'I saw my car 'drown’'
Richard Scotto was jolted out of his sleep by last Monday’s early violent storm and immediately went to check on his treasured car parked in a rented garage down the hill from his house in Gżira.
When he walked down the steep ramp leading to his underground garage he got the shock of his life. Wading in waist-high water, he found his Toyota Corolla submerged to the door handles.
“I realised there was no way I could save it. As I tried to run towards the car I tripped and ended up under water.
“My specs fell off and while under water, in the dark, I saw the hazard lights flickering. It was as though my car was asking for help,” he grimaced.
Mr Scotto also lost his Nokia phone and his spectacles in the ordeal but nothing could wipe out the sight of his beloved vehicle underwater, which has since been declared a total loss by his insurance’s surveyor.
Standing outside the dry garage, six days after Monday’s storm, Mr Scotto recalled: “If you had to look at it, it does not even have a single scratch. But it 'drowned'. The engine and electrical parts don’t work. It’s dead inside.”
He also kept his motorcycle in the garage but managed to wheel it out on Monday early morning. As the rain continued pouring later that day, his garage became completely clogged with water and his car was completely submerged.
He pointed towards a line halfway up the wall in the ramp area leading to the underground garages to show the extent of the rainwater level.
“I got the car on March 15, 2006, for €21,000. It was black metallic and I kept it in mint condition,” he said.
He looked after his car like one would care for a pet, washing it regularly, using the best waxes and feeding it the finest of oils. It was his hobby and his pride and joy.
“I worked very hard for it. I couldn’t believe what happened,” he said.
Mr Scotto had been garaging his car and motorcycle for two years and never experienced flooding, despite other heavy storms. But on Monday the draining system could not cope with the water and the garage filled up. Since then he has decided to stop using it.
The car was fully insured but it is little consolation as he takes his Toyota Corolla to be scrapped this week.
For now he does not plan to invest in another car but he will be holding on to his personalised number plates.
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56 Comments
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D Vella
Sep 10th 2012, 14:04
Get over it mate . . . it's just a car! Thank the good lord neither you nor any of your loved ones were inside it at the time!!
SANDRA SCOTT0
Sep 10th 2012, 12:00
I meant Corolla :-)
SANDRA SCOTT0
Sep 10th 2012, 08:50
Kemm kummenti bla sens u jaqtaw daqs sikkina tipikament ilsien malti kulhadd jitfa il gebel. IVA vera li kellu TOYOTA CAROLLA U MINT condition kienet il hobby tieghu li tant stinka u hadem ghaliha PERO ghal min insinwa li il karozza qatt gietx qabli nghidilkom zgur li le ir rispett tieghu l ewwel u qabel kollox dejjem il familja l ewwel u proud bir ragel tieghi. Maghandux dritt ikollu hobby??? Toyota jew le ma taghmilx sens il kuncett ta dan is sugett kien li bl ilmijiet li ghamlu u ghat toroq dizastru li ghandna hawn Malta ikawwza hsarat u hafna nies tilfu l affarijiet prezzjuzi taghhom ! Dan kien l argument mhux hafna minkom taqaw personali u hafna lol x hemm tad dahq ??? li titlef karozza, jew dar jew ikun xi jkun?
Ghal min qal jekk irridux xi garbra nirringrazzja l ALLA LI Ma ghandniex bzonn naghmlu gbir il karozza kienet fully comprehensive u jiddispjacini ghal dawk li tilfu il karozzi u ma kienux! Nahdmu it tnejn u ma ghandniex bzonn naghmlu gbir dak li ghandna hdimna ghalih! Jekk joghgobkom qabel ma tifthu halqkom biex tohorgu valenu qisuh diskorskom naf li il quddiem ikollna Karozza ohra xorta qed ninqdew ghax karozza ohra ghandna.Ahjar nikumentaw u naraw kif jistaw jitjiebu it toroq biex ma jergax ikun hawn dizastru iehor bhalma kien hawn!
