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Original poster

Have you ever had a 'I can't believe I did that, I could've killed myself/someone' ?

90 replies

Mingewithafringe · 14/11/2021 18:27

I just remembered something after reading the thread about bright headlights where a poster mentioned driving on country lanes.

In my early 20s, I was driving back from Reading to the Midlands, travelling alone, at about 11pm. Sat Nav was deciding to take me on a rural route, I naively carried on thinking some main road/motorway signs would pop up eventually. I had only 50 miles left on my tank (was going to stop off at an M1 service station for a break and get some then) and low phone battery.

After about 15 miles of driving down dark country lanes with no end or life in sight, I started crapping it that I was going to get lost in the middle of nowhere with no petrol and no phone, it was pitch black, high trees everywhere, scary, poor visibility and raining. I should have stayed calm and carried on, but I decided I wanted to go back to Reading, get petrol and start again.

So I slowed down, and STOPPED in the middle of a bendy country road and did a 5 point turn. My heart was in my mouth the whole time, hoping a car wouldn't come straight into me at high speed. I was so relieved to have not caused an accident , especially as literally 20 seconds later, a car came right up behind me and they had to brake because of how fast they were going.

I've never pulled a stunt like that again! (thank god also for smart phones and Google maps)

Any other stories people want to share?

OP posts:
Wizzbangfizz · 14/11/2021 21:22

So many driving ones so I will add mine, low sun and I didn't see until last minute a huge concrete Boulder which had obviously fallen off the back of a lorry, I don't know wtf I was thinking but I just kind of assumed I'd be able to drive over it - it utterly destroyed by wheel, wheel arch but luckily I was fine. It could have been so so much worse.

Chinnybeaky · 14/11/2021 21:28

Another one, makes me laugh with the stupidity of it, but I did it, washing machine had finished and the door wouldn't unlock, pulled the washer out, took the lid off, put my hand inside down the front to open it that way, (idiot me hadn't switched the electric off) got flown across the kitchen, and literally wet myself laughing in shock!
I have many DIY ones, putting Xmas Dec's in loft, I thought I'd be clever jumping out, fell on my arse and smashed my head on bedroom door frame and saw stars 😂
I am a danger to myself with stupidity alone

FawnFrenchieMum · 14/11/2021 21:35

Having not long passed my test I was following a HGV up hill on a normal road, traffic was gathering behind it / me. The other side of the road was clear and I think I was worried that everyone was expecting me to over take it and it was me holding them up. I suddenly decided to try and over take it. Half way past it, suddenly traffic started coming in the other direction. I absolutely shit myself. I thankfully managed to slow down and the car behind me let me swerve back in behind the lorry.

I had my baby niece in the car with me and I feel sick thinking about that day even now almost 20 years later.

HyggeTygge1 · 14/11/2021 21:37

Our treadmill stopped working so I tried changing the fuse in the plug. I didn't want to faff around screwing the back on in case the new fuse didn't work either so I just left it off and plugged it into the wall. Absolutely massive electric shock and god knows why I did it!

Inclinedtochatter · 14/11/2021 21:38

Playing hide and seek in the house with my sister when I was around 8 or 9 and ran out of places to hide so I climbed out of the upstairs bedroom window and dangled there holding on to the ledge for dear life. Thought I was being clever finding the perfect hiding place without a thought about falling. Such an idiot!

CannotDrop · 14/11/2021 21:45

When ds was about 10 he was in a dinghy with an older friend. I was watching them when suddenly they started to get swept out to sea. It was awful, I couldn’t believe how stupid I’d been but one minute they were in reach and the next they weren’t. Luckily they managed to row back to shore but I’ve learnt a valuable lesson.

TheLovleyChebbyMcGee · 14/11/2021 21:46

Dual carriageway, a van entering from the right at one of those small T junctions, just decided to pull out, t this say I have no idea how there wasn't an accident, I think we were driving 3 abreast on 2 lanes for a bit. I had to pull over in the next lay-by and compose myself, it was terrifying!

