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 Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:55 pm
I'm calming down from a very odd experience. I parked in my apartment lot, and started getting out of it, grabbing my bag and my dinner from the passenger seat. I'm barely turning around to get out, and my car starts to roll backwards, at a fairly steady clip, dragging me with it. For some reason, I toss the food and the bag on the driver's seat and start pushing against it.
I can't stop it. It's going backward and all I'm thinking is how if I hit the ground now, the door is going to pummel me, and maybe the car will roll over me. I can't focus on what's behind me, and I'm just hoping that my meagre weight will somehow stop the car...if the curb won't.
Unfortunately, I'm on an incline, so my car hops the curb, and picks up speed. I'm screaming and I can't quite focus and I realize I'm going to hit some decorative rocks in the center of the green. I'm still debating as to letting go of the whole thing and letting the car keep going.
Finally, the car thuds into the rocks, and stops. I'm sitting on the grass, in disbelief. I jump up and look at the back end. Smashed. Confused, I get up and look inside the car. It's still in drive, and the parking break is not on. I'm furious. The keys weren't in the ignition, and I know I've done this before. Forgotten to take the car out of drive...the car's always rolled a little but I usually manage to notice that and grab the parking break. I don't do it often. I hear someone asking me a question, and I tell them I'm ok. I get in the car and drive it back into the space, and pull on the parking break, making sure I'm not in drive. And then I scream. And I cry. A lot.
Finally, I open the door and the young woman who asked me the question earlier is standing there staring at me, asking me if I'm ok. I can finally focus on her. At first she seemed older...I guess I was too shaken to notice before. I told her that I was ok, just rattled since the car dragged me down the hill a bit. She keeps asking me if I want a glass of water...and I tell her no...I have tea. We talk a few moments and then we look back and can see the tire marks in the grass leading down to the rocks. She's asking me questions, and trying to ascertain if I was in reverse. I wasn't. I may have been scared and full of adrenaline, but I saw the lever. It was on D for drive. She mentions that it shouldn't have done that...and asks me again if I'm sure. I am. She recommends I have the car looked at, and says there might be something wrong with it if I'm not hallucinating it.
I sure hope not. It's bad enough that I have liability only, and can't fix the bumper of my car. The good things are that I didn't hit another car, and that I somehow managed to only get a tiny scratch on my left ankle. I think my shoes aren't too happy, either.
The only other nice thing is that this is the first time I've screamed in a parking lot and had someone come out and check on me. The first time that ever happened, I had fallen down and sprained my ankle and no one even came to see what happened. The young woman who came down told me she thought it was some of our neighbors being stupid and rowdy. I'm glad she did look. I feel somewhat better for having had her there. I even had enough presence of mind to tell her so.
My friend S is on the way over. And I'm still crying, and mascara's all over my face. I feel calmer now...but I just had to get this out. I don't think I've ever been dragged by a car anywhere before. It's scary.
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Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 6:07 pm
~<The Heir of Slytherin...
OMG Jiggy! I'm super glad you're alright and not hurt. I don't know what it's like to be dragged by a car, but I was in a bad accident once, the Saturday after Sept. 11th first happened...
I was driving (had only been for about 5 months) and had 2 other friends in the car. I was crossing an intersection and some jackass in a big SUV was hauling butt down the street (clearly speeding) but I definitely had enough time to cross the street. Well, turns out, the doofus hit my rear quarter panel (behind the back seat door of the drivers side) and totally spun me around. The car did a 180 and hopped over the corner curb. My tire marks are still there to this day. Luckily nobody was hurt, but my car was definitely totaled. We had to get it towed back to my house. I felt horrible afterward for a long time because my friends were with me. However, I got over my fear of driving real fast when my mom made me drive my boyfriend (who was in the passenger seat) home later that night.
...has arrived!>~
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Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 6:15 pm
Eeek! eek That's terrible! I'm glad you're ok.
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Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 6:56 pm
|~*^.[Jay].^*~|
Whoa, that sounds scary. Glad you're okay...and good luck with getting the car fixed.
|~*^.[Shadow was here].^*~|
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Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 7:11 pm
Whoa.
Happy to hear that you're alive!
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Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 7:25 pm
Terrifying. So sorry. You must be shaken up. I don't at all know whether it's normal for a car in drive to roll backwards like that. Or, why it took so long to start rolling. After all, you were nearly out of the car when it started. The few times I've left the car in gear and turned off the ignition, I knew it right away when I took my foot off the brake. When things settle down, you might want to check to see if there are any recalls on the car's transmission. I'm really glad you're OK, sorry about your bumper.
cry
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Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 8:44 pm
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 7:08 am
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 7:17 am
Yes, in those few seconds when the thing is happening, it's pretty damn scary, because you really don't know if you are going to be all right or not.
Glad everybody made it through the last day or so with only minor trauma. stressed
P.S. I like the yeti, TMO.
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 7:54 am
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 9:00 am
<@(Pleas stand by for an important post)@>
At least you are ok. That's what's really important.
<@(This post has been brought to you by DUCE)@>
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 12:59 pm
Just a few words to say I'm ok. I didn't go to work today, as the chemical high of adrenaline apparently really does yield a huge crash. I slept most of the day, and I feel like someone rolled over me with a steamroller.
I thought I was going to be ok to go, but I decided to call my boss because I felt odd. When I told him what happened, I burst into tears. I guess that I get to feel all the things that the hormones shut off when I experience the situation.
Thanks to everyone here for their concern. *hugs* You guys are great.
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 11:30 pm
First I want to say that I'm glad you're okay.
Every summer we drive to Finland, it takes about 13h too get there, and i've been in some near-death situations when someone hasn't drived properly. T.T
I'm glad I don't have a driving license and that i'm only 16. smile
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:47 am
I've been driving since I was 16 ... let me see, that's 36 years. My oldest daughter, who will be getting a learning permit in a couple of years, asked me, "Isn't it scary to drive?" Which I thought was an interesting question. I answered, "Yes, sometimes. When there are unpredictable and uncontrollable things going on around you, like bad weather or bad drivers, it still can be very scary. There is nothing like having an accident to remind you that you are mortal."
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:06 am
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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