Dumbest thing you've ever done while driving

[CoreySamson]

My dumbest thing I did was when I was 15. I was driving down the freeway and what appeared to be a drunk driver (or someone under the influence of some drug, as it was a Sunday afternoon). I passed the guy who was going relatively slow and got off at my exit. I turned right into the slip lane and stopped at the yield sign. I looked out behind me back at the freeway to see if the drugged guy had crashed or done something crazy, but after looking for a few seconds, I started to go without looking back to my left for traffic, and I didn't realize a car was coming until I had pulled out into the intersection.

Luckily they were able to stop in time to avoid me, but I got an earful from my dad about that. Strangely enough, I almost got into an accident at that slip lane a couple months ago when I almost sideswiped another car at night when I didn't see their headlights (granted, they were speeding), but that was still a dumb move by yours truly.

[Roadgeekteen]

My dumbest thing I did was when I was 15. I was driving down the freeway and what appeared to be a drunk driver (or someone under the influence of some drug, as it was a Sunday afternoon). I passed the guy who was going relatively slow and got off at my exit. I turned right into the slip lane and stopped at the yield sign. I looked out behind me back at the freeway to see if the drugged guy had crashed or done something crazy, but after looking for a few seconds, I started to go without looking back to my left for traffic, and I didn't realize a car was coming until I had pulled out into the intersection.

Luckily they were able to stop in time to avoid me, but I got an earful from my dad about that. Strangely enough, I almost got into an accident at that slip lane a couple months ago when I almost sideswiped another car at night when I didn't see their headlights (granted, they were speeding), but that was still a dumb move by yours truly.

You could drive at 15?

[EpicRoadways]

Last June, I opened my back passenger door to put in a beanbag toss game I was bringing to a friend's party. Realizing I forgot something in my house, I went back inside forgetting to close the passenger door. A few minutes later, I backed out of my garage and heard the *POP* followed by the *SNAP* of my back passenger door folding in on itself. The hinges snapped, the entire door crushed like a soda can, (somehow) the window pane managed to stay in one piece. The front passenger door also sustained some damage. I had to duct tape my door shut because it couldn't close. One week, two new doors, and $2500 later, I learned my lesson to ALWAYS make sure all of your doors are closed before pulling out of a garage. The garage door suffered no damage.

[bm7]

My dumbest thing I did was when I was 15. I was driving down the freeway and what appeared to be a drunk driver (or someone under the influence of some drug, as it was a Sunday afternoon). I passed the guy who was going relatively slow and got off at my exit. I turned right into the slip lane and stopped at the yield sign. I looked out behind me back at the freeway to see if the drugged guy had crashed or done something crazy, but after looking for a few seconds, I started to go without looking back to my left for traffic, and I didn't realize a car was coming until I had pulled out into the intersection.

Luckily they were able to stop in time to avoid me, but I got an earful from my dad about that. Strangely enough, I almost got into an accident at that slip lane a couple months ago when I almost sideswiped another car at night when I didn't see their headlights (granted, they were speeding), but that was still a dumb move by yours truly.

You could drive at 15?

In most states the you can get a permit at 15, and in a few it's 14.

[Roadgeekteen]

My dumbest thing I did was when I was 15. I was driving down the freeway and what appeared to be a drunk driver (or someone under the influence of some drug, as it was a Sunday afternoon). I passed the guy who was going relatively slow and got off at my exit. I turned right into the slip lane and stopped at the yield sign. I looked out behind me back at the freeway to see if the drugged guy had crashed or done something crazy, but after looking for a few seconds, I started to go without looking back to my left for traffic, and I didn't realize a car was coming until I had pulled out into the intersection.

Luckily they were able to stop in time to avoid me, but I got an earful from my dad about that. Strangely enough, I almost got into an accident at that slip lane a couple months ago when I almost sideswiped another car at night when I didn't see their headlights (granted, they were speeding), but that was still a dumb move by yours truly.

