The kindness of strangers |
The kindness of strangers |
Fri, 8 Jun 2012 - 00:21
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#1
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Member Group: Members Posts: 13,506 Joined: 9 Jan 2008 From: manchester Member No.: 16,521 |
On monday afternoon, i found myself stranded, id set of to asda, aware that I was low on gas, but confident i had enough to get there. which is how i found myself stranded on a slip road on to a DC. just got to the stop line and it cut out. hill behind me and another slope out of there. with cars that are too gormless to notice that ive got my hazards on and that the drivers door is open and im stood next to it, driving right up behind me and hooting ?
I some how managed to push it, and its one heavy 4x4 , up hill into the bus lane to clear the junction, whilst people hooted and swore at me, thanks lads. So now im just blocking the bus lane, which is a minor improvement, of course i dont have AA et al, or a phone. I cant leave it there to go and get gas, as its about an hour to walk to the petrol station and back and the police will have it towed if they find it abandonment there,, so im stuck Im a believer in Karma, and this is the very place I stopped to rescue a woman in a car, 12 months ago, towing her home, as the clutch had fell off, so some one will be a long to rescue me soon, probably. I imagine a mark 1 disco with a hoist on the front and a V8 winding its way to me, 10 minuets later im still stood there and taken to flagging down 4x4, in case they a) have a gallon of diesel to sell me or b) fancy towing me 80ft off the DC to a side road, nothing, just zoom past, twits,, then a soft top merc screams to a holt and a scroty looking lad about 18 jumps out of the passenger seat and helps me push it a bit further in to the bus lane and then goes to get me a gallon, unfortunetly it still wont start and i flatten the battery trying, bollux So now its a tow or nothing, then a kid a moped stops to see if i need a hand, ex0plain to him and pulls out an iphone barks a few instructions and within 5 mins, MacyDs car park has appear and im surrounded by little cars with spoilers and lurid paint jobs, Wayne tells me his tuned corsa will pull the disco no problem, im not convinced, but we tie it on with a length of washing line that some one has found in his boot. we get 5 ft and the rope breaks, tie it up again 10ft and it goes again, tie it again, we are down to about 3 ft of rope now, but with 12 lads pushing it as well, we make it to the side road. Im happy with that but Wayne insists on towing me home Which is how i was left explaining to mrs jobo why we had no food for tea,but she needed to make 20 coffees for the rest of the procession that followed us and why we might be going on their southport run -------------------- jobo
anyone but Murray, Wish granted for another year, |
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Fri, 8 Jun 2012 - 00:21
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Advertise here! |
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Fri, 8 Jun 2012 - 07:12
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#2
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Member Group: Members Posts: 29,280 Joined: 16 Jan 2008 Member No.: 16,671 |
Nice one J.
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Fri, 8 Jun 2012 - 07:20
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#3
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Member Group: Members Posts: 185 Joined: 12 May 2009 Member No.: 28,638 |
brilliant
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Fri, 8 Jun 2012 - 07:52
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#4
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Member Group: Members Posts: 961 Joined: 13 Jul 2011 From: Bocking Member No.: 48,194 |
Never judge a book by its cover.
Well done to the dustbin exhaust pipe boys |
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Fri, 8 Jun 2012 - 09:33
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#5
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Member Group: Members Posts: 10,460 Joined: 8 Sep 2008 Member No.: 22,424 |
Its the beauty of McDonalds car park gatherings. A public nuisance, but if someone calls everyones there. Happened with a crash this year- one of my 'aquaintences' (not calling him a mate cos hes a tosser) managed to fail to stop his 2.0 Redtop chavmobile and went straight over a roundabout and into a wall, setting his car on fire and getting himself banned for dangerous driving.
This happened, and within 2/3 minutes one of the other boys was driving by and saw the crash. Called someone else in McDonalds car park, and within 15 minutes we were all parked on the cycle path at the side of the road watching what happened next... passengers got taken home, and had his car not been a shell, we would have towed the car too. |
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Fri, 8 Jun 2012 - 09:39
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#6
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Member Group: Members Posts: 6,981 Joined: 19 Dec 2006 From: Near Calais Member No.: 9,683 |
nice to know there's still some knights of the road out there in the most unlikely guises.
