Embarrassed

I feel embarrassed! Really embarrassed! On Sunday I reversed the car into Alex' car, and our towbar dented the front panel of his car. I then had to inform Alex, who lives in the apartment above ours, that I damaged his car, and he was so good about it. Unfortunately this is the fourth car I have damaged a car in the street.

The first car was owned by the mother of a neighbour. I reversed around the corner and straight into her car, which was stationery. The poor lady was in such a state of shock I invited her in for a cup of tea.

The second car was a neighbour's van. I swung the car around too quickly and scraped the side of his van. He was also very understanding about it.

The third car belonged to elderly neighbours who found that it was easier to leave their car out on the road, rather than try and open the garage door each time they needed to use it. This was certainly a mistake as I reversed into their car in the dark, and dented the front bumper bar. They were so lovely about it, and thanked me for letting them know that I had damaged their car.

I have also reversed into a wall, and our neighbour's rubbish bins but I prefer not to count them.

I wonder if the neighbours compare notes. I wonder if I am getting a name for myself as a 'demolition derby driver'. It is very difficult to hold your head up high (perhaps that is my trouble), when the cars you have damaged are there for me, and everyone else, to see every day.

I can remember I had similar bad luck, or lapses of concentration, back at a school in Adelaide. I reversed over a tap, which then got stuck under the van and the groundsman had to lift the van off it, so I could drive away. I reversed into a netball pole and it snapped off and I was very unpopular with the Parents' Association because they could no longer use the netball court. The netball pole had been cemented into the ground and could not be replaced. I also reversed out and scraped a car parked alongside mine. But then I was driving a VW Combi van, which had many blind spots in it.

But thinking about it, I have had other lapses in judgement, such as the time I drove the front of the car over the edge of a retaining wall. The front of the car was left hanging in mid air. Some lovely considerate and understanding builders, lifted the car back over the wall. I was attending a Headteachers' Conference in Hythe at the time, and certainly needed a lie down after that incident. The few Headteachers who saw the car hanging in mid air, never said a word to me about it afterwards. Mind you I can imagine what they thought!

In the meantime I will have to continue to eat humble pie, be very nice to my neighbours, and try to be extra careful in future. Otherwise my reputation as a competent driver will be completely in shatters, if it isn't already!