"Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion" (spydermonkeywrench)
01/28/2016 at 00:06 • Filed to: None
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"Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion" (spydermonkeywrench)
01/28/2016 at 00:06 • Filed to: None | 3
| 19 |
I need to get something off my chest. I feel absolutely horrible, and an absolute jackass, but I need to tell someone.
Today, I was driving home from school with a friend in the car. I had stopped for gas, and then pulled out onto a 4-lane road. I didn’t realize it as I did it, but whoever plowed that street did an absolute shit job of it, so as I pulled out I grinded my rear right quarter panel on the ice/snow. I’m pretty sure it’s ok, but I won’t truly know till I clean the car.
Mistake #1.
Then not a quarter mile down the road, I was approaching a light. I saw a guy (on my right) turn right, before a string of cars were turning left. I don’t know where in my mind I was, but I slowed down at the last second, and laid on my horn and ran a red, probably scaring the shit out of the Lexus who had just turned. I feel like absolute shit, that I was this removed from reality, that I allowed that to happen, no doubt scaring the shit out of my passenger. I didn’t even realize it was red till immediately after when my passenger was basically screaming “It was a fucking red!”. It wasn’t that I wasn’t paying attention, I was, which makes it all the worse for me...
Mistake/Near-Accident #2.
Finally, I stopped by my house which was just down the street to inspect the quarter panel. I didn’t see any dents or pronounced scratches, so I drove said passenger home, before going to a haircut. After the haircut, I was pulling out into a U-Exit (the road is a divided 4 lane road, and right across from the barber is the U). It was dark out, and as I pulled up to the pull out ramp. I thought it was clear, but I wound up cutting off a Subaru.
mistake #3.
I feel so stupid. I am extremely lucky I didn’t cause an accident (especially in #2) and that I made it home in one piece, but it’s weighing on my mind. I have a high opinion of my driving ability, and my self-confidence is partially connected to my driving ability, so I’m killing myself over it. I just needed to get it off my chest.
scoob
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 00:08 |
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Shit happens. Get a good night’s sleep. I feel that driving/racing simulators help me. Your car seems to have good visibility, so use it!
/TeenDriver
Frank Grimes
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 00:11 |
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The past doesn’t exist blame yourself once and move on. Or just forgive yourself.
RallyWrench
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 00:14 |
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Everyone has bad days behind the wheel. At least you recognize your mistakes, most drivers don't.
PatBateman
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 00:17 |
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If you didn’t feel remorse or learn from your mistakes, you’d be a shit head. However, you obviously qualify as “not a shit head” given your post.
Brush it off, tomorrow’s a new day.
Mercedes Streeter
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 00:20 |
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We all have our moments. The best you can do is laugh it off and take it as a lesson learned.
Blondude
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 00:24 |
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About a year and a half ago I did something similar to #2 only it was a right turn on red. For some reason I was thinking it was a solid green and I was just waiting for a break in traffic to go. I realized what I did halfway through the intersection and literally yelled “You fucking idiot!” at myself.
There was a cop. I got pulled over. I somehow got off with a warning.
Never did tell my parents...
d15b
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 00:35 |
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Consider it a withdrawal from the karma bank. Try to pay it back!
FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 00:51 |
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I know that shitty guilt feeling. Last summer I approached a roundabout and cut off a Ford Focus so close that he almost hit me. Thank god he didn’t report me.
Steve in Manhattan
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 01:01 |
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In my late teens I plowed into not 1, but 2 cars from the rear. The second was a Mustang II that the mother of a guy I knew in high school had just had restored - her baby. On the other hand, I was rear-ended by Sargent Shriver in 1978. Yes, I have been hit by a Kennedy.
Near misses are precisely that. Count your wins, not your losses. And in 1989 I dumped my Toyota 4x4 longbed on its side in a snowstorm. Lucky no one was coming the other way. A couple good ol’ boys in an F150 helped me push it back onto its wheels, and I drove it home.
I have done way more stupid shit, mostly in cars not my own. You’re just getting started. Don’t beat yourself up.
Sam
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 01:12 |
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I ran a red in my Miata and was t-boned by a Rav4 (who was actually speeding and texting while driving, so it was shared fault). Totalled both cars completely. Shit happens. Just be glad that they were all a miss and not a hit.
PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 01:14 |
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you just had a shit day, it happens.
