Okay, so it's quite a shameful story on my part, but I have to share it with my fellow motorists. Maybe it will be a lesson to all.

So I'm a senior in high school (18y/o) and ive been saving money for the past year and a half for a new MCS. So I put in $3k for the downpayment of my PW/PW R56 MCS. I've been workign hard in school for years and haven't gotten into any trouble, so my parents decided to pay for the rest of the car . So we pick it up last sunday (Easter Sunday) and I'm showing it off to my friends every day of Spring Break. So school returns this week and I get used to parking the bad boy on the stree next to campus since I'm afraid of fellow high schoolers hitting, keying, or dinging me.

Now this is where it gets ironic and sad both for me and my precious Mini. I park on the street to avoid getting hit by high schoolers, but this morning, I go to park on the street again, but I'm late for class. There's one more spot left to park in on the street but thers a Pathfinder parked in the spot behind it. As I begin to parallel into the spot, the man driving the Pathfinder gets into his car to get to work I presume. So I'm easing in and straightening the Mini with seeming ease (I've been driving for more than two years now and my parents think I'm a pretty good driver, as do I). On the contrary, I'm not as great as I seem. Maybe I was nervous that the driver was actually behind me getting into his car or maybe I was nervous I'd be late for class, but regardless of what it was, I mistook reverse for 1st gear since the two are right next to each other. WHen I first began driving my Mini, it was difficult for me to get into reverse, but after a week I got used to slipping into reverse.... too used to it. When I tried to pull forward into a seemingly perfect parking job.... I backed into the Pathfinder behind me. I slammed on the breaks a second after I realized I was still moving back, not forward. I looked into my rearview mirror at the man in his truck, and he gave a look of disgust as he opened his door to check on the damage. My heart sank and I wanted to cry. What the hell had I done? I had become what I wanted to stay away from. I was a terrible high-school driver plaguing the neighborhood. The one thing I had been working so hard and so long for, I had ruined over a stupid parking job. All those hours of tutoring and reffing basketball were about to mean nothing when my parents would find out what I had done and take my car away for good. Adrenaline running, I got out and asked the man if I had hit him. The look on his face made it seem like a stupid question, but to only SOME extent, it was a dumb question. I looked at my PW bumper to see more than half a dozen fresh dark marks. Knowing that I wasn't the only one in this incident, I asked the man if he had any damage; he had none (thank GOD). HE told this to me and then added "but it f**** up your car" and he got into his truck and drove away. I wanted to sit there and cry. My mind raced and I thought of several ways to make some quick $$ so I could get it fixed while my dad was in NY without anyone knowing. I had to get to class still, so I went, being a nervous wreck the whole time. When class had ended I ran back to my car to check on the damage again. I examined the bumper again and noticed that the color of the marks wasnt black like the Pathfinder, they were blue... the same blue as the license plate numbers. I felt the marks, and they weren't the color of the material underneath my paint job, but actually just color that had rubbed off from the license plate! The paint wasnt chipped! In fact it seems I didnt even "hit" the Pathfinder! I just bumped his plate because I braked just in time!!! I was saved! When I got home I quickly rubbed the blue color off with this tar remover that my dad uses to clean bird crap off our cars. You couldn't even see any blue when I was done cleanign it!

In the end, I managed to get into my first "accident" which wasn't even an accident. I learned that my mom was right in that I should always be early so that I wouldn't have to rush and get into an accident. I learned not to get cocky driving, especially a new Mini or a new car in general. I learned that no matter how well I think I drive, I'm still a high school driver and a newbie driver with much to learn.

Thanks for reading and I hope at least some of you learn from this so you don't have to go through at least half the stress I went through.

 

Wow. Congrats on the no damage. I know that feeling you went throught and it sucks. Not with a mini for me...but still. Take a deep breath! Anyways. Glad to hear you and your mini are ok. Be safe and don't show off TOO much k? Showing off will get your car keyed/egged in highschool really quick like by jealous A-holes.

Casey

 

I've been driving since 1975 , yesterday I was stopped at a light at a very steep incline I spaced out for a second realized the light was green there was someone behind me so I jammed it quickly in first and gave it gas, I was in reverse,I stopped in time . Reverse is to easy to go into some one's gonna get hurt!

 

Congrats on not actually damaging your new car!!

 

You lucked out big time! I have to say that you sound like a very level-headed 18 y/o, and I commend you for learning from your mistakes. Sometimes you just have to live and learn.

Just so you don't feel so bad here's another story. My boyfriend had to drive a large truck last weekend for his work (the largest rental moving truck you can get without having a commercial license). It was a manual, which he's been driving a 5-speed for years, so no big deal, right? Well, this truck had a strange shift pattern. It was a 5-speed, but the reverse was where 1st normally is, 1st was where second normally is, etc. And to make things even more interesting, the truck didn't need to be started off in 1st, but rather in 2nd for some reason. He said he had a few scares where he almost backed into a few people, and he was working a cycling event, so there were also people on bikes all around to worry about as well!

 

Don't be too hard on yourself...you learned an important lesson here, and everyone has to learn it at some point (for most of us, often the hard way).

