Kids!

So my 19 yr old daughter comes to me yesterday and tells me she has had a little mishap with her E30. The story she told me was that she was in her apartment's parking garage and was in a hurry and did not turn properly into a parking stall and hit a cement column. She said that all she hit was the front plastic bumper that had scraped against the column, but now the cars steering wheel was wobbling quite a bit. I quizzed her a little more about the accident and went out to have a looksy. I found the side of the front bumper scraped a little, but not really too bad. I figured she would have had to have hit that column pretty hard to throw out an alignment or something like that. I also looked for a bent rim, but all I could see was the edge of the rim had curb rash all the way around. I took off the wheel and inspected the tie rods and suspension, but could not see any glaring defects. I threw on her spare tire and went for a spin and the car drove fine. Upon returning home I took a closer look at the rest of the car and saw a similar scrape on the rear bumper. I knew that there was no way this happened in a parking garage. I then went in and informed my child that she had not caused too much damage to her car other than the front tire needing to be rebalanced and the two bumper scrapes were really not that noticeable and could be cleaned up. I also asked her to tell me what really happened to the car and why she felt she needed to lie to me. Knowing that she was caught red handed, she confessed that she had been distracted and rubbed up against a guard rail going 60 mph. The truth was incredible as I told her she must have a guardian angel. That car should have been totalled with scrapes down the whole side of the car and front end damage. Who knows she could have over corrected and flipped the thing and be in the hospital. I am glad that she was not hurt, but very disappointed that she lied to me. I asked her why she did that and she said that she felt stupid for hitting the rail and didn't want me to think she was a bad driver! Teenagers brains are not fully developed! What is dumber, hitting a cement column in a parking lot or the guard rail @ 60. I hope she has learned that the old man is not as stupid as he looks. My wife thinks I should be an accident investigator as I was able to determine that the evidence just didn't add up. I'm just glad I am not the owner of a new parts car. This is just a glimpse into a day in the life of the wodcutr...and life goes on!

ufff, I am glad your daughter is ok....that could of been ugly.

geez. definitely glad to hear she is ok. she lied because she didn't want to let you down, which is understandable, but telling the truth always is the best thing (unless a woman is asking your opinion about something!).

i'm 21 by the way

oh wait i'm not single though. :undecided:





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/2009 12:35AM by daniel.

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daniel

i'm 21 by the way

oh wait i'm not single though. :undecided:

You can still look, you just can't touch :?

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igor325
ufff, I am glad your daughter is ok....that could of been ugly.

Ugly is what I found out today. I went to have a new tire mounted on the curb rashed rim and saw how out of round it was when they tried to balance it. Needless to say I am now looking for a new rim! I guess I am amazed that she didn't blow the tire when it hit.

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wodcutr
Needless to say I am now looking for a new rim!

What rim are you looking for?

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Andy 90 325i

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wodcutr
Needless to say I am now looking for a new rim!

What rim are you looking for?

A good 14" weave without curb rash, dents, or peeling paint that is affordable. The local junk yard thinks everything it has is gold plated!!

Alright. I have a 15" weave, but that won't help you.

Hi WoodCtr,

I'm very glad she is ok. Maybe RJK will tell you his deer-near-miss story highlighting the e30's remarkable ability to keep all four wheels securely planted.

What about asking your daughter to "help" you find the rim? Might be a good idea, or might not. You'll know the answer.

Or you might ask your daughter to show you the guard rail (without being judgmental). Tell her that you want to thank it for its excellent service. Drive out there and if it is a safe to stop, lay you hand on it. Thank the rail and the highway engineer who put it there. I do that type of thing often, but I'm a little bit wacko I admit. Hopefully the incident scared the ___ out of her.

Best Wishes, Kelly



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2009 11:58AM by Kelly.

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wodcutr

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Andy 90 325i

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wodcutr
Needless to say I am now looking for a new rim!

What rim are you looking for?

A good 14" weave without curb rash, dents, or peeling paint that is affordable. The local junk yard thinks everything it has is gold plated!!

i know you don't like it, but r3v is going to have plenty of these.

That's what happens when people are being called adult too soon.

In my country, you're an adult when you're 18. You can drive, vote, drink (as of 16, just as smoking), anything you want to, you are responsible. Even when I was 18, I thought this was too young. You learn so much in those three years. (I'm using 21 as a better age, as that is what it used to be and what seemed a better age to me, as I grew older)

Nowadays, they want youngsters to be able to drive at 16, and to be able to vote at 16. I think that is wrong. Not that you shouldn't learn at an early age, the sooner the better, but you should learn responsability as well! And that doesn't really come until you have learned to make your own living, to stand on yourself, to know a bit of the value of things and not only things, but also respecting other people.

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daniel

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wodcutr

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Andy 90 325i

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wodcutr
Needless to say I am now looking for a new rim!

What rim are you looking for?

A good 14" weave without curb rash, dents, or peeling paint that is affordable. The local junk yard thinks everything it has is gold plated!!

i know you don't like it, but r3v is going to have plenty of these.

You are absolutely right. I think you are just hoping that I will go over to r3v so you can be rid of me! (In case you were confused that last sentence was supposed to be a joke)

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Kelly

What about asking your daughter to "help" you find the rim? Might be a good idea, or might not. You'll know the answer.

My oldest daughter and I have always seemed to butt heads as I think she is a lot like me. A couple of weeks ago I was joking around with her as she was excited about getting her tax refund. I told her that her refund ought to about cover the cost of some new tires and brakes for her car when she needs to register it again. Her excitement was but a fleeting moment! I have been trying to instill in her some responsibility for her own keep. I have found it is best to wean them slowly as an all at once dose of reality would be overwhelming and I may never be rid of them, financially speaking. I think she is doing pretty good paying for her own rent, food, clothing, gas, and fun. When the time is right the car will be put in her name and all expenses associated with it too. She will and does now pay for parts as I do all the labor as a labor of love so to speak. I suppose she will be picking up the tab for the replacement rim. I just have to break it to her gently. I just wish I could get her to save more and plan for the future. I suppose that will come too, as she experiences more of life. Thanks for the advice!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2009 01:58PM by daniel.

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Michiel 318iS
That's what happens when people are being called adult too soon.

In my country, you're an adult when you're 18. You can drive, vote, drink (as of 16, just as smoking), anything you want to, you are responsible. Even when I was 18, I thought this was too young. You learn so much in those three years. (I'm using 21 as a better age, as that is what it used to be and what seemed a better age to me, as I grew older)

Nowadays, they want youngsters to be able to drive at 16, and to be able to vote at 16. I think that is wrong. Not that you shouldn't learn at an early age, the sooner the better, but you should learn responsability as well! And that doesn't really come until you have learned to make your own living, to stand on yourself, to know a bit of the value of things and not only things, but also respecting other people.

I have been told that the adult brain is not fully developed until the age of 21. I can tell you that a teenager will definitely show signs of brain deadness while still being fully functional. It is an interesting phenomena!