You could drive at 15?

In most states the you can get a permit at 15, and in a few it's 14.

In Massachusetts you need to be 16.

[noelbotevera]

I haven't driven long enough to damage the car...luckily...but I have done some dumb things.

1. I forgot to play some music before leaving my house. So while I'm on PA 995, a 45 mph road, I try to find a random song and drive. Very lucky I didn't cross over onto the other side.

2. On the same road, there is a four way intersection with a smaller road. This small road is a useful shortcut to parts of Chambersburg, but has stop signs (PA 995 doesn't). While I'm trying to turn left from the small road onto PA 995, a pickup with a trailer takes his sweet time to cross the intersection...while an SUV going 50 is coming in hot from my right. The second his trailer  clears the road, I make my turn very quickly. Nearly clipped the trailer too. I consider this my fault since I misjudged the SUV's distance and should've waited for the pickup...instead I ended up in the middle of an intersection.

3. My first time driving in Washington DC, I was on Connecticut Avenue trying to turn onto 17th Street NW. Random ped is in the crosswalk. We spend three seconds staring at each other (with traffic behind me) until I decide to floor it in front of the ped. Also the wrong move since peds go first.

[zachary_amaryllis]

drove halfway to work before i realized i hadn't put pants on.

imagine my surprise when i reached into my lap to find my cigarette lighter...

Did you remember your underwear?

well.. i didn't forget them.. but generally during the summer, i do the commando thing.

i guess its a good thing i didn't stop for coffee or something..

[kurumi]

I-83 northbound around York, PA has two lanes and a white line on the right, denoting where you're normally not supposed to drive. The four of us did a road trip from Penn State down to Dupont Circle in DC to hit some bars. We didn't drink that much, and I wasn't driving impaired. At least from alcohol. But we didn't sleep, and the sun was up when we were heading back to PSU.

I nodded off and woke up with the car straddling the white line on I-83. It must have been near that first rest stop, as I was able to insist on pulling over and taking a nap before moving on.

No crash, no injuries, no tickets. I count that as a "freebie" from the deity of your choice, and I've never put myself in that position again.

[Ned Weasel]

Putting blind faith in a GPS.

[NWI_Irish96]

Driving home from college in a blizzard.  The collage was closed and I couldn't afford a motel.

This is mine as well. March 1993 southern blizzard. Approaching Chattanooga, our driver side windshield wiper snapped off (the whole arm, not just the blade). Stopped at a service station that swapped the good wiper over to the drivers side. Decided to proceed toward Nashville with one wiper. It was a terrifying 4 or so hours averaging barely 30 mph on I-24. Found out later that I 24 out of Chattanooga got closed shortly after we left (wondered why nobody passed us when we were going so slow). Really should have stopped in Chattanooga, though we would have been there for 3-4 days.

[webny99]

...

You could drive at 15?

In most states the you can get a permit at 15, and in a few it's 14.

In Massachusetts you need to be 16.

Both of the Dakotas are 14. That always seemed crazy young to me, but plenty of crazier stuff has happened in farm country!

[JoePCool14]

Last June, I opened my back passenger door to put in a beanbag toss game I was bringing to a friend's party. Realizing I forgot something in my house, I went back inside forgetting to close the passenger door. A few minutes later, I backed out of my garage and heard the *POP* followed by the *SNAP* of my back passenger door folding in on itself. The hinges snapped, the entire door crushed like a soda can, (somehow) the window pane managed to stay in one piece. The front passenger door also sustained some damage. I had to duct tape my door shut because it couldn't close. One week, two new doors, and $2500 later, I learned my lesson to ALWAYS make sure all of your doors are closed before pulling out of a garage. The garage door suffered no damage.

This is exactly why I always default to closing a car door, even if I'm planning to come back to it in less than a minute. You never know if you might forget and drive away, or you might forget and go inside the house for a while leaving your door open. It's best to automatically close it.

