One time my W and kids went to the mall but since it was for April Fools Day I went there, found the car, and moved it to a different spot and different orientation - enough so they’d be able to find it but also enough that my W was really questioning herself since it didn’t seem to be exactly where she parked it. My kids said the reaction was pretty funny. I recommend you do this to your family next April 1.</p>
<p>These stroies make me not feel so bad about almost losing a car in Munich once. I parked it somewhere near the center of town and then went into the center for a few hours (and no - I wasn’t drinking). When I decided to leave I realized I didn’t actually know where I’d left the car and I discovered there were LOTS of cars that looked exactly like the one I had. At first I thought it was funny but after a few hours (and around midnight) I was wondering what I’d do - walk into a police dept and tell them I lost my rental car whose license number I didn’t know? I was pretty happy to finally find it. At least I didn’t leave the keys in it with the engine running.</p>
<p>When my son was little, one of the times I took him to the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus at the Meadowlands in NJ, I left the key in the ignition and the car running the entire time. As I discovered to my great embarrassment after the show was over. Fortunately, the doors were unlocked, too!</p>
<p>Not car-related, but there have been several times I’ve come home from work at night and left my keys in the front-door lock, at least once overnight. The next morning, I must have looked for my keys for at least half an hour before it occurred to me to check the outside of the front door.</p>
<p>I blame being absent-minded on my son. Clearly, I get it from him, because he’s pretty much the same way.</p>
<p>Ctyankee & Songbirdsmom - can I join the “tried to back out of the garage without opening the garage door” club? Actually I was a teenager and my mom was driving, but I was in the passenger seat next to her and NEITHER of us noticed that the garage door was closed. We had developed a pattern when leaving the house - as we walked into the garage, I’d hit the garage-door-opener button. But it was cold and windy that day, so I didn’t hit open the door, I guess I thought we’d open it after we got into the car. And our garage door had windows at the same height as the back window of our station wagon, so when Mom glanced backward it wasn’t obvious that the door wasn’t open. </p>
<p>My Dad still shakes his head over that one.</p>
<p>Didn’t I just read in the NY Times this morning that Elena Kagan used to do that, leave her car running when she got out? Perhaps your son is destined for greatness.</p>
<p>I’ve come close to backing into my garage door trying to leave the house but luckily it was during the day and I realized how dark it was.
What I have done is pull the van in the garage without remembering the car-top carrier was still attached. The repair man was as disgusted as my husband.</p>
<p>We have had more than one dead battery in our garage- first son forgot to turn off the light he needed to read with in H’s car (can’t go anywhere, even in town without a book…) and it went unnoticed, then H got out of my car- passenger side, away from the house door, he had to answer a page and forgot to close the car door all the way- another AAA call. Good ammunition for the times they think they’re so much smarter (it’s tough to be the least gifted in a smart family- I’m the concrete one who makes sure those daily living tasks get done). At least I didn’t try to drive out of the garage (I couldn’t, as it wouldn’t start). My sister wrecked her car door plus doing that one year when one of her kids left the door wide open.</p>
<p>At least absentmindedly stupid is better than actively stupid. </p>
<p>Last week, my brother was fiddling with a whiffle ball and got his finger stuck in one of the holes. My mom had to break out the dish soap and industrial grade cutters. My brother is a senior in high school. Not what mom expected to do when she got out of work.</p>
<p>lafalum, yes you may join our little club, if it’s ok with Mrs. ct. Your cold-and-windy-day explanation meets our requirement for a decent explanation of WHY one hasn’t, in fact, opened the door before exiting. </p>
<p>In my case, I can only tell you that my lipstick on these occasions looks really good, my sunglasses are in proper position (though it is now pitch-dark in garage), all random receipts strewn on passenger seat are now correctly filed in my wallet, my Blackberry’s plugged in, and we’re prepared for…TAKE-OFF!!!</p>
<p>I also have the qualifications to apply for the Garage Door Demolition Club. We have a 3 car garage with an opening for each car. I did not make the transition well from that larger single garage door for two cars to share. My 3 garage doors were made of the cheapest material ever (so I’ve been told by everyone). Well, I demolished one. Door was up and I closed it and backed out. It was literally in splinters. </p>
<p>Then the problem was replacing it. When you have 3 garage doors, they kinda have to match or it really doesn’t look right. I couldn’t find anyone or anyplace that had the cheap doors we had. And I was not about to have one custom reconstructed. In fact, we really wanted better quality for security and insulation purposes. So we bit the bullet and paid for 3 new garage doors. </p>
<p>I left the keys in the car while running parked at a mailbox at the end of our block. Of course, when I got out of the car, habit caused me to lock the car. I mailed my letter went back to the car and discovered what I had done. A cop pulled up just at that moment and proceeded to read me the riot act about leaving the car running while mailing a letter. He leaves, a neighbor watches my car (where was it going to go?) and I ran down the street to our house to get a 2nd set of keys.</p>
<p>I now have a Ford with the coded, keyless entry system.</p>
<p>UMDad, I was working on the school play–son had dropped me off so I did not have a car there. The teacher in charge asked me to run to the CVS and pick up a few things that were needed, and handed me his “thing”. It was quite embarrassing to have to interrupt him while he was working with 20 middle schoolers and tell him I could not even get his car door unlocked and had know idea how I would start the car even if I had gotten it opened… I fooled around with the danged thing for a good 10 minutes and got nowhere before deciding to come clean.</p>
<p>Two of my closest friends are both incredibly bright attorneys. One of them drove off from the gas station with the gas thing still attached to her car. The other drove through the carwash with her sunroof open. I wouldn’t consider either one an airhead but really??</p>
<p>cpt, welcome to our special little group. I introduce you to the others as a new member of special distinction…“Then I hit the garage door again.” That really says it all, doesn’t it? I think Mrs. ct and I would like to offer you a position on our board of directors.</p>
<p>D’s first Harvard-Yale football game in New Haven. S1 and I flew out to NYC, rented a car and stayed at a Hampton Inn near New Haven. Frosty morning, went out to start the car during breakfast to warm it up.</p>
<p>Yep - locked the keys in it. Had to call AAA and darn near missed the beginning of the festivities. BTW - it took the AAA guy about 6 seconds to open the car.</p>
<p>Count me in. I’ve driven through the garage door not once, but twice. First time, the dang thing just wasn’t going up fast enough and I was already late for a school pick up. I backed up and tore off the bottom third of the door. Second time, once again, I was in a hurry. Dashed into the garage. Noticed the other door was up. By some convoluted logic, I figured if that door (which is usually never up) was open, then my side must be open to. Didn’t bother to check and just put the car into reverse. You know how the story ends.</p>
<p>I’ve also ripped off mirrors in the garage and tore off a car door when the car rolled down the driveway and got caught on a fence. Yes, I am an airhead, but only in the driveway. I’m perfectly safe on the road.</p>
<p>A few weeks ago I went to go somewhere and realized I couldn’t find my keys.</p>
<p>Now mind you, I have about 50 keychains on my keyring for the sole purpose that I DON’T lose my keys…and never had before this moment.</p>
<p>I have a spare key (mom made sure I had one when I came up to school) so I went out and looked…didn’t see anything.</p>
<p>The only part I was peeved about was that I had some very sentimental keychains…one form HS graduation and one a good friend of mine brought back for me from Italy.</p>
<p>THREE days later, I decide to go look in my car again at about 1 AM. I open the door, the dome light goes on, and glints off the keys…in the ignition. Where they had been about three days.</p>