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Having been pushed off of a busy roundabout by some random strangers having lost my clutch hydraulics once and then having a lady pick me up, to give me a lift to the petrol station and back when I ran out at a junction, it does exist.
Reciprocated karma when helping an MGB owner get his car off the road when he lost a wheel and multiple times pushing broken down cars off roundabouts.
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It is sad how the willgness to help seems to have vanished a bit, not from us lot of course! not to be sexist but men should help push/carry/mend things, gallantry! :-P as it happens on the three occasions I have had to push my car, only young, small lasses have helped. Really nice people each time, and grateful to them all. (Got a drink with one! :-D I paid :-P) at the same time I've had blokes in vans just laugh, swear and drive on. (I actually moaned about this a while ago with my mondeo) really irks me. I have stopped so many times, even as far as walking back and Crossing a four-lane motorway sliproad to get to this car, its just what you do surely!? I do get the fear of being tricked etc, but sometimes you be really just have to he sensible..
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Last Edit: Oct 2, 2016 20:02:18 GMT by s1105117
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miaspa
Part of things
Posts: 829
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It's still out there last week pushing my broken Audi of to a safe place it suddenly became light and sped up the road. Thanks to the guy who just jumped out of his Volvo and gave me a hand.
If it safe to do so will try to lend a hand, pushed many a car to a safe place. Make sure they are all sorted (mobile phone etc) and if I can help on easy repair.
Chatting to the recovery guy on the way home, he gets a barrage of abuse from other drivers on a daily basis. His response is always the same one day it will be your turn my friend and I'm busy enough to turn down jobs.
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Last Edit: Oct 4, 2016 9:48:21 GMT by miaspa
Found my flashing Pao again.
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,860 
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Milk of Human Kindness...jamesd1972
@jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member 40
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I work on the karma principle - always try and stop and help and keep different size sockets in the boot to fit other wheels than my own. I think a massive part of it with cars is people have become so used to them being reliable that both men and women can't even / won't attempt to change a wheel anymore. Like others here I've had some very funny looks when trying to help or flag people down with a soft tyre or other issue.
Also been offered money for helping and again always said stick it in a charity box.
The flip one is my wife changing a wheel on our family mondeo with young kids in the back and nobody stopped and offered to help - she was OK but a bit of extra safety from a car parked up behind with its hazards on would have been good !
I've also been flashed / beeped when stopping deliberately in the way so I can get some debris out of the road so everybody is safer, people are more selfish these days.
Best one I had was when I nearly killed a bloke on a bike riding in the dark on the A36 near bath at 5am with no lights and dark clothes - almost impossible to see him. I just managed to swerve round then skidded to a hold in front of him got out of the car opened up the boot and took something out. He was crapping himself ! Good job it was a spare hi-vis jacket, might just have kept him alive on his way to and from work a bit longer.
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A good few years ago I was taking a sunny Sunday drive out to Gower with a mate in my Rover SD1 V8. The car had sputtered to a halt in the middle of nowhere and the fuel gauge suggested I might have run out of juice, (it turned out to be a dodgy fuel pump). Leaving my friend with the car I fished the jerrycan out of the boot and started walking in the direction of the nearest village, 2 or 3 miles away, in the hope that they had a fuel station there. I hadn't got very far when a Police Granada Scorpio Cosworth pulled up alongside me, after ascertaining that I was the owner of the dead Rover he'd just passed he offered me a lift to the next village which did have a fuel station which was due to close very soon. I'd hardly climbed into the car when he got a 'burglary in progress' call several villages away, he floored it & I was pinned back in the seat as we flew across the lanes on the common. The kindly PC explained I'd have to get out very quickly when we arrived at the filling station & promptly slammed the anchors on giving me just enough time to jump clear before roaring off. It was a 2 hour walk back & I'd definitely have found the filling station closed if I'd had to walk there.
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The house I was living in 15 years ago was 150 feet off a busy dual carriageway but several miles from all the nearest towns. I was used to seeing people pulling into my access road with all manner of mechanical problems. I was eating my cornflakes one morning before heading into work when I had a knock at my kitchen window, investigating, I saw a young lady who'd pulled over with a flat tyre & didn't have the slightest idea what to do about it. It took me 5 minutes to pop her spare on using all the tools in her boot. I suggested that she ask her Dad or boyfriend to show her how to change a wheel in case the same thing ever happened somewhere that she couldn't find help. She thanked me and continued her journey into work.
