Rat
Well-known member
OK, I feel like an idiot, but I'll describe a problem I had today at the airport because someone else might benefit from it. As I approached the departure area to drop my daughter off, cars were double-parked, dropping people and then pulling out, weaving between other cars. I pulled in mostly in the "double-park lane" if there is such a thing, waiting for space closer to the curb. When it looked like it would open up in a few seconds I told my daughter to hop out but not get her luggage out of the hatch until I pulled over closer. The security guard was giving me the evil eye and waving me to get over. My daughter got out and the car that had been blocking my way moved out so I started to pull farther right, only the car wouldn't go. I couldn't figure out why. I stepped on the accelerator and still it wouldn't move. I moved the gear lever to make sure it was in drive, but succeeded only in putting it in ECO. Still it wouldn't move. Then I couldn't figure out how to get it back in drive, but thought it should still move in ECO. I sat dumbstruck for a few seconds thinking it was a problem with the shift lever. I saw the parking brake light was on so I hit the brake release but it still wouldn't move. I hit it again, then again and again maybe 20 times, pounding harder each time but the brake just wouldn't release. The guard was waving at me more urgently because I was partially blocking the through lane and my daughter was looking at me like I was crazy, waiting for me to pull over. I was near panic. I stepped on the accelerator hard trying to override the drag from the parking brake like you can do in a gas car, but that didn't work. I decided to just get out of the car and hoped the removal of the key would reset things, but I couldn't get out. The door was locked! I yanked on the handle a couple of times, getting more frustrated. If this had been a situation of being stuck on the railroad tracks I would have died for sure. I couldn't move and couldn't get out. Then I looked at the dash again. The brake like was still on, so I tried releasing the parking brake yet again but as I did so I saw a little message right in the center saying to step on the brake. Step on the brake in order to go forward? I don't remember ever reading or hearing about that. I tried it and the parking brake had finally released! Thank god some programmer thought to display that message on the dash, or I might still be stuck there. My daughter was looking at me with even greater concern now, gesturing like what is going on. The guard started to approach my car. I finally pulled over enough to clear the lane and the guard was satisfied. My daughter went to the back of the car to get her bag but she couldn't open the hatch. I thought she just didn't know how to push the button, so I tried to get out to help her but I still couldn't get out! I yanked on the door handle hard twice but it wouldn't open. I was ready to scream. Then I pushed the little unlock button on the door and got out, and then the hatch lid opened too. She got on her way shaking her head mumbling "Uhhhnn, My dad!" under her breath.
I have no idea how the parking brake got set, as I have no memory of setting it. Maybe when she jumped out the brake set automatically or maybe I did set it by habit when I came to the initial stop even though I intended to pull over farther in a few seconds . I guess this is the first time in a year and a half I've tried to release the emergency brake when trying to move. I normally release the brake within the first second of starting the car, when my foot is already on the brake, all as one practiced motion. I knew I had to brake to start the car, but I didn't know that I had to have my foot on the brake in order to release the emergency brake. It seems counterintuitive to me and a significant safety problem. Worse is the fact that the door wouldn't open when I yanked on the handle. Again, if I had been stuck on the tracks, I'd have died. In a panic situation, people just pull on the door handle to get out. They don't look for the right button in a sea of buttons. The car should be designed so that if someone pulls on the inside door handle while the car is stopped and the fob is in the car, the door should open every time, no matter what. That's an escape situation.
OK, have a good laugh. I should have known better after driving the car for 18 months, but I still think there is a serious design problem here.
I have no idea how the parking brake got set, as I have no memory of setting it. Maybe when she jumped out the brake set automatically or maybe I did set it by habit when I came to the initial stop even though I intended to pull over farther in a few seconds . I guess this is the first time in a year and a half I've tried to release the emergency brake when trying to move. I normally release the brake within the first second of starting the car, when my foot is already on the brake, all as one practiced motion. I knew I had to brake to start the car, but I didn't know that I had to have my foot on the brake in order to release the emergency brake. It seems counterintuitive to me and a significant safety problem. Worse is the fact that the door wouldn't open when I yanked on the handle. Again, if I had been stuck on the tracks, I'd have died. In a panic situation, people just pull on the door handle to get out. They don't look for the right button in a sea of buttons. The car should be designed so that if someone pulls on the inside door handle while the car is stopped and the fob is in the car, the door should open every time, no matter what. That's an escape situation.
OK, have a good laugh. I should have known better after driving the car for 18 months, but I still think there is a serious design problem here.