Emergency brake emergency

So yesterday I got in my car and found the e-brake messed up. The button that you push on it to lower it was popped out with the spring attached...how is this even possible? When I left it earlier that morning it was fine. My car just keeps having problems...my friend said it may have happened because I don't park in gear...I usually just park in neutral and leave my e-brake on so it doesn't roll. I didn't think it really mattered and certainly didn't know my e-brake would snap! the plastic attached inside it to the button is snapped and now it won't lock in place. It's a manual if you didn't know, a 95 saturn sl 2. I've been parking in reverse now so my car won't roll, but it seems pretty dangerous to be driving around without an e-brake...anyone have ANY clue what happened, what i should do, and what it may cost to repair?!

it's not because you don't leave the car in gear. the point of the hand/parking/emergency brake is to hold the car still while parked. you shouldn't park a car in gear, people often forget it's in gear, and don't start it with the clutch in, making the car "jump" on startup.

take it to a dealership, shouldn't cost more than $25 to have the button replaced.

a lot of cars wont turn over unless the clutch is fully depressed.

i HATED when people left my car in gear. True it wont start with the clotuch out, but what was the first thing i did after the car started? let the clutch out. I almost kissed walls/other cars more times than i can count from douchebags doing this to me.

Exactly, me too. But I think in the manual it says your supposed to park in reverse, so I guess I should start making that a habbit now...Whenever I let someone drive my car they always left it in gear so when I started up my car would have a seizure almost cuz I always let off the clutch right after I start up my car...anyways, yeah so my e-brake works but it's just weird how the button mysteriously came off like that...gotta get that fixed.