Recently I stopped by a local bakery to pick up a prize basket for my great-nephews’ school auction. When I came back out, I tried to open the door of the wrong car.
This is kinda-sorta understandable given how many Subarus wheel around Anchorage on a given day. But it’s also pretty humiliating. The woman sitting in the vehicle said, “Nope, not this one” and smiled as though she’d done this herself.
Still awkward.
A former editor of mine who now works at Insurance.com just sent a release called “Biggest driving embarrassments.” Reading the statistics made me feel less alone.
No less dumb, mind you. It’s just that now I know I’m not the only one.
In fact, 29 percent of the 2,000 men and women surveyed admitted they’d tried to open the door of a car that wasn’t theirs. That one came in at No. 6 on the top-whoops list. Here are the top five:
- Forgot where they parked: 52 percent
- Drove over a curb in a parking lot: 43 percent
- Locked keys in the car: 37 percent
- Went the wrong way down a one-way street: 34 percent
- Driven away with something on the roof, such as coffee or a purse: 31 percent
“It’s those moments when you hope nobody is watching,” says Des Toups, the insurance site’s managing editor. He wrote about the survey in a post called “Top driving embarrassments: Women forget where they park, men leave passengers behind.”
(Personally, I’d rather wander around mumbling “dammit, where did I leave the Subaru?” – no matter how many people were watching – than to have to go back and face someone I’d stranded.)
Not all goofs are funny
Some of the oops-moments are merely embarrassing: a snafu at the toll booth, not being able to get out of a roundabout, hitting the key fob’s panic alarm and not being able to shut it off. But some have the potential to harm more than your self-esteem. As noted above, more than one-third of respondents had driven against traffic on a one-way street; 27 percent said they couldn’t back out of a parking spot because vehicles/objects were too close; and 9 percent said they “almost hit a person.”
Hitting a person would have its own set of related nightmares, and probably a nice case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to boot. A curb check or lost toll ticket pales in comparison.
So does dropping money/food at the drive-through window (26 percent) or not having license/registration/insurance when pulled over (11 percent), or that “locked keys in the car” number noted above. However, they can ding your budget in terms of paying a fine or a locksmith.
And seriously: With all those cars behind you and/or the baby crying in the back seat, are you really going to pull forward, get out of the car and pick up the dollar-and-change you dropped? Maybe, maybe not. It’s also up to the manager of the outlet to decide whether to comp you a cheeseburger to replace the one you dropped.
(Full disclosure: I’d pull forward and run back to get the money. I’d just do it quickly.)
Will insurance kick in?
Two-fifths of those surveyed said that a driving goof resulted in auto damage at least once. Of the flubs on this list, insurance will generally cover:
- Curb check: This is covered by collision.
- Keys locked in car: If you break a window to get them your policy won’t reimburse the damage. Some policies include roadside assistance, but if you’re a person for whom time is money (or if your kids are waiting at afterschool care), you may not be able to wait.
- Driving away from with the gas nozzle still in: 11 percent of respondents are guilty of this goof (and twice as many men as women copped to doing so). Auto damage would probably be covered by collision; damage to the pump would go under “liability.”
But as Toups points out, insurance won’t cover the repair to your pride.
Again, at least we know we’re not alone. But the survey is a good reminder to be a little more purposeful vs. tooling around on autopilot. Develop some kind of ritual, such as always leaning in to put the coffee or purse in the car before you get in yourself. Take a minute to fix on a landmark (“about 10 cars down, facing the credit union sign”). When it comes to keys, my mnemonic device is “it’s OK to lock it — the key’s in my pocket.”
Being proactive isn’t just money-smart, though. Imagine hitting someone. Even if it wasn’t your fault per se — parents, please restrain your kids — you’d have a hard time living with yourself afterward.
Readers: What’s your most embarrassing driving moment? If it’s too embarrassing to admit, just say that it happened to a friend.
Related reading:
- The bottle blonde at the DMV
- Living in the quieter spots of life
- Do kids still do these things?
