Driveway removed, car in a hole - my fault?

pappa_golf

yes its a step , do you see warning signs on the town hall steps?

Aylesbury_Duck

deaston wrote: »

Anyone who is interested, here's a photo.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9oi2ZnYFaNieG16M0VDazktOXc

When the photo opened, it said "My Drive", so I went and checked but you've moved the car already. 😀

You needed a 4x4 to pull it out?! Do you mean a 4x4" piece of wood? Seriously, how did you get stuck in that? We've got potholes round here deeper than that. And what was that about pedestrians falling into it?

This is a wind-up isn't it?

debtdebt

If there is no noticeable damage to your car, I'd recommend against going back to the scene of the (non) crime to take further pictures. You'll just rile the householder again if he catches you and you'll put yourself in an antagonistic situation.

marlot

deaston wrote: »

Anyone who is interested, here's a photo.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9oi2ZnYFaNieG16M0VDazktOXc

THat doesn't look like a 12" drop ...

ilikewatch

marlot wrote: »

THat doesn't look like a 12" drop ...

I think the angle of the photo is deceptive - when you look at the other side of the trench it could easily be 10-12" deep, so if the depth is uniform I reckon that OP is probably right and the rear wheels aren't touching the ground.

debtdebt

Even so, in a front wheel drive car such as this, surely with one person driving and possibly another pushing from the back, the car would easily have got out of there.

ilikewatch

debtdebt wrote: »

Even so, in a front wheel drive car such as this, surely with one person driving and possibly another pushing from the back, the car would easily have got out of there.

Dunno, with the back dropped you might get a "see-saw" effect with the grounded part of the chassis acting as a fulcrum and preventing the drive wheels getting much traction.

Also, it may be that neither OP or their partner is physically up to the task of pushing a car over a decent height kerb - and why would you bother if you have a 4x4 to assist anyway.

deaston

marlot wrote: »

THat doesn't look like a 12" drop ...

I didn't actually measure it. Either way, it was deep enough that the underside of the car was grounded on the pavement and the rear wheels were no longer touching the ground.

debtdebt wrote: »

Even so, in a front wheel drive car such as this, surely with one person driving and possibly another pushing from the back, the car would easily have got out of there.

Perhaps you're right. All I can tell you is that I couldn't get it out on my own and once my partner arrived in the 4x4, hitching a tow rope and pulling it out seemed the easiest and most-likely-to-work option.

But my point is that I think the homeowner should have marked out the trench in some way (cones, bins, rope etc.) to warn people of the unfinished works.

There is still a few feet of driveway in front of the gates which, along with the dark and rain, is probably why I didn't see the hole.

I have a similar driveway which people often turn in. Surely I can't dig a big hole there this morning and then just shout at all the people/postman/Amazon delivery drivers that get stuck in it as they turn?

usefulmale

If I were you, I would stop driving on the strength of the licence you found in a Christmas cracker.

You pulled into a strangers drive, failed to notice a chasm worthy of a feature in an Indiana Jones chase sequence and then try to blame everyone else, bar yourself.

All I am thankful for is that no-one was walking along the footpath with a pram, or, worse still, in a wheelchair whilst you careered recklessly onto someone else's property.

ilikewatch

usefulmale wrote: »

All I am thankful for is that no-one was walking along the footpath with a pram, or, worse still, in a wheelchair whilst you careered recklessly onto someone else's property.

Could even have been nuns carrying baskets of kittens....