Stupid Fraggin' Me

[countryroad82]

Welp it finally happened. 15 years of semiprofessionally working on other peoples **** I screwed up and lost a sorta expensive tool due to my own stupidity. Was working on an old Ford that the cab lights were leaking. I also had to time the thing. I left my 1/4" drive Snap On sockets on the roof, along with a No 2 Snap On phillips and proceeded to forget due to my phone ringing. Now before I get bashed about the roof thing, I treated this entire truck to a bed liner paint job, so I'm not really worried about possibly scratching the stupid thing, nor is the owner. Anyway took it for a mile long test drive, heard something move aaaannnnddd it hit me, THE TOOLS STUPID!! Needless to say the sockets stayed thank goodness but I sent a text to my Snap On driver to bring me a screwdriver and proceed to **** me. Heck I'll probably buy another set just for such occasions. Who's fault is it? Mine. Did I learn anything from this fiasco? Yes, stick to body work, I ain't no mechanic!!!

 

[PugetDude]

Did I learn anything from this fiasco?

I sent a text to my Snap On driver to bring me a screwdriver and proceed to **** me.

Asked and answered.

Apparently not.

 

[signcrafter]

About 15 years ago I did a brake job on my truck. I set my cell phone on the tonneau cover of the truck so I wouldn't drop it. Got the brake job done and went for a quick test drive. Forgot all about the phone. Got home and took a shower and was getting ready to leave and couldn't find my cell phone. Then it all came back to me. I walked the whole way that I drove and kept calling my phone but never heard it ring or found it. That was an expensive learning lesson back then.

 

[RunninOnEmpty]

I've only lost an allen wrench or two this way, personally, but I'm sure I'll lose more in time (though I've been at it for over a decade so I've been pretty good about this).

My stupid moments in mechanics:
-Forgot to torque down spark plugs to spec once, one came out about a week later and caused a misfire until it was put back (nothing was lost or damaged, fortunately). This was when I was pretty new to working on cars.
-Forgot to torque down inner CV bolts when doing a clutch on an AWD Audi... I wasn't so new working on cars this time and shouldn't have made this mistake, but it was like 2AM when I finished that job... Again, no permanent damage.
-Put a very significant scratch in a relative's car with the handle of my jack when I didn't notice it hadn't stayed where I put it. It happened to be the perfect length of that car that it left a long scratch instead of just making a short scratch and then stopping to rest against the car. Offered to buy him a paint repair kit and fix it (and would have followed through) but he said it's fine as long as I didn't do it again (and I haven't!).


I did, however, fairly recently leave a set of keys on the back bumper of a rental truck after I'd needed to use the keys for some padlocks. Came back to find them an hour or two later and they had fallen off the bumper after 100-200 feet. Of course they had been run over and destroyed, because why would the key just lie flat on the ground when run over? That would be too easy. The microscopically thin (very slight exaggeration) keyring kept one end of the keys off the ground just enough to ruin them.

 

[Dust Devil]

Not much pisses me off more than loosing track of my tools.

 

[CobraChevelle]

I lost 6$ safety glasses last week.. left them on the running board. that sucked.

 

[Doug Arthurs]

Left my cell phone once on the bow off my boat while hitching up to it. Never saw it again.

 

[txvwnut]

I lost my favorite 1/4" drive Matco ratchet an extension and a ten mill socket amost the same way some twenty years ago.

Man I miss that ratchet.

 

[PMD1966]

Owned a 1966 Dodge Charger years ago. Had a wheel alignment done before going on vacation. Was talking to the mechanic when I got back and he told me he lost a 3/4" Snap-On wrench while working on my car. Looked under the front end. Wrench was still on the bolt after 800 mile round trip.

 

[m.breen]

I once drove through town with a hardhat and a brick hammer on the roof of my '68 chevy pickup. They were still there when I got to where I was going.

 

[G_P]

About 15 years ago I did a brake job on my truck. I set my cell phone on the tonneau cover of the truck so I wouldn't drop it. Got the brake job done and went for a quick test drive. Forgot all about the phone. Got home and took a shower and was getting ready to leave and couldn't find my cell phone. Then it all came back to me. I walked the whole way that I drove and kept calling my phone but never heard it ring or found it. That was an expensive learning lesson back then.

A friend of mine bought an iPad when they first came out. Paid a LOT of money for it. He had it less than a week before he set it on the roof of his car and drove off. It fell off the roof about a half mile later and someone found it. It still worked and they were able to somehow figure out who owned it and he got it back. The whole thing was scratched up like someone took 36 grit sandpaper to it.

 

[RedneckWelder]

So far I've been pretty good about keeping up with my tools at the shop. A couple of punches have walked off and that's about it. I try to do a tool inventory when I'm done working on a tractor and make sure everything is in it's proper place.

A friend of mine bought an iPad when they first came out. Paid a LOT of money for it. He had it less than a week before he set it on the roof of his car and drove off. It fell off the roof about a half mile later and someone found it. It still worked and they were able to somehow figure out who owned it and he got it back. The whole thing was scratched up like someone took 36 grit sandpaper to it.

