Just thought of another.
A few years back, bright summer evening, i was driving my DD's to their piano lesson. I clipped someone's wing mirror, knocking it off completely. Mortified and late, I drove another 20 yards to find a parking space, ushered the girls out of the car to their lesson, and prepared myself to knock on some doors....
...only to notice that I'd bled heavily through my pale blue linen trousers and onto the seat of my car. No cardigan, no jacket to wrap around my waist. My periods as I age have been excruciatingly heavy and the patch was the size of my open palm. No way of hiding it.
I frantically text my husband (5 miles away) to come to my aid and knock on the doors, but no reply. I then started trying to find the telephone of the houses nearby for me to start calling to at least try and apologise.
A man appeared at my window looking annoyed and asked me whether I intended to 'own up' to the damage. I was so flustered, I mumbled that I was in the process of trying to track him down to own up but that I couldn't get out of the car. He didnt believe me and stomped back to his home before I could properly apologise and offer to pay.
Had a woman appeared, I'd have been totally honest but my embarrassment stopped me with this man. I went home, changed and when it was dark left an apologetic note, my telephone number and the promise to pay for the replacement.
He text back the same evening thanking me but assured me that his company would pay (company van) but would have appreciated not having to chase me in the first place.
I still see him occasionally when I drop off the girls and feel such shame. He thinks I tried to dodge him but I truly didn't.