MadManMike Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Hey guys, So yesterday I am in a suburban with 5 other guys on my way to a Halloween party, 2 girls were also going with us but they were following in their own car (a geo tracker). It's just after rush hour and we are going north on I-5 and just after merging from the express lanes back to the normal i-5 traffic bottle necks, we had to break pretty hard to slow down.. but no screeching of breaks or any thing. Then seconds later WHAM, the girls who were following us whacked into the back of us (really didn't move the suburban that much) but with their rubber bumper I could see them bounce back pretty good. After we got off on an exit to make sure every one was okay, at that point the girls said they had no breaks... at first I doubted it, but they were right... one of the break lines on the drivers side had a big ol' hole in it, I had her pump her breaks a few times and the reservoir went glug glug (it was already passed the minimum point of fluid) and drained out the hole. So then the cop comes and was a real jerk... He said "You were following to close, you need to be 3 car lengths behinde them.. I could site you for reckless driving" (to the already crying and shaken girl) "I don't care if your breaks went out you still should have been able to stop in time by pumping them" So here is the funny part... since the Geo was so short it just hit the hitch and part of the bumper on the Suburban, both cars suffered almost no damage. No major injuries.. my neck is crazy stiff today from the whiplash. I just thought it was pretty crazy for breaks to fail like that... -Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 I'm just glad everyone is basically ok. At the end of the day my attitude is screw the metal, only the people matter. As for brakes failing like that, I have had a wheel cylinder fail on me, mid breaking in traffic. *press brake petal, slow down, then have the petal go to the floor* *grab parking brake* *slam into the truck in front of me* *engage parking brake* When we got to the side of the road, the guy basically started yelling at me. I told him the brakes just failed and I had no idea what happened nor was there anything I could do. He started to tell me that my POS shouldn't be allowed on the road when I started yelling back. There was NO damage to his truck and my fiberglass front end was all cracked. In the end he just left, but it was a perfect example of what an ass some people can be and take any opportunity to be self righteous. As for the cop and his 'pump the brakes' comment, he obviously shouldn't be a cop, much less have a gun. What an idiot!! B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadManMike Posted November 2, 2008 Author Share Posted November 2, 2008 (edited) As for the cop and his 'pump the brakes' comment, he obviously shouldn't be a cop, much less have a gun. What an idiot!! B Tell me about it, when you lose pressure in the system you lose pressure... And she really wasn't following to close, if she would have had breaks she would have stopped. Yeah same here about the people... That could have been a lot worse. -Mike Edited November 2, 2008 by MadManMike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 As for the cop and his 'pump the brakes' comment, he obviously shouldn't be a cop, much less have a gun. What an idiot!! B He's a cop, not a mechanic. I've had my master cylinder go on me on two occasions... the first I was on the highway in rush hour traffic. I was lucky I was able to get onto the shoulder. Second time was during a wicked snow storm at 11 at night, an hour from home, and near pretty much nothing. (4 hour wait for CAA, and I locked my keys in the truck after asking the gas station I was at if I could leave the truck until the morning). Good times. Mike, glad to hear everyone is okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 He's a cop, not a mechanic. Yes, BUT there is an old adage that goes something like "When you don't know what you are talking about, keep your mouth shut...". It applies in this situation. The last thing people need after something like that is to have a cop berate them and make idiotic statements. If this is an example of his performance, I'll stand by my statement that he'd do society a favor by becoming a janitor. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadManMike Posted November 2, 2008 Author Share Posted November 2, 2008 (edited) Yeah the cop made me mad... I have had lots of friends who are cops, and I understand that he could have been on patrol for 10 hours and their job is often stressful. But come on, they also are supposed to be taught to calm people down and help out in stressful situations, not make them worse. So the next question is: Should people get their breaking systems checked out every once and a while? I mean I replace my own break pads, add fluid if ever needed and bleed them when needed. But I have never thought of checking out all the lines and stuff. Or is it just so rare that it doesn't matter? -Mike Edited November 2, 2008 by MadManMike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 Yes, BUT there is an old adage that goes something like "When you don't know what you are talking about, keep your mouth shut...". True enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted November 2, 2008 Share Posted November 2, 2008 Glad to hear no one got hurt. I talked to a friend's dad, who is a Lieutenant at the police department, and told him about what the cop at the scene said to the girl. He said that was ridiculous, and if he had been there or the cop was under his jurisdiction, he would be in quite a bit of trouble. He said in situations like that, you don't make comments, or threats of any kind until after words and everything has been looked over. "That cop is a f*****g idiot" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 LOL, am I to take that to heart Pezzy? The GF wonders... Should people get their breaking systems checked out every once and a while? To me, it's all about wear and tear. If you live in salt city, yes, it makes sense but I'd hate to make it manditory. Problem is, people take their cars for granted and mechanics charge a fortune. No easy out there, but I inspect the brake system every 1-2 years, and I live in Cali... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadManMike Posted November 3, 2008 Author Share Posted November 3, 2008 Yes, BUT there is an old adage that goes something like "When you don't know what you are talking about, keep your mouth shut..." I have a feeling Pezzy will use this against you for years to come Yeah well checking my breaking system really never was something I thought of... but now I will... I don't like the idea of my breaks giving out. -Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 I have a feeling Pezzy will use this against you for years to come Dammit Man!! Don't go planting the seed, she is Red Headed enough the way it is!! B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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