TheSpiral · 14/11/2021 21:53

At uni I came back very drunk to halls very late at night and found I had locked myself out of my room. I was too shy to wake up the porters or any friends so l decided to spend the night in the shared bathroom. I was cold, so decided to run a hot bath and get in. I fell asleep/ passed out. Could have drowned. And was so stupid that I did the same again a few months later.
I really worry what stupid things my DC will do.

QuestionableMouse · 14/11/2021 21:55

Another one that wasn't my fault, but looking back makes me feel absolutely sick.

Was working with horses on a private yard. The owner had a big three year old warmblood who had no respect for anyone, let alone me (I was 19 at the time, maybe 8 stone soaking wet)

She'd gone off for the night and left me totally alone on the farm. Was out doing late check at about 11pm when the damn horse barged past me, crushing me between the stable door and the wall. Genuinely thought I was going to die because I couldn't breathe or move for a good few minutes after. I ended up laying on the floor in the dark and rain until I got my breath back and could ring a friend for help.

The horse did the same thing to the owner a few weeks later and ended up getting passed on to a dealer. Also found out that the bolt catch was loose so the door was never locked properly.

I was black and blue from my boobs down for weeks... Looking back, I feel utterly sick over it.

supremelybaffled · 14/11/2021 21:57

I once launched myself at a bolting horse to try and stop it, got tangled in the lead rope and got dragged about 50 yards. Lost quite a lot of skin before I somehow untangled myself. I had blue knees for about 20 years from the dye out of my jeans getting practically tattooed in.

IreneSmith · 14/11/2021 22:25

Driving in Highlands in November during bad bad weather (even for Highlands). Car got stuck on ice going up a spiral /curved shape ascent.

Problem was, to my left was a ditch, to my right and straight back of the car was a lethal drop (remember spiral/curved ascent).

No phone signal. Couldnt get out and walk without risk of either freezing to death, my car rolling off at some point, or another car crashing into it.

So I painstakingly got it unstuck and somehow did a 4 point turn without slipping to oblivion and went straight back down and back to the lodge.

I was stupid for taking the car out that day, more stupid for trying to drive up an ascent, it was sheer luck I didnt die.

I normally live in South East, so whenever we get ice and snow (since that incident), I find it a doddle in comparison.

Hohofortherobbers · 14/11/2021 22:35

Used to get driven about in the back of a mates pick up truck on motorways, utter madness

whitehorsesdonotlie · 14/11/2021 22:35

Some of these are refusing. Some of you lot shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel of a car.

alyaster1 · 14/11/2021 22:42

30 years ago I took a terrible phone call from my hysterical sister. Her boyfriend had been killed in a military exercise in Poole harbour. My partner had been outside working on my car but had popped out to get a part. In a state I jumped into the car and set off up the motorway. I was 8 months pregnant and was crying as I was driving. All of a sudden the bonnet flew up and blocked my view. I was in the outside lane. I managed to slow down and get over onto the hard shoulder. But it was somehow fixed in this position. I got out of the car and tried to push it down, ended up putting my back on it and trying to make it go down... it slammed down with me on it splayed all over the bonnet. By this time I think I was just in shock and just lay there. A really kind lorry driver pulled over and helped me off. Fixed the bonnet down properly and helped me pull off the hard shoulder safely. Couldn't tell my mum or sister about it as they had enough on their plates but my husband was very upset about it.

QuestionableMouse · 14/11/2021 22:43

@whitehorsesdonotlie

Some of these are refusing. Some of you lot shouldn't be allowed behind the wheel of a car.
Refusing? Guessing auto correct got you but what word did you mean? 😊
Mixitupalot · 14/11/2021 23:14

Lord these are scary!

