It only took one second to cause $13k in damage.

I'd gone to meet another TL.com-er 3 days ago to test his Comptech springs (feel wonderful, I'll do that eventually). I was driving in a parking lot, recognized him, waved, turned the car toward him at normal parking lot speed while looking at his beautiful TL-S, and....wham! The next thing I remember, my glasses were in the back seat, both airbags deployed. The left front corner of my TL had hit a concrete lamppost. The only thing hurt was my ego and my confidence in my driving skills. My brand-new (3200 miles, 2 months old) TL is wrecked. If you don't mind, I won't post pictures, it still smarts too much to look at them.

I'm a safe driver and usually very attentive. I'm a guy who'll hang up on you if I'm driving in an unsafe situation with my cell phone. It's embarrassing to admit to a parking lot accident that was clearly my fault, but I only bring it up to remind people once again that even the best drivers f**k up sometimes, and that all it took was having my eyes off the road for ONE second...in a PARKING LOT!.

The damage is to the hood, bumper, grille, left front fender, and suspension. There goes my cheap auto insurance! And I'll be without my TL (minimum) one month. As penance, I am driving a lowly, rented Saturn SL2 for the month. Not bad, but the seats suck and the engine sounds like a lawnmower.

Be careful out there, guys!

 

HOLY CRAP! I keep thinking to myself that there is a reason for everything and that I must of done something bad in the past and not realize it for it to come back and bite me in the ass. But now you too! Tsk tsk....I dont know what to say. Perhaps bad karma?

 

It took a lot of guts for you to say that - thanks. Let's all be careful out there.

 

Sorry to hear that, neuronbob. Accidents suck. Don't beat yourself up too much over it. They call them "accidents" for a reason.

As for the rest of us, superstition says we can all breathe a little easier. Similar bad things supposedly happen in threes. First there was blulegend. Then edgalang. Now neuronbob. Not that I'm superstitious or anything.....

 

Deng man... be moooore cautious next time...
Take care man... u aite!

 

Bob, I don't want you to feel alone out there so I'll post my bone head move...granted not as much damage, but I had my TL-S for less the 24 hrs...about 20 to be exact...I went out to a track auto to get some rags for Lexol usage and I was parked, away from about everyone...but behind me was the end of a line of parking spots. They had this nice little grass area with a tree and it was surrounded by RailRoad ties and at the corner was like a metal corner casting to hold the RailRoad ties in place...well I was backing up, and I was even trying to watch out for it, but bam...poked a hole right through the bumber...new bumper and paint all done to factory specs...$600. Not the 13k you caused, but man, 20hrs......
So I feel your pain on some level's brother,
Take it easy, and for god's sake...a Saturn??? Did you feel you owed yourself punishment?

 

My neighbor backed out of his garage one day last year just like all the other thousands of times but forgot one thing...the door was still down. Poop happens to the best of us.

 

sorry to hear about that. good luck getting the tl back on the road. nothing to really be embarassed about, it is very easy for anyone to make a mistake. unfortunately some end up costing you a little more. better in a parking lot than when you are on a freeway going 70.

 

Don't worry about it man. Even the best of us have our off days.

 

My mom was in my 96 explorer backing out of the driveway so she could move her car...I was sitting upstairs...she thought I was asleep...and I sat in the den...heard my car start up, heard her back out...then heard my v8 rev up and then the house shuttered...she came running upstairs with a horrible look on her face...she rammed my car into the edge of the brick house by accidentally hitting the gas instead of brake...$5k of damage...and that's not even to the house...

Austin519

 

Sucks about the car man, but glad that you're OK.

I applaud you for sharing the story with us though. I think many on this board think they're invincable (sp?), and that only other drivers make mistakes.

 

Thats sad to hear!!!!! I am in the same situation as you. I was in a 9,000 accident 3 weeks ago and I am still awaiting my babies return. I am driving the ultimate car 02 ford focus until my baby is done. I did get the 02 maxima for a week from enterprise but I had to return that . Good luck with your car !!!!

 

That took a lot of courage to admit and we thank you for that. We all make mistakes and the simple ones are often the most embarrassing.

I hope you don't mind me asking a few questions:
Did the other TL.com person help out?
What did they say?
What was it like to have the airbags deploy? ( A friend of mine developed a skin irritation from the chemical used in the detonation device.)

 

Very curious about the air bag deployment.

Thanks for sharing your pain. If it was me, the story probably would've died with me. (Provided no one else from this site was there!)

Keep your head up!

 

I hate parking lots...
I think they're more dangerous than freeways. Stupid curbs
everywhere, and those ghetto lots where curbs arent bolted
down. I don't know how many times I've had to drive around a
curb in the middle of a lane cause someone had already hit it and
drug it out with them.

 

Yes, he was extremely helpful. What else would you expect from folks on this site?

The steering wheel was pointed at my chest (just like the owner's manual says to do). The airbag still hit my upper chest and face hard enough to knock my glasses into the back seat. Didn't hurt at all, I was too stunned about stopping to notice the airbag. The cockpit smelled like gunpowder. Don't wish to repeat the experience.

That's what Enterprise had on the lot, and what the insurance will pay for. I could upgrade, but that's $5/day I am saving for that set of Comptech springs I now want. And yup, that's my punishment. It will force me to appreciate my TL even more when I get it back, being more careful with my $30k toy.

Yup, I was one of those. Definitely leads to bad karma, apparently.

Thanks for the messages. I just wanted to remind everyone that accidents happen to even drivers with good records.

 

I did a similar thing in a near empty parking lot a while ago. I was backing up and turning. As I put it in first and waved to my friends I caught the front right corner and baqsically ripped the whole side of the car the entire length on this low steel pole. I doubt if I was even going 10mph. I feel your pain. In time it will fade to be just a bummer.

 

sigh....not as bad as you, but i hope everything will be okay. I was backing up to get out of my driveway and the gate slowly opens up, i thought i was far enough so that gate could open...nope...it hit the back bumper and now i have a tiny dent on the back of my bumper sad...but nothing compared to your daamages bro...take care!