- Why I have life insurance
I was in a parking lot once and this guy with a car the same approximate size/color as mine and parked next to me drove off in the rain. Then his wife comes running out of the store and gets into my car, talking another language a million miles an hour! It took 30 seconds to a minute before she actually looked over and was clearly HORRIFIED about getting in the wrong car! She leapt out and then stood in the rain confused, because her husband had, as noted above, TOTALLY LEFT WITHOUT HER.
Yikes! Interestingly, twice as many men copped to this goof as women.
I wonder how long it took the guy to come back for her.
Thanks for reading, and for leaving a comment.
I’m honestly trying to figure how many nights my husband would get on the couch for this one. Too many to count. 🙂
Driving over the curb at the DMV/MVA, as part of the driving test. I failed.
Years ago I interviewed the driver’s test folks here in Anchorage. A few of their best recollections:
–The guy who rear-ended a school bus and said to the instructor, “Does this mean I fail the test?”
–The girl who ran into a cop car.
–The guy who had no passenger seat in his car, but offered a milk crate for the instructor to sit on.
–The guy who had no seat belt on the passenger seat. He held up a length of rope and offered to tie the instructor in place.
And my personal favorite: The guy who brought his infant child along. When told that no one else could be in the car during the test he said, “Hold on a minute” and walked into the DMV. When he emerged without the baby, the instructor assumed he’d handed the child to his spouse or a friend. Nope: He walked up to a total stranger (in line!) and said, “Could you hold my baby for a minute?” When they returned from the driving test, the police were waiting — after the guy didn’t show up to claim the child the woman asked DMV employees to call the cops and report an abandoned child.
On the bright side, he passed the test.
I got stuck in a snow drift parallel parking. Mom had to come get the car. (It was March.) 🙂 I did pass the next time.
During one of my first driving lessons, I accidentally drove into the side of my grandmother’s house. My dad was trying to teach me how to drive a stick shift and I forgot which was the brake and which was the clutch.
When I was much younger I backed my Camaro over a curb. This curb was over a bank so my back wheel was just hanging in the air. I called my Dad because I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t want to tell anyone else. When Daddy got there, he went into the Pizza Hut and got all the guys working there to come out and pick the car up and put it back over the curb. Embarrassing!
I’d have been embarrassed, too. On the other hand, you gave those guys a chance to feel super-manly.
We were on vacation, driving a rental car. Parked it at the hotel. The next morning jumped in the car to go to breakfast, but the car wouldn’t start. Then I realized we were in someone else’s car. They forgot to lock it. Boy, we jumped out as quick as we could and found our rental.
Just the day before yesterday my husband and I BOTH tried to get into the wrong car and he was the first to figure out it was the wrong car because the fob didn’t work. My most embarrassing time doing that was many years ago – I actually got into the wrong vehicle and had trouble getting my key into the ignition. Then I looked over at the passenger seat and thought “what IS all that stuff?” and then it slowly dawned on me that I was trying to drive away in the wrong car! I jumped out of that car and hustled down the street as if it were on fire! (That was in a very small town where most people did not lock their vehicles.)
I once buckled my three young kids into their car seats and drove off without our stroller. I didn’t even realize it until the next day. Sleep deprivation will do that to you.
oh where do I start?
1) drove out of a gas station with the hose in the tank. Fortunately gas pumps have quick release thingys and the attendant didn’t even blink – apparently I was not the first.
2) as a teen I ran over a curb (at a pretty high speed) and the whole car went out of wack and pulled to the right – I drove it like that for weeks because I was too afraid to tell pops…..
3) then there would be the time I backed into hubby’s new corvette the day he brought it home ….but let’s leave that alone
Rental car in Anacortes, WA two others that looked identical parked in a row with me. Could not figure out why the fob was not unlocking the door! Lucky me-no one was looking.