I dropped a very expensive ASUS tablet about two weeks after I got it and shattered the screen.

Made me SICK to my stomach. I would have it repaired but the repair is like $200 or so to do due to needing not only new screen glass but the film matrix under it.

 

[TT54l32v]

I have lost so much it makes my cry to add it up. 3 150 dollar stream lights right off the top of my head. One in less than 24 hours of purchase.

15,14,10 8 blue point wrenches. Several snap on sockets. Just a bunch misplaced, left on cars, never seen again.

 

[CJM8515]

Ive lost ratchets in cars Ive worked on, never did see them again.

One time I was replacing a battery for AAA on the road. The stupid terminals needed some persuasion so I smacked them with a fiberglass ballpeen stanley 16oz hammer Ive had for eons. A day later I go to use the hammer, its not in my box! Im like, I LEFT IT IN THE DAMN CAR DIDNT I!!!!. So by chance the person called back for another issue a few days, and I pop the hood and theres my hammer! But in the mean time I was so upset I went on ebay, found that exact hammer and had another on its way!

Now I got 2 hammers..

 

[fourjeepin]

I found a 10mm Craftsman combo wrench in my driveway at the road last year. Assumed it was mine and I was fortunate it fell off in the drive. Nope, now I have a matched pair.

I have lost a few (still upset about losing a Falcolm 3/8 ratchet), but have come out ahead in this dept. My most used is the Estwing framing hammer. Most expensive was an electric floor scraper. Seems like it retailed for $700.

 

[CJM8515]

I feel bad for the guy who lose a snap on 1/4 drive long handle ratchet and the 13mm shallow socket on it. Found it on a used car I bought to flip.

When I used to do alot of lock outs for people Id use the plastic wedges and make the gap in the door for the air bladder. I lost those wedges at least 2x before I made it a point to put them back in the truck or in my pocket! Damn things arent cheap either, 20-30 bucks!

 

[bczygan]

Worse than a tool.

A whole rack of ribs I put on the roof of the car for a second....and then forgot.

My wife REALLY loves ribs. Especially the ones from this place that was 60 miles away.

I had almost gotten home, and put them on the roof so the dog in the car wouldn't eat them while I went in a store.

Made a turn out onto the road and remembered them a half block later.

Came back and they had landed right side up in the box.

But a car had already driven over them....

 

[Flivver250]

Lost my virginity once. Never did that again.

 

[gtae07]

I once left my wallet (with $300 cash) on top of the car when filling up one day, then drove off



It fell off about the time I realized it wasn't in my pocket, but to my grateful surprise the very nice person behind me blocked traffic long enough for me to stop, run back, and retrieve it.

 

[Manny2_0]

Oh God !!!

bout four 120 dollar surefires
New leatherman wave
5 benchmades
a lap top

I am always preoccupied, with lots of stuff
I won't go one cuz I gets mad
but this is the stuff that hurts

 

[bczygan]

Found a ladies purse in the middle of the street on my block. Full of money and had her phone and ID.

Address was 2 blocks away so I took it to her. Her grandmother made her thank me.

Amazing it didn't disappear before I got there,here in the D.

 

[Model A Fan]

How much can a screwdriver cost to feel that way?

 

[bczygan]

How much can a screwdriver cost to feel that way?

It's a SO!

He's going to have to figure out a different strategy for his retirement now...

 

[03protege]

I have lost so much it makes my cry to add it up. 3 150 dollar stream lights right off the top of my head. One in less than 24 hours of purchase.

15,14,10 8 blue point wrenches. Several snap on sockets. Just a bunch misplaced, left on cars, never seen again.

Flashlights and pockets knives are the two items I cannot hold onto for the life of me.

 

[countryroad82]

How much can a screwdriver cost to feel that way?

It's a SO!

He's going to have to figure out a different strategy for his retirement now...

It's not horrible. But not something I would like to make a habit of. According to Snap Ons website about $25 for my mistake. But aside from occasionally leaving a freebie pocket screwdriver in a vehicle, this is the biggest mistake I've made since I have started working on other peoples' junk. But I was just mad that I did something that dumb leaving a tool on a vehicle to begin with. Normally nothing sits on a surface in my shop, but I figured since it was a bedliner sprayed truck I can't hurt anything and I layed my tools on the roof while I was working on his cab lights. Which it didn't but not a habit I need to get into anyway!!

 

[Kevin54]

Lost my virginity once. Never did that again.

The only thing I ever really lost was my wallet. My dad and I were out cutting wood one day, and when we got back to his house, he asked if I would run over to the local gas station and get him a pack of smokes. I reached in my rear pocket and my wallet was gone. Panic attack, as I had just cashed my paycheck. We went back to where we were cutting wood and I searched that place at every step, but my dad wasn't looking too hard.

