Cars can be weapons of mass destruction.
Often it can seem like a lot of drivers don’t understand that.
Well, they don’t understand or don’t care.
Who knows.
But it’s a dangerous landscape out on the roads of the world.
Being prepared for other drivers is a survival necessity.
Redditor stilldrivingmycar wanted to discuss her experience and get some feedback. So naturally, she came to visit the “Am I The A**hole” (AITA) subReddit.
She asked:
“AITA for refusing to stop driving and sell my car despite my boyfriend asking me to do so?”
The Original Poster (OP) explained:
“I (26 F[emale]) recently got into a small car accident (which was not my fault).”
“Which resulted in an argument with my B[oy]F[riend] who insists I should stop driving and that I should take public transit.”
“Public transit is ok in our city, but I still like having a car and the freedom it gives me.”
“Unfortunately, in the three years we have been together I have had three car accidents that were my fault and a 4th that wasn’t.”
“However, I’m actually decent and confident while driving outside of these incidents, and I plan on being a lot more careful moving forward.”
“I just feel like I got a little unlucky.”
“I have zero non-accident-related tickets while he does.”
“The first one was literally the day I purchased a new, to me, used car on the first drive back home.”
“The floormat the previous owner had installed was not great and woolly. It caught the heel of my shoe while I hit the gas, and I could not brake or release it in time, so I rear-ended someone.”
“Obviously, I was not expecting the floormat to be so bad, and I changed it now and have been fine since.”
“The second one was in a parking lot, where I was backing over a bit of snow and the car was stuck and accelerated a little too hard to free it and backed into another car causing no damage to either vehicle.”
“The third was when I was reverse parking into a spot and there was a speed bump right in front of the spot and as I moved forward while turning to adjust the angle, my foot slipped off the brake as the car was going over the speed bump.”
“And then I accidentally hit the gas and drove into a parked car.”
“The last one was because a spare tire came off a vehicle in front of me, and I stopped suddenly, and the car behind me rear-ended.”
“I understand this is not the best, but he also had one accident that was his fault and far more near misses than I have ever had while I was in the car with him.”
“Obviously, I am going to be more careful, but these really were one of those things, and the most recent one was not even my fault.”
“I have never damaged his car and have always paid for any damages caused either myself or via insurance.”
The OP was left to wonder:
“So AITA?”
Redditors shared their thoughts on this matter and weighed some options to the question AITA:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
Many Redditors declared OP was NOT the A**hole, but several people had different thoughts.
“NTA for refusing to stop driving at your bf’s insistence, YTA for not learning how to drive.”
“You’ve hit 3 parked/stopped cars in 3 years.”
“You need to SERIOUSLY reevaluate before you hurt someone.”
“Seriously. You don’t seem to see it as an issue, but if a pedestrian had been there, they would be much harder to see than a whole car.” ~ kermitdafrog21
“Four accidents in three years is a lot.”
“You are NTA for not stopping driving, but I would recommend taking additional driving classes.”
“You may just be unlucky, but likely, there is a common denominator to your driving issues, like your feet slipping.”
“Why does that happen?”
“What can you do to fix that?” ~ goldenfingernails
“I have been driving for seven years now, and I have hit two things.”
“I hit my brother’s car and a pilon once but those [were not counted] as accidents.”
“There were no damages (not even paint scuffs purr), and it was in my first month driving.”
“I’ve worn all kinds of shoes (heels, slippers), and never has my foot ‘slipped off the pedal.'”
“OP is a shi**y driver.”
“ETA: I’m actually six years,11 months accident-free.”
“The first month wasn’t great.” ~ CommonWest9387
“But the solution doesn’t need to be selling the car and not driving anymore.”
“The solution could be relying on public transportation while she takes a driving course or something like that.”
“She still would have the car for when she is ready. She just needs to seriously reevaluate what she is doing wrong and learn/practice what to do better when these situations come up.”
“She sounds like a super inexperienced driver who panics when unexpected circumstances pop up and reacts badly/hits the wrong pedal.”
“She needs to take a driving course aimed towards already licensed drivers who want to be better, not just give up her car and stop driving altogether.”
“She’ll definitely one day need to drive again, and she’ll be even worse off for giving up now.” ~ macaroniandmilk
“Perfect summary of my feelings.”
