Tonight I picked up my oldest from athletic practice. It was about 6:45pm, and I drove with my headlights on, for safety, as a touch of darkness is beginning, even in Southern Cal.
I pull up behind a white BMW SUV alongside the curb. There is a lot of space between me and this SUV, and there is space between the SUV and the car parked in front of it, ahead of both of cars in line. There are only our three vehicles, in a curb area that could easily fit 7-8 cars. I park where I do, so as not to block a pedestrian cross walk. There is still plenty of room, that we can each easily pull out without backing. You could still fit a car in between my car and the SUV ahead of me.
First, a father and his two elementary aged kids come up and the kids LOVE the car. He knows nothing about cars. He asks the typical, "Whoa, what kind of car is this?" And then I ask, can you take a guess? He answers, and I have heard this before, "Well, it says Ford...But how can it be a Ford?" I'm like, c'mon, Ford makes some really good vehicles, and we talk, as I watch his kids so they don't touch the exhaust, but I encourage them to look as close as they want to the car.
Next, another dad comes up with his two kids, and this time they are all fanatical and knowledgeable and we have a fun talk.
Then, the BMW quickly reverses at an unexpectedly fast rate of speed and I run to the front as I yelled for her to STOP!
This makes quite a scene. But thankfully, the driver freezes for a while and then takes off. She had backed up to within 1.5 feet of the front of my GT almost instantly.
Whew. That was a close call. One minute you are just relaxed and enjoying the pride of ownership, and sharing with those that have never seen, and those that have seen, and next thing you know, terror is stricken into your heart.
I know it's just a car, but wow. I feel like I lost a year of my life.
I still enjoy any chance to drive the GT, and it's especially fun in the mundane routine tasks, as people really don't expect to see it in their daily routine. But, this will make me paranoid for a little while.
If the two boys were standing in front of the car instead of the side, I feel we could have all easily been taken out. I have to imagine there is a back up camera in that BMW, but some people just do not pay attention.
We have free loaner vehicles at one of my businesses, we only charge for fuel, as a convenience. The other day, a person borrows a 2013 Nissan NV Van, with back up sensors and rear windows in both doors. It's about as easy to drive as a car, and that's why I got it for the customers. All three of our vehicles are parked right next to one another, and all are facing forward, so you can drive straight out. A male customer apparently pulled the Nissan out, backed into a Ford Truck, and then moved forward, and backed into our Ford truck again. He did not let us know about the damage, but witnesses and surveillance cameras told the story. I wondered if he heard the loud beeping noises from the back up sensors, heard the first crunch, and then did the exact same thing again. And of course, just left without informing anyone. He managed to involve two of our vehicles in an accident, all by himself. I offered him to pay the body shop directly for the damages, bumper and two sensors, which were about $1400, which I thought was actually reasonable. (I was just going to live with the minor bumper damage on the truck). Then he yelled at our staff and said we were trying to make money off him. The nerve of some people. It would be easier to have just called and reported a "hit and run." In 9+ years, that's a first for someone to not be able to drive straight out of a space. I mean sure, there is a fence and other things in front, but that's what the steering wheel is for.
End of rant. Be safe out there!
I pull up behind a white BMW SUV alongside the curb. There is a lot of space between me and this SUV, and there is space between the SUV and the car parked in front of it, ahead of both of cars in line. There are only our three vehicles, in a curb area that could easily fit 7-8 cars. I park where I do, so as not to block a pedestrian cross walk. There is still plenty of room, that we can each easily pull out without backing. You could still fit a car in between my car and the SUV ahead of me.
First, a father and his two elementary aged kids come up and the kids LOVE the car. He knows nothing about cars. He asks the typical, "Whoa, what kind of car is this?" And then I ask, can you take a guess? He answers, and I have heard this before, "Well, it says Ford...But how can it be a Ford?" I'm like, c'mon, Ford makes some really good vehicles, and we talk, as I watch his kids so they don't touch the exhaust, but I encourage them to look as close as they want to the car.
Next, another dad comes up with his two kids, and this time they are all fanatical and knowledgeable and we have a fun talk.
Then, the BMW quickly reverses at an unexpectedly fast rate of speed and I run to the front as I yelled for her to STOP!
This makes quite a scene. But thankfully, the driver freezes for a while and then takes off. She had backed up to within 1.5 feet of the front of my GT almost instantly.
Whew. That was a close call. One minute you are just relaxed and enjoying the pride of ownership, and sharing with those that have never seen, and those that have seen, and next thing you know, terror is stricken into your heart.
I know it's just a car, but wow. I feel like I lost a year of my life.
I still enjoy any chance to drive the GT, and it's especially fun in the mundane routine tasks, as people really don't expect to see it in their daily routine. But, this will make me paranoid for a little while.
If the two boys were standing in front of the car instead of the side, I feel we could have all easily been taken out. I have to imagine there is a back up camera in that BMW, but some people just do not pay attention.
We have free loaner vehicles at one of my businesses, we only charge for fuel, as a convenience. The other day, a person borrows a 2013 Nissan NV Van, with back up sensors and rear windows in both doors. It's about as easy to drive as a car, and that's why I got it for the customers. All three of our vehicles are parked right next to one another, and all are facing forward, so you can drive straight out. A male customer apparently pulled the Nissan out, backed into a Ford Truck, and then moved forward, and backed into our Ford truck again. He did not let us know about the damage, but witnesses and surveillance cameras told the story. I wondered if he heard the loud beeping noises from the back up sensors, heard the first crunch, and then did the exact same thing again. And of course, just left without informing anyone. He managed to involve two of our vehicles in an accident, all by himself. I offered him to pay the body shop directly for the damages, bumper and two sensors, which were about $1400, which I thought was actually reasonable. (I was just going to live with the minor bumper damage on the truck). Then he yelled at our staff and said we were trying to make money off him. The nerve of some people. It would be easier to have just called and reported a "hit and run." In 9+ years, that's a first for someone to not be able to drive straight out of a space. I mean sure, there is a fence and other things in front, but that's what the steering wheel is for.
End of rant. Be safe out there!
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