(Found this in my drafts folder. It's from a couple years ago, but decided to share it anyway. I owe it to my car. Sister.)
Driving. 8:45 p.m. Dark. Worked late. Tired. Want to be home. Minding the road. Minding the oncoming traffic. Minding myself.
Forgot to mind corn field to the west. Flash. What? Crap! Stand on brake. Kerthunk. A brown body bounds into corn field to the east.
What the hell happened???
Oh yeah, a deer. Make that two. I was lucky. The one in front, a lovely doe, made it almost all the way across the road in 2 seconds before the right front quarter panel of my car made impact with her leaping self. She sort of leapt up over the hood and I think a leg crashed down on my ride. I got out and hopped around to work off the sheer shock of it all, then went around to look. Except it was dark, so I felt. Wow no damage in the front, no headlamps busted ... oopsy ... yeah, she definitely left a mark.
It happened so fast. Remarkably I also caught a glimpse and heard a slight scraping of another deer that jumped over the back end of my car. They must have been having a deer track meet, and I was the hurdle. The girl in front should be disqualified for touching the bar.
It's amazing given where I live, but I have never hit a deer until last night and have always taken great pride in being very, very paranoid. I have had plenty of near-misses. I'm that annoying chick who honks every half mile on long stretches of road. After all, a local naturalist told me they are very poor sighted, but have keen hearing. I do the honk, then do the visual scan from left to right. Actually I do this most of the time. I'm certain I am perceived to be an idiot by oncoming drivers.
People always say "I didn't even see him/her/it until it was too late" and I would nod sympathetically, but be thinking, "Yeah right, you obviously don't use the honk 'n scan technique. Pfffft."
I didn't see them until it was too late.
But I am lucky. I am ok, the damage is merely cosmetic, and my car operates just fine. BUT IT LOOKS ICKY NOW. Sniff. And I have a $500 deductible. Sigh. What to do.
I am irritated for certain. And now afraid that I am marked. Scared to death to drive for fear of hitting another. And it makes me question the logic of having to have a special tag to shoot the danged things. They cause so much damage. Not saying they aren't beautiful creatures, but so was my car. In a perfect world, the deer would need a license and at least liability coverage to be on the road.
This cracks me up as I imagine it. Deer patiently trying to cross the road as we whizzzzzz by. Teaching their deer babies what a dangerous lot we all are. Forming lobbying groups to convince the deer legislators to allow for unencumbered OPEN SEASON. Tsking about how we just run in front of them and stop and give them that "human in sunlight" look. Oy.
Be safe out there!
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