<p>Calmom - my hat's off to you ! Not just that your daughter could handle such a thing by herself, but that you raised her in such a way that it's obvious she's had practice excercising good judgment. My daughter wasn't at that level, so she needed help. But next time - and let's hope there is no next time for either of our kids ! - she'll know what to do.</p>
<p>The worst part for me is realizing that I'll never stop worrying about them, even when she's an adult with kids of her own. I used to think being a parent ended at some point, and you evolved into a "mature friend" of your children. Boy was I young when I had those fantasies !!</p>
<p>Hayden, thanks for the compliment, but I think a lot of it is just innate personality. My daughter has always been very self-confident, independent, self-sufficient, and extremely organized ... she probably figured it was easier to deal with the other car owner on her own than to have to deal with explaining everything to her parents. She's the type of kid who is always trying to help other kids solve their problems, too - I remember when she was a toddler and the day care provider told me that she was a "mother hen", always monitoring and managing what all the other little kids were doing. </p>
<p>It's funny, even though my daughter is only 16, I really don't worry too much about her. I just hope she doesn't move too far away after college -- I kind of see her as the one who will be taking care of me in my doddering old age. Maybe this is the sort of stuff that skips a generation, because I certainly gave my parents a lot more to worry about when I was her age.</p>