Backing up & cars = CRUNCH!!

[Bucky]

Oh boy . . . . .

Back on April 5th, as I was leaving for work, I'm pulling out of the garage and watching the cats on the porch.  All of a sudden I hear CRUNCH!!  I had forgotten that our sons vehicle was parked on my side of the driveway.  Oopsie!!  Subconsciously, I knew it was there as I was already pulling to the right to go around it, but I totally forgot it was there.

Hey, for the last 20 years I have pulled out of the garage and nothing's been in my way!!  I broke a small part of his front headlight (it's all one piece, so the whole thing will have to be replaced).  My car, on the other hand, has a broken taillight, scratched up bumper and a nice dent in the back drivers side panel in front of the bumper.  Grrrrrrrr   NOT a good way to start the day off!

We found parts online versus from a dealer as they cost an arm and a leg from a dealer. That's one good thing about our sons vehicle, it sits up higher than mine does and it hardly did anything to his.  Mine however . . . didn't fare as well. 

We're not going to bother fixing the dent.  We will have to get some touch-up paint to put on the exposed metal so it doesn't rust.  My car has so many dings and small dents on it from rude people banging their doors into mine.  We're keeping this car until we can't drive it any more - or win the lottery - whichever comes first.  It won't be worth anything by the time we finally do trade it in.  (it's a 2006)

Just last weekend hubby replaced the broken pieces on my car and sons.  Ordering them new online and having hubby install them saved us lots of money.  Even at that, it cost us $200+ for parts.

Fast forward to TODAY . . .  I'm backing out of the garage - watching the cat on the porch to make sure he doesn't run in the garage as the door is coming down.  CRUNCH . . . ran into sons car AGAIN!!     This time, I hit it square on.  Got out and looked - didn't "break" anything, but I notice his bumper is kinda shoved in and sticking out a ways on both ends. 

Check my car . . didn't notice any damage.  Once getting to work and opening the rear liftgate, it kinda sticks and doesn't open freely like it has before.

After I get home from work, and after we all eat lunch - I call the boys outside to confess my car encounter (yet again) and we all survey the damage.  I'm not sure what we're going to do about sons car - I'll check around and see if any friends can take a look at it and maybe pull the bumper back into position. 

On my car, I'll see if my Uncle can look at it while we're visiting in OH next weekend.  He loves to putz around with cars - maybe he can bend something back into place.   

I finally told our son today . . . PARK ON THE GRASS FROM NOW ON!!!  This is ridiculous that I keep running into his vehicle.  Thank goodness it's our own vehicles I keep running into and not a strangers.  We won't submit anything for insurance, but this is getting expensive!! 

I just keep forgetting he is parked there (he started parking there in December when he got his license).  Today, it didn't EVEN cross my mind when backing up that his car was there.   

So, I don't know if this falls under "brain fog", "stupidiness", "forgetfulness" or what . . . but, this has got to stop!! 

Bucky

[Katybarstool]

No, Mrs Bucky, I think it's caused by trying to do too many things at once - we get so used to multi-tasking, that it becomes second nature. At least that's what I told myself when I reversed into a stationary rubbish container parked on my drive 

Kathyx

[lighthouse33]

I'm sorry this happened to you. 

Reminds me of another car story .... my brother was a teenager and came home and parked his Volkswagon Betle beside the driveway in some wood chips.  All of the sudden we get a call from the neighbor across the street.  The car rolled down our driveway, across the street, across their front lawn, dropped down to the front porch and into their front door!  That was the last time he forgot to set the emergency brake!  Don't believe their ws any damage done to the house.

[Cheryl]

Bucky, Nooooooooooo!  I'm so sorry that happened to you again!  (I also can't believe that you confessed it!) 

Maybe your husband could install one of those loud beeping things they use on big construction vehicles.   When you put your car in reverse, it will beep to warn everyone to get out of the way.   Your family will all come running when they hear it, so that they can protect their cars. 