I stopped of at a little shop on the main road and took 3year old DS and 16 week old non sleeper Dd in with me. On the way back to the car In my sleep deprived stupidly I decided to let DS walk to the car by himself while I carried dd and all the bags. The car door literally opened up onto a main road, how DS didn’t turn and run into the road I’ll never know! He was standing by the car door until I put the bags and the baby into the car. I looked around and seen him standing behind me, I lifted him in a flash, realising what I had done and cried and cried I could have killed him. It took me months before I ventured out with them both again in my own.

Queenslotus · 14/11/2021 23:28

@SpinachIsAGatewayDrug

I once drove at 60mph down the overtake lane on a dual carriageway because all the cars in the normal lane seemed to going slower than me.

Only when I saw the cars coming straight at me did I realise it was NOT a dual carriageway. Had to try and squeeze back onto the right side of the road pretty darn pronto!

I’ve done this before thinking it was a dual carriageway-absolutely terrifying
WingingItSince1973 · 14/11/2021 23:28

Years ago myself and a friend was out drinking around Cambridge, both about 20 and it was the 90s so seemed more innocent back then 🤣 Anyway we were drunk and these guys offer us a lift home. So we get into their van and as they drive off I noticed a mattress in back of the van all laid out! After some arguing they eventually pulled over and pushed us out and drove off. Was left in some country lane but managed to get to the train station. We were such idiots! I shudder to think what could have happened

Gertie75 · 14/11/2021 23:33

Our high school had its own swimming pool and at the end of every lesson we had 10 minutes where they chucked a few footballs in and we could play.

We decided to pay piggy in the middle, I was stood out of the pool on one side, my friend stood the other and another girl was in the pool waiting to try and catch the ball.

I decided to kick the ball over but accidentally kicked it straight upwards which hit one of the ceiling tiles which were thick perspex with a metal edge. The tile lifted, twisted and fell out of the ceiling sideways and landed literally a few inches from my friend.
It all happened so fast but at the time it felt like slow motion watching this huge tile fall towards my friend.

AnotherMansCause · 14/11/2021 23:50

I walked directly in front of a dumper truck once, I think it was carrying cement or something. I was about 15, walking to school with a friend, thinking about an essay or something, I don't remember. My friend just stopped in utter disbelief at what I'd done. I was only about 3-4m in front of the truck, it must have been doing 25-30mph. No idea how I wasn't hit.

My (alcoholic) DH once nearly put his hand through a circular saw. He was a carpenter. I was 16, working with him in the summer before my A-levels, & he wasn't paying attention, obviously. I hit the big red red kill switch. He didn't even notice until I'd pointed it out afterwards. I made him go and sit down, made him a cup of tea. It didn't help. He carried on drinking, sadly.

Twilight7777 · 15/11/2021 00:30

Had recently passed my driving test at 18, missed an exit and proceeded to reverse and pull back in the lane. On a motorway 😳, fortunately there were no cars about as it was late at night, but the reason I did it was because I was low on petrol and was worried that I’d break down if I didn’t get back on that exit.

HunterAngel · 15/11/2021 07:28

My sister was driving us home late at night on an unlit road when I spotted a moving shadow on the side of the road. Screamed at her and she managed to swerve around it, luckily no one was coming the other way. Turned out the shadow was a cyclist, dressed all in black with no lights or reflective gear. If I hadn’t seen him we’d have hit him at 60mph and probably killed him.

whitehorsesdonotlie · 15/11/2021 07:35

@QuestionableMouse - Guessing auto correct got you but what word did you mean?😊

Some of these are horrifying. Some of your loot shouldn't be allowed to be behind the wheel of a car.

Bloody auto correct!!!

whitehorsesdonotlie · 15/11/2021 07:36

Oh ffs!!! Some of you lot.

I give up!

SkepticalCat · 15/11/2021 09:03

I leaned out of a window on a moving train to see if I could get my bearings and how far I was from my stop moments before the train entered a tunnel. It was about 25 years ago, on a slam-door train with sliding windows. It was dark, so I couldn't see out of the windows, hence me sticking my head out. Absolutely terrifying and I can see why there are warning signs about not doing it.