SuBee
master brummie
(aka the day I ran into the same man twice)
Names have been changed to protect the reputation and identities of people
The day started as any other day.
Claire had arrived at the Medical Centre and picked up her list of patients, 'Oh Great' she thought 'I have Mr Jones', she pencilled 10am next to his name in her diary - this was her 'coffee' visit. Mr jones always made a lovely 'milky' coffee, and biscuits always accompanied the huge mug.
Bag packed and all ready to go, the office phone rang. 'Hello, District Nurses, can I help?' Claire was a probational District Nurse and was eager to create a good impression.
'Oh Claire' came the response 'thank god you are there'. Claire recognised the voice, although it sounded panicy and shakey and there were lots of background traffic noises.'Ive had an accident'.
Claire realised it was Annie, her District Nurse mentor, 'a bus has hit my car, I need your help'
'Are YOU alright?', Claire responded. 'I am' replied Annie 'but I need you to pick me up from the garage. The AA has towed my car for repair. I need a lift to collect a lease car'
'No probs, I'm on my way'
Claire reallocated the work, was a little saddened that she would be missing out on Mr Jones's coffee, but vowed to allocate him to herself tomorrow.
Annie was sitting looking a little dejected on the bench outside the garage, her gladstone bag on her lap. Claire pipped her horn twice to alert annie that she had arrived. As Annie sat in the car, Claire gave her a hug and a look that said 'tell me all about it'. Annie explained that a bus had clipped the back of her car as she was travelling round an island. On the way to collect the lease car, they debated the dangers of islands during rush hour.
The lease car had to be collected from across the city on the Stratford Road. Claire was just 8 weeks pregnant with her first child, and the conversation soon moved to the joys of pregnancy and having babies. It was still quite early in the morning and the traffic was still quite heavy as they approached the large Smallbrook Queensway island. The traffic was moving very slowly to get onto the island.
In the distance faint sirons could be heard. Neither Claire nor Annie could see any emergency vehicles. Claire was worried about the time and was hoping that the traffic was not going to be this heavy all the way to the Stratford Road..............suddenly she saw a gap...........into first...........foot down on the accelorater.....and ..................WHAM!
Straight into the back of the car infront of her. She was convinced that the car infront of her had already moved onto the island. Annie and Claire starred at each other in disbelief.
The car infront was a metallic blue posh something or other, and out of it stepped a young man in a very nice suit. He wore a kind face, with a quizzical look across it. As he approached the rear of his car his hand ran through his perfectly placed hair, his other hand sat in his pocket.
Claire released her seatbelt and got out of her Allegro. It was not as posh as the car infront of her, but it was her pride and joy.
With a 'deja-vous', Claire asked the young man if he was alright. 'I'm fine he said, but didnt you see me? Surely I'm big enough to see!'
'I'm so sorry' replied Claire. She knew that she shouldnt admit fault, but it did seem to be a little futile to not take the blame under the circumstances.
By this time the man was kneeling beside his car, both hands were running all over his car boot and bumper. He stood up suddenly, making Claire jump backwards, as she had leant forward to look at the bumpers too. He smiled. Claire preferred the smile to the quizical look, it suited his face better.
'No harm done' he said. 'Neither cars are damaged, I'm happy to forget it happened if you are?'
'Well.......errrrrrrr...............yes' Claire said in a relieved tone 'Thank You'. She wasnt actually sure what she was saying thank you for, if there was no damage anyway, but it felt the right thing to say.
Claire walked back to the car smiling.................a little in relief..............a little in embarrassment...........and a little at the comical situation of having an accident whilst taking a collegue who had also had an accident, to pick up a car.
Claire started the car, and proceed to relay to Annie what the man had said. The traffic remained heavy. The sirons were becoming really loud now. Almost immediately, police motorbikes could be clearly heard and seen. The traffic was at a standstill, as the police blocked the island to allow a large black car through.
'Its a judge going to court' Annie explained 'it must be an important case with such a large police escort'
'Nahhhhhhhhh' Claire joked as the cavalcade drove past 'I bet he just forgot to set his alarm and hes late for work' Still chuckling at the thought, Claire saw the gap.............brake off..............into first...............and WHAM!
Annie's look of disbelief, was somewhat greater this time.
This time claire was out of the car quicker. She reached the front of her car before the 'nice man' in the suit had got out of his car. She vaguely thought she could hear him counting to ten.
The dent in the bumper and boot of the blue car together with the damage to her own car, told her that 'No harm done' was not going to be the words she heard this time round.
'Are you alright?' asked Claire, the depth of her embarrassment having to ask a stranger this question twice in oa couple of minutes, was masked by her concern for the mans well being.
'Well' said the man 'I'm fine, but shall we exchange details and let the insurance companies deal with this?'
Claire tried to explain how she had been watching the judge and the police, and saw the gap, and thought the man had already gone. 'I see' said the man 'You expected me to FLY over the cavalcade across the island did you? I'm driving a car, NOT a helicopter!' it was a sarcastic retort, but there was a little glint of a smile in his eye as he said it. Details exchanged, Claire, again thanked the man, and again she really didn't know why, but she felt she should. She walked back to her car, turned to the man and shouted.........'I wont move til I'm sure youve gone this time' He raised one eyebrow and this time he said 'Thank You'
Claire didnt even start the car until the man had moved off.
