Back when I was in college, I had a 1985 Audi 4000S - my first car. I loved that car. Power windows, Power door locks, power sunroof, etc.

Anyway, here I am driving on Shady Hills Rd., in Pasco County Florida on my way to Tampa. I reach the end of Shady Hills, and I have to turn left on to State Road 52. Imagine a simple T-shaped intersection. Shady Hills ends at SR 52, and you can turn either left or right. There's a traffic light there. The traffic light is green, and turns yellow just as I pass into the intersection. It's raining, albeit a very light drizzle.

SMASH! (I remember saying "Shit!" aloud during impact.)

A seventeen year-old in a 1984 Cadillac decides he's going to be a man, and run the red light. With his girlfriend in the car. In the rain. He plows into my front left quarter panel, smashing the engine compartment in. My engine is still running, my radio is still playing ('Frozen' by Madonna), and my air conditioning is still pumping.

*I AM PISSED*

I get out of the car (unscratched), and the driver of the other car gets out too. "What the HELL was that?!" I yell. I lean on my car, heart pumping. I look over at the Cadillac, and notice his girlfriend in the car. I ask if they're both okay, and he tells me yes. Rain is pelting me in the head, and I look at my battered car. "My engine is fucked!" I say, but the other driver just apologizes profusely, while looking around stupidly. The police arrive, he admits to his mistake, and is cited for the accident. He drives away with a broken headlight and a dented bumper. My car ends up totaled. Nobody is hurt.

After the accident, I found out the other driver's mother started changing the story. She told her insurance company that he hit my car because the roads were slippery and he couldn't stop in time. Bullshit. He already admitted to the cop what he did. They were still liable anyway. Good.

I paid $3806.66 for that car, and it was worth every penny. Insurance companies could care less, however. Prudential took my car, paid me $1100.00, and told me to take a hike. The accident wasn't my fault, it was DOCUMENTED as an accident that wasn't my fault, and the bastards dropped my policy anyway.

3 lessons to be learned here:

• Always wear your seatbelt. God knows what would have happened to me if I didn't have it on. It would not have been good.
Bad drivers are out there! I was powerless to prevent this accident. Don't think that you are solely in control of every situation.
Prudential Sucks! I would rather have fixed and kept my nice Audi, than have to replace it with a Ford Tempo because my insurance company was a bunch of sleazy, money-hungry bastards.