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Have you ever driven on automatic pilot to the wrong place?

(41 Posts)
crazyH Fri 26-Jan-24 16:02:39

Yes - doing the school run - reached the junction leading to my DD’s house but didn’t realise where I was. Mind went blank. I stopped. And then my GC said “Nan, why are you stopping? - you’ve got to turn left here”. and embarrassingly said “ooh yes, I know that” - I was much younger then, but it did worry me to the point where I made an appointment with the GP, who reassured me .

Greyduster Fri 26-Jan-24 15:48:31

After I retired, I used to drive over to DD’s to look after GS who was then a tiny baby. I had to pass the place I used to work and twice, I found myself outside the office building, in the parking space that still had my name on it!!

kircubbin2000 Fri 26-Jan-24 15:38:52

I was driving home one day through 6 roundabouts when I suddenly realised I didn't know where I was. The turns all look the same.

Joseann Fri 26-Jan-24 15:37:40

I didn't even get as far as driving off!
I had a lefthand drive car for many years in France. Once back in the UK I came out of Sainsburys, offloaded my shopping in the boot, and went and sat in the passenger seat of my new English car to start the engine and hold the steering wheel. The people around me must have wondered.

AGAA4 Fri 26-Jan-24 14:39:30

A few weeks after we moved my dad drove to our old house. Got out his key and tried to open the door. The new owner came to the door and dad had to explain what he had done. Luckily the man thought it was funny. We always called dad the absent minded professor.

Bella23 Fri 26-Jan-24 14:20:01

I'm glad I'm not the only one, looking back it is quite frightening, the road I was on was dualled and very busy right through the city to where DH worked, I could have been very late for the 9 o'clock start.

pascal30 Fri 26-Jan-24 14:11:22

I can remember driving to my son's school and waiting outside before realising I didn't need to be there.. it was completely automatic

MaizieD Fri 26-Jan-24 12:13:13

I don't think I've ever driven all the way to the wrong place, but I've been well on the way before realising my mistake and retracing my steps.

WonderfulLife Fri 26-Jan-24 12:01:57

Like my friend says, her car knows it's way to it's destination.

tanith Fri 26-Jan-24 11:44:51

I once drove to the wrong workplace. I’d been reassigned to start my day at a different depot and on Monday a few weeks later I drove through very heavy traffic to my old depot, understandable I think as I had been stationed there for over 18 yrs. I was an hour late starting my shift.

Witzend Fri 26-Jan-24 11:44:05

Chocolatelovinggran

I drove home, down the drive, parked, then realised that I had sold this house some weeks before. I backed out sharpish, trying to look nonchalant.

😂😂

Chocolatelovinggran Fri 26-Jan-24 11:42:57

I drove home, down the drive, parked, then realised that I had sold this house some weeks before. I backed out sharpish, trying to look nonchalant.

Witzend Fri 26-Jan-24 11:39:45

Well, it wasn’t me of course - it was the car on autopilot to Heathrow - so used to taking me there to pick dh up - it must have thought I was heading the wrong way by mistake.

V3ra Fri 26-Jan-24 10:47:03

Oh yes! Doing the school run and took a wrong turn, then had to go all the way round a roundabout to get back on track.
The children were delighted, and for weeks afterwards would say,
"V3ra do you remember when you went the wrong way, and we had to go all the way round and back again?" 😃😃😃

GrannyGravy13 Fri 26-Jan-24 10:40:53

Yes, I was going to Lakeside and found myself on the QE 11 bridge heading towards Bluewater, I had wondered why my mum in the front passenger had been sniggering quietly for five minutes.

Bella23 Fri 26-Jan-24 10:36:36

When I worked I made the same journey every day. One day I could smell fish fingers and realised I was in the city center.
I had taken the wrong route in my village gone around two roundabouts, filtered onto a very busy dual carriageway with lorries heading for the docks and driven 8 miles. All because my mind was on work.