[1995hoo]

Last June, I opened my back passenger door to put in a beanbag toss game I was bringing to a friend's party. Realizing I forgot something in my house, I went back inside forgetting to close the passenger door. A few minutes later, I backed out of my garage and heard the *POP* followed by the *SNAP* of my back passenger door folding in on itself. The hinges snapped, the entire door crushed like a soda can, (somehow) the window pane managed to stay in one piece. The front passenger door also sustained some damage. I had to duct tape my door shut because it couldn't close. One week, two new doors, and $2500 later, I learned my lesson to ALWAYS make sure all of your doors are closed before pulling out of a garage. The garage door suffered no damage.

A couple of weeks ago I had to push my RX-7 out of the garage when it wouldn't start. I was terrified of that happening with the door, but I managed to get it closed. Rolled it out into the street and jumpstarted it. So when I got home, I put the top down (to reduce blind spots) and backed it into the garage so that if I have to jumpstart it next time, the battery will be facing out and I can jump it without moving it. I was terrified I was going to break the door off. It's a one-car garage, so it's pretty narrow.

[kphoger]

I once proposed to my girlfriend while sitting in the passenger seat of her car.  She turned me down, then drove me a little bit further down the parking lot.  Being really upset by the experience, I then got out of the car.  Except she hadn't stopped yet.

Note this, kids:  don't get out of a moving vehicle.

Did she then say yes?

Ha!  No, no she didn't.

Did she ever say yes?

Dude.  I'm married.  If she had said yes, then I would have said 'proposed to my wife'.  No, we didn't get married.

My dumbest thing I did was when I was 15. I was driving down the freeway and what appeared to be a drunk driver (or someone under the influence of some drug, as it was a Sunday afternoon). I passed the guy who was going relatively slow and got off at my exit. I turned right into the slip lane and stopped at the yield sign. I looked out behind me back at the freeway to see if the drugged guy had crashed or done something crazy, but after looking for a few seconds, I started to go without looking back to my left for traffic, and I didn't realize a car was coming until I had pulled out into the intersection.

Luckily they were able to stop in time to avoid me, but I got an earful from my dad about that. Strangely enough, I almost got into an accident at that slip lane a couple months ago when I almost sideswiped another car at night when I didn't see their headlights (granted, they were speeding), but that was still a dumb move by yours truly.

You could drive at 15?

In most states the you can get a permit at 15, and in a few it's 14.

Yeah, I got my full-fledged DL when I was 15.

In Massachusetts you need to be 16.

Well, not everyone lives where you do.

[Roadgeekteen]

I once proposed to my girlfriend while sitting in the passenger seat of her car.  She turned me down, then drove me a little bit further down the parking lot.  Being really upset by the experience, I then got out of the car.  Except she hadn't stopped yet.

Note this, kids:  don't get out of a moving vehicle.

Did she then say yes?

Ha!  No, no she didn't.

Did she ever say yes?

Dude.  I'm married.  If she had said yes, then I would have said 'proposed to my wife'.  No, we didn't get married.

My dumbest thing I did was when I was 15. I was driving down the freeway and what appeared to be a drunk driver (or someone under the influence of some drug, as it was a Sunday afternoon). I passed the guy who was going relatively slow and got off at my exit. I turned right into the slip lane and stopped at the yield sign. I looked out behind me back at the freeway to see if the drugged guy had crashed or done something crazy, but after looking for a few seconds, I started to go without looking back to my left for traffic, and I didn't realize a car was coming until I had pulled out into the intersection.

Luckily they were able to stop in time to avoid me, but I got an earful from my dad about that. Strangely enough, I almost got into an accident at that slip lane a couple months ago when I almost sideswiped another car at night when I didn't see their headlights (granted, they were speeding), but that was still a dumb move by yours truly.

You could drive at 15?

In most states the you can get a permit at 15, and in a few it's 14.

Yeah, I got my full-fledged DL when I was 15.

In Massachusetts you need to be 16.

