Childhood Crash Test

Childhood Crash Test by Jennifer Gonzales
Written: February 14, 2006

    Testing the speeding capabilities of a sleek five-speed manual transmission sports car is something I enjoy.  So it is no surprise to my friends that I own a sports car and drive a bit too fast.  I also have an uncanny ability in avoiding speeding tickets – a talent I am sure my parents would not be pleased to hear about.  I did not always drive fast.

    As a 19 year old getting ready for the driver’s exam for the first time, I was a visibly nervous taking the exam in my mother’s green Ford Taurus wagon.  I also had a driving instructor who looked like a drill sergeant straight from military boot camp who terrified me.  During the exam I drove so slow that a turtle walking through sand moved faster then I did driving a car.  I was nervous because I wanted to pass the exam on the first try and of course not hit anything and damage my mother’s car.  I did pass and the instructor gave me a piece of advice to pick up my speed a bit – boy did that stick.  Even though I took my driver’s exam at 19, my driving lessons started much earlier and if I had damaged my mother’s car, it would not have been the first time.  When I was just 9 years old, I had my first driving experience. 
   
    One summer day when I was 9 years old, I played outside and my mother and her friend were doing yard work around the house.  The house was on a huge hill and there was a long driveway to the road.  I was at the top of the driveway near my mother’s car, which at the time was a bright green Chevy Chevette.  I am not sure why but I decided to get into the car and sit in the drivers seat.  The car seat was warm from the sun and felt good against my legs. I was not supposed to play in cars but on this day, I did it anyway; I really cannot explain why I decided to break the rule.  My curiosity got the better of me I suppose, so much so that I was not even afraid of being caught.

    As I was sitting in the driver’s seat, I noticed the gear shifter and I started to play with it.  At the time I did not realize that it was called a gear shifter.  I tried to move the gear shifter and it would not budge at all.  I wondered how my mother was able to move the gear shifter so easily.  Then I noticed a silver button on the side of the gear shifter and of course had to push it to see what would happen.  Well, to my delight after I pushed the button I was then able to maneuver the gear shifter and moved it from its current position to another.  At first the car did not do anything and I was disappointed because my adventure had started to become boring.  After a few seconds though, the car started to move but not in the direction I had hoped – it started to move backwards down the driveway towards the road!  I tried to move the gear shifter back to its original place but I could not move it at all.  Slowly the car started to pick up speed with me in it.
 
    Suddenly, I remembered watching a television program where people jumped from a moving car to escape – I do not recall which program.  Well I figured if they could do it so could I.  So I decided to do just that, I opened the driver’s side car door, saw the moving ground and somehow jumped out of the car.  I laid flat on the ground so that the car door would not hit me.  I got up from the ground turned around and watched the car careen down the driveway and crash right into a tree.  It made a loud crashing noise when it struck the tree and then my panic set in.  I was going to be in trouble now; I turned white as a ghost from fear.  I had no idea what would happen to me when my mother discovered the car but I was not about to stick around and find out.

    I immediately ran behind the house and through the backyard and up the hill and hid in the bushes.  It felt like time stood still as I sat there behind a tree and waited for something to happen - exactly what I was not sure. But nothing did, I did not hear my mother calling for me.  I started to think that maybe my mother would not notice the car, so I decided to go back to the house.  I went inside and did not see anyone and wondered where everyone was.  Then all of a sudden, I heard my mother’s voice from outside of the house and she was calling my name.  I panicked again and hid behind a chair.  I started to cry because I was afraid that I would receive a spanking if I were caught.  I heard my mother’s voice coming closer to where I was hiding and I was quiet as a mouse walking past a cat trying not to disturb it.  She did not find me but as she headed in the opposite direction she started to sound frantic.  This made me cry more and I finally ran to her completely hysterical and all I could say with a tear drenched voice, “I’m sorry mom, I’m sorry mom”. To my surprise she was crying too and gave me a huge hug and said it was ok.

    I could not believe that my mother was not angry with me.  I thought for sure that I would have been punished.  Instead we walked outside and down to the car and she spoke to me calmly and asked me to explain to her how this happened.  I looked at the car; the back end was completely crushed against the tree.  I was amazed that the tree had not even moved.  I explained my actions and my mother asked me if I understood now why it was important that I did not play inside cars.  She said that I could have been badly hurt.  I told her that I would never again play inside a car ever again!

    I found out later that same day that the neighbors happened to look out their front window and noticed my mother’s car.  They called and when my mother answered the phone they told her that her car was at the end of the driveway wrapped around a tree.  Of course my mother went out to investigate and the first thing that entered her mind was where is Jennifer?

    I did not get a spanking; in fact I was not punished at all that day.  I think my mother thought that the trauma I felt was punishment enough.  I did learn an important lesson which I still remember to this day and can share my story with others.