GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Well, the Vibes toughness was tested today on the way home from work. Why do people feel the need to teach their kid how to drive during rush hour? I'm stopped behind another idiot who decided to let the passenger out in the middle of the street. While I'm stopped (for a good 30 seconds) the idiot in front starts to pull away when another idiot hits me from behind. Inside the POS Lumina is a girl of about 16 driving with her mom in the passenger seat. In the back, are 3 people. A younger girl (13-15), an older girl (18-25) and an infant. The infant was being held in the older girls arms (no car seat) and nobody in the car had a seatbelt on. The mom jumps out and tells me, "There's no damage, she's just learning." I told her it was stupid to teach her during rush hour. I wanted her info and she balked so I called the cops. The older girl and the infant got out and took off. I guess they didn't want to get caught without a car seat in the car. I checked the Vibe and there were only minor scuff marks on the lower bumper. I asked again for the info and she gave it to me. I doubt I'll call it in because I see no real damage but she's lucky the cops never showed up.

I can't help but be disgusted by the stupidity of some people...

probably didnt have current insurance either!!!! i cant believe people are getting like that today...lucky for you the kid wasnt going faster! i think i saw on a show ,on the TLC channel, where people learning how to drive in england have to attach a certain colored sticker or poster to their car and are limited to certain roads and such while they learn. maybe we should adopt the tougher european driving testing and training to our drivers here...we'd probably be a little better off!!!

maybe she saw a squirrel running at her car and she was trying to get out of the way...As a parent, I'm amazed at how many people don't properly use car seats for their children. What could be more important than your child's safety?As a vibe owner who also got a thumped from behind, I'm glad there's enough shock absorption in the back end to be able to take that and not suffer any significant damage.Do you think you'll be able to get the scuff marks out?

Fortunately, she did have insurance but I'm not gonna call it in because there was no damage. I will say this however, thank goodness for grey-cladding with no paint. If I had monotone, I'm sure the paint would have been messed up.

quote:probably didnt have current insurance either!!!! i cant believe people are getting like that today...lucky for you the kid wasnt going faster! i think i saw on a show ,on the TLC channel, where people learning how to drive in england have to attach a certain colored sticker or poster to their car and are limited to certain roads and such while they learn. maybe we should adopt the tougher european driving testing and training to our drivers here...we'd probably be a little better off!!!AMEN!! I live in Iowa City and I can vouch first hand on the poorness of people's driving. Hardly a day goes by where I am not laughing at something that I see going to or coming from work. And I only live two miles away from my job. Its good that you are okay and so is your vibe. It is very rare that a new car can survive an impact like that and not crack or bend the bumper in some way. My old '79 Malibu got rearended at 30 miles per hour and I didn't have a scratch on it. Good to see some quality autos being produced.

for sure. still be a little annoyed that she resisted so much. i had an accident when a highschooler ran me off the road. back end of my tundra hit the siderail, about $1500 damage. the kid admitted to it at the scene, no cops, but then retracted when dad found out. what a way to show your son responsibility.

thats what baseball bats are for....lol, jk, but itd be nice sometimes.

I can't believe how much she resisted giving you her information. I would have thought she didn't have insurance the way she was fighting giving it to you. And the whole car seat part of this just pisses me off. There is no way I would ride around with my son and him not be in a good car seat. The $100 to $120 it is for a decent seat is nothing compared to the price of his life.And trying to teach someone how to drive during rush hour is ridiculous! Hell, it's practically suicide depending on where you live. Another sign that there are way too many idiots on the road. If you had a monotone, I would agree that there probably would be some paint damage too. If that was the case I would call it in. But if there is no damage, you are being generous by not doing anything about it, even reporting it.

I agree Triton GT. It is disgusting what some people will do to save a buck! There is no price NO PRICE for a human life, some people should not be parents! This should be reported to the police.I am glad though that no one got hurt, we love our Vibes but cars are repairable, lives on the other hand.....

the two tone cladding is a pretty tough cookie. i backed into my cousin's car once and my mom rear ended my car once in the driveway. no damage!

Yes and NO.... have your car checked out at a body shop.... The bumpers have parts inside them that crash when you get hit. Even at lower speeds they crumple..... HAVE YOUR CAR CHECKED OUT!

quote:The infant was being held in the older girls arms (no car seat)That makes me sick just to think that these people are stupid or just don't care. Scott, glad you and the infant are OK.

i am confident my car is fine, the other cars were ok too. (cousins got a cracked license plate frame)there are people who live by my uncle who let their barely walking child ride in the front seat w/out seatbelt. they are trash! people should learn to give 2 s**ts about more than themselves

quote:And the whole car seat part of this just pisses me off.Ditto. I realize it depended on the situation you were in, but I would have at least reported this with the police. They were ignorant to be teaching her to drive in rush-hour, they were ignorant to have that many people in the vehicle when she was learning to drive, and they were breaking the law not having the infant in a proper car seat. I hope the best for the infant's future.

Of course you would have had no way to prove to the cops that there was another adult and an infant in the car if they took off, but I think that stupid girl should be held accountable. If she was the baby's mother, there's probably not a lot to worry about because she will probably get nailed in another situation lose custody of her own kid anyway, or at least I hope she does for the kid's sake. That's just sick and wrong that anyone would be that dumb to think they could hold on to any object, let alone an infant, in the event of an accident. No matter how many safety features are designed into vehicles, none of them will work if you don't use them correctly!

some have a kind of impact-absorbing shock absorber in behind the bumper(dunno about a vibe)but sometimes they won't come back out after an impact but you can't tell from looking because the plastic bumper cover is flexible enough to pop back into shape....you might still check into it

Another good reason to stay off the highways! Glad you survived. KSNeptune