Rieger accident #2: (rieger rear bumper skirts are pretty strong)

["Allyn" <amalventano1@home.com>]

    Well, I was sitting at a red light, thinking about just how damned near
impossible it would be for someone to not see my car and rear-end me. I look
in the rear view mirror at the (stopped) minivan, chuckle slightly. Look
back at the road, and hear WHAM. Check the rear view again, the van is
suddenly on its way towards me. Feet immediately go to gas and clutch, hand
immediately slams shifter into first, Rieger immediately starts doing
mini-burnout to escape its impending doom. My burnout could only last for
about 3 feet, since there was a civic in front of me (i know, i was tempted,
but i am tired of swapping hoods). I bring the burnout/car to a halt about
3" from the rear bumper of the civic, letting off the brakes to maximize
momentum transfer if i get hit, but my intermittent-warp-9 maneuver was not
enough. My heart drops as i hear a thud and am shaken slightly in my seat.
"so much for not getting rear ended", i think to myself as i roll forward
towards the civic. I reapply brakes, leaving about 1/2" to the civics rear
bumper.
    Turns out some old lady in a lincoln (behind the minivan), had a little
birdy or something tell her the light was green. She floors it, running
right into the van. She then panics, forgetting that she needs to slam on
the BRAKES, not the GAS, thus pushing the now braking van even further. She
finally got it right and hit the brakes about 1/2 sec before the van hit me.
    Damage is limited to the flat part of the rear bumper. No cracks/tears,
just the typical paint scuffing you find in a rubbermaid-to-rubbermaid
accident. I'm actually really impressed with the way the rieger was put
together. There was 0 gap between the kit and the rear bumper skirt. I cant
say the same for the front, but if you hit the front of any scirocco, its
all over anyway.
    I've attached a (very) low res picture (11k), for your viewing pleasure.
Al

Allyn Malventano, ETC(SS), USN
87 Rieger GTO Scirocco 16v (daily driver, 170k, rocco #6) running - for now
87 Jetta 8v Wolfsburg 2dr (daily driver, 260k, 0 rattles, original clutch,
driveshafts, wheels :)

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