The driving confession box

whiskeyman

Thought this might be interesting.
I'm sure we all think we're good drivers, but can admit to the odd mistake or two.
Have you recently made a silly / stupid error while driving?
How did you feel after?
Did you learn from it?

In my case, I was turning right when the driver behind me put pressure on me to take the turn as oncoming traffic had near stopped due to traffic build up.
I took the turn, despite not having arrow (had green light) and nearly hit cyclist who I couldn't see as view was blocked from traffic.
I was annoyed I didn't wait for arrow and shouldn't have given in to guy behind me. I'm more cautious now and dont give heed to any impatient driver behind me.

Anyone else want to share their stories and show that we're all not quite as great drivers as we'd hope to be.

Mr Benevolent

Ooh this was good the last time. Don't think anyone's going to be so forthcoming this time though.

RedXIV

I have (thrice now in the last month) started my car without checking it was in neutral to get a nice sharp jerk as it was in 2nd gear. Once with my mother in the car

woe is me

SouperComputer

I ran over an old lady repeatedly and LOLd during the entire event.

FoxT

reverse parking about 2 weeks ago, mashed my passenger side wing mirror into a pole which was just on the very edge of the footpath. I knew the pole was there, just made the assumption that it was in a little bit from the edge of the path. Feck.

Got qouted eu300 for a new mirror ( the whole feckin car might be worth that, if it had a full tank of petrol) - but picked one up from a breakers for eu50.

Viper_JB

RedXIV wrote: »

I have (thrice now in the last month) started my car without checking it was in neutral to get a nice sharp jerk as it was in 2nd gear. Once with my mother in the car

woe is me

Same happened to me reciently cept I was like standing by the door of the car with one leg in the foot well and one leg on the ground, nearly killed myself and nearly gave myself a heart attack at the same time.

JoeySully

I was doing a nice safe 80km/h in the FAST lane with my FOG LIGHTS on and some guy came up behind me flashing and beeping for no reason so I flipped him the bird. Then he undertook me and didn't see him again.

Weirdly this seems to happen to me a lot - I really don't know whats wrong with people:mad:. Anyway I really should stop flippin the bird at other drivers.

mikemac

Quick one, I was driving for years before I knew you could adjust the rear view mirror in case someone behind was blinding and distracting you at night. Never, ever knew you could hit the switch at the bottom and it would adjust.

Our family always had Jap cars, my Dad swore by them.
Car was in the garage and got a courtesy car, a Ford.
Every single car I'd ever driven was reverse in the bottom right.
This Ford has reverse in the top left.
Well I pushed and shoved and rammed the gear stick and couldn't get reverse. Fookin Ford I thought, piece of ****! :pac:
None of my family could either and they all tried
The local garda off duty was strollin past and showed you have to lift the gear stick and then select reverse. Ahhhhhhhhh, well it wasn't obvious to me.

And this folks is why cars come with owners manuals!

cosmic

A few months ago, after topping up on petrol, I attempted to drive off from the petrol station with the fuel cap still sitting on the roof of my car. Luckily a nice gentleman pointed it out to me. I was mortified

EPM

I bought a Skoda Octavia.

I feel terrible, almost like throwing myself off the boot ledge and into the abyss.

Stench Blossoms

Sat in my car for about 5 mins waiting for the windows to demist only to realise I hadn't turned the engine on.

sdanseo

Reversing my old car out of the driveway (a c96 corsa, so not a big car either) - scraped the entire rear wing of my mam's car with the wing mirror.

Then a few weeks ago, repeated same in the Vectra...

I'm this close to being disowned :pac:

greenermetals

was driving up the m1 yesterday eveing around sunset and passed a beemer, who pulled out behind me and started flashing. Passed a lorry and then slowed down to the same pace as the lorry to hold back the beemer, just to piss him off cos he was flashing at me. After a brief while (30 secs or so) i drove on.

Only realised a couple of miles on i had no lights on and the beemer was only trying to warn me.

Felt like a gob****e.:o

sdanseo

greenermetals wrote: »

was driving up the m1 yesterday eveing around sunset and passed a beemer, who pulled out behind me and started flashing. Passed a lorry and then slowed down to the same pace as the lorry to hold back the beemer, just to piss him off cos he was flashing at me. After a brief while (30 secs or so) i drove on.