Hmmmm…..As Alzheimers is in the news I became concerned after I had trouble finding my car in the parking lot of our local “mega gocery” store. Sooo at my annual checkup with my Doctor I expressed my concern and asked if this was a sign of “early dementia”. My Doc listened and then without batting an eye said….”I’m not concerned….now if you come out of the store and forgot you had a car….then I’m concerned”. After I told him where I “lost my car” …he stated “no wonder…. that place is HUGE!!!”
Back in the day, I borrowed a friend’s car so I could run an errand. (My ever-trusty Pontiac was in the shop — again.) When I got back to the car, I realized that it had a stick shift, which I don’t know how to drive. I guess it took 5 minutes or so for it to register that I was in the wrong car.
Once opened the door of my friend’s car to hop in and go somewhere — only to find that it wasn’t my friend’s car! Very attractive man in the driver’s seat, however. 🙂
Lost count of the curbs I’ve driven over…
Have forgotten where I parked dozens of times…
And my family think I’m a good driver!!!
While camping over spring break with family & friends, locking myself, 2 kids, friend & her kid out of my truck about an hour and a half away from home. Called 2 towing companies (neither one showed up), flagged down a state police officer (they’re not allowed to use those lock jimmy things anymore, at least in CT), and finally located a Ford dealer that would make a key to get into the truck if I gave them license & registration to prove I owned the vehicle, which was an issue because they were locked in the truck with my keys. Finally the dealer said they would accept my friend’s license as “collateral”, they made us a key and we were able to get back to having fun after 6 hours of trying to get back into my vehicle. I always double check now before I lock the door.
I think I have done all of the above at some point except for maybe locked keys in my car. I can’t wait until I am older to see what I do then. 🙂
Just last week, my hubby tried to get into the wrong car at the store. My grandmother, years ago, took her driving test and recked on the course and had to have the car towed off the driving course. (she did fail! LOL!) A neighbor teenager was going to take the car when her parents weren’t home and went to back out of the driveway (in drive instead of reverse) and went right through the garage door. I am famous for putting a coffee or drink on the roof, loading my groceries and driving off without my cup in my hand. I usually have a mess atop my car. I am sure I have many more I could name but I enjoy reading everyone else’s to curb my embarrassment.
As teens, my sister and I went to the mall. Went in one door, out another, couldn’t find the car. Called Dad at work to tell him we lost the car. He laughed. We did eventually find the car.
Oh yeah, my parents got a brand spanking new car off the lot when I was about 7 years old. They saved for a long time to get it. Later that week, I thought I would be nice and wash it for them as a surprise. I scrubbed and scrubbed, being sure not to miss a spot. I then rinsed the car and dried it. I was so proud and went to tell my parents. They came outside and were horrified. I used Comet cleanser to clean it. Scratches everywhere!! They were not happy with my act of kindness but me and my mom still laugh about it today.
LOL! Almost all of the above here, except for driving the wrong way up a one-way street. So far I haven’t succeeded in pulling that one off, but I have blithely run a red light while yakking so animatedly I didn’t notice it…
The wrong car thing is pretty common. I was with a friend when we went out to her red RAV (about 90% of cars on the roads here seem to be red RAVs). She points her Magical Toyota Car Lock Opener Fob at it, and the locks don’t open.
But hers has developed a quirk whereby it doesn’t open readily, nor do the locks open easily with the manual key. So we point and click and point and click and point and click for about 10 minutes. She then tries to unlock it with a the key and is not surprised when it won’t work, because in the past it’s been stubborn. So while she’s wrestling with it she happens to glance inside and sees…ooops! Someone else’s junk in there!!
Her car is one row over, just about the same distance from the store.
My mother used to stick a little styrofoam ball on the antenna, so she could find her nondescript white Ford in a parking lot. Worked every time!
I have my pet sitting magnetic signs on my new Honda Fit, so it’s really easy to find, lol.
