# My brake pedal is worn down in one corner--where did the rubber go? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 15, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brake-pedal-is-worn-down-in-one-corner-where-did-the-rubber-go/195286 "2003-08-15T01:00:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Vlad\_M.Paler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d26b3c/32.png) [@Vlad\_M.Paler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_M.Paler)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brake-pedal-is-worn-down-in-one-corner-where-did-the-rubber-go/195286/1 "2003-08-15T01:00:20Z")
Maybe it’s plastic–whatever. I can grasp the concept of attrition, that over time my pressing the pedal wore off the rubber. But we’re talking about a lot of rubber–maybe a full square inch. Wouldn’t there be a layering of rubber dust on my floorboard?Would it stick to my shoe? WHERE DID IT GO? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brake-pedal-is-worn-down-in-one-corner-where-did-the-rubber-go/195286/2 "2003-08-15T01:14:26Z")
Based on your described level of wear I’m assuming your car is 5-10+ years old. In all that time has a vacuum cleaner ever seen the inside of your car? This is a device that creates a strong suction using an electric motor, and is used to pick up dust, dirt and related small debris from floors and surfaces. If someone ever used this “vacuum cleaner” on your car it’s possible that some of this rubber debris was “vacuumed” away. ---
**Author:** ![billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billy)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brake-pedal-is-worn-down-in-one-corner-where-did-the-rubber-go/195286/3 "2003-08-15T04:55:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astro \* > \*\*This is a device that creates a strong suction using an electric motor, and is used to pick up dust, dirt and related small debris from floors and surfaces. \*\* CITE??? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brake-pedal-is-worn-down-in-one-corner-where-did-the-rubber-go/195286/4 "2003-08-15T04:59:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by billy \* > \*\*CITE??? \*\* [How vacuum cleaners work](http://home.howstuffworks.com/vacuum-cleaner.htm). ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brake-pedal-is-worn-down-in-one-corner-where-did-the-rubber-go/195286/5 "2003-08-15T07:35:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duckster \* > \*\*[How vacuum cleaners work](http://home.howstuffworks.com/vacuum-cleaner.htm). \*\* That site is biased. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brake-pedal-is-worn-down-in-one-corner-where-did-the-rubber-go/195286/6 "2003-08-15T10:05:59Z")
[Another side to the issue.](http://www.indepthinfo.com/gadgets/vacuum.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brake-pedal-is-worn-down-in-one-corner-where-did-the-rubber-go/195286/7 "2003-08-15T10:40:05Z")
Are you all trying to say that, in brief, all vacuum cleaners really suck? 😉 - Jinx P.S. Did the vacuum suck away his brake pedal? 😉 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brake-pedal-is-worn-down-in-one-corner-where-did-the-rubber-go/195286/8 "2003-08-15T11:06:56Z")
All anyone’s doing here is citing from vacuumist propaganda sites. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brake-pedal-is-worn-down-in-one-corner-where-did-the-rubber-go/195286/9 "2003-08-15T14:13:17Z")
Nature abhors a vacuum. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brake-pedal-is-worn-down-in-one-corner-where-did-the-rubber-go/195286/10 "2003-08-15T14:49:11Z")
so do my cats… Vacuums are evil kitten-sucker-uppers. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2003, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-brake-pedal-is-worn-down-in-one-corner-where-did-the-rubber-go/195286/11 "2003-08-15T15:55:57Z")
Well, it turned into rubber dust. You ate some of it, some of it is in your lungs. Most of it just disappeared into the general detrius that surrounds us. For all I know there might be a whole strain of rubber eating bacteria, whether the rubber is synthetic or natural. Don’t pay any attention to the fussy neat freaks who vacuum clean their cars.