New Jetta crash test results

["Christopher Morgan" <cmor@home.com>]

The instrumented dummy (me) recorded minor neck injuries in the latest crash
test of a New Jetta GLS 4 cyl.

Yes, I got wrecked.  Friday 5/14, 4:30 pm, southbound Merritt Pkwy in CT
just before exit 49.  Due to an accident about 1/4 mile down the road,
traffic came to a stop.  The Taurus behind me didn't.  He hit me (stopped at
the time) at about 15 mph impact speed and punted me into the Expedition
(also stopped) in front of me.  The Taurus front end got bashed pretty well
and the airbags went off (the passenger bag shattered the windshield).  The
Jetta rear bumper cover got knocked off, the rear floor got bent, and the
right quarter buckled slightly as the crumple zone thing began to happen.
The front bumper of the Jetta went under the rear bumper of the Expedition,
so that the Jetta hood, fenders, headlights, grille, radiator, etc took the
impact.  The black engine cover got cracked and the battery got pushed back.
The airbags did not go off (understandable if you consider the deceleration
of the impact).  The driver's door wouldn't open due to interference with
the fender, so I ended up climbing into the back seat to get out of the car.
Damage to the Expedition?  Don't know.  The guy took off.  Never even got
out of the truck.  Probably had some issue (Warrant?  No insurance?) and he
didn't want to stick around for the police to show up.  The driver of the
Taurus was, of course, pretty upset about all the damage that he inflicted.
I said something like, "You know, this is a new car".  "Yeah I just got the
Taurus, too (used '96)".  "No, you don't understand.  This is a new car, not
yet titled, 69 miles on it."  "Oh shit".  Anyway, in the 2.5 hours that it
took to get the accident written up (the Taurus guy got a ticket for
following too closely) and to get towed, the Taurus guy and I talked a lot.
Cool guy, considering.  He was concerned that I, having no way to get the
100 miles back home, would get left standing on the street in the bad
section of Bridgeport (which did, in fact, happen) and he offered to put me
up at his place for the night.  I didn't take him up on the offer because I
didn't want to take the risk of getting rear ended twice in the same day, if
you know what I mean.  So, after standing on the street for about hour,
giving the crack dealers (who I was told would leave me alone) and the
addicts (who would roll me) the best evil eye I could manage, my other boss
came and picked me up.  Whew, what a day.  At least nobody got injured any
worse than a few aches and pains.

-Chris