Maybe they'll need our help one day, fighting off the MuckD PPC's! |
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Fri, 8 Jun 2012 - 09:56
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#7
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Member Group: Members Posts: 1,294 Joined: 15 Aug 2008 From: Yorkshire Member No.: 21,857 |
nice to know there's still some knights of the road out there in the most unlikely guises. car with hazards in centre of a busy 3 lane roundabout, pulls in front to tie a rope to it, to$$er pulls up behind it blowing horn, man in broken down car ( built like a " brickhouse " ) gets out, walks up to him and asks if he could help me tie on the rope and he would blow his horn for him, and said if he heard it blow again, would rip it out and stick it where it would be muted, This post has been edited by albert2008: Fri, 8 Jun 2012 - 09:57 |
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Fri, 8 Jun 2012 - 09:57
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#8
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Member Group: Members Posts: 1,769 Joined: 7 Nov 2009 Member No.: 33,505 |
Compare and contrast the above with the recent case in Nottingham where, for the want of 20p to pay a bus fare, a girl was raped when walking home late at night. The girl had pleaded with the bus driver and the passengers on the bus, but nobody would help her. So she asked the bus driver to wait while she went to a cash-point, but he just drove off leaving her stranded.
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Fri, 8 Jun 2012 - 17:30
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#9
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Member Group: Members Posts: 19 Joined: 1 Sep 2011 Member No.: 49,352 |
Similar event with fuel the other day. Ran out on the A1 southbound 1/2 mile from home,luckily just managed to get into the layby,and started walking to the petrol station 2 miles away. Had 2 teenagers with me as no way I was leaving them in the car-girl was petrified! Got a way along and a car pulled up.An elderly couple,total strangers,had seen us as they headed north,turned around at the next junction and came ot help us! Took us home so I could get some cash-still had to walk to garage and back to car,and wish now I had takne up their offer to drive me there & back to car(but I refused as I didnt want to inconvenience them further) as it decided to chuck it down! Just shows there are some nice people.
I heard that story on the news today about the rape-damn that sucks,we have all been there,and what is 20p! |
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Fri, 8 Jun 2012 - 23:39
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#10
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Member Group: Members Posts: 10,695 Joined: 23 Apr 2004 From: Not in the UK Member No.: 1,131 |
I would have been amongst the first to offer 20p. What has the world become?
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Sat, 9 Jun 2012 - 09:01
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#11
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Member Group: Members Posts: 306 Joined: 17 Apr 2010 Member No.: 36,927 |
Ive been lucky enough never to of been stranded like that but I hope to god that kama does work cos Im usually one of those that stop.
I have driven smaller 4wd's or double-cab pick ups for a few years now, most of which, have either had a beacon on, or I have fitted strobes in the back windows etc (I need them for work). If I see someone stranded in a particularly dangerous or inconvenient position (causing tailbacks) then Ill stop and tow them to safety. Two years ago, working down in Manchester area, I was heading to site in the bad snow, I was in a Freelander with AT tyres on, so had no issues at all :-) Came to a set of lights crossing the A34 (I think) and there were two BMW 5 series in front. Every time the lights changed to green, they tried to move but couldnt get any traction. 5 light changes they tried. Right, OK, ill help then. Waited till it was safe and drove round them and parked as safe as i could and went to speak to the first. He hadnt a clue where the towing eye was or where it attached too. He got out the car to search the boot. He was suited up and had leather soled shoes on…. in 6 inches of snow. The car was covered in snow, so not as if it was unexpected. I ended up pushing him, on my own and gave him enough traction to get going and clear the lights. Same with the second BMW driver, a woman. No idea how to find or attach the towing eye. Did the same to her, but this time some pedestrians came to help. Not a word of thanks for either of them, nor any help or thanks from those in the queue that could clearly see I was free'ing the road for all of us. Bastids. I hurt my back as well that do doing that. Ive rescued people from the outside lane of motorways before too…. not ideal I know, but both were causing that much trauma that it was at a virtual standstill anyway (only 2 lanes and one blocked). One was an elderly chap on the m8 on the underpass by the Kingston bridge in rush hour. He was in an old morris traveller. Just as I got back in my jeep to tow him off to the hard shoulder and 3 bike cops pulled up and escorted us a little down the motorway to a wider hard shoulder. The other was a young lassy in a punto, stuck on the bend on the old section of the M80 ( I think). Again, traffic at a standstill. Had to push her though, no towing eye. Why o Why wont other people stop and help. I would hope that if my dad or daughter, wife etc was stranded that someone would help them, really irritates me how they just drive round with the attitude 'not my problem' Rant over, lol |
