My brakes failed once, and once was enough.

Leaking rear wheel cylinder, the car parked pointed in the direction I needed to go, and I jumped in and started to go. I didn't need the brakes for a couple of hundred yards down the road when I had to slow up for a stop light. Pedal to the floor (all the fluid leaked out of the MC), emergency brake wasn't adjusted right (was pulling like a maniac on it), turned off the engine, rear end of the car that was infront of me coming up fast, luckily, nobody was coming the opposite direction (which is where I ended up), when I finally stopped, I was even with the driver that was stopped at the light in front of me (I was in the wrong lane).

Paul