“OP is NTA for not wanting to stop because their BF said so, but they sound like an absolute menace to other road users.”
“At least two of the incidents they mention sound like they’re wholly their fault, and the third is debatable.” ~ bofh
“Sorry, OP, but that’s a lot.”
“I used to be a courier that drove my own car.”
“I would drive several hundred miles a day (enough to have to get gas once a day).”
“I’ve had my own share, but nothing like that.”
“The fact that you accidentally hit the gas rather than the brake is concerning.”
“And hitting many parked cars is wild to me.”
“As of today, I’ve been in one accident.”
“And that was a woman slamming on her brakes in the rain to actually have someone hit her.”
“My brakes locked up, and thankfully, I hit the guy who hit her.”
“Construction and on me for following too closely.”
“And that was 14 years ago.”
“Not to say it can’t happen again, but I’ve had courier jobs since then.”
“Statistically at a higher risk than you.”
“I would look into driving school or something as this is concerning.” ~ Worldly-Comfort2620
“YTA! YTA! YTA! for severely, severely misacknowledging that you have a problem.”
“By the look of your responses here, it’s never really your fault. It is always situational or contextual.”
“It seems to most of the respondents that your decision-making, situational awareness, focus, and judgment are not the best to be driving heavy machinery like a car.”
“I’d even guess that that last one that ‘wasn’t your fault’ was probably avoidable if you had better situational awareness knowing someone was behind you.”
“Also, your feet don’t just slip off the pedals. That is a driver issue.”
“Try listening to advice for a change, like not wearing heels behind the wheel or fully focusing on your actions.”
“It wouldn’t hurt you and can only help.” ~ udigogogo
“You have had four accidents in three years.”
“It does seem a bit much.”
“Your insurance must be astronomical.”
“You do sound a bit cavalier about things.”
“I don’t know, I am torn.”
“Maybe you need a neon yellow car so others can stay away from you.”
“You are both incredibly unlucky and somewhat clumsy.”
“This may not be a good mix for driving. Sorry.” ~ Accomplished_Two1611
OP came back with some info…
“Since people seem to have a problem with my footwear.”
“I wasn’t wearing heels for the second and third accidents, so I only had one where I was wearing them and at fault.”
“I wear them regularly, but the last accident was literally not my fault. I was in heels and braked very promptly, and the first was addressed by changing the floormat.”
“Obviously, there are some shoes I do not drive in and change into something else if I do not have a good and stable feel of the pedals or find the shoes uncomfortable and this applies to some flats too.”
“I can drive in heels as long as they have a flat part in the front of the shoe as that is what makes contact with the pedals anyway and have straps.”
“I drove at 16 and have always driven a lot since 20.”
“I had zero accidents before that that were my fault.”
“Had a couple of incidents where others hit my car while it was parked.”
“All 3 of the at-fault accidents were the first year when I moved in with him.”
Reddit continued…
“I read your comments.”
“You’re an idiot, stop driving with heels, learn how to drive, take your responsibility, or just stop driving at all.”
“Your boyfriend is right.”
“I drive a 23-year-old car.”
“I’ve had my driver’s license for 5 years now and I drive with work boots, vans, or f**king barefoot and I have never, ever slipped my brake and hit the gas.”
“This is a Major skill issue on your side.”
“One day you’re gonna hit a bike or a pedestrian and have to pay for the rest of your life for their injuries.”
“Probably saying ‘Life is unfair, it was an accident. Wasn’t even my fault. The floor mat was bad.'”
“JUST LISTEN TO THE ADVICE OF OTHER PEOPLE!!!” ~ Neat-Entertainer5142
“YTA. Every comment you make is just riddled with excuses on why all those accidents you listed are barely your fault.”
“I have been driving for 14 years and had a grand total of 0 accidents, mainly due to my own competency.”
“You are a menace to other drivers and need to listen to your boyfriend and probably retake your driving test.”
“Accidents shouldn’t be a yearly occurrence.” ~ something_brick
Well, OP, Reddit seems to have some serious issues with your driving record.
It may be time to evaluate your abilities.
A refresher course for road safety couldn’t hurt.
Good luck.