Years back I lived in a house that was at the crest of a hill, not shallow not steep. Had a driveway and garage but during the day if I was coming going I'd just park on the street.
One day knock at the door. I answered it. The conversation went a bit like this:
Hello, are you the owner of a Vauxhall Cavalier?
Yes, why?
It's sitting outside my front garden and it's hit my wall.
When I went to investigate, it was apparent my handbrake hadn't been fully on, or I was told (not sure if true?) sometimes the brake can be fully on, however if the disc was hot and then cools, it can be enough to let the car move if not on the flat.
Regardless, my car had rolled down the hill, crossed the street, mounted the pavement and the NSR bit of the bumper had come to rest against their wall. Luckily, the angle of descent meant only that part of my car made contact with the wall. Not much damage to the car, no damage to the wall.
I never thought at the time, however the main bit of good luck (understatement) was that no one was walking in the opposite direction in the cars path, because they wouldn't have heard it and the outcome could have been something not worth thinking about.
Since that day, if parking on even the slightest gradient, I leave the car in gear and wheels turned. Driving an auto now so the gear bit is done for me.