Only realised a couple of miles on i had no lights on and the beemer was only trying to warn me.

Felt like a gob****e.:o

I know this is meant to be light hearted, but you shouldn't have a licence. At that time on the M1 most cars are up each others arse as it is, it's a pile up just waiting to happen on that stretch of road.

sheesh

I once nearly took out a cyclist at a junction because I got distracted by a lovely girl

look right at lovely girl-

look ahead Whoah Cyclist!

Danbo!

I undertook 5 cars on the m4 last week to get around a lane hogger at 110kph. The 4 others followed suit. I then pulled back into the overtaking lane behind the hogger an flashed for a while to no avail. After I realised I was getting nowhere and all the others had undertaken and were out of sight, I gave up and undertook. I felt like a bit of an ass afterwards, probably should have just left them dawdle along in the first place.

Edit: also- http://theoatmeal.com/blog/car_needs

neris

Day dreaming yesterday went through a red light in the middle of dublin city at lunch time. didnt see the light till i was well past it. Luckily there was no one crossing the road

ergonomics

Changed from a Fiesta to a Focus last week. Was in a really busy car park and finally found a space and went to reverse in. First of all I got the angle all wrong because the Focus is a bit longer and it took me about 6 attempts to get it right, with a big line of traffic behind me and my face all red.

When I finally parked I realised I couldn't get out of the car. The car on either side of me was right on the line and in the Fiesta this was no problem but the Focus is a bit wider so I was stuck. The car behind me was also over the line so the nose of my car was hanging out a mile. I used to love parking in tight spaces like that in Fiesta but can't anymore!

I sat there for a good 5 minutes to make sure no one who saw me park so badly saw me drive off again.

JimmyCrackCorn

I see dead people.

Knine

ergonomics wrote: »

Changed from a Fiesta to a Focus last week. Was in a really busy car park and finally found a space and went to reverse in. First of all I got the angle all wrong because the Focus is a bit longer and it took me about 6 attempts to get it right, with a big line of traffic behind me and my face all red.

When I finally parked I realised I couldn't get out of the car. The car on either side of me was right on the line and in the Fiesta this was no problem but the Focus is a bit wider so I was stuck. The car behind me was also over the line so the nose of my car was hanging out a mile. I used to love parking in tight spaces like that in Fiesta but can't anymore!

I sat there for a good 5 minutes to make sure no one who saw me park so badly saw me drive off again.

That made me lol nothing as bad as a queue of cars watching you trying to park.

Yestereday I was coming back from the 02 and I seen the red light ahead but other cars were going through it. I stopped at the light and then after I had stopped I noticed the Garda up ahead with a bike standing in the middle of the road waving me on furiously:o

sdanseo

Danbo! wrote: »

Edit: also- http://theoatmeal.com/blog/car_needs

I'm in stitches!

Paddy@CIRL

Whilst not illegal in any way this is a bit of a bad habit of mine ...

If I'm struggling to find a parking space and I happen across a lady trying to reverse park, I wait until they are not looking and creep a tiny bit closer. When they look up I give them a smile and a nod that says 'take your time' and when they look away I creep closer again. 9/10 they end up abandoning the parking attempt out of embarassment leaving me with a nice free space.

gyppo

Paddy@CIRL wrote: »

Whilst not illegal in any way this is a bit of a bad habit of mine ...

If I'm struggling to find a parking space and I happen across a lady trying to reverse park, I wait until they are not looking and creep a tiny bit closer. When they look up I give them a smile and a nod that says 'take your time' and when they look away I creep closer again. 9/10 they end up abandoning the parking attempt out of embarassment leaving me with a nice free space.

sneaky bo**ocks...............:D

Knine

Paddy@CIRL wrote: »

Whilst not illegal in any way this is a bit of a bad habit of mine ...

If I'm struggling to find a parking space and I happen across a lady trying to reverse park, I wait until they are not looking and creep a tiny bit closer. When they look up I give them a smile and a nod that says 'take your time' and when they look away I creep closer again. 9/10 they end up abandoning the parking attempt out of embarassment leaving me with a nice free space.

