Have I wrecked the car now? And can anybody cheer me up with some embarrassing car stories?

[emkana]

Stupid stupid me...
I drove for about three miles today with the handbrake only partly released... quite fast too, on a dual carriageway. I just couldn't figure out what was wrong , just thought there was some fault with the engine or something... double I didn't see the warning light because the sun was shining so bright.

Later I drove for a further 10 miles or so and the car seems to be okay. Or do you think it might still go wrong later? Am worried!
Has anybody done anything similar, just to make me feel a bit better?

[JanH]

Oh yes - have done that and I wondered why it wasn't accelerating as well as usual too!

It won't do any long term harm but might make the brake linings/pads/discs whatever they are wear out a smidgen sooner. Do not worry

[sweetmonkey]

ive done the same thing before . pulled over to answer phone gone to start driving again and thought how difficult car was to drive.got to end of road before i realised. also my dads boss borrowed my dads car and drove it on the motorway for miles and miles and miles before realising about handbrake. car seemed ok though. just keep an eye on it
hth

[gscrym]

I would get it in to get the brakes looked at. The worst it would be (I think) is the brake master cylinder (I think that's what it's called). I did something similar when I got towed for about 20 miles with the handbrake on. If you know any mechanics, ask them if they can look at it as a homer.

[kid]

I made a silly mistake once when I was driving. Well actually I was reversing into a parking space. As I reversed, I hit something. I moved forward, looked in the mirror and as I couldn't see anything, I reversed straight back into the post!

Another time, I was reversing (again) and I thought I saw my aunt. I was so busy looking to see if it was my aunt that for some reason, I put my foot down and rammed into a lamp post. The poor bumper didn't stand a chance!!!

[NomDePlume]

I've done it quite a few times although I've never gone more than a mile without spotting the light or having a passenger point it out for me . I'm yet to discover damage....

[gothicmama]

no it should be alright most hand brakes are self adjusting so the cable should have adjusted itself. You may find that the hand brake needs to go up an extra notch when you put it on but other than that it should be ok - if you are worried get it checked out or if you feel when you brake it feels different but it should be ok ( DHs opinion)

[morningpaper]

When I was building my deck I went to B&Q and loaded a long wooden joist in the back of the car - and pushed it right through the windscreen.

Hope that makes you feel better...

[NomDePlume]

MP !!!

[debs26]

have driven with handbrake on several times, usually makes me think i need air in the tyres.
set off in third gear during my driving test.
drove straight into my own gate post, smashing my headlight. have no idea why, i knew it was there and i knew car was in wrong position to get past it.
after checking it was thoroughly safe to get out of my driveway (no cars, kids, cats, etc) i put my foot on the accelerator quite hard as i had to reverse uphill. flew forwards and crashed into the house because i was in 1st gear, not reverse.
lost count of the number of times i had to ask passing neighbours if they would park my car for me when i had only recently passed my test

[JanH]

debs, I haven't done that yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time because I have developed the habit of unconsciously putting it into first before starting up (foot on clutch of course) wherever I'm parked; so far I have noticed before attempting to move but I think I should warn the neighbours. Or tie tyres round the bumpers like a barge.

[cod]

Message withdrawn

[kid]

I remember not long after passing my test that I couldn't reverse into a parking space. I used to have to carry on driving down the road until I came to one I could drive forward into!
I'm fine at it now, might take a couple of attempts but at least I can do it.
Plus I have only ever once reversed into another car that was parked!
I don't seem to be very good at reversing with my track record do I?!

[debs26]

on the plus side i think the huge dent in the side of the car (from a disaster whilst parking next to a pillar) has an effect on people as those who would not normally let me in front of them to change lanes seem to change their minds sharpish once they notice it

[debs26]

ooh yes and i have reversed into my dads car three times now (this will be last post here i promise as i am going a bit nuts on this one. i would like to stress that i have never had an accident with a moving vehicle or involving a person/animal, i just seem to be crap at not hitting stationary objects)

[morningpaper]

debs you are RUBBISH! I think you should put down the keys and step away from the vehicle...

[wangle99]

Last September I managed to catch our granite drivepost whilst driving out the drive, dented the rear rear behind the passenger door - had to go the garage and be done.

Two weeks ago, misjudged coming out the driveway went into the same post again this time - huge dent in door, scratch along door and rear wing, pulled the plastic bit off the door.

Father-in-Law and DH are now moving the granite post

Sarah

[morningpaper]

am pmsl at you funny ladies.

[kid]

emkana - have we managed to make you feel a bit better?

[debs26]

i would love to never drive again - I HATE IT!!!! i also have a bit of a problem with directions. go to north wales quite a lot, should get off motorway just after liverpool (going south). managed to get to stoke on trent once before i realised i had gone too far.

[JanH]

Oooh, I did that once too, going E on M62 and supposed to turn S onto M1 for Wakefield...began to think it was looking a bit flat and I was halfway to Hull

[hub2dee]

morningpaper: you missed that little gem out when describing your deck building antics.

LOL.

[zaphod]

Where to begin? While pg with ds3 I was painting upstairs while the carpenter was flooring the other room, suddenly realised the children needed picking up from school. Ran out jumped into the car and reversed straight into the carpenters van......and smashed his rear light, I also put a huge dent in the car. I couldn't bring myself to tell dh. The next day we were going to a Santa village several hours away, and had to leave while it was still dark, so he didn't notice the dent. When we arrived, he saw it and I explained but he couldn't do his usual rant and rage cos all the kids were listening and we were about to embark on this lovely family day.

On Saturday, I was late for a party, went into a pothole at speed {dh's expression}, and thought I had burst the tyre, because of a clunking as I drove. Turns out I broke something underneath that narrowly avoided hitting the gearbox, which the mechanic told dh would have totalled the car.

Imagine how I looked in my clown outfit and makeup at the side of the road waiting for my dh and trying to see what damage I had done to the car.

I have hit the gatepost twice or three times when turning in, and once when leaving. God, I could go on and on and on. The day of my driving test, I was practising my three point turn and reversed into a pole........the list is endless.

[emkana]

Thank you ladies,
you've certainly cheered me up
Keep them coming!

[saadia]

I was once driving along a narrow road where there was a skip outside one of the houses. I managed to totally misjudge the width of my car and sort of drove too close to the skip and scratched my car all down one side. When I took it for repairs, the mechanics couldn't stop laughing and asked if the skip had been going really fast - utter humiliation!!

[eidsvold]

we lived in a narrow street in the UK with parking on either side for people who lived in the street effectively turning it into a one say street - well one afternoon dh was standing at the window for a long time and I asked him what he was doing. There was someone - think it was a woman - who was trying to reverse into a parking spot - she had been doing this for at least 20 minutes holding up the traffic trying to come both ways down/up our street. SHe then apparently went around the block to let the traffic go and came back to try and reverse into the same spot!! I did not believe him and so had a look myself. We were so amazed at this person we both stood for another ten minutes or so watching them trying to get into this spot. Again holding up traffic!! I could not understand why they did not just give up and park further down the street. I gave up watching but we worked out later this person must have easily been trying for at least 45 minutes to reverse into this spot - and still not got it right. When we came out later - they had finally given up and parked further down the street.