The day started like any other day - shut off the alarm after 20 snoozes and got up and ready to go to work. Got into the car and started driving.

The traffic on 101 going North was the usual too. Slow going, speed up a little, and back to slow going.

After the typical slowdown near Mountain View, I entered Palo Alto, continuing the slow-and-go. And all of a sudden I hear a loud slamming sound from the back, I get shaken up and my car just stopped.

After 2-3 seconds of being totally blanked out, I realized my adrenaline was pumping, and that it was because I was in a car accident. I had someone rear-end me, and just when I realized that, I heard a sound of a guy running up to me and asking me if I was ok. I was shaken up, but was ok. So I got off the car and told him ok. I could never have imagined I would be in the second lane of highway 101 in the middle of Palo Alto, chatting with another guy with our cars stopped!

He started explaining that he may have looked down for a second to pick up his tea from the cup holder and that’s all it took for him to crash into me. I nodded and said yes, that’s all it takes.

Both of us called 911 and an officer came in about 3 minutes, and asked us to pull over to the shoulder. I told him my car was virtually undrivable because the plastic from under the trunk had almost scraped the tire top. There was no way I could drive. He requested to slowly drive and move the car to the shoulder so that the traffic is not slowed down.

Both of us somehow took our cars to the shoulder. After the usual formalities, the policeman took a statement from both of us and registered the report which he said I could pick up from the police station the next day.

I have never been in such a situation before - I had rear-ended my roommate many years back, but it was at a very slow speed and the damage was minimal. This was bad. Very bad.

So the tow truck came and picked both our cars and took his car to the body shop he liked and since I did not want to mess with the insurance company, I requested that my car be taken to the tow garage at that time.

From there, I went to the rental car company near there, and got myself a rental car.

By that time, it was about 11.30am and I decided to work from home and not go to work. Met with some co-workers for lunch and went back home and iced the neck/back.

What a day!