Quick question about an incident at a mechanic shop!

[Pumppp]

Just wanted to get some feedback from the community. I recently went to a mechanic shop and had some work done on my car. They parked the car in front of there little garage which is made out of some kind of aluminum sheet metal. Well they parked the car and left it in first gear without the hand brake up.

So they told me to drive to the back so they can wash off some stuff off my car and i start up the car as i usually would and the car pounces forward and hits the aluminum panel and dents it not majorly dented but somewhat pushed in.

I apologize to the manager and told him that the hand brake wasn't up and he flips out on me and starts yelling at me, saying that i'm accusing him that it was his fault when it was my fault and then he takes the key from my hand and slams it on the counter and says that hes gonna keep my car and call insurance and make me pay for all the damages and that i'm held responsible. I apologize and get my key back and i pay him and leave.

So my question is am i totally at fault?

[m10-power]

Originally posted by Pumppp
Just wanted to get some feedback from the community. I recently went to a mechanic shop and had some work done on my car. They parked the car in front of there little garage which is made out of some kind of aluminum sheet metal. Well they parked the car and left it in first gear without the hand brake up.

So they told me to drive to the back so they can wash off some stuff off my car and i start up the car as i usually would and the car pounces forward and hits the aluminum panel and dents it not majorly dented but somewhat pushed in.

I apologize to the manager and told him that the hand brake wasn't up and he flips out on me and starts yelling at me, saying that i'm accusing him that it was his fault when it was my fault and then he takes the key from my hand and slams it on the counter and says that hes gonna keep my car and call insurance and make me pay for all the damages and that i'm held responsible. I apologize and get my key back and i pay him and leave.

So my question is am i totally at fault?

Yup, you seriously need to ask this question?

[Eken9]

If you drive manual, would you not 100% always check if the handbrake was up or down? And why would the car pounce forward IF you had put it in neutral???
So basically the car was in gear, you start up the car without checking the hand brake OR if it was in gear and let go of the clutch? Thus causing the car to jump forward?

[GoChris]

Originally posted by Pumppp
Just wanted to get some feedback from the community. I recently went to a mechanic shop and had some work done on my car. They parked the car in front of there little garage which is made out of some kind of aluminum sheet metal. Well they parked the car and left it in first gear without the hand brake up.

So they told me to drive to the back so they can wash off some stuff off my car and i start up the car as i usually would and the car pounces forward and hits the aluminum panel and dents it not majorly dented but somewhat pushed in.

I apologize to the manager and told him that the hand brake wasn't up and he flips out on me and starts yelling at me, saying that i'm accusing him that it was his fault when it was my fault and then he takes the key from my hand and slams it on the counter and says that hes gonna keep my car and call insurance and make me pay for all the damages and that i'm held responsible. I apologize and get my key back and i pay him and leave.

So my question is am i totally at fault?

Case closed.

[n1zm0]

sure you're the one at fault, as said if you drive a manual transmission vehicle you should know the procedures and potential risks that accompany it because everyone has different habits on parking a 5spd, you must drive something like an early 90s nissan or have clutch in starting disabled because that's a bad habit I remember falling into with my s13 and old stanza beater, no need for depressing the pedal to start.

[2EFNFAST]

You're at fault.

If I were him I'd be pissed to - yes, you had a stupid moment in a manual at the wrong time - but really, you did hit his building.

[Pumppp]

When i drive i always park in neutral with handbrake up. So i am used to that. When they parked my car they left it in Gear 1 and did Not put the hand brake Up! Thus when starting the car it jumped forward. I didn't have my foot on the clutch because they moved my seat back so my foot couldn't reach the clutch but also my car was converted from an automatic to a manual so you don't need to put your foot down on the clutch to start it. They told me to move it to the back so i just got in the car and started it then all of a sudden boom it went forward.

They just didn't put the hand brake up! If it was up it wouldn't have moved forward.

The car didn't even stall either it just went forward i dented there panel then i just threw it back in reverse i was so surprised.

Originally posted by Eken9
If you drive manual, would you not 100% always check if the handbrake was up or down? And why would the car pounce forward IF you had put it in neutral???
So basically the car was in gear, you start up the car without checking the hand brake OR if it was in gear and let go of the clutch? Thus causing the car to jump forward?