Kevin Camilleri
Sep 10th 2012, 13:25
Mrs. Scotto,
The people that laughed about the article most probably all of them drive around in Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bugatti! They would not have laughed if they had to throw their car because of the water... believe me!
There is nothing wrong if someone takes care of his belongings, being a house, a piece of furniture or a car. Some people do work hard to earn money to purchase their belongings, others have daddy who purchases everything for them!
Wishing you husband and your family all the best with your future new car - From an owner of a 2006, 3DR Black Corolla Owner who cares about his car :)
Paul Borg
Sep 10th 2012, 14:39
I did feel sad reading the article. I am not a car enthusiast but I like to keep all my possessions in mint condition, and I would have felt the same even if my 500 euro mobile drowned, let alone my 21,000 euro car. The point here is that all of us who work hard for our money, will feel this way when we lose a possession!
However this does not mean that we do not respect human beings! I do not see anything wrong in this article! Doesn't Mr. Scottto has the right to express his feelings? I'm sure he does, as long as he did not hurt the feelings of anybody! And who put in human beings in the story??? Only readers did! He never compared his beloved car to his wife or family, and I'm sure if god had given him a choice between his car and his family / wife, no doubt that he would have chosen to lose the car!
Stop being mean to this person because he did not do anything wrong? LET'S START RESPECTING OUR SOCIETY...because a bad situation could come to you tomorrow and unlike Mr. Scotto, you may need help from the people around you or from Mr. Scotto himself!
James Aquilina
Sep 10th 2012, 08:16
To an enthusiast his car means everything to him.
I only got an inch of water in my garage and was going to lose my mind till I got the pumps going.
To all thosewho posted stupid , hutfull comments, you'd probably be overjoyed to see your prised possession be ruind,
Bear in mind that this guy probably lost €10,000-15000 even with the insurance payoff.
Alex Ciantar
Sep 9th 2012, 21:12
Some people are so self centred and do not get the point here, Mr Scotto is a family man and I am sure every material possession he may own does not come before his family.
So it is stupid one compares a life or death situation with this misfortune as it has nothing to do with it, besides everyone has a prized possession and it so happen Mr Scotto has his car.
Being a family man I am sure his time and finances are limited so his stress reliever is his car which after all is the family car and has a purpose. So what's wrong with it that he has passion in keeping his car in perfect order and after all trying to make it last longer and keeping safe and roadworthy.....at least he's not throwing his money away on gambling etc. etc. every man needs something in life to take him away from his daily routine and Mr Scotto has his car to satisfy this.
Mr Scotto chin up I am sure you will find another car that will satisfy you family and your needs and will again be your new pride and joy!!
maria borg
Sep 9th 2012, 20:05
kemm hawn min ghandu ilsienu hazin, diment li ma gratx lilkhom tridu tmaqdru il haddiehor. dan ir ragel tilef xi haga prezzjuza ghalih issa kienet toyota u kienet ferrari xorta hadem u bezgha ghalija u jidispjaccini ta li gralu bhal ma jidispjaccini ghal kull min jitlef xi haga li tkun tiswa ghalih u zgur mhux se nhalli kummenti bla rispett bhal ta hafna...ahjar ghalaqtu halqkhom u ma ktibtu xejn
Chris Sammut
Sep 9th 2012, 19:31
ok, ok, my view as a very enthusiastic car person, still I smile, not to say I'm laughing. Yes, a car can become a part of you whatever the badge is. But honestly mate it's A Toyota at the end, and oh a Corolla not a Supra at least? :)) don't take me wrong, but move on and buy another one now, not a Toyota!! I'm happy that no one got hurt.
Alex Ciantar
Sep 9th 2012, 21:46
@ Chris Sammut,
Has it occurred to you that this man is family man so he chose a car to cater for the family needs such as is the Toyota Corolla (which is one of the best choice on the market), I'm sure that like every other man Mr Scotto would love to own a nice sports car but like most of us he has to to prioritise and make do with what suits his family first and foremost.
And what difference does it make what car it is or how expensive it is as long as it satisfies his passion!