The following morning, mid-cornflakes, I had another knock on my kitchen window & opened my back door, the same girl waved to me as she drove off. She'd left a crate of ale on my doorstep!
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Last Edit: Oct 4, 2016 13:28:43 GMT by MkX
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skinnylew
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 5,546
Club RR Member Number: 11
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Milk of Human Kindness...skinnylew
@skinnylew
Club Retro Rides Member 11
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I will always try to stop and help if safe to do so, even if it is just pushing a car up on the kern out of the way.
I did follow a woman in a new Mira the other week as her rear tyres was flat, she stopped on a side road and looked a bit confused as to why I flashed the lights at so much, until I explained her tire was completely flat. She got the AA out to change it as it only had a pump with foam.
What goes around comes around indeed.
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Decent thread topic by OP - we have moved a long way towards stopping what used to be called "decent" or "normal" acts of kindness  If I see anyone in trouble I often think "will it be safe for me" or "will my appearance (big hairy hippy  ) scare them". If I'm in trouble, it's unusual for folk to stop (big hairy hippy - remember  ). The good news is I do stop and give help, and folk do sometimes stop to help me which is always appreciated. Unfortunatley I see a *lot* more people who ignore problems - or (the bit I don't understand) actually stop to laugh at people after a fall/with a flay tyre/crashed car etc. There was an interesting experiment recently where a "lost" child (actor) was put into a shopping center. Some ladies went to help - no men did. When asked - all the men said they were afraid of being accused if they approached the kid.   |
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It definitely pays to be self-sufficient.
Perhaps, with mobile phones and roadside assistance being everywhere, people think that you should be able to call for help by yourself?
One night after going to Carols by Candlelight, I had a late shift at work and needed to get there ASAP.
I jump in the Beetle, dead flat battery and the headlight switch was still on. I knew that it would push-start in about 5 metres, because I'd done it before.
There was a complete traffic jam of people going past at roughly walking pace, leaving the event. I didn't have any battery to run the hazard lights, but I stood out in the traffic and tried to wave people down to help push-start the car. Not a single person helped me, until eventually I pushed the car by myself into the lane of traffic and stopped.
The driver behind quickly found the generosity to get out and give me a push! In less than 30 seconds I was on my way.
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To be fair I wasn't far from home, but far enough away to be a nuisance. I thought I had breakdown with my insurance but didn't, so my brother came and dragged it home with his transit for me. First time in 8 years motoring I've been towed, normally always managed to bodge or limp home but the diff going was beyond cable ties and duct tape. Really wish I'd got the girls name so I could send her a bottle of wine or something, says a lot when she was the only one to help, just glad I'm not alone. If I see an older guy/couple, I always think back to when the fuel line went in my grandads sierra, stuck 40 miles from home and not one person stopped to help.
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This thread just reminded me of a recent breakdown I had on the dreaded M6 in my knackered mk3 fiesta. Ironically I was actually driving to a garage to pick up a new car!
The M6 had a pretty nasty crash and so all 6 lanes were shut, helicopters on the road etc (so I later found out). Sat in the 3rd lane, engine off for an hour or so while we waited for it to clear.
Traffic eventually started to move very slowly ahead, so jumped back in the car and turned the key - click click click. Ah curse word. Chucked it in neutral, jumped out again and started my 3 lane push to the hard shoulder. I was immediately joined by 3 guys, 2 of whom were actually in the cars ahead and one was in a lorry just behind. I was very grateful getting to the hard shoulder.
Annoyingly the traffic then only moved about 15 meters and came to a total stop again. That's when I heard sirens screaming up behind me. curse word again.
Traffic started pulling forward to let me limp back into lane 1, and I was immediately joined by the same 3 guys who were now all several cars ahead. Lovely blokes.
Anyway, turns out a fuse had crapped out and my immobiliser was shorting. I luckily had tools and spares in my boot and was fixed and running again within 10 mins.
