Demonstrating Safe Parking Procedures Using a Hands-On Approach.

As a driver’s education teacher in a mountainous region such as Southern California where I lived at the time, I made a point to not only teach the lessons of driving in this sort of terrain, but also how to park. For instance, if you are parked on the downside of a hill, you turn your front wheels towards the curb to prevent the car from rolling down the hill just in case the transmission slips or you drove a stick shift (in which case you would put the car in first gear AND turn the wheels to the curb). I only wished that I practiced what I preached and soon learned the effects of NOT executing BOTH procedures of parking on a hill in a vehicle that has a manual transmission.

I was jamming to a favorite song, Don’t Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult that did not end as I pulled into the inclined circular driveway of a friend that peaked at the front door of the house where I parked. I normally put my F150 truck that has a manual transmission into first gear before turning it off to prevent it from rolling down the driveway because my parking break has been unreliable lately. However, because my song was still playing and I was already at my destination, I kept it idling in neutral until the song stopped. Once the song was over, I turned off the engine and made my way to the porch. I set the parking brake, but I had failed to put it into first gear. I did make sure the wheels were turned towards the inside of the driveway to prevent it from rolling on the grass or into traffic.

As I left my truck, I noticed that my shoe was untied and put my foot on the back bumper to tie it. Can you guess what happened next? My truck started rolling down the driveway! For reasons known only to God and Darwin Award Winners, I jumped in front of the one-ton vehicle hoping to stop it. I soon became very aware of the effects of gravity and that I was not Superman and then dove into the flowerbed that the driveway wrapped itself around. I lay there, among the flattened daisies and shrubbery, immobilized and in shock as I saw my truck head unmanned down the driveway and into a busy street. My shock very quickly turned to utter elation when my truck continued on its curvy course and turned right into the curb to a complete stop when it left the driveway narrowly missed an oncoming car. When I regained control of my body, I quickly jumped back into to my truck, went back up the driveway, parked, turned the wheels towards the curb AND put it into first gear and then went to the porch and knocked on the door. Thankfully, my friend was completely unaware of my near death experience that occurred on his driveway. He did comment, however, on the current state of the portion of his flowerbed that I landed in and grumbled something to himself about his sons and how he wished they would not play in his flowerbed.

Submitted on 05/29/2008

Submitted by: Curtis Wilson
Reference: Summer, 2005

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Candi said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
I always love these accounts when someone who should know better...doesn't. The write up definitely makes it. Thanks, Curtis!

Chip said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
Great story, Curtis! Thanks for the submission.