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Sat, 9 Jun 2012 - 10:59
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#12
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Member Group: Members Posts: 13,506 Joined: 9 Jan 2008 From: manchester Member No.: 16,521 |
there is mathematical model on how likely people are to help, be it 20p or a tow. thats based on how many people are present, ie the more people there are, the more likely someone will leave it to someone else to take responsibility' or with the 20p thing the more have refused the less likely someone will go against the crowd and donate
Then there are people like me and you who would feel guilty for weeks if i left someone stuck when i could have helped. but yes the karma works I had a not dissimilar one, where i was out on the bikes one night with my mate with one leg, when his cut out at the light and wouldnt restart, in the middle of some god forsaken urban waste land. I tried bumping it( but im getting on a bit now) and disappeared on to a badly lite supermarket car park. Then a mob of about 30 angry young men came round the corner( mid riot?) and followed me on. He was fearing the worst when i reappeared with 5 or 6 of them pushing me and the bike burst into life. If your ever stuck for a push, a gang of scoats will nearly always oblige if you ask, its twits in brand new 4x4s or BMs that just drive on past feeling smug This post has been edited by jobo: Sat, 9 Jun 2012 - 11:10 -------------------- jobo
anyone but Murray, Wish granted for another year, |
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Sat, 9 Jun 2012 - 12:30
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#13
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Member Group: Members Posts: 10,460 Joined: 8 Sep 2008 Member No.: 22,424 |
I've got to admit I don't tend to help people with train fares when they ask- if I did, I'd be skint as every ned in Scotland seems to rely on the public to pay fares for them (even though we already pay their benefits....). Interestingly too, I had someone ask me for money when I got the train to work a few weeks ago. He was trying to get to Monklands hospital (in Airdrie) to see his newborn child. Except he was on a train to Greenock... I think he was at it.
I'll happily help people stranded etc though. The Xsara towed a few motors, including a Chinquchenco from Buchlivie on the Stirling straights all the way over to Larbert (where I'd just came from..) |
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Sat, 9 Jun 2012 - 12:34
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#14
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Member Group: Members Posts: 611 Joined: 29 Nov 2008 Member No.: 24,463 |
I treat others as I'd expect them to treat me so if I see someone who needs a hand I try to help although it does surprise me how ungrateful people can be at times. I had taken the dog out for a walk in the countryside and come across someone who had got completely stuck on the snow. I stopped, got out and starting trying to clear the snow and push the car out as once he got to the road again he'd be fine. Another driver pulled up and took a shovel out and after about 15 minutes we managed to get the vehicle clear but he drove straight off, not a word or wave of thanks which I was quite surprised at.
On a different note, a friend at work was hill climbing in a remote area and came across a compact camera near the peak sitting in its bag which wasn't zipped shut properly. He powered the camera up and found the last picture taken on it was around five weeks before when there had still been a lot of snow so the camera must have been dropped and buried, how it still worked after all that I've no idea but quite impressive. My friend took the camera back down and posted on various hill walking forums to try and find the owner with no success. So he went through some of the other pictures and tried to work out where the person lived, the previous pictures were taken in what looked like a holiday cottage with a picture of the inside and one of the outside. He started searching holiday lets in the area but struggled to find the right one as most had pictures from the front, not the back however he found one that had antlers on the wall in the same place as the picture although the carpet, TV, curtains etc. were all different. He gave them a phone and found it this was the correct one, the landlord knew of the missing camera as the guy who had lost it was upset about it as there were quite a lot of photos of previous occasions on the camera which were lost. The landlord had actually climbed the hill himself looking for the camera afterwards but with no success, he put my friend in touch with the person and he now has the camera back which he's delighted about and very grateful for it. I was impresed with the effort and again would hope someone would do that for me if I ever lost something of mine. My friend now thinks he has a more exciting alternative to geocaching by taking cheap digital cameras and leaving them in the countryside with pictures on so people have to figure out where the camera came from based on the pictures on it. |
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Mon, 11 Jun 2012 - 10:43
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#15
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Member Group: Members Posts: 2,157 Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Member No.: 20,605 |
I've always helped out if I see others stranded. Once got helped out by the Police as I'd run out of juice on the MWay. I notice now the HWC now recommends that you DO NOT stop to help stranded motorists ....
