Honesty

I’d like to write a bit about being honest. You know, it is really challenging in this world we live in to keep one’s integrity intact and that includes being honest. I had a fender bender in a parking lot this past weekend, my first accident ever in nearly 40 years of driving. I confess I am not sure who is at fault. I know that I was driving very carefully and watching what I was doing. The red truck was suddenly behind me and ding, I was hit. I am almost certain he swung out from the other side of the lot, backing into me. But the driver took off then saw that I got out of my car so after leaping out, asking me if I was hurt, checked his car and all was clear and he leaped back in his truck and took off. I was so stunned I didn’t know what was happening. I stood there for a minute looking like an idiot with my mouth open, amazed that he took off like that without telling me his name or giving me his information. I was uncertain about who was guilty since I had been backing out. Yet the more I thought about it the more I suspected that he must have been backing out also. In any event, he had been driving like a bat out of hell to have suddenly appeared like that because I had only turned my head for a second to catch sight of the child who had been making a fuss with his grandmother ensuring that he hadn’t got loose and was getting near my car.

Now I could have lied to the insurance company but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. After I told them the story they said that I would lose my 10% no accident discount “but I wouldn’t have it go against my record”. Excuse me, but isn’t taking away the discount going against my driving record? Taking away the discount assumes that I was guilty of an accident, doesn’t it?

I am so angry at the way insurance companies handle claims I wish I had lied and said I had simply been dinged while I was inside. But I hate lying and I pride myself on not lying. Lying is cowardly. But I am also thinking that by not lying I am being really stupid. I could simply have got away with the lie, I know I could. Now I understand why so many people do lie. But my pride is too great, I have to be stupid and honest. We pay an awful lot of money over the years in insurance but the companies are vicious when you have a claim.

Am I seeing this all wrong? In 40 years of driving I must have paid around $30,000 in insurance (just for cars). $1800 repair shouldn’t be such a penalty against me, should it? I wasn’t on the highway for heavens sakes, I was in a parking lot with a fool. Okay don’t say it, I was a fool too!

I know in another week I will have got over my anger and frustration and I will be glad that I was honest about it but even now I am still irritated that I am being penalized. I could have not reported this and just paid the piper myself but I pay insurance to be protected against accident so it’s foolish to not make a claim when it is more than the deductible, isn’t it?

Accidents are accidents. It wasn’t careless driving, it was an accident. Honest is honest. I know I will feel better about it but gee whiz I feel like a chump!

Keeping integrity is a balancing act!