Was this car part important? I sure hope not

And now a quick story about my epic car fail.

I try to park in the same spot at work each day. I've been parking here for years. Yet one day this week I apparently parked ever so slightly farther in than usual. Because when the show was done this particular day and I started up my car to drive home, I put the car in reverse and immediately heard a telltale scraping sound.

Many of us have heard this sound before. It's that scraping sound when the bottom of your bumper slightly grazes a curb stone. Usually nothing major. It was such a slight sound in this case I honestly didn't think it was any big deal. I drove home with no problems. The next day leaving the house to go back to the station I noticed something didn't quite look right on my front end. Part of it, well, wasn't there.

About a five foot part of it.

I got to work and this is what I found resting on the ground near that parking space. Someone had found it and moved it to the side. I never even knew it came off my car! Now this isn't the bumper. This is like a flexible rubbery apron than hangs (or now I should say hung) off the bottom of the bumper and extended down. So yeahhhhh. I lost five feet of my car and didn't even realize it.

I'm thinking (okay hoping) that it's cosmetic and I can do without it. Sure it might be a little safeguard against some road debris flying up under my wheels but I think I can live with that. Sad thing is with the way things are I know I'm not going to spend money to have this repaired. So my car is officially on its way to becoming a beater.

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