Names have been changed to protect the reputation and identities of people
The day started as any other day.
Claire had arrived at the Medical Centre and picked up her list of patients, 'Oh Great' she thought 'I have Mr Jones', she pencilled 10am next to his name in her diary - this was her 'coffee' visit. Mr jones always made a lovely 'milky' coffee, and biscuits always accompanied the huge mug.
Bag packed and all ready to go, the office phone rang. 'Hello, District Nurses, can I help?' Claire was a probational District Nurse and was eager to create a good impression.
'Oh Claire' came the response 'thank god you are there'. Claire recognised the voice, although it sounded panicy and shakey and there were lots of background traffic noises.'Ive had an accident'.
Claire realised it was Annie, her District Nurse mentor, 'a bus has hit my car, I need your help'
'Are YOU alright?', Claire responded. 'I am' replied Annie 'but I need you to pick me up from the garage. The AA has towed my car for repair. I need a lift to collect a lease car'
'No probs, I'm on my way'
Claire reallocated the work, was a little saddened that she would be missing out on Mr Jones's coffee, but vowed to allocate him to herself tomorrow.
Annie was sitting looking a little dejected on the bench outside the garage, her gladstone bag on her lap. Claire pipped her horn twice to alert annie that she had arrived. As Annie sat in the car, Claire gave her a hug and a look that said 'tell me all about it'. Annie explained that a bus had clipped the back of her car as she was travelling round an island. On the way to collect the lease car, they debated the dangers of islands during rush hour.
The lease car had to be collected from across the city on the Stratford Road. Claire was just 8 weeks pregnant with her first child, and the conversation soon moved to the joys of pregnancy and having babies. It was still quite early in the morning and the traffic was still quite heavy as they approached the large Smallbrook Queensway island. The traffic was moving very slowly to get onto the island.
In the distance faint sirons could be heard. Neither Claire nor Annie could see any emergency vehicles. Claire was worried about the time and was hoping that the traffic was not going to be this heavy all the way to the Stratford Road..............suddenly she saw a gap...........into first...........foot down on the accelorater.....and ..................WHAM!
Straight into the back of the car infront of her. She was convinced that the car infront of her had already moved onto the island. Annie and Claire starred at each other in disbelief.
The car infront was a metallic blue posh something or other, and out of it stepped a young man in a very nice suit. He wore a kind face, with a quizzical look across it. As he approached the rear of his car his hand ran through his perfectly placed hair, his other hand sat in his pocket.
Claire released her seatbelt and got out of her Allegro. It was not as posh as the car infront of her, but it was her pride and joy.
With a 'deja-vous', Claire asked the young man if he was alright. 'I'm fine he said, but didnt you see me? Surely I'm big enough to see!'
'I'm so sorry' replied Claire. She knew that she shouldnt admit fault, but it did seem to be a little futile to not take the blame under the circumstances.
By this time the man was kneeling beside his car, both hands were running all over his car boot and bumper. He stood up suddenly, making Claire jump backwards, as she had leant forward to look at the bumpers too. He smiled. Claire preferred the smile to the quizical look, it suited his face better.
'No harm done' he said. 'Neither cars are damaged, I'm happy to forget it happened if you are?'
'Well.......errrrrrrr...............yes' Claire said in a relieved tone 'Thank You'. She wasnt actually sure what she was saying thank you for, if there was no damage anyway, but it felt the right thing to say.
Claire walked back to the car smiling.................a little in relief..............a little in embarrassment...........and a little at the comical situation of having an accident whilst taking a collegue who had also had an accident, to pick up a car.
Claire started the car, and proceed to relay to Annie what the man had said. The traffic remained heavy. The sirons were becoming really loud now. Almost immediately, police motorbikes could be clearly heard and seen. The traffic was at a standstill, as the police blocked the island to allow a large black car through.
'Its a judge going to court' Annie explained 'it must be an important case with such a large police escort'
'Nahhhhhhhhh' Claire joked as the cavalcade drove past 'I bet he just forgot to set his alarm and hes late for work' Still chuckling at the thought, Claire saw the gap.............brake off..............into first...............and WHAM!
Annie's look of disbelief, was somewhat greater this time.
This time claire was out of the car quicker. She reached the front of her car before the 'nice man' in the suit had got out of his car. She vaguely thought she could hear him counting to ten.
The dent in the bumper and boot of the blue car together with the damage to her own car, told her that 'No harm done' was not going to be the words she heard this time round.
'Are you alright?' asked Claire, the depth of her embarrassment having to ask a stranger this question twice in oa couple of minutes, was masked by her concern for the mans well being.
'Well' said the man 'I'm fine, but shall we exchange details and let the insurance companies deal with this?'
Claire tried to explain how she had been watching the judge and the police, and saw the gap, and thought the man had already gone. 'I see' said the man 'You expected me to FLY over the cavalcade across the island did you? I'm driving a car, NOT a helicopter!' it was a sarcastic retort, but there was a little glint of a smile in his eye as he said it. Details exchanged, Claire, again thanked the man, and again she really didn't know why, but she felt she should. She walked back to her car, turned to the man and shouted.........'I wont move til I'm sure youve gone this time' He raised one eyebrow and this time he said 'Thank You'
Claire didnt even start the car until the man had moved off.
