ROBINET: Mummy’s little deductible

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Some time ago, I did a stint at a company then known as Minacs in Chatham. 

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It was a call centre that dealt strictly with Chrysler products. 

On the list of all the many and varied interests I have, cars do not make an appearance. 

The only interest I have in any vehicle is whether or not it can take me where I’m trying to go. 

I don’t recognize friends’ cars, and I have to have a bumper sticker on the back of it so I can recognize my own. 

This situation was made even worse back in 2015 when we purchased the current Robinet family roadster as it’s a smallish SUV and it’s grey, like so many of its neighbours in any parking lot. 

By contrast, the 2008 Honda Fit that had been our primary vehicle is a bright blue colour, which is relatively easy (even for me) to pick out in a crowd. 

Now, I say “is a bright blue colour” as it is still our secondary vehicle. Despite a few bumps along the way, that little Fit just keeps on giving. 

If only the same could be said of its younger sibling. 

That had barely been in our possession for two weeks when the rear window was smashed in by hooligans whilst in a downtown Chatham parking lot – $500 deductible. 

Its first cracked windscreen followed shortly afterwards, although to be fair, the chip in it only cracked when the repair place tried to fill it to avoid putting in a new one – $500 deductible. 

Fast forward a few years, and a random projectile on my way to work meant yet another new windscreen – $500 deductible. 

We did have a couple of good years there when everything was tickety-boo, but of course, all good things must come to an end, and that run of trouble-free driving came to an abrupt end when said vehicle (and we), encountered a major hurdle, the kind of do-or-die situation where not just hundreds, but thousands of dollars are required to make it roadworthy again. 

Not only was this not an insurance situation, but it was what we in the former vehicle call centre business call a “known problem.” 

Despite my incredibly low interest in the industry, I did manage to learn a few things during my time at Minacs, and one of them was that when someone calls in with a “known problem,” it generally means their vehicle isn’t the only one to be suffering from this particular parts breakdown or whatever, and that they are out of warranty, it’s not part of a recall, and their dealership is not going to assist in anyway. 

And so, they have come to me. 

Rarely, if ever, was I able to help, but sometimes all you need is a place to vent, and if nothing else, I’m a good listener. 

So, there we were, with an internet-verified “known problem.” 

And there it was – pay the big bucks to fix it or use that money for a down payment on the next vehicle and walk away from that one. 

Oh, and let me also tell you that the only way this situation could be rectified was by replacing the faulty part with a part from the same model year which could potentially end up with the same issue (but what are the odds?!). 

It was a very difficult decision exacerbated by the widespread vehicle shortage of the time, which at least now appears to be finally recovering. 

We opted for the devil-you-know scenario and paid the big bucks to get this one back on the road. 

Of course, now, I’m highly aware that it could go out from under at any time as a result of its “known problem,” which I’m hoping is as rare as a lightning strike, but it’s always there in the back of my mind. 

However, all worries of that were erased when said vehicle took a tool to the front of it en route to Chatham from London a few months ago. This time it was not just the windscreen, but a portion of the roof that took a hit – $500 deductible. 

There I was on a bright Tuesday morning, driving on Highway 2 from Chatham towards Tilbury, when BANG! 

Even though I hadn’t seen anything hit the windscreen, nor I could I see any visible damage, I had to assume that had been the case and would examine it more fully once I got to work. 

Once there, I got out of the car, looked at the windscreen and could see nothing. 

Hmmm, I thought. Maybe it hit the hood. 

And that was when I discovered that the front grille was not only smashed, but a piece of it was missing, there were abrasions on the side of the car and somehow the licence plate was bent slightly forward on one side. 

Profanity may have been uttered. 

Not only was I upset, but I was also baffled at the entire situation. There had been nothing on the road, and even though there was a work-type truck in front of me, I always keep a good distance and I hadn’t seen anything come flying off of it. 

Only later, once the initial shock and horror had worn off, did I manage to come up with what I believe is the most likely scenario, and I give full credit to the show Monk which I am currently watching, which helped me unravel this mystery. 

Based on the damage to said vehicle, I deduced that something had hit it from the side and thanks to the abundance of plastic on cars today it had done far more damage than it would have to a vehicle of an older vintage. 

And, the only way that could happen, I believe, is if something flew off of, or came out from under the tire of, a vehicle that had been driving in the opposite direction. 

Now I’m no physicist, but that’s the best I can come up with. 

As of this writing, we are still driving around with the damage, waiting to hear back from the insurance company, but the only certainty we have right now is this – $500 deductible. 

Stay well my friends!