Bill's mirrors

[jmbrodsky@domain.elided]

     Bill D,
     
        I understand that your mirror hit the girl's car, and it was a bit 
     of fate and justice, but the thing to recognize is: that a projectile 
     exiting a moving vehicle through willful knowledge of the operator is 
     a crime.  If you failed to tighten the mirror and as a result it came 
     off and caused damage, YOU ARE liable.
     
        I was parked on a hill at an intersection too steep to be held 
     there in gear.  The light changed and before I accelerated the truck 
     drifted back about 1.5".  My daul Jerry can rack made a noise as I 
     looked in the mirror the '73 Impala was VERY close to me.  I didn't 
     think anything of it,and proceeded onmy merry way.  I suppose the I 
     would have been liable had there been damage.  However, in Arizona, it 
     is the requirement of the -following- driver to maintain a safe 
     distance determined by 'reasonable and prudent'.  The usual seems to 
     be two seconds.  Sounds to me like you should've just jabbed the 
     brakes once, and collected about $1000 from the Acura girl.
     
        Food for thought.
     
        -Joel