It's naturally upsetting when something like this happens. On any other day, I'm not even sure I would have kept my cool. For some reason, I didn't panic or get upset. I didn't burst out of the car yelling or acting out. Similarly, neither did the other party. We just kinda stared at each other, then gestured to pull into the apartment zone where we assessed the damage and exchanged information. It was all a very civil and calm manner--I may have been rather shaken, but I went through the motions of photographing the cars, the street, and the other person's insurance card. The other person was an older lady--she claimed she was frazzled by other matters, and I took it to mean she was distracted mentally. I remained cool, not wanting to assign blame or anything. A relative of hers came out to help figure things out--a police report would have probably been wise, but we opted not to get the law involved and let the insurance companies figure it all out.
Somehow, despite having the entire front-end of my 2005 Ford Focus knocked out of whack, the engine still ran. No leaks, odors, smoke, or obvious damage to raise alarm. I decided to try and drive home, and the lady's relative was kind enough to follow me to make sure I'd make it. It was a disconcerting drive home, with rattling noises and heavy grinding with every turn. What really sealed the car's fate was the hood, which none of us realized was unsecured. Halfway there, the hood slammed up into the windshield, cracking it severely. At that point, I figure the car was too unsafe to drive, and I summoned a tow truck.
Numerous phone calls later, I got the car to a repair shop. I received the estimate over the phone: over $4,500 to repair. 91% of the car's value. By insurance company standards, a total loss.
My knee-jerk reaction was to just suck it up, pay a little more, and go through with the repairs and keep the car going for a while longer. In two years, I don't even know if I'll be here or not--buying a new vehicle seemed risky and expensive at this phase. To give it up, however, meant more money and more time with a rental. Reluctantly, I decided to hand over the title and part with it.
It's just as well--the car's going on 12 years old, and it doesn't run nearly as smoothly or quietly as it used to. Its transmission had to be rebuilt once, its muffler was in danger of coming off, the windshield was replaced once, headlights went out every year, and for a while, it went through brake pads like they were made of water. At some point, I had to draw a line at where repair and maintenance just wasn't worth it anymore. With a new vehicle, none of this would matter, and I'd enjoy a cleaner, quieter, smoother ride.
Why should I be so attached to my crummy old Ford Focus? The funny thing about this unassuming sedan is that it has been with me for so long, and its sheer history is priceless.
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In 2004, I was in Germany with my parents. I must have been around 20 at the time, with just two and a half years experience of work, but this was my first full-time position. In off hours, I attended distance education classes and eventually earned my college degree in Computer Studies. Moving into the Rhine area, we purchased this car from one of the US installations, and it seemed so new at the time. With the SES model, it had a nice sound system with a six-CD changer and MP3 player. It had enough power to hold its own on a German autobahn, though it is much more modest in speed and acceleration than most speed demons you'd find there. Power windows, heated seats, automatic transmission, and even a spoiler on the back--what's not to love?
I had the pleasure of driving the car once in a while, but it belonged to my parents back then. It served us for about four years, shuttling us to work and back. We did have occasional excursions though, mostly around local areas.
In 2008, I had to move, and my parents offered the car to me for the exceptionally-reasonable price of $7K. For the next eight years, it was all mine with no down-payment. In my next assignment in England, it became my trusty transport between work and home, with a few shopping trips and other destinations here and there. As hilly and curvy as those roads are, the car probably endured the most wear and tear during these years. It braved so much rain, snow, dirt, and close-calls (because British roads sure are narrow).
2013 to now, I took a job in Utah, and had the car shipped to Los Angeles. Since that road trip, the car continued to carry me to work and home again, with even longer excursions in more exciting destinations. By this time, I adorned the car with labels (a Rebel Starbird in the back from a Comic-Con trip, a Batman symbol that came with the movie's soundtrack, a Native American skull from a museum in Seattle, and a NERV sticker in the front from the Neon Genesis Evangelion DVD series--yep, all nerd stuff). After a while, I would also change out the CD player (the six-disc changer never did handle MP3 files that well, and the disc-changing ability diminished over time).
All together, this car would have been at the following places:
- Boppard, Germany
- Cochern, Germany
- Darmstadt, Germany (to include the Frankenstein 10K marathon)
- Eltville, Germany
- Koblenz, Germany
- Limburg, Germany
- Mainz, Germany
- Marksburg, Germany
- Ruedesheim, Germany
- Saint Goar, Germany
- Trier, Germany
- Wiesbaden, Germany
- Brimham Rocks, England
- Fountains Abbey, England
- Harrogate, England
- Leeds, England
- Manchester, England (to include a concert by the Gorillaz)
- Patley Bridge, England
- Ripley, England
- Ripon, England
- York, England
- Antelope Island National Park, UT, USA
- Arches National Park, UT, USA
- Bryce Canyon, UT, USA
- Denver, CO, USA
- Durango, CO, USA
- Grand Canyon Southern Rim, AZ, USA
- Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Lehi, UT, USA
- Logan, UT, USA (to include a writing conference)
- Mesa Verde, CO, USA
- Midway, UT, USA
- Moab, UT, USA
- Park City, UT, USA (to include a concert by Thievery Corporation)
- Provo, UT, USA (to include a writing conference)
- Salt Lake City, UT, USA (to include Comic-Con a few times)
- Snowbird, UT, USA
- The Wasatch Mountains, UT, USA
- Zion National Park, UT, USA
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Now that a few weeks have passed, I've invested in a new car. With the help of my parents, I came across a 2016 Ford. It seemed like a low price for such a new car. I doubted I could find a used car with less wear for less, so I went with it. It is a slightly smaller car than my old one, with less trunk space, no cruise control (something I never used anyway), but I was overjoyed to have a car with a backup camera and hands-free Bluetooth feature for my phone. Above all, it drives quieter, smoother, and more comfortably than the old car.
As I gradually become accustomed to the new ride, I can leave my old car behind knowing it served me well. Not only was it my sole means of commuting, it also let me see so many wonderful sights around the world, from the castles of England to the canyons of the American southwest.
In a way, the old Focus became a reliable traveling companion more than a car. It was always there to carry me and my stuff for miles on end. It listened impartially to all my rants and raves about traffic. It's probably the only witness in the world to whenever I would jam to a favorite song.
And yet, it is just a car in the end. Now I have a better one that will undoubtedly serve me better (hopefully in the snow too). There's no telling how far and how many places this new car will take me.
