling. I hope you get her patched up. If it was my baby id be driving her with her new battle scars proud. Why? cause shes my baby thats why.

good luck hecate

Wow, thank you all for everything you've said. I am not normally one to share my problems but I am glad I did on here.
I knew I could trust you lot!