Impeded progress
So I broke my accelerator pedal today. Snapped it in half. The thing was made out of plastic. Now I'm no expert in automobile accelrator-pedal construction, but hollow plastic doesn't seem to be the material of choice when it comes to durable goods. However, it might say something about what this world is coming to (see New and Impoved ). I was on the highway trying to get into that coveted "no one else allowed" lane (the same area where The Ground Beneath Me occured), when one guy really decided no one else was allowed. I did my best to get into that lane, but to no avail. I tried so hard that I somewhat hindered any progress in any direction what so ever--by breaking my gas pedal. After slamming on the aforementioned accleration tool, I felt no resistance where there used to be a beefy spring loaded plank of what I later discovered was pure plastic. I literally picked up the pedal off the floor, twisted the thing around in my hand a couple times and gave an Indianna Jones look of confusion, surprise and horror.
Some quick thought process made me think to flip on the cruise control and use that to accelerate my self off of the highway to a safe assesment area. After stopping at my first red light, I realized that I could not engage my cruise control at 0 mph. I literally had to put my hazzard lights on and coast at about 1 mph to a cross street - and down town is full of one ways and no turns.
About three blocks later I turned off and tried to check out the stub where my friend, the accelerator had once been. Those things are friggin stuck back there! Upside down with my legs hanging out the door, I finally found the snapped plastic end. I found that for some reason, there was a sort of weight stuck upwards where the pedal connected to the rest of the car, and figured if I could wrap something around it, I could pull and accelerate. I pulled out a T-shirt and later got my hands on a section of rope and was driving like a sailor, and cursing like one too. It has been an intersting evening, but if anyone knows where I can get some titanium replacement pedals, shoot me an e-mail.
Some quick thought process made me think to flip on the cruise control and use that to accelerate my self off of the highway to a safe assesment area. After stopping at my first red light, I realized that I could not engage my cruise control at 0 mph. I literally had to put my hazzard lights on and coast at about 1 mph to a cross street - and down town is full of one ways and no turns.
About three blocks later I turned off and tried to check out the stub where my friend, the accelerator had once been. Those things are friggin stuck back there! Upside down with my legs hanging out the door, I finally found the snapped plastic end. I found that for some reason, there was a sort of weight stuck upwards where the pedal connected to the rest of the car, and figured if I could wrap something around it, I could pull and accelerate. I pulled out a T-shirt and later got my hands on a section of rope and was driving like a sailor, and cursing like one too. It has been an intersting evening, but if anyone knows where I can get some titanium replacement pedals, shoot me an e-mail.
posted by J.Roth at 1:59 AM
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