Saturday Afternoon - Good Deed and Notice to fathers everywhere.

Saturday afternoon, I was headed home from a family gathering. Hot and tired, (I drew grillmaster duties) 98 degrees ~85% humidity. Took a little backroads detour as the main roads are all undegoing some form of renovation. Came across 2 young girls standing beside their car deck lid up and I could see the flat tire. I debated stopping but Chivalry is not dead in my mind so I stopped and offered assistance. They were quite thankful.

Neither had a working cell phone.... I was dumbfounded but they had been swimming and left them home. I one that I assumed was the driver asked if I could call her dad and have him come fix the car. She could not find a jack and told me she did not know what to do even if she found it but was willing to try.

I was familiar with the car and knew that the Jack was strategically located under the drivers seat and spare tire and tools under a panel. So I told her I would help and instructed her where to find the jack and tools and spare. Got everything set up and went back to my car and got a blanket to kneel on, that asphalt was sizzling. Cracked the lug nuts, located the jacking knotch and placed the jack and got the car lifted. Typical of aluminum rims, rim was stuck, no big deal, I have a 3# hammer and block of wood in my car.

Both girls followed me as I headed back to find my tools, They said they were really hot and would I mind if they stayed in the shade of my open hatch (rear door). I said OK and that it would only be a few more minutes. I was then told they had been there since 2pm (it was close to 7pm). I dawned on me that they we not sweating and I was drenched. Ture they were dressed for swimming but they should have been glistening. I offered water as I had a cooler full in the back. Told them to help themselves as I wanted to get done.

Went up to the car, got the wheel off, put the spare on and put everything away. Went back and said I'm done and noticed they had drank 6 bottles of water and both were now sweating. The girls thanked me and they went to their car and headded off.. supposedly to home.

I felt good and finishing my drive thought about a few things and the biggest thing that came to mind was the lack of/or unwillingness of people to stop, even if it was just a "is everything OK, can I call someone for you"? The road is lightly travelled but has light traffic all the time. So I know people passed by.

4-1/2 or 5 hours is a long time. The driver has said she thought someone would stop and was positive that her dad would come looking if she did not get home by 8pm. She also had siad she was told to stay with the car if it broke down. Someone would come along and help. ----- Good Bad advice!

I digress, Please make sure your family is familiar with the vehicles, where the jack and tools are located, how to position the jack and what to do if a rim is stuck (or better yet, pull the rims yourself a couple times a year just to keep them from rust welding/galvanic action welding or whatever, just make sure they are removeable).

Shortly after I got home, my phone rang, it was one of the girls fathers, (she found one of my business cards in the back)
he called to thank me and offered a dinner get together with his family for me and my wife. I told him that was not necessary but I would keep it in mind. We talked for bit and ended up planning on getting together.

There is no moral to this post, we try to plan for everything and often overlook some simple things. I remember taking drivers ed years ago and it was through my high school and everyone had to change a tire to pass drivers ed and be allowed to start driving. Being a farm boy, football player etc etc, it was everything I could do not to laugh at some of the girls as well as a lot of the guys. I have since grown up and thinking back I still smile but not so much in amusement as how innocent we were.

Please, do your part to make gaining experience a positive thing.

​Good job! Thanks for posting that...it made me wonder if my granddaughter knows how to change a tire. She is 15 and just got her license two days ago. For sure she will get a lesson this weekend.

Good job....thanks for shareing that with us.

Thank you! Still a few good folks left out their !

Great job Buckeye. That reminded me of an incedent somewhat the same that I was involved with some years ago. I might post it later.Thank you for being a good Samaritan, may many Blessings come your way.
"gene"

You know buckeye, my buddy and I were just talking about this the other day.

Some people are scared to stop because they feel they might be harmed. My buddy stopped outside of D.C a couple years back and the people in trouble were frightened. Thought he was there to do some terrible thing to her.

I make it a habit to stop (I live in the country). I also approach with my Identification (I work for the government). On one occasion, it was getting dark, the girl said she had called someone and was waiting for them. I asked if she would mind if I just waited in my vehicle to ensure she was OK. I could not have lived with myself if I would have left and found out later that something terrible happened to her.

Previously, my wife hit a deer in that same area. She called the police who were too busy to come and file a report. She called me and I was a ways away but able to come to her for help (she had our then 3 year old daughter in the car). When I arrived and looked the car over, I asked if anyone had stopped. She said that NO ONE had stopped!

I like to think that the person I am attempting to help is someone Husband, Wife, daughter, Mother, father, or whatever. I'm never in too big of a hurry.

Thanks for the reminder though, too many people don't know how to perform these minor tasks that they used to teach us in driver's education.

Great job Sir. I would hope someone like yourself that came on one of my girls should they be in trouble.
Over the years I have come into a couple of instances that I had to stop and get involved. Two stand out that I will share as briefly as I can. Prior to 2000 i was in Nebraska and heard the two way telling of a woman broken down and standing outside the car. It was up in front of me so I hit the flashers and pulled over behind the little Honda Civic. It was dead of winter and very cold and windy and I got out to help. The car was already jacked up and the lugs loose but the rim was frozen to the hub. About now I had to go back to the truck and put on the insulated bibs and lined field jacket and toboggan. Grabbed a small crowbar out of the truck, put the doughnut spare under the car and after about 20 minutes or more of trying I got the old one off and the new one on , she said she was going to her sons basketball game in a town 50 miles away. I had to tell her that she was't going to that game as the tire was only rated for 45 miles. Sending her on her way she was adamant that I take some money for what I had done. My reply was that money wasn't what I had done was all about. She headed off disappointed about the game but glad to be on her way. Her husband owned a used car lot and didn't keep up on her car any better than that was a frustration to me.
The other was in Indiana on I-70, also winter though not quite as cold but too cold to sit for long. A woman and her 2 girls was broken down a long way from civilization. I pulled up and motioned to the Mom asking if they were broken. She nodded and I motioned to come on and made room in the truck. I helped carry some things they had to have and helped them in the truck. Quite a deal for the kids as they had never been in one. Seems they were on their way home from some classes for the one daughter to learn how to sign, she was totally deaf and always had been. I dropped them off at the first truck stop and made sure they had enough resources to contact help, no cell phones back then, and moved on. I believe we are spoken to at the times we are supposed to do what we know to be right, and the hairs on your neck to tell us when to beware. I only pray that we that stop are looked after when doing what we're told to do. If you have ever stopped for anyone you have my thanks, we pay it forward for those that belong to us when they need help.

Good job

Good job and good stories

Great job! I am very careful. A few years back, a local guy stopped to help a young girl who appeared to be broken down. While he was talking to her, her friends jumped out of the woods and held him down and hacked him up with an axe. They were all caught and are doing time. It was a satanic cult. I am extremely careful. I always carry, and I assess the scene before proceeding. Been lucky so far...

God Bless you Sir.

What a wake up call for so many people. Thank you for sharing this story.

I help folks when I can, if I feel safe doing so. My wife won't stop unless it's an accident due to being afraid. The world is in a sad state of affairs when you are scared to help people.

One evening on the way home from bible study there was a fellow dressed in black trying to wave folks down after dark. He was 15 miles from the nearest place he could expect help. We turned around went back. I got out, my wife and kids stayed in the car. The guy had broken down and did need help. I went home changed cloths and returned in my truck. I helped the fellow but made sure he knew I was armed and would not stand for any tricks. I drove him to his girlfriends house and was able to give a witness for the Lord.

This is an encouraging thread! Good to know there are still folks doing the right thing. God bless you all!!