My thoughts too. My car slid earlier that day on another street wet with fresh snow.

Now that think about it, even with ample distance, that could still allow for the opportunity of another car turning to squeeze between me and the car in front of me, diminishing the distance.

I don’t know what the right strategy is for the future 😞 (if I ever drive again). My entire back and neck hurts and I am so mortified I hit someone (who’s probably hurting more).

Thank you for the kind feedback (and advice). I am beyond ashamed of myself and taking some time to reflect on how to live more carefully onwards. I don’t want to be a menace on the roads.

I should get back to my bicycle commute (I slipped on black ice, or flew off getting hit by cars a couple times while biking, but at least I didn’t have the potential to badly hurt someone, and my conscience was free).

I know. I was expecting some cleverly devastating insult, like, “you parked like a twatbucket, you sod” but no. Instead, I kept circling the car, looking at old scratches and wondering, “what did you do? what did you do?”

It’s a relatively new, budget commuting car from 2021 that I’ve worked to keep nice inside and out, that just has (had 😔) dings on the back and on some hubcaps.

Oh that is so helpful (and a relief). I couldn’t figure in my head where the difference lies between what insurance helps with; what the dealership does; and what I’m on the hook for.

Grateful for your insight.

You’re too kind! This is so helpful, thank you so much!

Make sense, I appreciate it 🙏

Appreciate the feedback, and yes, someone could have been very badly hurt by me following so close. A terrifying and humbling teaching moment for sure 😔

My whole body hurts this evening and I can’t imagine what it’s like for the poor people in front of me.

(Turkeys in the road made the 2 cars around the bend stop abruptly. And I crashed into the car in front of me. A huge mistake looking at the phone map. Someone could’ve gotten so much more badly hurt.)

Yep, it has a speed limit of 25 mph :( I was on an adjacent street with the same citywide limit and I don’t estimate I was going faster than 30-35 mph (edit: but don’t have a way to know for sure)

I was confused too, but on some streets the bike lane is meant to go both ways - like on Brattle St, and that street around Irvine. 🤷🏽‍♀️