Embarrassment at the petrol station

[LordAnthony]

After many months without a minor, I finally got an engine fitted and have been travelling to and from work for the last few weeks.
Yesterday after I'd filled up with petrol, and with a car waiting behind me to use the pump, I went to get in and the door handle came of in my hand!
Of course, the passenger door was locked and the windows all closed.
After a while of attempting to somehow put the handle back in I had to unload my boot of all spare parts, jacks, spare head etc, fold down the rear seats and slide in through the opening all the while being watched by a confused elderly couple.

Has this ever happened to anyone else or am I just lucky?

[Matt]

Sorry but

[cadetchris]

not seen that one before at my petrol station, but ill add it to the list of strange things people do when filling up

[Alex'n'Ane]

Well at least you got back in.. You leave the boot unlocked though? or the passenger door doesn't have an external lock on it?

[LordAnthony]

I had the keys but there's no lock on the passenger door.
I'm debating whether I tell anyone at work about it as they all think I'm mental for driving about in a 45 year old car anyway...

[chickenjohn]

After many months without a minor, I finally got an engine fitted and have been travelling to and from work for the last few weeks.
Yesterday after I'd filled up with petrol, and with a car waiting behind me to use the pump, I went to get in and the door handle came of in my hand!
Of course, the passenger door was locked and the windows all closed.
After a while of attempting to somehow put the handle back in I had to unload my boot of all spare parts, jacks, spare head etc, fold down the rear seats and slide in through the opening all the while being watched by a confused elderly couple.

Has this ever happened to anyone else or am I just lucky?

Sorry, but that made me laugh out loud! Do you need a new handle?? I might have one in my 2nd hand stock of spares.

[LordAnthony]

Do you need a new handle?? I might have one in my 2nd hand stock of spares.

Well I was laughing, if only on the outside, at the time!
Thanks for the offer but luckily I had a spare which is now on the car.

[mike.perry]

There are ways of getting into a Minor

[mrmorrisminor]

I thought stalling mine in the middle of mcdonalds drive through on a packed fri eve( whilst nursing a poorly battery) was bad enough....had to get the starting handle out of boot, the local teens were wetting themselves at 'the wind up car!' ...... but that tops it
Glad it all ended well

[alanworland]

Ideal for 'you've been framed'!!!
Modern cars have problems too!
My Astra was being MOT'd when I was concious of the mot man leaning about inside feeling all the doors, then the window came down and he put his arm out - to operate the outside door handle - which would work either!
He got out on the passenger side.
When I removed the door panel the lever mechanism had fell apart!

[dellerie]

There are ways of getting into a Minor

and starting them without keys.

[beero]

Oh dear! I do hope the garage don't upload their security video onto Youtube

[LordAnthony]

Oh dear! I do hope the garage don't upload their security video onto Youtube

Oh God, I hadn't thought about that...

[JuNK512G]

How about just plain embarrassment, drove to the shops last week, met a Minor friend & had a long chat which must have distracted me, walked home then had to walk back to get the motor. Senior moment ?

[davidpidge]

You'd possibly expect this kind of thing from a small car or an old car but this happened to my Transit! A 1998 at that. I got out, (keys in the ignition) and closed the door. Went to get back in......handle snapped off in my hand. Lovely bit of weak plastic. It's a van for christs sake, meant to be tough. I ended up smashing the quarter glass with a hammer! Funny though...the glass was tougher than the handle. Took a good 15 hits with a hammer to break it! And then trying to replace the rubbish bit of plastic, I remembered why I love minors so much....
I had to remove the door card, easier said than done, drill through a load of rivets to get off some metal plates, remove the whole lock mechanism, change the handle with an even worse after market one then put it all back together! Took a good 3 hours and lots of swearing. (I find a good mix of swearing and WD40 will get most things apart.) to sort it.

[Matt]

Dont know what you did to your transit in a past life Its normally easier to cut the rubber out (do you need a 1/4 light btw? I have a few spares )

Used and abused transits for a while now and never seen a broken door handle (except rear ones which are a doddle to replace )

[davidpidge]

No but thanks. I got a spare quarter for £10. I spoke to a guy who had the same hting happen to him. He blammed the coldd weather making the plastic more brittle but I think the transit was just annoyed at being up so early!