Luckily no one is hurt, and now you know a little more about the importance of staying calm and aware of your situation whenever you're piloting a car.

You're going to be a better driver for it, so just accept this little diploma from the school of life and enjoy the many happy days to come in your MINI.

p.s. Park Distance Control is a beautiful thing. It was standard on my convertible, but I'd recommend it to anyone buying a MINI.

 

man you got lucky. Grats on the no damage.

If I may suggest. Try being in an empty parking lot and pulling away from a stop with your mini in both reverse and 1st without using the gas at all.

This will help you learn to start slowly so you can pull into and out of situations methodically and in the right gear.

motor on you paduwan

 

You handled it maturely enough. No harm no foul. Now at least you've had the experience of hitting someone you'll be much better to deal with it in the future either way you being at fault or the other. The first accident is the most scariest IMO.

 

[quote=doodlez;1483667]You lucked out big time! I have to say that you sound like a very level-headed 18 y/o, and I commend you for learning from your mistakes. Sometimes you just have to live and learn.

+1.

My hubby left the mini in reverse in the garage right after we brought her home and I glanced and thought it was in 1st gear (I wasn't used to it being a 6sp), I came real close to hitting his brand new motorcycle , he now leaves it in neutral when it's in the garage

 

For a convertable that has terrible rear view ... yes. But if you can't back up a MINI Cooper into parking spot, how can you ever back up a mid-sized or larger car. Depending upon electronics for something that everyone should be able to do as part of taking a drivers test (and I assume most states still require one to parallel park) is not necessarily a good thing.

Yes, to the OP, you have displayed remarkable maturity for an 18 year old. I know when I was 17 I backed into a car in a parking lot and I had thought I was invincible. Of course, when I was 17, I knew "EVERYTHING!". By 25, I figured out I knew ... A LOT!. By 30, I figured I didn't know squat and still don't

 

Thanks guys! It's good to hear that my mistake isn't terribly uncommon and that I handled the situation correctly. Today I drove very carefully (and slowed down a bit ).

 

I'm glad that your mini is safe.

 

It sounds like the paint jobs on these babies aren't so nearly as fragile as some would make them out to be.

 

I don't think you should be so hard on yourself. Even experienced drivers make mistakes. You weren't being stupid; you just made a mistake. But it is apparent you learned something and I am glad there was no real damage. Sounds like you are entitled to one lucky break.

 

i was relieved just reading it to hear that there was no damage. Chows, in cali we dont parallel park for our test anymore

 

What a story! I'm so glad it had a happy ending for you.

 

Great story. and a very refreshing post. Nice to see an articulate well written story from one our younger members.

 

No car has perfect rear visibility, and while the parking stripes are stationary, pedestrians, shopping carts, pets and other obstacles can move around.

I'd get PDC even on a tin-top, despite being an excellent parallel parker, because it will "see" things that are out of my line of sight.

No one should depend on PDC to do the work for them, but it's a complement to the responsible driving everyone should be doing. It will make you, your car, and those around you a little safer. To me, that extra edge is worth the price. YMMV.

 

Oh wow, thats really sad. I still wish driving a manual transmission car was a requirement for the driving test, Americans in general are terrible drivers :(


manilaRICE, you definitely sound a lot more mature than all of the 18 year olds I've ever met (including myself when I was that age). Most people would've blamed either the MINI for having its 6th gear too close to its 1st gear or the truck behind you for parking too close to you

 

Hahaha that sucks hardcore, but nice job on the fix. I'm 18 and the stereotype of young drivers (however true it may be) sucks for sure. Hope all is well with the MINI, I'm really jealous. I saved and saved and saved and was never as lucky as you. Enjoy it.

 

haha, thanks mcdbrendan! I guess I am also lucky that my parents are so generous to me. The last thing I want to do is disappoint/repay them with an accident !

 

I wouldn't worry about Chows post. Anyone, no matter how experienced they are, who thinks they can't make a mistake are pretty much guaranteed to have more than their share.

 

Wow - I am impressed.
First, it sounds like your parents did a really good job raising you. Mature, hard-working, responsible and loving to your parents.
Second, you made a good decision to keep your baby out of the school parking lot.
Third, you are able to understand what happened and learn from it.

FYI - twice now, I have shifted from neutral into what I thought was first gear and ended up in reverse. Considering that I normally have to use two hands to manage the reverse shift, I thought it would never happen to me.
I was lucky both times and now I don't shift into neutral at any stoplight!

 

I did that the other day at the stop light - I was sitting in neutral, the light changed, I shifted into what I thought was 1st, it was reverse. Luckily, a) I always start out slowly, and b) no one was behind me.

I've been driving 25+ years, and driving manual transmissions 17 years. Also, I've been driving my MINI 2 years now, so it isn't just a newbie mistake.

I parallel park nearly every day and what I have found to be the most important thing is practice. And relax! I always park better when I turn my music off and concetrate on parking the car.

 

hi manilarice, glad that you were able to fix your baby. I know that you have been waiting anxiously for your R56 and you certainly didn't want to spoil the fun on the 1st week of ownership.

advise from a fellow pinoy...ingat lang...