Sigh...

[AndyS]

I had a pretty sweet 114k 92 E30 cab until about an hour ago. I was letting my 15 year old (Driver's Permit) drive herself and I to her choir practice. Car freshly washed and waxed, it was gleaming this afternoon. I get in, she is in the drivers seat. Parked behind my pick up in the driveway. Let's go. She puts in gear I automatically turn to look BAM!!!! She put it in drive and hit my truck. Then she panicked and hit it two more times. I was not a very kind father after that. I'm over it now. It's not bad now but it sure isn't as pristine as it was 2 hours ago. Bumper cracked up license plate mangled kidney busted loose.

[roadhog0]

Oh, thats not good I almost plowed through my garage and hit my dads Toyota Celica a couple months after I got my car, lets say I was quick to push the clutch in! I now put the clutch in and check gears every time...

[eurotrash]

Ouch.

I had the first Scion XB registered in the state of Ohio, bought it out of SFO..

Soon after we got it we went to visit my folks... My dad, leaving to go get some groceries for dinner, opened his garage door and backed his cherokee right into my 4 day old fender/door.

2500 in damages.

Then before it could even get repaired, I was nosed by an F150 doing 45 mph and it was totaled.. I got out and broke his wind shield with my cell phone. (I will never buy new again.)

sorry for the hijack. I totally just relived that.

[JackF]

Kids! You have them. You love them. You raise them, and they reward you by wrecking your cars and leaving home!

that "panic/shock response" is pretty interesting. I've watched it done and must admit to having done it a few times myself. It makes you think.

I was in 7th grade industrial arts class, "shop" in the vernacular, where the instructor was doing a demo on operating a bandsaw. Yes, they let us do that back then ('60). He was talking about safety on the saw, etc and while facing us he had his hand flat, palm down, fingers splayed, on a piece of 1x8 pine. He kinds swiped the wood thru the blade while looking back at us and he cut the first knuckle off three of his fingers,pinkie to middle. Realizing what he had done he goes, "no,not like that", swipes the board again and this time cut all four fingers down to the next knuckle. His wasn't the only mind blown that day.

Andy, just imagine how nice it is going to look when you are finished with the repair.

[ray_]

Yo Andy,

Well, I bet she won't do that again

Jack, that makes me cringe just reading it!

Eek.

Ray

[RIMSPOKE]

Nooooooooooo!

NOT THE CAB !

[RIMSPOKE]

NOT THE CAB !

[RIMSPOKE]

NOT THE CAB !

[SteveJ]

That sucks!!!!

Now, turn this into something really good that she will remember for a long time.

Give her a BIG hug. I doubt she intended to crash the car. Be glad she is OK. Teach her not to panic in instances like that (car control clinic/Street Survival). Show her how you research and order up parts. Work together on fixing the damage. Show her that we all F' up and then we make it right. Life goes on.

Give her a big hug.

It's a car.

She's your daughter.

(it still sucks, though.)

[AndyS]

yup. She is my last one too. I'm usually so easy on her it is pathetic.

[Kidasters]

We've all done it.

I remember when I wrecked my Mom's truck when I was 17. What upset me more was that Mom and Dad were worried about the truck, and not so concerned that I had to go to the hospital and get stitches.

Metal is fixable. Kids - not so much.

My wife is scared to drive my Porsche, since she's afraid she'll wreck it. What she doesn't know (but should), I could care less about the cars, as long as my family is OK.

Ken

[RIMSPOKE]

MY DAUGHTER TOOK OUR '89 CONVERTIBLE OFF TO COLLEGE AT ASU .

SHE WAS DEFINITELY THE COOL GIRL ON CAMPUS WHILE IT LASTED

BUT SHE SLID ON THE ICE & TOOK IT INTO ONE OF THE CABLE TYPE GUARD RAILS .

IT GOT A BLACK EYE . THE RIGHT HEADLIGHTS WERE BROKEN AND THE FENDER HAD A BIG CREASE WHERE IT MET THE CABLE .

I GUESS THE PARTY WAS OVER AT THAT POINT . WE BROUGHT IT BACK HOME ON A TOW DOLLEY AND IT SAT AROUND WHILE I HUNTED DOWN SOME PARTS .

I GOT A NEW FENDER FROM THE DEALER AND FOUND A NEW SET OF

EURO SMILEY HEADLIGHTS ONLINE .

A LITTLE BIT OF METAL STRAIGHTENING ON THE INTERNAL PARTS AND

NEW PAINT ON THE FENDER AND WE ARE BACK ON THE ROAD .

IT IS MY DAILY DRIVER NOW AND I AN REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO

THE WARMER WEATHER !

TAKE HEART , IT IS WELL WORTH FIXING THESE !

[AndyS]

Oh, yeah. I just need to get a bumper cover. I am very glad it happened this way. It helps reinforce my mantra to my kids about driving. It is the most dangerous thing you do on a regular basis and doing it poorly can get you dead.