That was interesting.... a little morning adrenaline

[mfree]

Hopped in the truck this morning, backed down the driveway and turned to head off to work.

In the split second after shifting into first, I saw movement in my peripheral vision... it was my Shadow rolling down the driveway headed right for the passenger door!

I got out of the way in time... but gravity is cruel, car went across the road, down the divider, creamed the edge of the asphalt on the up street, rolled into the neighbors driveway cleanly, back out and into the road. Folded the tailpipe around the rear axle, tweaked the trunk sheetmetal a little, and mostly ripped off the front bumper cover. I took that the rest of the way off and drove it back up into the driveway Tough little car.

Phew.

[K Frame]

Uh...

What the heck happened that it got loose?

[mfree]

I think the parking brake popped loose overnight and it was resting on the truck. There's not much tilt at the top of the driveway.

Mix that with the habit of leaving it in neutral because there's no clutch interlock, and you've got a catastrophe in waiting.

[K Frame]

This is a Dodge Shadow, right?

I suspect that it was actually trying to commit suicide...

It just couldn't handle the shame that it's a Dodge any more.

[Sergeant Bob]

Good thing there weren't any small children in the way.

If someone had been killed, we'd be discussing how some idiot should be in jail for being so negligent.

[mfree]

"If someone had been killed"

This is true. This morning's escapades were marked with many good fortunes.

1. no damage to the truck from the shadow "leaning" on it overnight
2. I got out of the way before I got T-boned
3. no traffic
4. no peds or pets
5. not only did the car miss all the trees in the median, it ran *squarely* up the neighbor's driveway, which is sided with concrete block walls, and no more than 7' wide
6. the car was running when it was all over so I could get it back home.
7. oh, and the neighbor's driveway was empty too.


btw, on thinking about it the parking brake had to have come loose overnight. The car was parked where it was for five or ten minutes before I put the truck behind it, it would have rolled off then if it wasn't set.

[280plus]

Wow, I'd say you really "dodged" a bullet this time!   

 

[Matthew Carberry]

I'd say the time has come to invest in a chock, or a big rock. 

...or a clock, to go out and check the brake in the night.

[crt360]

In the split second after shifting into first, I saw movement in my peripheral vision... it was my Shadow rolling down the driveway headed right for the passenger door!

For a minute there I wasn't connecting "Shadow" with "car" and thought it was kinda early in the day for hallucinogenics. 

[Sergeant Bob]

I always park my pickup with the parking brake on, and the trans in gear. Always.

[mfree]

I always park my pickup with the parking brake on, and the trans in gear. Always.

My parked car was once hit by a pickup that had been parked with the parking brake on and the trans in gear.

Said pickup belonged to a friend. Parking brake would pop off if you looked at it funny and after that happened we tried, and the trans would jump out of first gear if you put reverse tension on it.

Now, I *know* I left the car in neutral, as I've always done... but anything can fail.