Fiat Coupe Club UK

The Eventful Life of Mr MRS

Posted By: MeanRedSpider

The Eventful Life of Mr MRS - 04/08/2018 10:38

Those of you who have followed my adventures will know that my life isn’t a dull one. In recent months:
Eve’s been allowed to go back to university
E Class was hit by a coach in Cambridge
Mrs MRS cut the end of her finger off gardening
Charlie graduated with a first from Cambridge
Dog had to be put down
Tax man is investigating for a “common error” with Dutch tax
I’ve been promoted to managing 500 people in 8 different countries
Half of my house is currently demolished in a reconfiguration project

but I’m not happy with that, in a break from over 25 accident-free years of driving, I managed to hit (fortunately in a glancing blow) the back of a stationary Renault Clio on the M25. I was doing 60 in the Merc SL on a free-flowing motorway when the car ahead of me swerved out of lane 4 at the same point I was looking in my rear-view mirror. Focusing forward again, I realised that lane 4 (and only lane 4) was completely stationary. I hit the brakes and swerved hard but caught front headlight to rear light. I stopped about 100 metres further on in lane 1 (in a bid to get off the motorway) - a combination of the fuel cut-off and broken alloy, halting progress.

Both drivers (me and Clio) were OK but shaken (the impact spun the Clio) and both cars were off the motorway pretty quickly. Damage to the cars is localised but pretty heavy (impact removed the rear wheel of the Clio). A direct impact would have been pretty bad. I was very pissed off with myself.

Few ironies here. I was only travelling to Cambridge to leave the SL with Mrs MRS whilst the E Class is fixed. Secondly, whilst totally my fault, the “smart motorway” variable limits create situations like this. I’ve seen it literally hundreds of times: people braking hard as they reach the overhead gantries where cameras might be - creating phantom stoppages that you simply don’t get when average speed cameras are used. Waiting to be recovered, I saw the stoppages form and dissipate over and over. The Highways Womble that came to our rescue (and very good he was too)
said that the speed gantries lead to this behaviour. Final irony is that, because I didn’t get my spark plugs changed at the service, Merc wouldn’t recover my car. See the link? Damned if I do.

Anyhow, despite the localised damage, there’s a reasonable chance the SL is a write off. Nearly all the damage is confined to the front wing area with the bonnet only slightly bent at the edge (aluminium is very soft).

Anyhow - no one was hurt and I don’t particularly care - apart from inconveniencing the other driver and a few other motorists for a short time.

I would like a slightly quieter life for a bit.
Posted By: H_R

Re: The Eventful Life of Mr MRS - 04/08/2018 21:45

And i thought my life was complicated!

Glad there are no injuries!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: The Eventful Life of Mr MRS - 05/08/2018 08:58

As above, at least no one was hurt.
Posted By: t0m0

Re: The Eventful Life of Mr MRS - 05/08/2018 22:21

Agree, hang in there MRS. Your health is your wealth.
Posted By: samsite999

Re: The Eventful Life of Mr MRS - 06/08/2018 08:30

A hell of a mixed bag, congrats with the job, really sorry to hear about the dog and MRS finger!!
Life has a habbit of coming all at once, You seen off far far worse though!
Posted By: MeanRedSpider

Re: The Eventful Life of Mr MRS - 06/08/2018 15:11

Thanks, folks.

I’m good. Life has been much (much) tougher and I count my blessings daily as there are plenty of upsides. I wouldn’t mind a break right now though.
Posted By: Gunzi

Re: The Eventful Life of Mr MRS - 06/08/2018 20:30

Glad it was only bent metal and not bent bodies.

If you still own the GT in your sig I know I'd find that a great way to take your mind off / recover. A highly concentrated adrenaline rush will put a massive smile on your face for sure.
Posted By: MeanRedSpider

Re: The Eventful Life of Mr MRS - 07/08/2018 02:38

Thanks - yes, I have a race scheduled at Donny early Sept and another in Oct. That will help
Posted By: Submariner

Re: The Eventful Life of Mr MRS - 07/08/2018 05:50

will an NIP/Summons be added to your events list?
Posted By: MeanRedSpider

Re: The Eventful Life of Mr MRS - 07/08/2018 14:59

Shouldn’t be. Police attended incredibly briefly and were gone before I blinked. I was doing the reduced (60) speed limit and they didn’t take my details.
Posted By: MeanRedSpider

Re: The Eventful Life of Mr MRS - 25/08/2018 13:19

The SL looks like it will be repaired (in fact, current estimate is at least £10k under the economic write off number).

That’s what makes me cross though: when I first reported the accident to the insurers, they asked me about 4 questions on the phone and then declared it a write off. Only because I challenged them did they get the repair company to even look at it. And I had to make quite a fuss for that to happen.
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