Driving Disaster in Inside My Head

I have been working night shifts for the past three weeks and Wednesday was supposed to be my last one. I knew a snow storm was coming, but I hoped that I would still be able to drive through it. Unfortunately that was not the case. After my shift I dug out my car for about half an hour. I made it maybe one mile past the hospital until my car got stuck in the middle of the road. I tried for several minutes to reverse and then put the car in drive but it didn't help much. A black man who lived nearby home attempted to dig out my back tire which did not help either. I tried again for the next hour to dig out my tires and several people actually stopped to try and help me but my car remained stuck. I called my car insurance company who informed me they would not provide roadside assistance since its a blizzard. They advised me to call 911. What is the point of having roadside assistance if they won't help you in bad weather? I finally sat in my car and gave up. I called 911 informed I'm always stuck in the middle of the road. They sent a cop to come and help me who did not help get my car out but did offer to send a tow truck (which I would have to pay for). I readily agreed since the alternative was leaving my car in the middle of a Trenton street. I was pretty much guaranteed to either A) not find my car or B) have my car missing several pieces of it. Trenton is not exactly the best area.

Throughout the entire time Michael and I were fighting. He insisted on driving from our house to Trenton to come help me. I do not want him to come to Trenton because I was terrified he would get into a car accident on the way here in his efforts to help me. I was also terrified that he too would get stuck and that we would end up having to abandon both cars. I love Michael but the financial burden has always been on me and I do not have the money to a place two cars. As the hours wore on I became more more stressed and the phone calls between us became more stressed and angry.

The cop left stating the truck tow truck will be on its way shortly. Almost an hour later I was still sitting in my car waiting. Another car with two black men in it stopped. I thanked him for his offer for help but informed them a tow truck was on its way (supposedly..). He told me that I should pay him whatever I would ay the tow truck. I was concerned about doing this because if I did pay him and he couldn't get my car out, then now I'm out of money and my car is still stuck. My other issue was that I did not have cash on me. I work in Trenton..the risk of being robbed is pretty high. I figure if I get mugged I can replace debit and credit cards, but with cash I'd be screwed. So I don't carry any. I told they guy that I didn't have any cash, but he shrugged and got out of the car anyway. We dug out my tires (again). I informed him that multiple people have tried to help me to no avail and he replied "They didn't know what they were doing." I decided that I really liked that guy...He not only dug out my tires but dug out a path in front of my car so I would hopefully not get stuck again. He asked if it would be ok he he got into the driver's seat and drove my car out. Against my better judgement I agreed. I took my purse, my wallet, and phone out first. I mean, he could've driven off with my car, his brother could've jumped in his van and left, and now I;m stuck in the middle of Trenton without my car in the middle of a blizzard. I tried not to think of worst case scenarios when I watched him drive down the street in my car. He go out and he and his brother started cheering. Now I felt awful that I had no money to pay him so I took down his name and address. I'm sending him a $50 check this week.

The street perpendicular to the one I was stuck on was plowed so I slowly made my way down the block keeping a very close on on which which roads were plowed and which ones were not. I called Michael on the way. I was calmer now that I was no longer stuck (although still soaked and freezing) and he was calmer since he knew I was no longer stuck and now had gas in his car. I love him, but he has a bad habit of driving with a gas tank on near empty...He told me to stop driving and that he would come and find me. We made our way back to my hospital parking lot, which I had left more than three hours earlier, left my car in the parking lot, and took Michael's car back home. He brought banana muffins which he had baked for me and juice so I would have something to eat. I felt awful. We both made up and spent most of the day in bed either sleeping or watching the Olympics.

All of my coworkers made it to work with little difficulty. Sometimes I feel like I have the crummiest luck.

Artist

Chionophobia - fear of snow