Meh, Meh, MEH!

The area where it looks like there is a white line on the
bumper is where the "damage" is.

Some days I just have to say MEH! I started the day with two contractors and went down to one by the end of the day. Devon is wonderful, but there's only so much he can do. Beyond the contractor issues, I had a very unfortunate encounter at Barton Springs Nursery today. As I was leaving, I got in line (in my minivan) behind a woman in a little sport utility vehicle (turns out it was a BMW). We were cars three and four in line to pull out of the parking lot, and we inched slowly towards the street. At one point in the inching, I glanced down as she she stopped and I tapped her rear bumper. We were going 1-2 mph when it happened--I didn't even have my foot on the gas. Because I am a responsible person I immediately put my vehicle in park and hopped out to inspect the non-existent damage. She got out too, looked at the bumper and said I cracked it. I said, here's my insurance card.

Close-up of where the screw head from my license plate
indented her bumper. It's 1/4" in diameter.

Then we moved our cars so the people behind us could get out of the parking lot. Then she asked for my driver's license--I gave it to her. I asked her for her phone number and called her (mobile) so we both have each other's contact info and I showed her how to enter me as a contact into her iPhone. Then I took a couple of pictures of the bumper and said, the bumper isn't cracked, there is a scratch from where the screw head on my license plate pressed into it. Mind you, this isn't one of the hard plastic bumpers that show every little nick. This is a sport utility vehicle with a rugged bumper. Plastic, but rugged. She says she has to take it in anyway. I say fine, and off we go. Later this afternoon I get a notice from State Farm that she has filed a claim! I call and am told it depends on how much they have to pay her out that will determine how much my rates go up. I say it was a scratch! But it doesn't matter because I am the one who was at fault.

Had the situation been reversed, I wouldn't have even taken her info--much less made a claim. There is no damage at all to my car. The whole incident tainted what was already an only okay day. Here's hoping tomorrow looks better, and the car inspector laughs her out of the garage (or she comes to her senses). I don't think that'll be my luck, however.