[m10-power]

Originally posted by Pumppp
When i drive i always park in neutral with handbrake up. So i am used to that. When they parked my car they left it in Gear 1 and did Not put the hand brake Up! Thus when starting the car it jumped forward. I didn't have my foot on the clutch because they moved my seat back so my foot couldn't reach the clutch but also my car was converted from an automatic to a manual so you don't need to put your foot down on the clutch to start it. They told me to move it to the back so i just got in the car and started it then all of a sudden boom it went forward.

They just didn't put the hand brake up! If it was up it wouldn't have moved forward.

The car didn't even stall either it just went forward i dented there panel then i just threw it back in reverse i was so surprised.

[Kloubek]

Originally posted by Pumppp
When i drive i always park in neutral with handbrake up.

...then you park incorrectly, and it came to bite you on the ass.

Seriously OP, I get what you are saying. They left the car in a state you normally do not, so you feel they are responsible.

But truly, the fact is that if you drive a manual car, you should know everything there is to know about driving one. The fact you were not thinking about it is not their fault. The fact you did not see that the car was in 1st is not their fault.

It sucks, but it is your responsibility.

[top_speed]

Originally posted by Pumppp
When i drive i always park in neutral with handbrake up. So i am used to that. When they parked my car they left it in Gear 1 and did Not put the hand brake Up! Thus when starting the car it jumped forward. I didn't have my foot on the clutch because they moved my seat back so my foot couldn't reach the clutch but also my car was converted from an automatic to a manual so you don't need to put your foot down on the clutch to start it. They told me to move it to the back so i just got in the car and started it then all of a sudden boom it went forward.

They just didn't put the hand brake up! If it was up it wouldn't have moved forward.

The car didn't even stall either it just went forward i dented there panel then i just threw it back in reverse i was so surprised.

^it didnt stall??? are you sure it was converted to manuall?

[m10-power]

.

[2EFNFAST]

Originally posted by m10-power

Not just

but




Why do I get the feeling the OP is 16 or 17yrs old....

[NoMoreG35]

Don't you put your right foot on the brake when starting the car?

[Tomaz]

Tommy's start procedure:

1. Right foot on brake

2. Left foot depressing clutch

3. Shift position -> Neutral

4. Profit

It sucks, but you are responsible for you being behind the wheel.

PS: Your parking habits should change too. What happens when your PARKING BRAKE fails? Read your manual.

[GTS4tw]

Originally posted by Pumppp
When i drive i always park in neutral with handbrake up. So i am used to that. When they parked my car they left it in Gear 1 and did Not put the hand brake Up! Thus when starting the car it jumped forward. I didn't have my foot on the clutch because they moved my seat back so my foot couldn't reach the clutch but also my car was converted from an automatic to a manual so you don't need to put your foot down on the clutch to start it. They told me to move it to the back so i just got in the car and started it then all of a sudden boom it went forward.

They just didn't put the hand brake up! If it was up it wouldn't have moved forward.

The car didn't even stall either it just went forward i dented there panel then i just threw it back in reverse i was so surprised.

Wow, its just too easy to get a license these days. I don't blame you, I blame the government.

[Pumppp]

Thanks guys.

[Team_Mclaren]

blame it on whoever taught you manual, ask his insurance company to pay for all the damages

[rp_guy]

obviously you guys don't drive manual cars that need to be in reservation mode to be remote started..

[scat19]

Originally posted by rp_guy
obviously you guys don't drive manual cars that need to be in reservation mode to be remote started..

Remote starters aren't made for the car guy driving a 6spd. They are made for girls who hate getting into a cold automatic and afraid a nail will break.

OP - learn how to drive a stick, and if it WAS in first gear with the handbreak up you'd have stalled anyway...

Just like what I saw the other day - A guy was test driving a standard jeep and stalled it no more than three times in concession causing one more traffic light rotation.

Learn how to drive man. I cry when I see cars just bouncing all over the road because someone can't drive them, you'd never know I was driving a standard if you followed me.

[AE92_TreunoSC]

I'd freak out at a customer that accused me of crashing a car that he started.

That said, I always leave customers cars in neutral, or a high gear if the e-brake doesnt work.