Summary

I was so depressed about the fender-bender until I took an earlier flight back to New York. (Ironically, that's when I learned about the true nature of Mel Gibson's behavior during his arrest.) In spite of my misfortune, I did everything I set out to do while I was in Los Angeles. However, the parking ticket and car accident left a bad taste in my mouth ... and dealing with Thrifty and the Parking Violations Bureau in the months to come was a major headache. The bargain I thought I was getting when I rented the car ended up costing me more than $2,500 -- $104 for the ticket, and $2,402 in damages. (As it turned out, the insurance I bought only covered the rental car -- not the other party's vehicle.)