Edmond Micallef
Sep 9th 2012, 19:05
Hopefully Mr Scotto got or will get a decent and timely refund out of his insurance claim from his Insurance Company.
All the rest is an unfortunate past episode in one's life which is not worth worrying about so long as no one got hurt, injured or, worst still, killed.
Ramon Casha
Sep 9th 2012, 18:26
When will the memorial service be held?
Honestly... If this was a one-of-a-kind model, about a century old and lovingly restored into pristine condition with a toothpick and soft brush, I might understand that, but it's a Toyota Corolla. You go to a shop and you buy another.
SANDRA SCOTT0
Sep 10th 2012, 08:51
VERA KUMMENT BLA SENS U BLA QALB ! INT ISSEJJAH LILEK INIFFSEK NISRANI AQRA SEW IL KUNCETT TAS SUGETT!
SANDRA SCOTT0
Sep 10th 2012, 10:04
Buying a used car is not the same as buying a new car dont you consider the mileage and how many dents it would have had or if it would have been involved in another accident which you dont know of???. No the Toyota Carolla cant be recovered first of all because of the low mileage and of the condittion it was in and it had a sentimental value too which cannot be replaced before posting such comments please think before you write. like i said before the concept of this story was of the bad situation the roads are in , but i think you went personal.
jay bee
Sep 9th 2012, 18:03
its simple it will cost more to fix than pay him what do you guys think that the insurance will pay in full how much it cost him?? no way he is lucky to get one third and god knows when he will get paid and the car will not go to waste it will be stripped for parts as one wrote there is the internet and they will fly out so there is no waste just the insurance customers will get wasted by giving a poor pay back they never go public on there income and just because they have some payouts they are on the news boo hoo
Peter Bonnici
Sep 9th 2012, 17:04
Is this a joke? Honestly!
Eric Camilleri (Q)
Sep 9th 2012, 23:24
Surely not a joke for all those who suffered losses during the flooding. No insurance will cover up the expenses and inconvenience suffered.
SANDRA SCOTT0
Sep 10th 2012, 08:52
if it happened to you i dont think you would have considered it as a joke.
paul camilleri
Sep 9th 2012, 16:54
Mr Scotto
Just because the insurance tells you it is scrape does not mean that you scrape it, you can effectually strip it down clean and change the insides which one can buy over the internet new or as good as new also swirtches etc etc can be cleaned. engine as long as it didnt start could be stripeed and cleaned and put together again. and this would most propbaly cost you less that what the insurance paid you.
paul camilleri
Sep 9th 2012, 16:46
i hate to be the person involved in a bumper to bumper incident with this guy and his car/ love of his life!!
James Tyrrell
Sep 9th 2012, 16:46
I think what the comments below go to prove is that we live in a throwaway society and no one gives a damn about anything anymore. When I was growing up I was taught by my father that taking care of things was important as they would last longer. I drive an old car and it still looks like new because I care about it and look after it. The same goes for everything I own. You get attached to things like cars as Richard was to his, so is that a crime? No doubt if he had decided to sell it in ten years time the same people leaving the stupid comments would have been queuing up to buy it because of its brilliant condition!
wayne scicluna
Sep 9th 2012, 15:18
Haha for a Toyota Corolla? Its not as if you had a Bugati Veyron mate. At least your motorcycle is safe.
Mr Richard Scotto
Sep 9th 2012, 18:11
The irony is that the typical Bugatti Veyron owner spends a much smaller percentage of his annual income/wealth than the typical Toyota/Ford/Volkswagen buyer.
Biker Man
Sep 9th 2012, 18:46
There are people who possess cars worth millions of Euro, and who do not appreciate them or 'love' them as much as Mr Scotto loves his Toyota Corolla. The reason probably being that they did not have to work so hard to acquire them. Comments like yours are totally unsensitive and out of place. And foolish too.
SANDRA SCOTT0
Sep 10th 2012, 08:53
whats the haha all about what type of car do you have ?????? maybe we can laugh even more!