All he told me was that "I always told you to take your wallet out of your pocket when working at doing something like that and leave it in the car or truck".

After about 30 minutes or so of looking, he hollered at me and tossed me my wallet. Lesson learned. He had seen it fall out of my pocket and he had it all of the time. That was the last time I really lost anything of significant value.

Well that, and my truck in a deal to get my parents a vehicle, but that's a different sort of loss Oh....and I lost my *** one time in a divorce

 

[NUTTSGT]

If you lived closer, I'd be walking the ditch looking for it.

 

[-Brent-]

One time a friend and I picked up a container of ice cream and she set it on my dash board. It didn't stay long because as I was turning it slid right out of the passenger side window.

Another time a friend tossed me keys to the my boat and at the same time one of the girls coming out with us adjusted her bikini top, I stopped focusing on the keys flying through the air and they passed by landing in the drink. I didn't have one of those floaty key chains, which are great inventions. It took a while to fetch the keys from the lake bottom, but for that instant... it was worth it. Haha.

 

[ImportTuner]

Found a ladies purse in the middle of the street on my block. Full of money and had her phone and ID.

Address was 2 blocks away so I took it to her. Her grandmother made her thank me.

Amazing it didn't disappear before I got there,here in the D.

I found a ladies wallet by the mailbox. Picked it up, looked in and there was about $150 dollars, credit cards, ATM card and drivers license. Took the purse to the house (about 3 blocks away), rang the bell, lady answered, saw her purse and snatched it out of my hand and slammed the door. No thanks or anything

 

[Bill Ramsey]

I once left my wallet (with $300 cash) on top of the car when filling up one day, then drove off



It fell off about the time I realized it wasn't in my pocket, but to my grateful surprise the very nice person behind me blocked traffic long enough for me to stop, run back, and retrieve it.

On a traffic stop in Arizona, I must have set my wallet down on top of the car while talking to the cop. Didn't realize until Flagstaff that I didn't have it. Ironically to your story, it had $300 cash in it - the GF and I were on a holiday trip and that's all the money I had with us, and had no credit/debit card (waaay back in the day). She had just enough cash to get us to family in California.

 

[Model A Fan]

It's not horrible. But not something I would like to make a habit of. According to Snap Ons website about $25 for my mistake. But aside from occasionally leaving a freebie pocket screwdriver in a vehicle, this is the biggest mistake I've made since I have started working on other peoples' junk. But I was just mad that I did something that dumb leaving a tool on a vehicle to begin with. Normally nothing sits on a surface in my shop, but I figured since it was a bedliner sprayed truck I can't hurt anything and I layed my tools on the roof while I was working on his cab lights. Which it didn't but not a habit I need to get into anyway!!

I bought a 17 piece Craftsman (Made in USA) for $19.99 or thereabouts...

 

[montanafordman]

I left an expensive pair of gloves on the roof of my car after skiing, while putting my skis in the rack. I haven't lost any of my tools that way that I can think of. I have found wrenches and rags in my airplane cowling, and extensions in the cockpit over the course of my flying career. I consider that a little more serious and careless than leaving something in or on a car!

 

[03protege]

I left an expensive pair of gloves on the roof of my car after skiing, while putting my skis in the rack. I haven't lost any of my tools that way that I can think of. I have found wrenches and rags in my airplane cowling, and extensions in the cockpit over the course of my flying career. I consider that a little more serious and careless than leaving something in or on a car!

Ya, I hear there are no good places to pull over in an airplane.

 

[sqaurelizard]

I will not buy magnetic lights anymore, Have an uncanny ability to lose them, have 2 ring non magnetic led rechargeables for at least 4 years, every new magnetic one I buy lasts a couple of months max

 

[countryroad82]

Just thought I would give a little update. Stepped off the truck with a shiny new red handled no2 phillips $16.50 lesser in my pocket. I started to buy a green handle just to always spite myself as a reminder to make sure I have my tools out of the way but decided not to. Now I know on my way home even though I have walked the road a dozen times this week I'll see that stupid screwdriver laying in plain sight!!

 

[NUTTSGT]

Yep, since you replaced it, it'll show back up . . . . where you least expect it.

 

[02camaro86]

forgot a 10mm ratchet wrench under the hood, took car for drive, a week or so later i realized i lost it. about 2 months later i found it on the road while walking the pup. nothing more than a few scratches. i am pleased. found numerous sockets and wrenches under the hood of my iroc that the previous owner either left or forgot about, they are mine now !

 

[2oolhound]

A gf was working in a travel agency in a big shopping mall on the edge of town. She had to do the bank deposit so went out to her truck and set her purse with $1500.00 cash and other payables on the roof of the car next to hers as she unlocked her door. She then proceeded downtown to her bank about 10 minutes away. When she got there she could't find her purse and realized what she'd done. She hurried back to the mall to find her same parking spot with her purse with all the cash still sitting on the roof of the other car.
Funny thing is she wasn't even blond, she was a red head.