I'm hosed

[Dmnordin]

The full-grown doe ran in front of my new, used '92 Subaru Justy this morning at 5AM on my way to work. Now I'm car-less & bike-less! I am SO tired of all of these problems that keep coming up!!

 

This Thursday I'm having wrist surgery resulting from my bike accident of 3 months ago, so I won't be able to do anything to try to fix the Justy.

 

I'm just plain hosed now - no car, no bike, no money, and no way to get to work without paying a LOT more for gas and making it so my wife can't get to work & be mom-taxi driver.

 

Doug

[midnite]

Dang, hope things get better:thumbsup2:, just hope they don't get any worse.

[sarges46]

That really sucks. Sure hope it all works out in the end.

 

Take care.

[Evan]

Hang in Doug. It will be worth it.

[BIG TOM]

Hope it all works out for you. I'm sending you good thoughts and will say an extra prayer for you tonight...Hang in there buddy. Things will work themselves out for the better....

[Dmnordin]

Thanks a lot everyone! Yesterday totally sucked. Today is looking brighter. I think that if I can get some help from someone, we can straighten out the headlight/radiator area. I have an extra hood, radiator, and a bunch of other parts. I'm sure my engine will be OK, as it's on the opposite side of the engine compartment that was bent up. I need to find a headlight assy & turn signal - they're hard to find on these cars. Faith time. The tow will come in at about $100. In the end, it may turn out to be pretty cheap to get things fixed up. I might need to try to get a hydrolic jack to help straighten out the bent up parts - maybe I can find one to borrow from someone.

 

On the way home yesterday I stopped & found the dead deer (took some pics with my cell phone) - she is BIG, and it's a good thing I was able to get in some braking - otherwise she would have hit the right side & deflected into my windshield and maybe into my face & chest. Little tender mercies - even though this stuff sucks, I'm sure I was protected and I'm grateful for that. It's a very good thing I wasn't riding. I've decided that I'll probably take the alternate route (super slab rather than scenic route up the canyon & around the two reservoirs - prime deer country - actually, not so scenic at 4 & 5 in the morning unless the moon is out & big) in the very early AM in the future - there really isn't that much traffic super slabbing it that early anyways. Idiot cagers can be a little bit more predictable than deer are.

 

On the way home yesterday, when I hit my city, there was a texter in front of me - bad day for him to be texting & driving in front of me - He got a ticket as a result of my call to the police & my following him through town so they could get him. I went into the station & wrote/signed a statement. I will usually call anyways when I come across one of these idiots - it wasn't just my "bad day" coming out.

 

Anyways, thanks again everyone - I appreciate your thoughts & concern.

 

Doug

[Yammer Dan]

Texter needed the ticket. Hope things start looking up for you. Been there a few times and it ain't fun!!

[LilBeaver]

For what it is worth a deer hit is typically considered a comprehensive claim. So it might be worth checking your insurance policy...

 

 

[Dmnordin]

Thanks Lil Beaver. The car's a '92, so I only have basic coverage on it. Even if I did have full coverage, They would probably want to total the car for how much it's worth.

 

I just found my headlight assy, turn signal, hood hinges & lock online for $285. I was surprised to find them.

 

Now all I'll need is for someone to help me out in the brute force department.

 

By the way, What's the latest on that gal from work you were riding with - I haven't read anything new on that, Lil Beaver?

 

Doug

[Flyinfool]

You should have at least brought the deer home with you, it would have kept you fed for a couple of months and the money saved on meat would have paid for the repair parts.

Deer are delicious.

[LilBeaver]

Just thought I'd throw that out there. And yes, I'm sure it would be a no brainer for the insurance co. to just cut you a check for $4.00 and call it 'good'.

Local salvage yards are also a good place to check - you never know!

 

Hopefully you can find someone nearby to give you a hand straigtening the rest of it out. Depending on where the damage actually is and what needs straigtened, a 'come along', a solid tree and a mini sledge make a good combination for some minor adjustments. Depending on how you try to make the 'adjustments' and if it is bent up metal, make your adjustment and hold it in place, then lightly tap around the bent areas with a hammer - this helps relieve any tension/stress in the material so that it will stay put when you remove the added force. If you were close, I'd swing by to give you a hand with that stuff... I put a few hours in a body shop once upon a time... Always loved working with the frame machine.

 

As for my work/riding friend, I actually haven't been out on my bike for a decent ride since my last post on that thread (not including last night's run to see the Cannonball run). She is still looking for a bike and I have been way to swamped with work-related stuff to do any more riding I'll update the original thread as new events arise

 

Thanks Lil Beaver. The car's a '92, so I only have basic coverage on it. Even if I did have full coverage, They would probably want to total the car for how much it's worth.

 

I just found my headlight assy, turn signal, hood hinges & lock online for $285. I was surprised to find them.

 

Now all I'll need is for someone to help me out in the brute force department.

 

By the way, What's the latest on that gal from work you were riding with - I haven't read anything new on that, Lil Beaver?

 

Doug

[Dmnordin]

I told one of the engineers here at work this morning that we ought to go get the deer for him - he's an avid hunter. I told him that he would probably only have to hang it for half a week instead of a full week since it's started to bloat (slightly) already, just from yesterday being in the sun. He wasn't too keen on going to pick it up for some reason - I don't get it - he would've had to drag it up a 20 foot incline up to the road is all - much better than a real deer hunt - lol.

 

Last evening when I stopped to find the deer, I noticed that prior to her running in front of me, she had to run up a 20 foot, fairly steep incline on that side of the road in order to get up to the road - I think this is why she had some good speed in her run when she literally "popped out" in front of me - there's no way I could have seen her coming (aside from the dark morning). This area of the road was immediately after a big turn in the road around a sizable hill. The stretch of road after I hit her is nicknamed dead deer road and is a notorious spot for deer to be found. It seems like they like spots like that - where you come around a corner that goes around a big hill and the terrain turns into a nice long depression or short "valley", and WHAM, there resides the herd!

 

Thanks for the body working tips, LB - I've never done much in that department, so this will be an interesting learning curve. Especially with my right wrist out of commission and someone else helping me out.

 

Thanks for the other update, too - inquiring minds....

 

Doug

[Guest RawHide]

It happen to me a few years ago and it was pitch dark. We got blinded by the opposite on coming car, when behold a deer was feeding on some corn kernals in the middle of the road. We werent going too fast but the hit did a significant damage. Air bags open up and gave me a Jimmy Durante Noise and fall color chest bruises and a Chin Skin burn. The car also suffered from the air bag, windshield and rearview mirror cracked and damage. Also the dash board was damage from the air bags as well. The hood, head lights and other misc. stuff got damage by the hit and run deer. Yeah you heard me right after recovering from the shot gun exposion of the air bags that did more damage to me and the car, the deer that was hit got up and ran! DAMN IT all we had was a few shreds of hair and blood splatter!

It gave me nightmares for a couple of months and I hated driving at night!

We all recovered and the car is still being driven by my ex! She was a tough Crown Victoria Girl to have substain all that and more. I always did pat her and gave her praises. LOL yes I beleive cars have feelings too. They last as long as you treat it well!

Take care and like I mention we all recovered!

 

[Flyinfool]

I went 30 years and over a million miles of avoiding those critters.

Then I got 2 in one day about 5 miles apart, on my way to my deer hunting stand. Go figure.

But they were both delicious.

 

Fortunately the heavy 3/16 thick solid steel of my front bumper (full size GMC P/U) won both battles, the only damage was a broken fog light and a cracked air dam below the bumper. Barely even felt the bump. Tonnage rules.