I think my most embarrassing car moment was about 5 years ago…I walked out of the mall and went directly to where I parked. My car wasn’t there. So I started searching a few rows to the left and right. No car. I drove a manual Chevy Aveo that was made like crap, so I kept searching because I was sure no one would steal my car. No luck. So I finally call my husband to come pick me up and help me search in case it wasn’t stolen (at this point, I was freaking out a little). Well, while I was waiting, I tried going out a different entrance of the mall and found my car in like 2 seconds. Didn’t want to tell my husband that he was 75% of the way here when I found it, so I walked back inside and he helped me “find” it again. He still doesn’t know. 😉
After reading this, I’m wondering if I should be allowed to drive. Done almost all, I can say that I haven’t hit anyone yet. Give it time. Give it time.
I believe in you!
I did hit someone. I was trying to park, having to back out and straighten the car two or three times. I was pregnant and totally nauseated. Finally, I saw three guys about 20 or so, leaning against the building and dying laughing. I thought they were laughing at me, so I rolled down the window and asked why they were laughing. They told me I hit a policeman. I said I did not and they said I did. So, I looked back and saw the policeman limping. He was giving out tickets for people who meters in the angle parking had run out of time. I got out and apologized profusely. He just kept limping along.
Holy mackeral. Well.
I have: gone over a parking chock in a parking lot; misjudged the distance and dinged my back bumper backing out of our driveway into OUR OWN other car; walked up to the wrong car in the parking lot (which barely fazes me anymore my other goofs are so bad).
Family have: busted 6 tires in 12 months because they were in denial about their inability to drive anymore; backed into a pillar in a parking lot; left coffee atop the car; locked keys in the trunk of the car; leapt into a stranger’s car when we all headed out after an event; and probably other stuff they won’t admit to 🙂
Okay, this one I have to comment on. One time I came out of a meeting and went to where I’d left my car, put the key in, unlocked the door and sat down in the seat, ready to drive away when I noticed it was not my stuff!
My car, same make and model, and apparently SAME KEY, was next to the one I was sitting in.
Another time I parked in a mall parking deck, sure I could find my car when I came out. I did. In a row of 5 identical cars apparently owned by folks like me with a very twisted sense of humor! I then put a Harry Potter like wizard hat in the back window so if I ever encountered these same 4 people again, I would know EXACTLY which one was mine right away.
It gets better: You might have been able to start one of those cars!
http://autos.ca.msn.com/news/canadian-press-automotive-news/woman-moves-strangers-vehicle-key-fit-2-cars-1
Ever feel like you’re living in a sitcom?
Thanks for reading, and for leaving a comment.
When I first moved to Los Angeles, I parked my car at one of the huge mega-malls to see a movie. When I came out, it took me an hour and a half to find the car (it was parked on the level below where I was looking). Since then I look for as many landmarks as I can to remember where I park.
But that was nothing compared to the time when I changed a flat tire on my car. I had changed flat tires before so I didn’t think anything of it, but this time I forgot to tighten the tire lugnuts. So as I was driving to the nearest tire shop, the vibrations of the car caused the tire to fly off and roll down the street. Fortunately, a very nice man was nearby to help get my tire and lugnuts off the street and put them securely back on my car, but I sure would have preferred if nobody were around at that time. Needless to say, that was the last time I attempted to change my own flat tire.
A couple of months ago I came out of the pharmacy and sat in the passenger seat of my husband’s car griping about the cost of allergy pills. The man in the driver’s seat then said “I think you are in the wrong car.” I looked around, yelped, and then apologized before scurrying out. My husband had watched me and hurried to pull out of his spot to park behind the guy’s car (just in case he was dangerous). He was more upset that I thought “that car” was his baby. In my defense, it was dusk and both cars were a similar shade!
I had a gray Ford Escort and there was another one in the parking lot the same color as mine. My keys actually worked on that car and when I got in I just noticed the interior was different from mine. Pretty funny. But I’ve also driven the wrong way on a one way street (fortunately no other cars were coming) and locked the keys in the rental car in Sedona, Arizona. A nice lesbian couple came by and took me to their hotel where I was able to make a phone call (This was 10 years ago & I didn’t have a cell phone at the time). I was lucky the rental car company didn’t charge me for the locksmith!