cars

When I was about five or six in the early 1950s I was sat in the back of the family's 1940s Hillman (UK make of car)and overheard my father talking about a new idea to UK motoring - The SELF DRIVE CAR!!!
The thought of being in one terrified me. Do we all sit in the back and have to go where the SELF DRIVE CAR wants takes us???

Mike C, Hull, UK

I usw=ed to (still do!) believe that you should take your coat off when getting into a car on a cold day, so that you can feel the benefit of it when you get out. The same goes for entering houses or shops.

TJ from MSG, UK

When my son was 3, we would travel back and forth from Oklahoma to relatives in Arkansas in the U.S. We'd use a toll road along the way. Every time we'd approach the toll booth, my son would hold up his feet so he could "Pay a toe." We'd humor him of course by pretending to grab one of his toes. He's nine now, and we're not traveling that toll road anymore. He might just be writing his own "I used to believe" in a few years! I don't think we've ever actually corrected him on this.

toe-grabbing mom

When I was a kid, we often used to see wagon chassis, with no body shell. i assume that they were being driven from manufacturer to coach builder. The driver used to sit, exposed to the elements, wrapped up tight in thick, all over clothes, with his eyes protected by goggles. I blame my mother for my belief that these were highly dangerous diseased people and that any contact would be lethal. So they had to move around fully covered, to prevent spread of the disease, but highly visible so that others could avoid them. I think the fresh air might also have been good for them.

Vyn

I used to believe that "the motorway" was one big long road that went absolutely anywhere in the world!!!

Anon

I used to think blind people could drive cars, that there was some sort of adaptive device they used. I don't know why I thought this, I guess since they could walk around with canes or dogs that there must be something similar that let them drive cars!

Kristen

When I was 4 years old I asked my Daddy once, why, when he drove the car he would turn the wheel a little to the right and then a little to the left instead of steering straight ahead. He said the right half of the car wants to go right and the left half wants to go left, if I don't let each half have their turn the car will split in half. I watched my Dad like a hawk to make sure he was giving each side its turn cos I was scared the car would break apart.

Teri

I use to wonder why couln't a person fall asleep if he turned his cruise control on. I use to think that cars drove themselves when the cruise control was on. I didnt find out the truth until I was about 15!! Talk about slow!!

myty

I used to believe that cat's eyes worked by way of two tiny oil lamps. They were fuelled by collecting oil from the road dropped by leaky cars.

Pete

i used to believe that drinking and driving was when you were drinking while driving

fay

I used to get car sick alot and dad once told me that the black piece of rubber that dragged on the road was made to stop kids from getting car sick. I was never sick again, and now know that the rubber is to stop getting small electric shocks off the car

Sal

My father told me when I was five that the catseyes in the centre of the road were for blind drivers. I believed this until I was 16!

Anon

When we were young we believed our heads would be chopped off when going over(under) covered bridges, so we always used to duck our heads. The driver was immune though.

Chris C

I used to believe that there was special metal laid in the motorways that made the cars go faster!!

angela

I used to belive that if you got hit and injuried by a car on a crossing, and did not have your feet exactly on the white stripes, The insurance woldn´n cower for the expences !!

Roxy

Our children believe there are alligators on the Interstates and Highways, because every time we pass a piece of rubber on the road from a retread, my husband hollars "road gator", and all the kids start looking around.

Paulette