Karl Consiglio
Sep 9th 2012, 15:12
My condolences Richard.
Dulsimo Zahra
Sep 9th 2012, 14:58
Thanks to some comments made below I have finally found the answer why; buying a 2nd hand car is such a difficult task, as in finding one in good nick, Why I sometimes find scratches and dents on cars knowing that I surely hadn't done them... Everybody has a hobby come on, If something like this happened to my car I would go crazy. Come on show some respect for car enthusiasts, it's not the cost of the car, its how much you cherish and take good care of your car during ownership.
Brian Grech
Sep 9th 2012, 13:23
Why are people nagging about Mr Scotto's story? Is it unknown to many of you making fun of this story that there are millions of car enthusiasts around the world? Some people are sad if the village festa is ruined because of bad weather,some because they cannot trap or hunt birds and others because their prized belonging was lost.
Some people who are living in their comfort zone should realise that a car bought for 21000 euros and well taken care of isn't actually going to put the insurance claimer in exactly the same position as before. "Ok no one died, so what!" m ghandux igwadi dak li hadem ghalih u jhossu dispacut ghax tilfu?
Victor Pulis
Sep 9th 2012, 16:35
I'm sure all those who lost their car during the flood are as sorry as mr. Scotto irrespective if the car cost 21,000 euros or10 cents. When one loses one's means of transport it's always a problem. There were many who lost their cars last Monday.
Shaun Piscopo
Sep 9th 2012, 12:50
may she rest in piece... come on Times of malta... havent you got anything better to do??? lol if hed lost his house it caouldve been a different story.... but a car??? come on lol...
Charles DeMicoli
Sep 9th 2012, 12:38
Toyota Corolla?!!
"He looked after his car like one would care for a pet, washing it regularly, using the best waxes and feeding it the finest of oils."
Reality check needed here! ASAP!!
Charles Grixti
Sep 9th 2012, 15:16
That some men in Malta - that they treated their cars as a lover or wife (some better then their wives actually), is both pathetic as well as a source of humour. It is just a bunch of wires and steel and plastic for heaven's sake! How can it 'drown'?
SANDRA SCOTT0
Sep 10th 2012, 08:54
I THINK YOU NEED A REALITY CHECK TO SEE THE PROPER SUBJECT TO THIS STORY!
R Bartolo
Sep 9th 2012, 12:28
A car is not alive, therefore it can not die, therefore it can not "drown". "Gherqet" in Maltese (as was undoubtedly originally quoted by the owner) does not always translate to "drown" when the object is inanimate.
Sorry Richard about the loss, traumatic no doubt when one's prized possessions are lost. Comparisons to other losses are irrelevant, no one is compiling a scale of trauma. How Christian some comments on here are. One could lose a leg and some idiot would be on here claiming that that's no problem because someone else has lost both.
Jms Cremona
Sep 9th 2012, 12:28
Pity a well kept car got lost :/
Joseph Micallef
Sep 9th 2012, 12:25
Whilst I understand that Mr. Scotto might have had a personal affection to his vehicle, and I honestly understand this as after all, everyone of us has a hobby and the affection for that hobby should't bee ridiculed, however this was a case for him and for us to realise and treasure the value of life. If Mr. Scotto felt and still feels the sadness of all this, let alone how others might feel for friends or relatives who passed away.
Jeffrey Mallia
Sep 9th 2012, 12:09
If this was the " Shock of his life" .......I hope ours will be similar !! I would be happy to see my car destroyed as the " shock of my life"................
jason cassar
Sep 9th 2012, 11:58
ma tridx namlulek gabra sur Scotto hux ghal li jista jkun ???
Mr Richard Scotto
Sep 9th 2012, 16:43
M'ghandix bzonn,grazzi.Ghalhekk kont inxurjat Fully Comprehensive.
