Canadian Experience

It is an experience hard to forget when for the first time in Canada I applied for car insurance. Besides the usual questionnaire (make, model, year) I had to answer quite a few questions where I felt like playing “Do you want to be a millionaire” but in reverse.

“Are you a Professional Engineer?” was one, in an attempt of establishing if I qualify for some severely discounted rate. I mumbled a response but I heard the “BUZZZZ” and then we went to the next question: “Do you have Canadian experience?” “Huhh, what does that mean? I have 12 years of driving experience…” The subsequent “BUZZZZ” and the sentence: “Your annual amount is only $7,000.00CDN” ended the conversation. Oh, that is what that means…

It is 10 years later, back in Romania, where I am involved in this terrible hit and run accident where a 19 years old T-bones the car I was driving, ignoring his left-only green light, and throwing my car 2 lanes to the right.

Stunned, I saw this kid jumping into another car after pulling his license plates and disappearing on the boulevard I was driving initially. So, what next?

I was pleasantly surprised by the progress of the Romanian police in this past decade. They were polite, the forms were complete and professional; I was hoping for a quick resolution of the case.

A week later, I receive a call informing that I am invited to the police headquarters for further explanations on the incident. Going there, I found a nice policewoman with the young kid trying to make sense of his description of the accident.

“So, you made the left turn and then decided to immediately make a right turn when this gentleman’s car hit your car?”; “Yes, the kid said, he frontally hit my car with his left side…”

“This doesn’t make any sense, says the policewoman, let’s go from the beginning.” “You made the left turn after all.” “Yes.” “And then…” “And then, as I wanted to turn right, I stopped the car for it, when his left side hit my front side…” “In other words", I said, "not like your fist hits my face but my face is hitting your fist, right?” “Yes, this is exactly what happened, officer…”

I looked in disbelief at the officer, but then she actually said: “Mr. Andrei, what the young guy here wants to say is that if you accept the guilt, your insurance will pay for both cars, as he doesn’t have one, and he will reward you for it.”

So, how is that for a Romanian experience?