Thats just evil.....:D being a lady myself I hate when I'm being watched reverse into a spot.

Now if it was another lady watching they would try to get into your space at the same time as the first lady is reversing into it and then there is an all out handbag fight over who saw the spot first.

Big Nasty

On the approach to a certain roundabout where the left lane is always busy as most people tend to be turning left (myself included) and the right lane is usually pretty quiet I often shoot up the right lane and go all the way around skipping lots of traffic!

johnos1984

Mine was last Friday night at midnight on the A90 near Dundee in Scotland in a rental on the way to Aberdeen.

I was over taking cars and some kunt followed me out and decided to tailgate me, I was doing 80mph and sped all the way to 110mph(indicated) and still the smelly fecker wouldn't back off my tail.

Pulled back into the driving lane when it was clear and slowed right down and prepared my index finger for the wave......and then my stomach hit the ground when I saw the squad car pull up beside me

The copper just looked at me and drove on :eek:

Never noticed him at all behind me in the Volvo, I was sickened

Sids Not

MCMLXXV wrote: »

On the approach to a certain roundabout where the left lane is always busy as most people tend to be turning left (myself included) and the right lane is usually pretty quiet I often shoot up the right lane and go all the way around skipping lots of traffic!

:D...i do that too...completely legal...wave to the "sheep" as you pass...:p

bazz26

I told everyone on Motors that I owned an Evo only to be humiliated when the real owner showed up. Oh wait that was BMW 535d.

Bobjims

neris wrote: »

Day dreaming yesterday went through a red light in the middle of dublin city at lunch time. didnt see the light till i was well past it. Luckily there was no one crossing the road

Exact same thing happened to me last year, but there were people crossing and I slowed down and beeped at them thinking they were jaywalking only to realise the pedestrian crossing lights were red for traffic. Felt like a right moron!

coolbeans

While I stick to the limits pretty rigorously on national roads and through urban areas I'm a devil for speeding on motorways. They are so so boring that all I can do to stay alert is drive on a bit. 145KPH is the norm when conditions allow.

-Corkie-

I dont do anything silly when I am driving but I arrived home 3 weeks ago to find one of the gates shut. I was lazy and tried to open it with the car only I forgot about the latch on the bottom and pulled the bumper of the car....Her car........:o:mad::(:o:mad:

KingFling

Paddy@CIRL wrote: »

Whilst not illegal in any way this is a bit of a bad habit of mine ...

If I'm struggling to find a parking space and I happen across a lady trying to reverse park, I wait until they are not looking and creep a tiny bit closer. When they look up I give them a smile and a nod that says 'take your time' and when they look away I creep closer again. 9/10 they end up abandoning the parking attempt out of embarassment leaving me with a nice free space.

Haha must try that one..

hiscan

sheesh wrote: »

I once nearly took out a cyclist at a junction because I got distracted by a lovely girl

look right at lovely girl-

look ahead Whoah Cyclist!

I hit an ESB pole in Harolds Cross while doing this and it was only my second day driving my first car
First time I've ever told anybody about this,when people used to ask me what happened,I told them I caught the pillar reversing out of the drive

dr.fuzzenstein

greenermetals wrote: »

was driving up the m1 yesterday eveing around sunset and passed a beemer, who pulled out behind me and started flashing. Passed a lorry and then slowed down to the same pace as the lorry to hold back the beemer, just to piss him off cos he was flashing at me. After a brief while (30 secs or so) i drove on.

Only realised a couple of miles on i had no lights on and the beemer was only trying to warn me.

Felt like a gob****e.:o

Three hail Mary's and five Rosaries

loobylou

MCMLXXV wrote: »

On the approach to a certain roundabout where the left lane is always busy as most people tend to be turning left (myself included) and the right lane is usually pretty quiet I often shoot up the right lane and go all the way around skipping lots of traffic!

Southern Cross, Bray?

pippip

loobylou wrote: »

Southern Cross, Bray?

I'm going with the o2 roundabout at the east link

Mr Benevolent

pippip wrote: »

I'm going with the o2 roundabout at the east link

Jeez, they'll sponsor anything nowadays.

sheesh

Paddy@CIRL wrote: »

Whilst not illegal in any way this is a bit of a bad habit of mine ...