Well, not everyone lives where you do.

Yes, we are quite strict here. I don't even think you can get your full license until 16 1/2 or something like that.

[kphoger]

Yes, we are quite strict here. I don't even think you can get your full license until 16 1/2 or something like that.

Strict?  No, the rules were just as strict when and where I got my license.  The rules were just different.

[GaryV]

I went back inside forgetting to close the passenger door. A few minutes later, I backed out of my garage

My dad did that when I was a kid - with his almost brand new car.  Like only days old car.

[kkt]

Crowded parking lot deep inside a National Park, people were parking parallel along an access road and I decided to park there too.  There were boulders and bushes intended to keep people from parking there, but I thought I could easily avoid them and still be far enough off the road.  Trouble was, a couple of branches of bush obscured one of the boulders so I got a really nice scrape from the point of the boulder along the passenger side door.

[CNGL-Leudimin]

To drink.

Yes, they say "Don't drink and drive", but who has not drank a sip of water while driving.

[Scott5114]

To drink.

Yes, they say "Don't drink and drive", but who has not drank a sip of water while driving.

When I was like 5 I caught my mom drinking a can of Coca-Cola while driving and could not understand why she was blowing it off when I yelled at her for drinking and driving, like it was no big deal or something.

[andrepoiy]

Yesterday, I got stopped by a cop for going 134 km/h on a rural section of Highway 401 (near Gananoque). Because I have a G2 license (step 2 of 3 of the graduated license system here in Ontario), going 30 over the limit would result in a 30-day license suspension...

I got off with a warning because apparently, the officer got a more urgent call and had to leave.

What a lucky first traffic stop.

[Roadgeekteen]

Yesterday, I got stopped by a cop for going 134 km/h on a rural section of Highway 401 (near Gananoque). Because I have a G2 license (step 2 of 3 of the graduated license system here in Ontario), going 30 over the limit would result in a 30-day license suspension...

I got off with a warning because apparently, the officer got a more urgent call and had to leave.

What a lucky first traffic stop.

That's like 83 in 62 in MPH... a bit fast, but not outrageous.

[andrepoiy]

Yesterday, I got stopped by a cop for going 134 km/h on a rural section of Highway 401 (near Gananoque). Because I have a G2 license (step 2 of 3 of the graduated license system here in Ontario), going 30 over the limit would result in a 30-day license suspension...

I got off with a warning because apparently, the officer got a more urgent call and had to leave.

What a lucky first traffic stop.

That's like 83 in 62 in MPH... a bit fast, but not outrageous.

Yeah, well, the penalties for those learner licenses are a lot more severe than a full license

[Rothman]

Yesterday, I got stopped by a cop for going 134 km/h on a rural section of Highway 401 (near Gananoque). Because I have a G2 license (step 2 of 3 of the graduated license system here in Ontario), going 30 over the limit would result in a 30-day license suspension...

I got off with a warning because apparently, the officer got a more urgent call and had to leave.

What a lucky first traffic stop.

That's like 83 in 62 in MPH... a bit fast, but not outrageous.

Twenty over will get you a nasty ticket in NY.

[US 89]

I was once heading south on US 91 through Blackfoot, ID and had already passed through downtown, and I got impatient and sped up too fast as I was heading out the south end of town. Whoops. I was pulled over for going 47 in a 35... literally within sight of the SPEED LIMIT 45 sign.

I was 19 at the time and it was my first time ever getting pulled over, so I was understandably a bit nervous... but the officer didn't seem to like that too much. Apparently, all 19 year olds with out of state plates in a random small town are automatically assumed to be carrying weed or perhaps something more serious. Another cop pulled up and they asked if they could search my car. I realize you can say no, but given I was almost certainly going to get a ticket if I tried something like that, I let them. My little brother was in the car with me and they searched his backpack as well. He was definitely a bit traumatized by the whole thing - and that is probably why in the end, I got off with just a warning.

Summary: don't speed in small towns.