Dumb stuff you didn't know you didn't know

[Patiod]

At age 23, I didn't know you needed to change the oil in a car

God looks after drunks, fools, and dumb young girls, evidently

About 2 years after I bought it, I was stopped at a light, and an accident in another lane spun into my car, which was totaled (for insurance purposes). 0% my responsibility, insurance-wise.

My mechanic said "oh, and by the way, the engine was frozen - it wouldn't start. It was almost like you never changed the oil. It's a good thing the car was totaled..."

uh...you have to change the oil???????

I know I'm not alone - CONFESS DU NIGHT POSTERS!!!!! CONFESS TO MISCONCEPTIONS OF YOUR YOUTH!! (Other than the fact that you may have been.....a Rep...Repuh...you know....ONE OF THEM)

[Floogeldy]

1. I admit it.

That was REALLY dumb. :)

[Patiod]

2. Exactly how was I supposed to know that?

Is it ever mentioned in "Seventeen" magazine? In Drivers Ed in high school? Anywhere on the driver's test? Did anyone in my college sorority ever discuss the finer points of oil changes?

My dad taught me how to change a tire (which I did was able to do once on my own, in a dress and high heels on the Schuylkill Expressway at rush hour, thank you very much Daddy!) but I guess he assumed I knew to change the oil.

I ask you - how are you supposed to know this, if you're a chick?

[billyskank]

19. Doesn't the vehicle have a service schedule?

Mostly they say to bring your car in at regular mileage intervals - every 10,000 miles in my case - and the garage takes care of the various maintenance jobs that are supposed to be done.

[idgiehkt]

3. I didn't either.

I had a car for about nine years and changed the oil maybe three times. Which would make me almost 30 when I figured out about the oil changing thing. It was a Toyota Corolla '79, which are just about indestructible thank god. I asked someone about it when I started realizing I wasn't changing the oil enough, and they said "don't start now, it wouldn't know how to act", so I just forgot about it. This car I bought in '98 and I change it religiously every 3000 miles. I never rotate the tires though. Maybe on my next one.

[Kali]

4. changing the oil is a bit more important than tire rotation...

and some feel even that isn't needed anymore. I froze up an engine once because of no oil, but my learning curve shot way up after that...

There is a kind of raunchy way to think of it. How would you like to run with no lube? That is why chicks should know about oil:evilgrin:

[knowbody0]

6. Kali, Kali, Kali

you are so right! we run poorly when we are not lubed properly.

[idgiehkt]

8. yes, I have indeed thrown a rod.

but in a completely separate vehicle, which my stupid ass would have today if I had bothered to CHECK the oil.

Good to know about the tires, because henceforth I shall never think of it again.

[knowbody0]

5. i figured since my car leaked oil

and i had to add oil frequently, it was "changing" itself. believe it or not, i did this for 2 years to a poor old volvo. i still feel badly about it.

[idgiehkt]

9. I did that too.

Once had it changed for real and I had way too much in there. Great minds think alike,no?

[Generic Brad]

7. George Clooney Was In A Biker/Vampire Movie With Quentin Tarentino

I'm watching it right now. I did not know that until now and it is a really dumb movie. Does that qualify or is this thread restricted to automotive moronics?

[Fox Mulder]

17. Hey now...

that movie was alright (especially with Salma Hayek dancing :wow:)

[derby378]

10. Apparently, it's considered brave to wear a Democratic Party T-shirt...

...at, of all places, an organic food store.

At least, that's what the checker told me when I paid for my groceries. She loved the shirt and loves the Democrats even more, but I never considered it "brave" to wear a political shirt there.

[jobycom]

12. In Austin, the reverse is true

There are a couple of Bush-type stickers in the Whole Foods parking lot when I shop. Everyone who passes these cars reads the stickers, stops, stares at the bumper as though they are trying to understand the sarcasm, then they sort of snarl and walk on. I love Austin. I hated Dallas when I lived there. Except the Cowboys.

[derby378]

13. You may never mistake Austin for Dallas, but a change is coming

I think a lot of Dallasites are finally tired of the Republican regime. Katrina finally opened their eyes.

Only 93 days to go - buckle down and keep your fingers crossed.

[jobycom]

14. When I was there, Dallas was never an ideologue city.

People voted their pocketbooks, for whatever candidate seemed most likely to help them. There wasn't a lot of concern for religious or ideological voting, or party loyalty. That was fifteen years ago, though.

[jobycom]

11. I used to think that when a woman was interested in dating me

she would just tell me. I've learned in the last week or so that I have to play some game called flirting. I think it's easier to stay alone than to learn this complex game! I'm 41, I have two kids, what do I need it for? Well, a second income would be nice... Forget I said that.

[begin_within]

15. When I got my first car, I filled it with way too much oil. Then when I

drove home from my sister's house, huge amounts of smoke were coming out of the tailpipe and I got scared, pulled over and called my sister, who asked her boyfriend (who owned a gas station) and they told me it was probably just excess oil burning off and asked me how much oil I had put in - and of course it was way too much.

[begin_within]

16. I didn't know how wrong it is to flush baby wipes down the toilet...

...they don't decompose, and they eventually block up the plumbing. In our case, they caused a pipe to break and spill under the house - necessitating a $3,600 cleanup and re-piping bill. Learned that lesson the hard way!

[Patiod]

18. Ooo...that's a tough one

You top me - mine could have been expensive, but not smelly

[GalleryGod]

20. I actually saw the Phillies win the world series from the 700 level

HOWEVER .....I REALLY expected them to win it A-GAIN ! Whatta Fool, Eh?

[Nikia]

21. That many men looked at me (and many women in general) "that way"

When I was a teen, I never assumed that a guy had that kind of interest about me unless he directly said something. I have usually been picky as far as physical attraction goes, although have become attacted to less physically attractive guys after getting to know them. I assumed that most guys, even single ones, were like me and only physically attracted to maybe 4 or 5 real life women at a time and it obviously wouldn't be me. I also had no concept of flirting. I didn't notice guys checking me out (or anyone for that matter). It took me until college to realize that it might be me. It wasn't until after I was married that I realized that some guys were attracted to probably over half of the women that they see, especially those meeting certain criteria like being a certain age, certain weight, etc. Now that I realize this, it freaks me out, in a way. I think if I realized it when I was in high school though that I would have dated more. I probably came off as completely uninterested.

[maveric]

22. A girl friend of mine had an MG. It burned and leaked oil big time.

The oil light would annoy her so she put a piece of black electrical tape over the light on her dash panel,so not to see it and take away the problem. She actually drove from Boston to San Diego like that. When she arrived here in CA, the next day after arriving, the engine froze up for good. Not having $2000.00 for a new engine/labor, she junked that beautiful 1977 MG.