#85: That Was a Close One

My brakes failed!

Out on errands late this morning, a big red triangle warning light comes on. Oh great…what now, I think. Then there is a high pitched beep beep beep with a pause and another beep beep beep. More blinking lights come on. I slow way down and turn on the blinking caution lights. That high pitched beep is now a constant drone and I’m already pulling over. But, when I put my foot on the brake pedal to stop, it goes almost all the way down to the floor before I feel it give a tiny bit of resistance. Thankfully I am going slow enough that I get to a full stop. I realize that I’ve lost my brakes. I take a few deep breaths, find my wallet, get my Triple-A card out, and navigate through the prompts on the company’s phone system in order to be connected to a live person which takes about five very long minutes.

I think my brakes just failed.

Are you ok?

Yes, I’m ok.

The kind agent and I talk a bit more and she expresses her concern. We both agree that I am very lucky to have been able to get to the side of the road safely. She says it will be about an hour until the tow truck will get to me. About thirty minutes into the wait my caution lights stop blinking. I guess they drained the battery. I am much relieved when it pulls up behind me thirty minutes after that. GP and I get ourselves into the truck cab. The driver hooks up Emily 2, my 2007 blue Prius with nearly 245k miles on her, and tows us to the local dealer’s repair shop. Once there I tell the service agent what has happened. He expresses his relief that I am OK and takes my keys. The dealership offers GP and I a lift back home.

When I open the back gate, I promptly step in to a pile of poo and think, well, it could have been worse… a lot worse! I wipe off my shoe as best as possible and slip them off outside. I will clean them up in a bit. Once inside I set the kettle on and make a cup of calming herb tea. I’m drinking that now and thinking all sorts of what-ifs because when I think about what just happened…that really was a close one. Most of all I’m just grateful that I’m OK, GP is OK, and hopefully Emily 2 will be OK, too.

Be safe my friends.