Summer is the perfect time to complete driver’s ed — and start accumulating some stellar, and not-so-stellar, roadside memories. Even if you’ve been driving for years though, summer is a great time to remember awkward driving scenarios of the distant past. Without further ado, here are a few of our most embarrassing driving moments. Feel free to share your own by commenting on this post.
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When my passenger was helping me navigate the streets of Dayton, we ran into a communication issue that quickly turned into an Abbott and Costello routine.
“Am I turning left?”
“Right,” she replied.
(I hit the turn signal and prepared to change lanes.)
“What are you doing?” She began to panic.
“Turning right.”
“No! We need to go left!”
“But you said ‘Right.’”
All this played out while frantically switching lanes. Fortunately, it hasn’t happened again; we’ve made a pact to say “correct” when verifying directions.
When I interned at a radio station, I had to get up at 2:30 a.m. each weekday for a 4-9 a.m. morning show. My first morning did not go so well. In the middle of my commute, I turned left onto a ramp to get on the highway, only to realize that I was going the wrong way. Fortunately, no one was around, so I just backed up like I was leaving my home driveway and went on my merry way. The end.
Back in 2001 (I was in college at the time), I attended my sister’s high school graduation, which was held at a local church. As I was leaving, I backed out of a parking space without paying attention and smashed into a light pole.
But I couldn’t just pull away from the scene of my humiliation. The pole’s concrete base had firmly wedged itself underneath the bumper and my Chevy Blazer was stuck. I had to call in my dad, who helped me jack up the vehicle and free it — while providing me with a steady stream of unsolicited, but richly-deserved, advice about my driving habits.
Then, to make the situation even more mortifying, the church maintenance guy ambled out to tell me I’d tripped a breaker and disabled all the other lights in the parking lot. Now for the good news: The light pole and my bumper escaped without major damage. My ego would eventually recover, as well.
It’s hard to pick just one awkward driving moment. I guess I’d have to say one of my FIRST embarrassing driving moments was when I parked too close to a concrete pillar in a parking garage and scratched the side of my car when I backed out. (But car scars, are like battle scars, right?…) After repeating this scenario a second time, I have since banned myself from parking near any concrete pillar or lamppost obstacles…
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The News Wheel is a digital auto magazine providing readers with a fresh perspective on the latest car news. We’re located in the heart of America (Dayton, Ohio) and our goal is to deliver an entertaining and informative perspective on what’s trending in the automotive world. See more articles from The News Wheel.