Manuel Grech
Sep 9th 2012, 11:07
Ifem jekk ikun passatemp tijaw u alieh tfisser ma jfisirx li jrid ikollu xi bmw 7 series ... Edin tparlaw nofskom u nahseb jekk jigrilkom l istess fuq xi haga li thobbu nahseb tibdew tolew zewg piedi mil art nahseb ... Saqsu xi wiehed dilettant min hal far u ejdulu listess kliem u nahseb ikun jista iwegibkom ahjar
Patricia Mifsud
Sep 9th 2012, 13:59
Jibqa' biss PASSATEMP, Sur Grech! Mur ftit fis-swali tal-isptarijiet u kellem lil min veru qed igarrab l-inkwiet. Nerga' nirreferi ghas-sinjur bil-locked in syndrome. Tista' timmagina lilek innifsek li waqfet dubbiena fuqek u ma tistax tkecciha? Biex ma nsemmix affarijiet ohra intimi li ahna niehdu 'for granted'? Miniex qed nghid li ma tinkeddx jekk ikissrulek u johdulek xi HAGA ghal qalbek, imma, hej, zomm naqra proporzjon fil-hajja. Hawn affarijiet li jergghu jinxtraw, u ohrajn le.
L Zerafa
Sep 9th 2012, 10:53
There are people losing their children/parents/loved ones to diseases. It's a car. Get over it.
Patricia Mifsud
Sep 9th 2012, 11:40
Precisely my thoughts. Mr Scotto ought to read the article about the gentleman living with locked-in syndrome and God only knows the psychological impact on his wife and sons and other loved oens. It was the article I had just finished reading when I moved on to this frivolity.
Christine Xuereb
Sep 9th 2012, 10:29
I think this story shows the reality check very much needed!
Stephen Farrugia
Sep 18th 2012, 12:17
True!
Mark Formosa
Sep 9th 2012, 10:27
I tought he had a ferrari.
Peter Bonello
Sep 10th 2012, 09:34
does not matter what he had. Thats what he could afford and thats what he loved!
anthony sultana
Sep 9th 2012, 10:17
Why the government did not tell us that a dangerous storm is coming on the Maltese island and also give it a name, to keep it on the history books? Other international TV channels warn the whole world about the violent storm heading to Europe coming from Libya.For the future we don"t want a careless government.
M. Attard
Sep 9th 2012, 10:58
I agree. The authorities should warn and preferably scale the storms in categories like they do abroad. We do not have Hurricanes but still we do have violent storms. I live near the sea in Gzira, and everywhere floods. They even built a small wall all along Gzira Gardens so the water will be trapped and does more damage to everyone. all the cars in our street including mine has been washed away and damaged substantially.
mark johnson
Sep 9th 2012, 13:47
I can tell you more rain is due on friday.
L. Chircop
Sep 9th 2012, 10:08
hahahaha
jason cassar
Sep 9th 2012, 12:09
loool !
Patricia Mifsud
Sep 9th 2012, 09:45
I can't believe what I've just read. This is a MACHINE we're reading about, right? Money will buy another one, right? No human lives (which no amount of money could buy back) have been lost, right?
Mr Richard Scotto
Sep 9th 2012, 16:52
The fact that no human lives have been lost is totally irrelevant.Yes,money will buy another one but you seem to be missing the point completely.It's about the attachment of enthusiasts and their cars.Maybe for you a car is just a box on wheels.Thousands of car buffs would disagree.
Patricia Mifsud
Sep 9th 2012, 17:48
No Mr Scotto. I don't think I'm the one missing the point at all. The attachment you are displaying to "a box on wheels" (because even your car, ultimately, was just a box on wheels) is out of proportion. You can thank whatever God you believe in if this is the greatest tragedy that has happened to you in your life. Other people have problems that no amount of money can solve. Your problem can be solved. Get a new car.
It has nothing to do with me not being a car enthusiast. I'm not. My car is my means of transport, not the be all and end all of my life. I'd obviously feel lost without it - but maybe you should question your unnatural bond to what is ultimately an inanimate object.
Mr Richard Scotto
Sep 9th 2012, 18:22
Ms Mifsud,my car was certainly not the most important thing in my life.My family is.However it was a very much cherished possession.
Please choose the reason of your report below: