Wally wrote: Air bags don't go off people complain, they go off too easy people complain. They just can't win.
If the porridge is too cold, people complain.
If the porridge is too hot, people complain.
If only there were a third state for the porridge...
Though really, I think in this case I have a strong leaning toward having the porridge too cold if the choice is cold porridge or having a fiery hot-porridge wreck because an airbag went off midcorner.
Ashyukun wrote: I've never not set the parking brake on a stick when parked, never not left it in gear AND, if parking on a hill, made sure the wheels were aimed so it would roll into the curb and not out into the road.
I tend to behave similarly after a childhood in San Francisco. You just grow up aware that leaving rolly things unattended without due caution means they end up at the bottom of the hill.
We also had a '64 F-250 my parents called White House. Until the incident with the forklift disconnecting from the trailer outside our apartment on 24th street. Thereafter it was called Rumpletruckskin.
1988RedT2 wrote: Parking brake? What the heck is that? I've heard of an E-brake. That's the thing you yank up on when you want to go around a curve sideways. Never heard of a parking brake.
I think it's called a doriftu lever nowadays
In reply to GameboyRMH:
Oh dear god no... I'm now imagining it being explained between young dorifto kids as being like hitting A and X together on an xbox controller.
Yes, I looked that up. And yes, I probably also managed to phrase that really badly somehow. Damn, can't find a captioned pic of David Ogden Stiers in Better Off Dead trying to talk like the youth...
This happened in front of my house a couple years ago. Here's the description from a facebook post and the pic:
"My neighbor's contractor has had his beater 85' Ford pickup blocking much of the parking in front of their house. I asked neighbor if he might ask the contractor to move it. This morning a neighbor knocked at the door to ask if I knew anything about a blue truck. "It's been in front of my neighbor's for 5 months and has never moved" I said. "well it's moved now" he replied.
I reckon the parking brake cable let go. It rolled backwards down the fairly steep cul de sac and across Donnybrook where it walloped someone's nice new Civic.
I have an ironclad alibi."
Ashyukun wrote: It took me a while, but I eventually convinced SWMBO to set the parking brake on her automatic Mariner whenever she parks it. I've never not set the parking brake on a stick when parked, never not left it in gear AND, if parking on a hill, made sure the wheels were aimed so it would roll into the curb and not out into the road.
We have a fairly steep driveway at my house. I have trained my wife to pull in, set the parking brake, put her truck in neutral, let the car roll on to the brake, and then put it in Park. I prefer the brake to take the load over the trans, plus it's much easier to get the truck in to Drive or reverse when the parking prawl isn't bound up.
Cone_Junkie wrote:Ashyukun wrote: It took me a while, but I eventually convinced SWMBO to set the parking brake on her automatic Mariner whenever she parks it. I've never not set the parking brake on a stick when parked, never not left it in gear AND, if parking on a hill, made sure the wheels were aimed so it would roll into the curb and not out into the road.We have a fairly steep driveway at my house. I have trained my wife to pull in, set the parking brake, put her truck in neutral, let the car roll on to the brake, and then put it in Park. I prefer the brake to take the load over the trans, plus it's much easier to get the truck in to Drive or reverse when the parking prawl isn't bound up.
No need for all that. Put the car in park. Before releasing the brake pedal (which is required for putting it in park on most transmissions), apply the parking brake. Then release the brake pedal. Voila, now the car is resting on the parking brake instead of the trans. The car isn't resting on the trans if you don't let it "roll into park" before applying the parking brake.
Makes me glad I live in Flatlandastan. Around here we still call it a emergency brake.
Sky_Render wrote: No need for all that. Put the car in park. Before releasing the brake pedal (which is required for putting it in park on most transmissions), apply the parking brake. Then release the brake pedal. Voila, now the car is resting on the parking brake instead of the trans. The car isn't resting on the trans if you don't let it "roll into park" before applying the parking brake.
Steep driveway at our last place I "trained" SWMBO to do just this. Please don't ever let her know I claimed to train her to do anything though. 
Our new place has a less steep driveway but still on a slight slope, and we do the same. Both of our cars in the driveway are autos. Flat parking lot at work or anywhere else I generally don't set the parking break, unless it's just muscle memory from parking in the driveway.
From a mechanical engineer who has seen many parking pawls up close and personal.
It doesn't matter, it'll be fine. Set it to stay on the hill, the pawl will be fine.
If you guys felt/heard the horrendous clunk that occurs when disengaging park in our SUV when parked on a hill, you would be believers too
I always set mine no matter what I'm driving. A friend of mine had his nearly new Tacoma totaled after a driverless F250 rolled down a hill into him while he was parked doing paperwork. He said it was surreal to be hit by a driverless vehicle. Said F250 had just been bought and wasn't insured nor tagged.
where's the pics of the damage to the HHR? i wanna see how much better one of them holds up than a high end luxury sports car..
The HHR was parked against a wall when I left, so I never got a chance to get a good look.
GameboyRMH wrote:1988RedT2 wrote: Parking brake? What the heck is that? I've heard of an E-brake. That's the thing you yank up on when you want to go around a curve sideways. Never heard of a parking brake.I think it's called a doriftu lever nowadays
I assume my wife calls it the "maybe check to make sure it's not still pulled before taking off across town" lever. At least it still barely holds the car on our somewhat level driveway 
tuna55 wrote: From a mechanical engineer who has seen many parking pawls up close and personal. It doesn't matter, it'll be fine. Set it to stay on the hill, the pawl will be fine.
until the transmission gets so old/worn that it will roll against the pawl so hard that you'll have to get help pushing the car to relieve the pressure on the pawl so you can drive off ….
found this out the hard way … on street parking … steep hill … old/worn out Jag Mk X sedan, automatic … parallel parking on said street … heavy car … had to get several of my drunk friends to push the car ~ 6" to get the pressure off the pawl … from then on I set the parking brake BEFORE I put it in park
My DE students are required to set the parking brake (it's real name) before shifting from drive/reverse to park. I don't care what their parents think/say on this. Most who are against this just don't want to fix or have it adjusted as needed.
UPDATE- Some were interested in the damage caused by the accident. I was hesitant on asking the bosses what the cost of repair was because it's a sore subject.
Right off the bat they knew the other guy didn't have enough coverage
But the rumor I just heard today was that it was going to be $48K
Ouch.
DAmn
Yowza.
Agreed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i_GFrlaStQ&feature=player_embedded
I don't think I've ever parked without setting the break. I just don't understand why anyone would. There is no negative aspect to it.
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