I tried to pass on the good karma a few weeks ago in Preston. A guy had broken down on a slow dual carriageway the other side and was pushing himself to safety. It was raining and dark and not a single person had stopped to help. It was a 2 or so mile trip to my next junction which I took and immediately turned back to see if I could assist. Alas he had vanished when I arrived!
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Last Edit: Oct 5, 2016 13:44:15 GMT by arsonist
1979 Mk1 Passat Estate 1.6 LS
1996 Mk3.5 Fiesta 1.3 Classic
1997 Mk1 MX5 1.8i
2005 Mazda 3 TS
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sal
Part of things
Mk2 Cavalier CD
Posts: 240
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I've stopped on numerous occasions to help folk but a couple that stick in my mind are these.
Rush hour on the motorway at a 3 lane section and there was a crash involving HGV into back of a car. I never witnessed it but it had only just happened. I stopped mainly to give first aid - I'm a fireman and was in uniform coming off a nightshift. Fortunately no serious injuries but I did have to remove a Good Samaritan who thought it was helpful to start directing 3 lanes of motorway traffic in his dark coloured business suit.
Reason I remember this one is a couple of weeks later I received an invoice from highways agency invoicing me for damage to the road as a result of an accident that I had caused !! Got it resolved with help of police.
Other occasion coming to mind is I witnessed an old lady being knocked down on a pedestrian crossing by a car in front of me. Low speed but enough to knock the old girl, who was pretty frail, off her feet. I got out of my car and went to help and just as I got there some moron says to me "she's probably pi**ed mate" and walked away. Regardless of whether she was or not is beside the point - she was in need of help. Turns out she was intact stone cold sober as she was on long term meds that meant she couldn't drink alcohol. I stayed with her until ambulance arrived and chatted away. She was a nice old lady and fortunately wasn't badly hurt but the idiot who offered nothing but a stupid comment is becoming all too common.
It never fails to amaze me when I arrive at incidents in work just how many folk are standing around videoing accidents and people who are hurt and needing help. I just don't get the mindset of those people.
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Last Edit: Oct 6, 2016 1:44:43 GMT by sal
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njw
Part of things
Posts: 226
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I had a weekend away a few weeks ago, on the way home I had a blowout and as it turned out the spare wheel I had didn't fit..... Anyway, although I was an hour and a half from home luckily I wasn't in the middle of nowhere, I was pulled over in a lay-by on the way out of Bridgewater to be precise! I knew there were a couple of tyre places a mile or so up the road so walked up to see if one of them had a tyre of the right size in stock, which, thank f*ck, one of them did! Only problem was, there were only two guys working in the garage so there was no-one to give me a lift back to the car. So, I walked back to the car, grabbed the alloy and started walking back to the garage wheeling the alloy along for a mile or so right next to the main road, I got a new tyre fitted and then wheeled the alloy back to the car, over those couple of miles not one person stopped and asked if I needed any help, including three police cars. On arriving back to the lay-by my better half said that the three police cars had passed her, her sat on the kerb next to a car on a jack with three wheels and done nothing, just drove on by! The only person that actually had the decency to see if we were o.k was a lorry driver that had by then pulled in to the lay-by, despite his numberplate in the cab window saying 'psycho' he was actually quite a nice chap!
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Last Edit: Oct 6, 2016 22:21:57 GMT by njw
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... On arriving back to the lay-by my better half said that the three police cars had passed her, her sat on the kerb next to a car on a jack with three wheels and done nothing, just drove on by! The only person that actually had the decency to see if we were o.k was a lorry driver that had by then pulled in to the lay-by, despite his numberplate in the cab window saying 'psycho' he was actually quite a nice chap! Actually that seems pretty normal to me. If I drive past someone who has got their tools out and is actively working on the car, I will generally assume that they have it under control and hence keep driving. If they were out in the middle of the bush then I would stop to check, but otherwise anyone who is smart enough to get the car up on the jack and get the wheel off will usually be fine on their own. |
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Had one not long back,travelling down one of the local back roads,came across some cars parked up on a bend,wondered what was going on, turned out they were attempting to rescue a car that had reversed off the the road onto a grassed area, just after a prolonged period of rain, and promptly sunk .they had been there over an hour trying to attract passing motorists when these cars stopped and tried to tow them out... they looked most relieved when i asked them if they wanted a hand,rope onto back of Disco,job done.
