DISCUSS THIS SCENARIO PLEASE

My husband asked me to drive him somewhere this morning.  I was going down Main Street (pictured at the left) which is line with little shops, restaurants and businesses.  Quaint, tree lines, stop signs and cross walks at every corner.  As I was about one third of the way down a block I noticed that a long time business appeared to have closed, my eyes were drawn to the right.  The I saw something in front of me just as my husband said "Geez Susan!" and I braked for a woman who was walking across the middle of the street.

The adult woman had a very angry, put out look on her face and was looking at me and talking - obviously she had some choice words which I could not hear over my husband saying "You didn't see her?  You really freaked her out!"

I replied that she should be freaked out since she was jay walking and shouldn't assume anything. 

Let me say.  This is small town California.  We wait for the light to change before we use the cross walk.  For someone to cross in the middle of the street is not the norm.  Also, I really wasn't near hitting her - she didn't even appear to have picked up her pace.

Please discuss.  Should I be chastised for my wandering attention?  Am I wrong to feel in the right?

A COSTLY LESSON?

Our daughter has just turned 16 and gotten her driver's permit. She has been eager to go out to practice driving everyday and had been steadily improving. She drove my husband's big Dodge Ram truck yesterday for the second time. I personally don't like to drive the truck because it is so large and heavy and the covered bed of the truck reduces visibility, however, our older daughter drove it for years and loved driving it.





Tom usually backs the truck into the driveway and so she wanted to do the same. The first time she parked it with great success. Yesterday she did this:

Actually, it was much worse before I took the picture Tom had been inside the garage pushing the panels out to assess the damage. She hit it so hard that the back bumper of the truck was pushed forward and caused a flat tire, the paint is scraped on the back of the truck and the tailgate doesn't go down flat. Worse is that Tom's nice car parked inside the garage was also damaged.

We are awaiting the insurance appraisal and for the cost to be added up.

Our Daughter is horrified and upset and saying she will never drive again. We want her to learn from the accident, to recognise for herself what went wrong so she can carry that awareness when she drives again.

Tom and I are at odds over whether we should expect her to contribute to the cost of the repairs. What do you think?