MCI: Stuck Seat Belt & Rental Bumper Cars

Blogging has taken a back seat to spring events of regular travel in usual places. On my drive toward the Kansas City metropolitan area, I stopped for gas at about 9:30pm in the evening, hoping to arrive at my hotel at 10:15pm. After getting back in the small, nondescript Chevy Cobalt LT, I fastened my seat belt. I decided it would be best to get the hotel directions and phone number from my briefcase in the trunk. I attempted to unfasten the seat belt and could not do so and tried again. I turned on the car interior lights and tried again. When the seatbelt would not unfasten again, I took a deep breath and well - tried again. At this point after 3 failed attempts, I did wonder if I was on candid camera. I began to think about panic mode, but realized since I was fairly close (30 minutes) to the Kansas City Airport car rental area, perhaps I would call ahead and ask for help and drive there to figure this out.

After several attempts with an interesting assortment of tools, I finally said "Ok - I'm done. Can you cut me out of this thing? I'm sure insurance will figure this out, but I need to leave and get a car and get to my hotel. They conferred, called someone, and proceeded to get a "blade" and cut or rather saw the seat belt so I could get out. Yes, I had a few panic moments. Yes, I thought "What am I going to do? There isn't a drive thru window at WalMart to ask them to sell me a knife. Maybe I could call a cop and get them to help?" Maybe I should have stopped to ask if they had this Seat Belt Cutter? http://www.emergencyseatbeltcutr.com/

Thinking the next day was going to be better in my new stylish Chrysler Sebring, I was driving to my business appointment, when out of the blue while parked behind one car at a stoplight, another car comes up behind me and bumps my bumper such that I bump into the car in front of me and poof - the ordeal turns into no car damage, the driver behind me leaving scene fast, making a left turn quickly after backing up, and me walking up to the woman with the two YIP YIP dogs running around in her car screaming hysterically that she's got whiplash and yelling at me. A guy in a BMW dials 911 out of the goodness of heart as he hears the woman wailing in the car. He gets her to drive to a parking area in strip mall where I then call 911 and ask kindly how far away is that police officer? Long story short, the kind officer determined this was a "civil matter" and not worthy of traffic ticket as there appeared to be no damage to either vehicle. He allowed me to exchange information with the husband of the wailing woman and yapping dogs.

Perhaps this all means - back to the Van Cabs for me!