If I'm struggling to find a parking space and I happen across a lady trying to reverse park, I wait until they are not looking and creep a tiny bit closer. When they look up I give them a smile and a nod that says 'take your time' and when they look away I creep closer again. 9/10 they end up abandoning the parking attempt out of embarassment leaving me with a nice free space.

LOL genius, but really evil(hilariously evil), 2 hail marys and an act of contrition

pajo1981

the g-friend once bet me off on our way to galway..

Absurdum

I regularly get people beeping me and probably shouting abuse at me for using bus lanes outside of the indicated operation time

Most of them are 0700-1900 Mon - Sat, not my fault the muppets can't read :rolleyes:

Max Power1

Absurdum wrote: »

I regularly get people beeping me and probably shouting abuse at me for using bus lanes outside of the indicated operation time

Most of them are 0700-1900 Mon - Sat, not my fault the muppets can't read :rolleyes:

same here, i drive around santry/drumcondra a lot and all bus lanes are those times... and come 19.01 or sundays i'm straight into the bus lane, cue the abusive looks etc lol.

Cuddlesworth

Went past a speed checkpoint once well over the limit. Accelerated hard and didn't look back. Not my proudest moment.

Abi

feelingstressed wrote: »

Quick one, I was driving for years before I knew you could adjust the rear view mirror in case someone behind was blinding and distracting you at night. Never, ever knew you could hit the switch at the bottom and it would adjust.

A lot of people don't know about that actually =/

Paddy@CIRL wrote: »

Whilst not illegal in any way this is a bit of a bad habit of mine ...

If I'm struggling to find a parking space and I happen across a lady trying to reverse park, I wait until they are not looking and creep a tiny bit closer. When they look up I give them a smile and a nod that says 'take your time' and when they look away I creep closer again. 9/10 they end up abandoning the parking attempt out of embarassment leaving me with a nice free space.

Depends on who you're doing it to... I'm likely to roll down the window and tell you to 'hold the fúck up!'

Rega

MCMLXXV wrote: »

On the approach to a certain roundabout where the left lane is always busy as most people tend to be turning left (myself included) and the right lane is usually pretty quiet I often shoot up the right lane and go all the way around skipping lots of traffic!

I do that all the time. Nothing wrong with it. I'm an impatient f-er at the best of times!

Lando Griffin

Was on the Kinsale road roundabout when a car pulled up beside us.
"how do you get to Dublin?" he shouted over.
OH shouted back "follow us." she didn't get time to shout the rest of directions when light went green.
Off we went, stranger in tow then forgot about him and headed off towards Middleton at the Dunkettle roundabout.
Then, while heading to Middleton noticed him in the mirror and remembered him.
Tried to loose him on way to Middleton but started to go to fast for safety.
Finally, at the last second took the slip for Carrigtohill, where luckly he didn't have time to take it and we lost him.

Rega

Lando Griffin wrote: »

Was on the Kinsale road roundabout when a car pulled up beside us.
"how do you get to Dublin?" he shouted over.
OH shouted back "follow us." she didn't get time to shout the rest of directions when light went green.
Off we went, stranger in tow then forgot about him and headed off towards Middleton at the Dunkettle roundabout.
Then, while heading to Middleton noticed him in the mirror and remembered him.
Tried to loose him on way to Middleton but started to go to fast for safety.
Finally, at the last second took the slip for Carrigtohill, where luckly he didn't have time to take it and we lost him.

Ha ha ha ha! Sounds like something Fr Ted would do.

cjt156

Munched second gear at traffic light grand prix last night..really is time I grew up.








Still beat the fecker, though. GTI? Pah!

RobAMerc

was in the petrol station the other day and pulled into the queue for a pump. the guy in front gets out and locks the car then tries to open his filler door. wouldn't open, no way could he get it open, I knew straight away what the issue was but figured he would get tired and pull off quicker than if he got it open and filled up, so I left him. He did give up so as soon as he unlocked the car to get in and drive off, unknown to him the filler door popped open. He moved forward a bit and I moved up, jumped out of my car and shouted after him that the door was open, poor lad had no idea how it happened. But I got fuel quicker Karma will get me I'm sure.