MovieChat Forums > The Glass House (2001) Discussion > This ALWAYS ticks me off!!! (**Spoiler**...

This ALWAYS ticks me off!!! (Spoiler)

posted 18 years ago by GoodbyePorkPieHat
14 replies | jump to latest

During the final ten minutes of the movie, we see the classic scene of "a car going down a curvy mountain road, and the (hydraulic) brakes fail". This actually happened to me once, and there are at least three things you can do that seem rather obvious to me, BUT NO ONE EVER DOES THEM!!! [well, not in the movies that is]

1) The "emergency brake" (aka "parking brake") is purely mechanical - controlled by steel cables. It is NOT affected by losing the brake fluid!

2) Depending on the speed and the type of transmission, you can gear down to reduce your speed.

3) Last but certainly not least, YOU CAN TURN THE DAMN ENGINE OFF!!! Trust me, that'll stop you right quick!

Hey! This food is getting cold! And I want some more gravy!

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Sweet_Solitude99 17 years ago

Lol..i never thought about that. lol.. Good point.

House: I teach you to lie, cheat, and steal, and as soon as my back's turned you wait in line?

[–] gtahelper 16 years ago

Not only that, but it is also almost impossible for both of the braking circuits to fail at the same time. When the first system goes, the brake warning light will tell you that you have to stop the car... using the remaining and functional circuit.

If even the hand brake doesn't work, then you could at least ride the side rails instead of crashing through them - they are actually quite tough!

[–] ManticoreMtg 16 years ago

some people dont do well in a panic situation

[–] Sam-953-169285 8 years ago

"ride the side rails"?

You don't live in California. I don't know where this movie as set, but the road that the crash occurred on looks as if the side rails along most of it would not be strong enough. I have been on the Angeles Crest Highway in the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County many times and it would sure be dangerous without brakes. There are places where you could crash without going down a cliff but at the speed you are likely to be going it could be deadly crash.

Here are some a true stories. A truck coming down the Angeles Crest Highway (it was illegal for it to be there) lost it's brakes. It made it to a signal at the bottom and crashed over a car with a man and his daughter. The two in the car were killed. There is another very deadly road in Beverly Hills where trucks have lost their brakes and killed people. It happened at least twice. One time it was a Los Angeles Police officer that was killed.

[–] Chief_Inspector_Clouseau 16 years ago

Haha thats such a good point lmao!

i can still recall, our last summer...

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] GoodbyePorkPieHat 16 years ago

email notification Oli . . . Hence, the quick reply.

Agree with #1, but I've driven many a with a shift. My '72 Barracuda had four studded tires in the winter, and I could bring her to a stop right quick even on ice by locking up the trannie and shifting into reverse. [not advised, but it damn well works!]

gta above made this great point. Let's make it #4:

you could at least ride the side rails instead of crashing through them - they are actually quite tough!

I'll keep that in mind the next time my brakes blow out . . .

So it goes.

[–] fuchsiasattic 15 years ago

I hope I never have to use this advice but it's good to know! :-D

[–] polexia 14 years ago

Put car in neutral, turn engine off. Like someone said, it doesn't always work in a panic situation, like with that family whose accelerator was stuck and they were going 120mph and they crashed. Look it up, Toyota did a massive recall because of it.

There is only light, my light, my naked light, my gift to you all. Experience my bliss.

[–] MsT681 14 years ago

So true! Whenever I see a "manipulated brake scene" I asked myself "Why the hell don't they pull the hand brake?" That should at least slow you down quite a bit!

Ich kann mit einem Eierlöffel Fledermäuse töten (John Cleese)

[–] InfoBabe 14 years ago

You all seem to forget that he disabled the breaks. He tampered with all those systems. Remember he kept saying to the abductor, "No, not the Jaguar".

Once the car is plummeting down hill with no breaks, gravity will keep the fall going. That is why on mountain highways they have turn offs for runaway trucks.

I once took the "scenic" route in Kentucky and I had to ride the breaks all the way down. I didn't apply the gas for a half hour. Actually, quite scary.

[–] Mex5150 13 years ago

You all seem to forget that he disabled the breaks. He tampered with all those systems. Remember he kept saying to the abductor, "No, not the Jaguar".

Even if he had knackered both brake systems, you've still got engine braking, and if he buggered that the car wouldn't move in the first place.

Once the car is plummeting down hill with no breaks, gravity will keep the fall going. That is why on mountain highways they have turn offs for runaway trucks.

Another way of stopping!

-Mex

--

Did you ever notice that people who believe in creationism look really un-evolved?

[–] chilone 12 years ago

It was obviously done for theatrics so reality had to be stretched a bit but here are some points from someone in the automotive industry:

1. The item that is shown leaking looks like a fuel filter and definitely not part of the brake system.

2. Turning the car off would definitely work but once the engine stopped you would have to turn the switch back on to keep the steering wheel from being locked.

3.Just letting off of the gas with the car in gear would bring the car down to a reasonably manageable speed on those roads. They were really not that steep.

4. Putting the car in neutral as someone suggested would not be a good idea as there would be no engine/drive train resistance.

5. Disabling the hand brake would be rather involved and since the driver wasn't shown trying to use it we can assume that wasn't done.

6. Coasting in gear using and the hand brake would have FOR SURE been able to bring that car to a stop.

I'm happy say that I don't look at all evolved because God created me as a human.

Living well is the best revenge.

This ALWAYS ticks me off!!! (**Spoiler**)

This ALWAYS ticks me off!!! (Spoiler)