Post by Spock on Nov 4, 2012 22:11:13 GMT -6
My daughter came to me to ask me to back up my car so some just arrived guests could park a little closer to the house and not block my wifes car. When I started to get up to move it, she said something like, "... or you could allow me to move it ... hint, hint!" (She has wanted to drive my car since I got it back in 2007)
Being the good father that I am (and also feeling extremely lazy at the time), I gave her the keys. She came back in shortly after and said she couldn't get the cars brake off.
This I had to get up for. I went outside and the car was still running with the driver door open. ASSUMING that the car was in neutral, I stood next to it, stuck my right foot inside, and put it on the brake. I said, "This is the brake."
She said, "I thought that might be it but it wouldn't move." (Let me say that when I put on the emergency brake, I don't want it to release unless I want it released.)
At this point it was my intention to release the brake and let her continue by getting in the car and backing it up. Instead, the car immediately started moving backwards, I ended up on my back next to a moving car with my right foot caught under the emergency brake.
Not a big deal? Well, the car was parked on the side of our house just forward of a set of concrete steps leading up to a side door. If things had continued without interruption, I would have eventually com in contact with the steps and most of my body would have stayed there but some part of my leg would have continued to move backwards with the car.
Happily, my daughter jumped into the car and stepped on the brake, put the car into neutral, and (I think) turned off the engine. I finally managed to extricate my foot from under the emergency brake and, after a few tries, managed to stand up.
There was a huge bruise on my right thigh where my leg had been twisted and stretched. Another fairly big one along with scrapes on the back of my right arm which I assume came from me hitting the ground with my arm as I fell to keep from hitting my head. There were also assorted scrapes and bruises all over the rest of my back and "backside" where I had also presumably landed. The only thing I can't quite figure out even now are the two "divots" on the inside front of my left knee. Fairly small but deep. Still have no idea where those came from.
I assumed my daughter would not have left a running car in gear. She probably assumed I wouldn't be stupid enough to do what I did. In all, it could have ended up with me losing a leg at the least or being dead at the worst. All because of two people making assumptions.
I'm still a little sore but the bruising is mostly gone now. I just hope my experience makes me "think before I leap" next time.
Being the good father that I am (and also feeling extremely lazy at the time), I gave her the keys. She came back in shortly after and said she couldn't get the cars brake off.
This I had to get up for. I went outside and the car was still running with the driver door open. ASSUMING that the car was in neutral, I stood next to it, stuck my right foot inside, and put it on the brake. I said, "This is the brake."
She said, "I thought that might be it but it wouldn't move." (Let me say that when I put on the emergency brake, I don't want it to release unless I want it released.)
At this point it was my intention to release the brake and let her continue by getting in the car and backing it up. Instead, the car immediately started moving backwards, I ended up on my back next to a moving car with my right foot caught under the emergency brake.
Not a big deal? Well, the car was parked on the side of our house just forward of a set of concrete steps leading up to a side door. If things had continued without interruption, I would have eventually com in contact with the steps and most of my body would have stayed there but some part of my leg would have continued to move backwards with the car.
Happily, my daughter jumped into the car and stepped on the brake, put the car into neutral, and (I think) turned off the engine. I finally managed to extricate my foot from under the emergency brake and, after a few tries, managed to stand up.
There was a huge bruise on my right thigh where my leg had been twisted and stretched. Another fairly big one along with scrapes on the back of my right arm which I assume came from me hitting the ground with my arm as I fell to keep from hitting my head. There were also assorted scrapes and bruises all over the rest of my back and "backside" where I had also presumably landed. The only thing I can't quite figure out even now are the two "divots" on the inside front of my left knee. Fairly small but deep. Still have no idea where those came from.
I assumed my daughter would not have left a running car in gear. She probably assumed I wouldn't be stupid enough to do what I did. In all, it could have ended up with me losing a leg at the least or being dead at the worst. All because of two people making assumptions.
I'm still a little sore but the bruising is mostly gone now. I just hope my experience makes me "think before I leap" next time.
