A defining moment in my life.

After reading fiesta54's hit and run story, I thought I'd share this.

About 8 years ago, I didn't have but $10 to my name. I hadn't worked in over a year, and I was struggling through school. On the way home from class, I stopped by a target to pick up some ramen for dinner. I somehow misjudged the spacing of a parking spot, and clipped an 80s Cadillac.

OH E36 M3! I won't be able to fix that. Not enough money out of pocket to pay the guy and keep the insurance out of it and I certainly wouldn't be able to afford to continue driving with my insurgence rates jacked up. No money, no insurance, no way to get to school- Oh God!

RUN!-Just go! RUN! The thought crosses my mind. I can do it. No. there are cameras. Where are they? Damn, I'm no good at this...Suck it up. You'll be caught. You need to deal with this. Sigh.

I have customer service make a BS call about the Caddy having it's lights on, or something. The guy comes out, and I tell him the truth. I say we can exchange info, or call the police. What do want to do? Aw, man. Don't worry about it. I'm fixing this thing up. He lets me go. Now I don't know why, maybe he had no insurance, or a dead hooker in the trunk. But he lets me go.

I always wondered how things would have changed if I had run. I don't think I could ever look myself in the eye again. I wouldn't be the same person. I couldn't be the same person. Ever.

This was a test. I think I passed.

You're one of the good ones

And that right there is why so many of us hang out here. The people on this forum seem to be the ones I could trust.

Good for you, what you think of yourself matters much more than what others think. My wife's door flew open when a strong wind caught it and dinged up the car next to her. She left a note and everything, then the person called her thanking her and telling her not to worry about it but she was just happy someone still did the right thing.

Everyone berkeleys up.

Not everyone owns up.

Similar story. Heading to a job I decided to get a couple biscuits. Pulled into a parking spot and went inside. In the way out I saw that I had scraped the quarter panel of the car next to me with my front bumper. It was a brand new car with temp plates on it. My guys all said berkeley it lets go. I couldn't do that. There was a hand full of elderly people inside. I went back in and asked a gentleman if he knew who owned the car. He pointed to an elderly lady. I took her outside and showed her the damage. I gave her my name and number and our insurance policy. She was crying and very upset. She had only had the car for a week. I took her back inside and three of the elderly gentleman she was eating with all shook my hand and said thank you for being honest, most people would have just left.

I called my boss to let him know what had happened and he jumped my ass, he said no one saw it, you should have just left. I told him just because he was a dirt bag didn't mean I had to be one.

About a week later the CEO called me in his office. He said that she took the car in for an estimate and the shop was able to buff the scrape out and didn't charge her anything. He said what you did was probably right, but you should have just left. I just got up and walked out. That was the beginning of the end at that place. I don't have time to deal with dirtbags.

No need for dead hookers in the trunk or lack of insurance, I let a guy go after he backed into my 'rolla for the same reasons. The damage was just cosmetic, and there was already some cosmetic damage where he added his, he wanted to exchange information but I told him to just get outta here. Not worth the trouble.

Also let a guy go when he pulled out right in front of me while I was driving the Samurai. He had a punched-out headlight, I had some minor damage I could fix myself in an afternoon. He admitted fault, didn't want to call insurance, neither did I, so buhbye.

When I was 16, newly licensed, I backed into a car in a parking lot late at night. I panicked and took off. Somebody saw me and called the cops with my plate number. They called me and when I told them my story, they gave the the chance to make it right. I was grateful for that opportunity and I did.

A few weeks ago a young girl backed into my Vette in a parking lot and tried to take off. Somebody saw what happened and stopped her. When we exchanged info, I saw that she was really scared about what might happen, but I also noticed where she worked, a local Ford dealer. A few hours later - after I came down, I went to the dealer, found her and offered to let her take care of it without the insurance, or police report. Turns out that she is very well liked and the dealership is a very friendly place to work. They had offered to help out, if at all possible. We talked for a while and I could see that she was a nice girl who just panicked like I did. She felt like E36 M3 about the car, but I told her my story, and not to worry. It's just a car. Accidents happen. In the end, we'll both get what we want I'm sure.

Getting out of my car in a parking lot, the toddler in the car next to me flings open his door and dings my pristine Kia Rondo. (I know, devastating) The kids father flies into a rage and I swear a beating on the kid was forthcoming if he had to pay to make repairs. I smiled, told the kid that accidents happen and that it's nothing to get upset over. Dad immediately cooled off and the kid looked at me like I had just rescued him from a lion's den.

I see that dent every day and am reminded to treat my kids like the blessings that they are.

My parking lot story involves a 4runner, a Target parking lot, attempted insurance fraud, security cameras and an idiot.

Almost opposite is when I was 16 I tapped a rusty old 4x4 d50 in my 81 voyager. It was a total beater but I tracked him down to let him know I hit it and exchange insurance info. He came out and said "eh it's a beater it's cool". Then called the cops on me for a hit and run. Said I ran into it twice in places other than I actualy hit it. The Big K it happened at had video so he got caught but these things go both ways.

Since then I get a cop involved no matter what if possible.