If you pulled it down into 1st from winding it out in second (thinking it was your reverse pattern) , could it have acted like it froze? Ie just lost traction and had the rear swing out on you? WTH is the draw to a reverse pattern shifter anyway? You pull it down into 3rd and you have no where to go in trouble but back through the pattern to find N? What if something bad happens like a stuck throttle? Ratchet: drop it down into L and hit that thing like your shifting into 3rd in a 4sp, it'll only go 1 detent then lock until you hit it again. Then there is a physical action to get it into R like a pull up or a lift up.
