First of all, it's taken a month for me to even be able to share this with you. It all happened the day I went to a work related meeting out of town. It was supposed to be an afternoon for me, after the meeting. I was looking forward to the opportunity to get some chinese food and shop unencumbered. I should have known my day was going to turn to shit when I found the Chinese place closed for vacation. So I had Arby's and then went to Walmart. That part was fine. When I returned to my car I opened the front door, threw my packages over to the passenger seat and then sat down. A few seconds later this lady shows up next to me, my door is still open. She said I hit her car with my door. I really and sincerely was not aware my door had touched her car, but I immediately apologized, based on her word. I told her I was sorry, I didn't realize I had done it. She looked at the spot and then said, the paint's chipped. I said I was really sorry. I took a look and saw a scratch. Then she wet her finger and rubbed it and it basically disappeared. Then she said there was a chip on the both sides (of what I don't know) In my assessment I might have scratched her clearcoat, but the fact that it disappeared when she rubbed it made me feel like it wasn't a big deal. I mean car doors get bumped in parking lots ALL THE TIME! Mine included.

Anyway, I apologized at least three or four times, but she never acknowledged it and kept saying her paint was chipped. So I waited a few minutes for her to have her say, and when she didn't I closed the door and pulled out. I thought we were done. But, as I'm pulling out she makes a big show of copying down my license plate number. Oh SHIT! So now I drive halfway across the parking lot, and call Noni. Her job is law enforcement related so I asked her if I had done wrong, had I just screwed up. She told me that even if she called the cops they wouldn't do anything because a parking lot is private property. Even so, I circled back to find her vehicle to take a picture of the "damage" for my own protection. I couldn't find the vehicle.

Then I got to thinking, well the only way she can get to me now is through insurance. So I started to panic a bit. I ended up calling my agent and telling them what happened and asking them what I should do. They suggested I file a claim on it pre-emptively, so that if it came to an adjuster they'd be on my side. And then they said something about if she calls the police, and I'm like "for what!?!" It wasn't a moving violation. Plus they told me that insurance would count it as a collision and it could cost me points if the damage was over $1000. Holy Crap!!! Are you kidding me!?! For bumping a car door? It wasn't even dented. I was horrified and scared shitless now.

I'm telling you, it ruined my whole weekend. I worried about it furiously the WHOLE weekend. I just couldn't believe someone would file an insurance claim over a paint chip. But after I investigated on the internet I realized that people will, indeed. I've mentioned before that my cars are a way of getting from point A to point B and I'm not emotionally invested in them. Apparently some people are.

Then I started having heinous fantasies of cops coming to talk to me about it. About it jeopardizing my job. You never know, that mean bitch might have been connected. My head was in a horrible place all weekend. I was literally noting the few minutes I WASN'T obsessing about it. To make matters worse an adjuster called the house and left a message on the answering machine at 5 minutes till 5:00 on a damned Friday wanting to talk to me "about the car I'd hit." Of course I was picking up Emma at the time and had to wait all weekend to call her back. I must have rehashed the incident in my head 500 times all weekend. What a nightmare.

It's a month later and no claim has been filed. I almost feel safe enough to talk about it now. You know, I felt at the time that multiple sincere apologies were enough, based on the insignificant amount of damage involved. Now I think I should have offered her $10 to go inside Walmart and buy touch-up paint. Sheesh. I still can't get over it.