The guy tried to hit and run but ran into a tree, was arrested . . . and then, the next day, when the accident report came back, Birbiglia was somehow found to be at fault, and that he owed twelve grand to the guy with the Mercedes.
The cop fucked up the report, stating that Birbiglia drove his car . . . into his own car.
He called the station, and the cop ("Officer Timson") ducked him right and left. He finally gets a hold of the officer, explains the situation, and the asshole says "You made a bad turn, pay the bill, do the right thing." Birbiglia explains again that this is an easy thing to fix, he was almost killed by this guy, etc., and once again Timson says "Do the right thing, and pay for the guy's car."
Birbiglia gets a lawyer, but the lawyer doesn't take the case, because Mike couldn't show any loss of income. Birbiglia then goes apeshit, dreaming of tracking down the drunk driver, suing the LAPD, and so on. For months, he obsesses about this in every waking moment, and stays up until 3AM concocting schemes.
The story does not have a happy ending.
The end hurt to listen to the first time, and it caused me pain again just now, as I listened to it once more.
Over dinner, as he's scribbling down his latest plan on a napkin, his wife-to-be, Jenny, tells him to let it go. She tells him "You're right, but it's only hurting you."
And he drops it. He pays the driver. And he moves on.
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