( i did not think it prudent to ask what they thought they were doing driving where they were!)
Yrs ago came across lone woman driver,laye at night,car sat in road hazards on, engine off ... got out to ask if she was ok,only to be met with her locking hers doors,and saying she's ok and don't need help ... this was before mobile phones so no idea what happened.
Also being an over 6ft intimidating looking bloke ( swmbos words) i am wary of approaching females and children .... however wearing my Community Responders Hi Viz helps now.
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Sorry to hear of your unfortunate event. I know very well how it feels to be on the receiving end of a stare. A good few years ago we had a vehicle with 32 miles from new on the clock which had the rear subframe come loose on the motorway. As you can expect it caused quite a bit of carnage, a chap pulled over at the side of the motorway just to get out and laugh... It really does make you wonder about the standard of people you're dealing with. I always try to stop where possible, and have actually got up and gone out looking for someone when I've been told of where they are. I remember following a chap on a sports bike who seemed to be having a pretty good time when he came to a fairly abrupt stop and pulled over. I followed him into the lay by which he rolled into and asked what was up. They said they'd run out of fuel and cursed a bit. I offered to run him to the petrol station, they took their helmet off and it turned out to be a woman (should never assume I know!) who insisted if I was going to drive her anywhere it was to the pub up the road. Dropped her off and that was that. It does suck, I always try and do it myself, because if it was me or a member of my family you would like the same done in return. I think she was asking you out for a drink. |
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It's still out there last week pushing my broken Audi of to a safe place it suddenly became light and sped up the road. Thanks to the guy who just jumped out of his Volvo and gave me a hand. If it safe to do so will try to lend a hand, pushed many a car to a safe place. Make sure they are all sorted (mobile phone etc) and if I can help on easy repair. Chatting to the recovery guy on the way home, he gets a barrage of abuse from other drivers on a daily basis. His response is always the same one day it will be your turn my friend and I'm busy enough to turn down jobs. would an audi driver push a volvo thats the question. |
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I've stopped to help out many times over the years, I think living in the country helps, and the fact I drive an old Land Rover and carry tools and rope. These days unless it's a tyre or a tow there's not much you can do....However......
I was in a situation 25 years ago on the A42 (pre M42 days) where a fiesta went up a barrier, turned over and caught fire, very late at night and very scary. I'm the only one about, the car is on fire, the roof is crushed, doors won't open.
I managed to kick 2 windows in and get the mother and daughter out, another passing motorist stopped and between us got father out of the driving seat. Trying to release a seatbelt in the dark and navigate an exit was not easy, and between us we got him out but somehow his ancle got broken......this may have been us, or possibly the impact.
I came out with shredded clothes, a broken toe and cuts everywhere, the car went up shortly after, and the emergency services about 20 mins after that.
To my amazement the driver pressed charges against me for abh and criminal damage but not told his family, however when the daughter found out it was soon dropped and Ihad a letter of apology.
This really made me think about the situation, and stopped me from getting involved in helping for a long time.......be careful people, there are some total c**ts out ther
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^^^^^
Nowadays you'd be covered by the Samaritan Act.
We get our first aid training from East Midlands Ambulance Servive,they told us as long as you are genuinly trying to give assistance, then you are covered by this act from spurious claims,its what it was bought in for.
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^^^^^ Nowadays you'd be covered by the Samaritan Act. We get our first aid training from East Midlands Ambulance Servive,they told us as long as you are genuinly trying to give assistance, then you are covered by this act from spurious claims,its what it was bought in for. Good to know - many thanks for the info! It's just a shame that we need laws to protect "good deeds" from the no-win/no-fee claims Odd (or not ) that the official Gov.UK website talks about the "proposed" law, but other websites say it cam into effect April 2015. Hmmm  For anyone else who is interested, I found this on the Gov.UK website www.gov.uk/government/news/grayling-law-must-protect-everyday-heroes |
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Acting in an emergency sound like the one that would have covered me there then! That's a good read, at the time I was seriously worried as a law abiding 21 year old, and I was very upset at ruining clothes, breaking my toe, shredding my new reeboks and getting no appreciation.
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Ax GTi Turbo
) scare them".
).
