The Outhouse - The Greatest Comic Book Forum

by **mrorangesoda** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 9:40 pm

How is cutting a brake line supposed to kill someone? It was mentioned tangentially in a comic thread and I've never understood it- wouldn't you just have a minor fender bender in the parking lot/driveway? Is the idea that it's mostly cut and then snaps while driving? Doesn't everyone know how to apply a parking brake in an emergency anyway? This seems like something that was invented by overworked or lazy soap opera writers.

by **Cat-Scratch** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 9:48 pm

You will never work at Marvel nor DC Comics... Image... Hollywood.. nope, not a chance with that attitude my friend.

by **S.F. Jude Terror** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 9:52 pm

The idea is to sever it so the fluid slowly leaks out, likely to happen while the brakes are applied while driving.

by **Victorian Squid** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 9:54 pm

Brake lines are full of hydraulic fluid and there are lines to the front and back brakes you need to cut, and if you cut them completely then there probably wouldn't be any brakes at all from the start and maybe even the brake light would go on and yeah, that would be obvious pretty immediately. Ideally, the lines are cut or punctured to leak fluid out with each application of the brakes, until shortly there is no pressure or fluid left, so maybe if you were really lucky the driver might have brakes long enough to get on the freeway or to the top of that steep hill. Probably if you were going to all that trouble, you'd know to disable the emergency brake too.

by **S.F. Jude Terror** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 9:56 pm

The idea is to sever it so the fluid slowly leaks out, likely to happen while the brakes are applied while driving.

by **Dragavon** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:02 pm

S.F. Jude Terror wrote:The idea is to sever it so the fluid slowly leaks out, likely to happen while the brakes are applied while driving.

Do you think saying it again and again will help? :lol:

by **Rockman** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:07 pm

I think it would be difficult to get someone with that. They'd have to be driving recklessly to begin with to get into a severe accident I would imagine.

by **guitarsmashley** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:12 pm

The idea is to sever it so the fluid slowly leaks out, likely to happen while the brakes are applied while driving.

by **Dragavon** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:16 pm

guitarsmashley wrote:The idea is to sever it so the fluid slowly leaks out, likely to happen while the brakes are applied while driving.

Is the idea is to sever it so the fluid slowly leaks out, likely to happen while the brakes are applied while driving?

by **mrorangesoda** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:18 pm

guitarsmashley wrote:The idea is to sever it so the fluid slowly leaks out, likely to happen while the brakes are applied while driving.

I'm sorry, I don't get it. Can you clarify? When does the fluid leak ou?

by **guitarsmashley** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:21 pm

mrorangesoda wrote:
I'm sorry, I don't get it. Can you clarify? When does the fluid leak ou?

After you sever the line so the fluid leaks out slowly, likely to happen while the breaks are applied while driving.

by **S.F. Jude Terror** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:37 pm

by **Log-Man** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 10:45 pm

The cliche also comes from a very specific situation. In the old mysteries where this originated, the victim inevitably had a long drive along a deserted mountain road. It usually involved some isolated mansion on a hill or mountaintop. The brakes would fail and send the victim out of control over a cliff. It wasn't designed to kill in city driving.

by **mrorangesoda** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 11:36 pm

The idea is to sever the line so the fluid leaks out slowly, likely to happen while the breaks are applied while driving along a deserted mountain road.