good party

[stigweed]

Went to a house party last night; my mate's 18th. Left my car across the road from the house, well out of the way cos the drive way was filling up fast and i needed to get out for work in the morning. So I parked neatly over the road thinking it'll be safe here. This is by the way in the middle of a desolate village in the middle of nowhere in Somerset.

A friend of mine decided to sit in his car and listen to some reggae with his mate. As we later learned, he decided to go for a spin. After me, the guys brother and a mate realise he's disappeared with the car we go outside and hear a screaching way off. Then the lights come tearing down towards us and pull up neatly ouside the house. I could only see one side of the car. The guy stops to say hi before driving off and then coming back round again.

This time I reach in and take his keys. With the car stopped its safe to have a look round it. He's smashed in his wing mirror and scratched and seriously dented all up one side. He's got a big dent in the back caused by him reversing out into my car when he first pulled out of the drive into the road.

He's dented my boot (U.S.: trunk) door and smashed the plastic lens on my rear driver-side lights and broken 2 bulbs.

Fortunately when I got home just now I found some spare bulbs to sort out my lights. I've got to get to a scrap yard to get the lens tomorrow, then I'll be road legal. As for the boot door it can't be beaten out, the whole thing needs replacing, which is gona be a nightmare as my car is 13 years old and the paint has a distinctive faded colour which a newer door would not match. Its perfectly functional for now but when my dad sees it he'll have a baby about it.

He scratched the side of another guys car on the way out too. His car was wasted cosmetically but you could see it was gona cost a lot to repair. His car was owned by his parents. He agreed to pay my damage, that is assuming his parents have kept him alive. I haven't heard from him today.

On the other hand - the party was pretty cool except for when a bunch of random hippies turned up. We thought they'd trash the place but they left peacefully after a couple of hours of getting everyone worried. 4 hours sleep followed by 7 hours work.

Was a bit of a strange party.

[Daniel ~]

I once lent a prized 1958 MG to a room mate in an emergency, he totaled it while drunk out of his mind, the police informed me he was wearing golf shoes! Once again, I feel your pain!

[stigweed]

I'm just glad he did it to my car ~£200 Fiat Uno worth instead of my parents ~£6000 brand new Seat Ibiza that I've been driving on and off for the past year.

[robbie]

OK, if it was me................

Tell him that he has to pay for the damages to the car and he ALSO must goto AA meetings. Make this very clear that he must do this or your going to have to call the police.

It's quite obvious to me that this guy has a drinking problem that if it doesn't get corrected now will NEVER get correct until he ends up plowing in to a school bus or something.

How would that feel on your shoulders? If it was me I would feel constant guilt if I let the guy " get away" with what he did.

You should step up and make these demands, it's the right thing to do.
Rob

[stigweed]

I know this guy. A lot of the people I party with have alcohol problems. This guy knows not to drive drunk. He scared himself so much last night I know he will never do it again. I don't know why he did it but he wasn't on just alcohol.

I should imagine that his parents will probably enforce any discipline on him since it was their car he screwed up.

and he is paying for my damage or buying my car from me.

[mookydooky]

If I'm drunk I always take taxis now. I've never been in an accident while drinking, but a cop did pull me over once about 4 years ago. He asked me if I had anything to drink and I told him I just had one shot of whiskey. He smiled and told me to tell him the truth. I told him I had about 15. He told me to pull over and sleep it off. He said if I had lied to him again, he was gonna breathalyzer me. I learned my lesson then and there and I haven't driven after a drink (even one) ever since. A couple of times I had to leave my car and retrieve it the next day, but peace of mind is worth the trouble.

[cloasters]

Bad news, stigweed! I hope this guy gets help, I think you sussed out his situation quite well. Come to think of it, I was drunk a few times when I inhabited Somerset. It's good that I didn't have a car at the time.

[stigweed]

somerset U.S.A? I'm talking somerset England.

The guy's alright. His experience has kind of put everyone who was there off of drink driving.

I looked around one scrap yard but they had the wrong car model for my light. Couldn't find where the other 2 crapyards were. Have been told to try and order the part online going to look into that later.

As for the dent in the boot it's gonna cost about £200 to repair. My dad suggested the guy buy the car off me. That way instead of spending £200 on nothing he can spend more and get a perfectly road legal, but dented, car.

[Daniel ~]

cloasters' been to Somerset England! We may be backward, but backward will get you to Somerset just as well as forward...if your drunk enough! ":O}

[cloasters]

Totaled an MG A(?). So, how much did his body parts go for? Old Engish cars are not seen here often any more. Saw an MG B recently. In BRG and in good shape. Definitely garaged. Saw a BSA in real good shape a year ago. A Mk 10(12?) Jaguar about four years ago. Rare, they are!

Somerset, arrr. Lived there for a couple of years. Are country roads in England still barely wide enough for two Mini's to pass each other? That dates me!

There are new Mini's for sale in the US. They look like the old one's, but mostly in spirit. Huge wheels, fancy headlights, bulldogs approve of them. Are they made in Britain? Ya just can't tell nowadays.

[stigweed]

I can't remember if they;re made here. Country roads are still tiny but that;s ok cos I like cycling.

Where abouts did you live in Somerset? I'm in between Yeovil and Glastonbury (of Festival fame).

[cloasters]

Roughly half way between Yeovil and the RNAS, if it's still there. Surrounded by dairy farms except for a substantial hot house, inhabited by tomatoes.

[stigweed]

That's pretty damn close to me. I live right next to Somerton, just off the podimore roundabout on the A303. Small world

[cloasters]

Now that I think about it, I believe that the area is known as Marston Magna. Minor public school, it was.

[stigweed]

I know that name. There's a lot of random little villages round here. I live in "Charlton Adam" which is right next to "Charlton Mackrell" but take "Keinton Mandeville" for example. Yeovil and Yeovilton are within 10 miles of here.

[Daniel ~]

Got any pics I know cloasters would love to see them! Oh me too!":O}

[cloasters]

Tiny is the right descripion. It used to simply be a crossroads, and not much of one at that. It would be nice if "progress" passed it by. That is too much to ask.

I have no idea if the alma mater still exists. It did as of ~twenty years ago. A pic or two would be wonderful!

[stigweed]

I'll see what I can do this weekend. Perhaps a photo of the RNAS Yeovilton roadsign?

[cloasters]

Thanks, stigweed! Used to fly gliders on the weekend at HMS Yeovilton. Can't remember if "HMS" applies to RNAS's or not, please forgive yet another American faux pas if necessary.

That was thirty seven years ago. Hoo-wee, I'm ancient.
My short term memory worsens as long term memory improves. I guess that's why the genus phartess oldess stares into space a lot.

The mad cow horror must have fallen on those dairy farms with a vengeance. Milk cows are rather pleasant neighbors. You get used to the rivers of liquid dung that cross the lanes. They aren't a powerful nostril tweaker.

[stigweed]

I was a bit too young to notice when the mad cow thing went on but I don't think it affected farmers round here though. Foot and mouth never really got found here but the whole countryside was locked down with like a £5000 fine for using footpaths.

There's still loads of muck on the small roads.