Hugs and sympathy galore... 

[eyeamdry]

Your son needs to park on the grass.  You might do something different and you don't always what the other person is going to do.  It's your place, your driveway.  Tell son to move over, that you were there first.  If everyone thinks about it for a minute, it's that simple.  It's hard if you have been parking a certain way for years, to remember something.

We have 3 vehicles and just 2 drivers and this situation comes up occasionally and I understand your pattern of backing out and not necessarily looking.  Lucy

[lynnmarie219]

Oh nooooo Bucky....yes having him park on the grass will solve it all! I'm sorry this has happened to you again but glad there is no major damage this time...just hope things can get "pushed" back into place easily.

[irish]

Oh, Bucky, I sure do feel for you. After you form a habit it becomes extremely hard to change your pattern of behavior.Yes, your son needs to park in the grass. Who cares if the grass dies, it doesn't cost as much as constant repairs.

That darn backing up thing can make a person grow old fast. You always think that you have looked, but even though you look, the question is "did you see anything"? Such a simple thing that can get us in so much trouble. Good luck. Irish

[susanep]

Years ago when married to my now ex, I went to pick him up where he worked. I pulled right in, and no one else around. I was not diagnosed at that time with anything, but clinical depression, but was on meds for that.

Well, my ex said he was going to have to work a bit later, and while I was in there his boss pulls in behind me. I didn't know it though at first. uh huh! I was in my own little world. 

I started the car, put it in reverse, and hit the pedal to the meddle. Kaboom! I thought what the heck is that? 

I look around, and see what it was, and turned back around just to see my ex and his boss come running out toward me. lol....NO this is not why we are not together anymore. 

Lets just say, I can laugh about it today.

susanep

[susanep]

OH, Forgot to add, that his bosses truck was not majorly hurt, just a tiny dent.

My car, I can't remember, but I don't think it was anything major. hehe..

susanep

[Daisy1234]

Hi there Bucky,

Well I have a story that's similar, but this happened about 10 years ago and it wasn't me but it was my husband who did the deed.  We had a driveway that was double wide and I came home from work to pick something up quickly and then planned on returning in a few minutes.  So I didn't park exactly on my usual side but parked a bit in the middle.  During that same time coincidentally, my husband came home unexpectedly from work driving as usual his big dodge truck and without checking to see if anything or anyone was in the driveway, he just put the truck in reverse and backed it into the driveway.

Well at that moment I heard a big crunch and ran to the front of the house to see what was going on and there was my husband scratching his head and standing beside my crumpled car.  My neighbour observed the entire episode and he told my husband that he was going to be in major trouble with the wife (me) LOL.  My car needed some major bodywork done after that and it was never the same.   

Also, my husband was in his late 30's at the time, and did/does NOT have any illness, autoimmune or otherwise.  He was just tired and distracted.  So, you see this can happen to anyone.   BTW, secretly I never liked that car at all so I took this as an opportunity to get myself a small 4 cylinder SUV that I liked alot better and I've been happily driving small SUVs ever since.

So you see, this can happen to anyone but I am sorry that it happened to you.

Daisy

[kimbo]

I am also reverse challenged.

My husband use to say,"if we took reverse off your car, you would be a great driver.

My daughter was following me up our drive way a few months back, when I through my car into reverse to turn tighter into my garage. If she had not honked it would have been really bad. Just a small dent on her passenger back door. Mine .... Nothing.

I now have a back up cam to watch, but I find it distracting.

Bucky! LOL. Once and then again.

I can imagine how your guys had fun with that.

[smallfry]

Don't feel bad Bucky I was at the local supermarket two weeks ago and a large van parked next to me when it came time to leave I started backing out and another lady came flying around the corner and I didn't see her because of the van and backed into her.

I had only minor damage to my car hers was much worse I am just glad that I had insurance.

I now park as far away from any other car as I possible can.