Try this one on for size:
I had severe eye pain and had my mom take me to the eye doctor. when we got home, I decided to run and get soda. on my way to the store, the person in front of me slowed quickly, and I reacted by slowing even quicker (quick enough to set off the ABS in the car). Next thing I know? BANG! guy behind me didn’t slow down enough. hit the back driver’s side of my car, destroying the bumper and exhaust completely.
His insurance covered it, but my car was out of commission for 3 weeks.
20 days after getting my car back, I’m driving home from a food stop after a football game. as I go through a light, the moron on the other side decides to turn with no indication. I had right of way, but that didn’t stop me from plowing in to the back-rear of his car at 30 MPH or so.
another 5 weeks in the shop for my car then.
Grand total in repairs on the car is sitting at just shy of $17K right now. Fortunately, I did nothing wrong in either case, and it was the other drivers’ faults, so I didn’t pay anything, but it really sucks seeing your pride as a pile of destroyed metal.
Pic of my car for your time (after the 2nd round of fixes)
CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 02:32 |
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A few months ago, I ran a red and crashed into an Acura. I flipped my Infiniti and I looked..the worst. It was my fault and people felt bad for me. I felt like shit, and felt worse when I had to wait for the Police Report to see what actually happened. It could be worse.
Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
> CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
01/28/2016 at 03:25 |
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Did you actually run a red? I knew you were worried about it because you were driving tired, I never got the rest of the story. Also; how ya feeling from that? After I got t-boned at work, I was sore for a bit but ended up being fine. Any lasting damage from the accident?
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CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
> Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
01/28/2016 at 05:28 |
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The police report confirmed my worst fear, the running of the red light. I had a some sleepless nights and tormenting feelings of having to live with myself in such a state. Lasting damage....gash on my scalp that’s covered by scar tissue. It happened, I had to get over it.
boxrocket
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 06:15 |
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A series of unfortunate events.
I’d say either stay off the roads until plowed better, or if you have to drove in it, go sloooooooooooowwwwwwww and keep your head on a swivel. Sometimes the worst events come from other folks being completely oblivious, willingly or not. Snow drivers are worse, because not everyone entirely cleans off their car, uses their defrosters, and has working heat, not to mention winter wear can be thick and bulky and reduces maneuverability. Case in point: It snowed here a couple weeks ago, and the county road maintenance plows only put down brine, and didn’t plow until late in the morning, so the roads were crap. There was an individual who was driving a late-80's corolla, with all the windows completely fogged, driver’s window down, and was driving by sticking their head out the window, with their left arm holding onto their hat. I gave them as wide a bearing as I could, but their seemingly-bald tires made them slip allllllllll over the road. Why they persisted driving instead of stopping somewhere (they passed a Denny’s that was open, for instance), I couldn’t say.
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Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
> CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist)
01/28/2016 at 07:04 |
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It’s good your ok!
I feel horrible because I KNEW it was a red, i saw the cars making a left and it didn’t click in my head that it must be a red. I treated it as if they were turning right, and a dick had cut it a little to close.
jariten1781
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 07:08 |
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Sounds like you have the right attitude.
One thing to think about, when the roads have recently had snow/plows there’s a lot more visually you have to take in even if they’re down to bare pavement with clear sight lines (and, of course even more than that if it’s not plowed well or there’s giant berms reducing visibility).
I'll assume you're young based on the phrasing. It seems you have the right attitude and you'll continue to make mistakes (some which will be bigger). Just try not to make the exact same one twice. You'll be alright.
Nobi
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 07:32 |
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Go buy a lottery ticket because you’re on a luck streak.
RWS Motorsport
> Herr Quattro - Has a 4-Motion
01/28/2016 at 08:10 |
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As countless others have said, we all fuck up every now and then. So long as you learn from it its all good. Just count yourself lucky that no-one got hurt and it went ok.
Trust me, we have all done stupid things behind the wheel. Couple of personal low-lights include driving at roughly 3x posted speed limit in a residential area not long after passing my driving test. Looking back I simply cant believe how idiotic I was, and am just massively thankful that no-one else was around when I was driving like that.
Second was arrived at a staggered cross roads, with a car opposite waiting to emerge. looked to see a car coming on the main road, so waited for that and then set off. I assumed (wrongly) that the other car waiting was also waiting, but he had set off, and was now approaching my drivers door at speed. thankfully he pre-empted my stupidty and drove on the wrong side of the road to avoid me.
Lessons learned, and wont be doing either of those again.