CRASH!

Accidents happen... When you've been spinning down a spiral of depression from the past few days, nothing like a jolt of a car accident to literally shake you up. Unfortunately, this one involved a very hostile, yellow cab driver who could barely speak English. The accident happened at the Lower Level of the Queensboro bridge, southbound headed into Queens. The cab driver abruptly stopped in the middle of the intersection on a green light - I couldn't veer left or right to help give me a bit of traction, and it was also raining hard, my only option was to crash forward.

The cab driver hardly spoke English and wanted to just leave without exchanging information. I insisted by calling the police to come and file a police report, which forced the cab driver to stay at the scene of the accident - mind you, he still refused to exchange information. Meanwhile, his passenger was even more irritated by the situation and had some choice words for me about how I was disrupting her day - as if I intentionally wanted all this to happen. I pulled over and waited for the NYPD to come...

5 phone calls to 911 and nearly 4 hours of waiting for the NYPD, this cab driver grew more irritated and hostile by the second. At times he would come over to my car and rap so violently on my window, screaming obscenities about how he wasn't making any money, and how I just needed to drive away so he wouldn't loose his license. He felt like I was making a big deal of the situation, clearly all I wanted was to reason with him and exchange information calmly and civilly for insurance purposes. Apparently, I caused the cab driver a dilemma too, he had to report to his cab company the reason he wasn't running his meter and making money was because he was in an accident, now the company demanded the police report - forcing him to stay. 

The 3-5 calls to 911 from me were out of desperation and fear. I was shaking from the accident, compounded by stress and emotions from everything that I have been going through, and scared of this man's growing irritation, hostility and assertion. I was painfully aware of being in a disturbing neighborhood in Queens, stranded on a bridge, in my wrecked car - all alone. 

It's amazing how in moments of fight or flight and extreme stress do you think about who your life line would be - and this was one moment I was thankful for the technology of FB and text messaging to give me a sense of relief and connection to the people I trust to help me process and work through the situation rationally, and prevent me from coming undone at the seams.  

Clearly, life has not been going my way and it really has had me stressed, desperate and crazed the past few weeks! I couldn't help but ask God - "Seriously, what else would you like to throw at me?" and quickly asking to take that back and beg for a miracle. I guess when you hit rock bottom and find yourself scared, desperate and literally shaking - God answers back in His divine humor and sends you an angel... Quite literally - Brian Angel.

Brian was driving a tow truck and he's clearly in the business of making profits on accidents. So when he turned up at the scene of my accident, I couldn't help but roll my eyes and think - great all I need is another marketing scheme based on my emotional vulnerability. Yes, I get the irony, being a marketing professional that's exactly what I do in my C-suite think about businesses and brands and how to make emotional connections with their customers... 

Well, Brian drove up to asses the damage on my car and did want to talk to me about his services, but he walked into an obviously distressing situation with the cab driver, who hovered around him while he was trying to have a conversation with me. Brian saw that I was shaking and scared, and I explained to him my predicament and he quickly gave me pointers on what to do. Since Brian was driving a tow truck he could not be at the scene of the accident when the NYPD came, so he went a block down to park his truck, waited, watched and text me the whole time to make sure I was safe for nearly 2 hours of this ordeal! As the tension with the cab driver escalated I felt relief knowing I had Brian there - he clearly earned my trust and my business. 

Again 5 calls to 911 and nearly 4 hours of waiting - no sign of the NYPD! Several squad cars had driven by us and the traffic cop visibly down the street, could see us blocking traffic, never once stopped to check on the situation! 

The real issue here was communication and language - the cab driver barely spoke English and I don't think he understood that I was not out to make trouble for him, rather just wanted to do the right thing for both of us. I finally called the phone number of the cab's corporate office and explained the situation and what I wanted. Shortly the cab driver did come over to surrender his information, then just drove off. 

Yes, once again I prove in high stress and demanding situations I always perform well, and close on what is needed. The insurance company couldn't believe the detailed level of information I was able to provide them about the cab driver, the cab company and the cab itself. 

I called 911 again to communicate the issue at the bridge was resolved without the NYPD, in case they really needed the squadron to respond to more urgent matters. When Brian came back I was a hysterical mess - crying, shaking and once again feeling the overwhelming wave of emotions I have been wrestling with. So here I am balling to a complete stranger about all the drama, trauma and losses in my life - and shaking because I was just so scared of the cab driver's irritated and hostile behavior, which I feared would turn into aggression. 

Brian sat me down in his truck, offered me a fresh bottle of water and actually told me he's been in my exact situation before - divorce, job transition and that feeling that everything around you is crashing down. In our conversation, I find out that Brian is a partner/co-owner of this body repair shop and car rental franchise and is actually a certified dealer with my insurance company. He drives a tow truck just in case someone needs help. When I get to Brian's office and see his interaction with his employees, I realized this is a well liked person and he's called Brian Angel - literally because he is an Angel, and does go out of his way doing random acts of kindness for strangers in distress. It's not a marketing ploy - just the sincerity of who he is. I'm a New Yorker - you can't fault me for being a skeptic. One quick and expedient phone call with my insurance company, and all is taken care of. Brian's office handled all the paperwork, took in the car and got me into a safe and swank rental and waving my towing costs.

As Brian was walking me out to the new rental - I gave him one big hug and sincerely thanked him for showing me kindness and compassion. I'm usually more put together and not a hysteric fool.  I truly appreciate what he had done for me today on so many levels... and just as I was about to drive off, Brian had one more thing to say "just remember you're beautiful and amazing." 

Although, I do have whiplash and am out of the pool the next few days, that's a minor price to pay. I'm thankful that I am alive, safe and well. I am thankful to God for giving me clarity, and providing for all my needs - particularly the right friends and people at the right moment.