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Mon, 11 Jun 2012 - 12:22
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#16
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Member Group: Members Posts: 319 Joined: 8 Oct 2010 Member No.: 41,129 |
On monday afternoon, i found myself stranded, id set of to asda, aware that I was low on gas, but confident i had enough to get there. which is how i found myself stranded on a slip road on to a DC. just got to the stop line and it cut out. hill behind me and another slope out of there. with cars that are too gormless to notice that ive got my hazards on and that the drivers door is open and im stood next to it, driving right up behind me and hooting ? I some how managed to push it, and its one heavy 4x4 , up hill into the bus lane to clear the junction, whilst people hooted and swore at me, thanks lads. So now im just blocking the bus lane, which is a minor improvement, of course i dont have AA et al, or a phone. I cant leave it there to go and get gas, as its about an hour to walk to the petrol station and back and the police will have it towed if they find it abandonment there,, so im stuck Im a believer in Karma, and this is the very place I stopped to rescue a woman in a car, 12 months ago, towing her home, as the clutch had fell off, so some one will be a long to rescue me soon, probably. I imagine a mark 1 disco with a hoist on the front and a V8 winding its way to me, 10 minuets later im still stood there and taken to flagging down 4x4, in case they a) have a gallon of diesel to sell me or b) fancy towing me 80ft off the DC to a side road, nothing, just zoom past, twits,, then a soft top merc screams to a holt and a scroty looking lad about 18 jumps out of the passenger seat and helps me push it a bit further in to the bus lane and then goes to get me a gallon, unfortunetly it still wont start and i flatten the battery trying, bollux So now its a tow or nothing, then a kid a moped stops to see if i need a hand, ex0plain to him and pulls out an iphone barks a few instructions and within 5 mins, MacyDs car park has appear and im surrounded by little cars with spoilers and lurid paint jobs, Wayne tells me his tuned corsa will pull the disco no problem, im not convinced, but we tie it on with a length of washing line that some one has found in his boot. we get 5 ft and the rope breaks, tie it up again 10ft and it goes again, tie it again, we are down to about 3 ft of rope now, but with 12 lads pushing it as well, we make it to the side road. Im happy with that but Wayne insists on towing me home Which is how i was left explaining to mrs jobo why we had no food for tea,but she needed to make 20 coffees for the rest of the procession that followed us and why we might be going on their southport run Which episode of Top Gear was this? |
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Tue, 12 Jun 2012 - 21:07
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#17
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Member Group: Members Posts: 809 Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Member No.: 5,532 |
Well, my business is Breakdown Recovery.
You'd be suprised how many people in cars beep at me when I'm parked in the road, loading a broken down vehicle. Most recently, a car snapped the bottom balljoint right in the middle of a roundabout. Can't push it, can't tow it, needs to be on a truck. In order to load the broken down vehicle, I had to obstruct the traffic. I placed cones out, reducing 2 lanes to 1, giving me room to work. In the 5 minutes I was there, 3 different cars beeped at me because they'd had to slow down and/or change lanes. FFS, do they think I want to be parked there? -------------------- "You won't like me when I'm angry. Because I always back up my rage with facts and documented sources."
The Credible Hulk. |
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Tue, 12 Jun 2012 - 21:55
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#18
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Member Group: Members Posts: 10,460 Joined: 8 Sep 2008 Member No.: 22,424 |
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Tue, 12 Jun 2012 - 22:32
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#19
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Member Group: Members Posts: 28,931 Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Member No.: 4,323 |
There is never a shortage of dorks.
-------------------- Which facts in any situation or problem are “essential” and what makes them “essential”? If the “essential” facts are said to depend on the principles involved, then the whole business, all too obviously, goes right around in a circle. In the light of one principle or set of principles, one bunch of facts will be the “essential” ones; in the light of another principle or set of principles, a different bunch of facts will be “essential.” In order to settle on the right facts you first have to pick your principles, although the whole point of finding the facts was to indicate which principles apply.
Note that I am not legally qualified and any and all statements made are "Reserved". Liability for application lies with the reader. |
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Tue, 12 Jun 2012 - 22:51
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#20
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Member Group: Members Posts: 1,364 Joined: 28 Aug 2010 From: Centre of the Universe Member No.: 40,127 |
A tax collector from Romford found my rucksack on the train. It had my work laptop in it. It was after a few too many beers. He found my business card and called me saying he had done same and it took ages to get it ack from Train co. Diamond geezer saved me from a disciplinary. Rewarded him and his wife with wine and chocolate.
Found what appeared to be dumped belongings in the middle of Wanstead flats whilst walking the dog a few years back. Collected it up, took it home. Found a phone number and name amongst the papers and called them. Victim of break-in to their car in broad daylight. Got a box of Roses from the grateful interior designer. Found an Oyster card on the bus last week with a fiver in the wallet. Handed to bus driver. Hopefully they got it back. If it had i.d.in it I would have returned it personally. Found a bank card and train ticket in Wanstead Park a while back, in amongst empty bottles and picnic rubbish. Bagged up the rubbish. Took the card home. Took great pleasure in cutting it up. I hate littlerbugs. Hopefully they were really inconvenienced. |
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