Do you help stranded motorists?

[duckfoot]

I've helped more people than I can remember, and still help whenever I can. With that said, the only time I smelled trouble was when, I was heading back from a day of hunting with a older Marine nicked named "Pickles", when I pulled over to help a lady broken down on the side of a two lane back road in central North Carolina. It was still daylight as we headed in early back to Camp Lejeune. Now both being grunts and habit kick in, I said keep a look out and I was going check it out, to Pickles and walked back to the distressed lady. She tells me she’s trying to find her cousins house and all of a sudden her car makes really strange noises and stops. I asked her where she was coming from and about the time I lean over the engine bay and see a spark plug cable off a plug, I hear my truck door slam shut. I'm up and got my head on a swivel, and I see Pickles out facing outboard and very large guy running out of the woods. I put some distance between me and the lady, scanning 360 all the while Pickles kept squared with guy with his hand on his hip ready to draw down. I tell the guy that he has a pulled spark plug cable and he should be able to fix himself (good working spark plug cables like the one I saw don't come off by themselves by the way). This dude gave me a look of pure hate like I have seldom seen on American soil. Scanning 360 all the way back to the truck, we hopped in and tore off. Pickles got the plate number as we passed the first time so, at the first pay phone we called the locals and told all we could. Never heard back about it. Because of that little run in, I got my CCW ASAP when I moved back to North Carolina, and got real serious about Situational Awareness. But looking back and rehashing this over in my mind, I see that it was a good set up to get ahold of a truck and a firearm, from some lone hunter with a kind heart. I guess that Pickles kinda fouled the trap when he popped out of the truck ready to start blasting.

Moral of the story

Good SA or a second pair of eyes can save your A$$

 

[280PLUS]

not any more,,,

unless theres an accident and i'm nearly first on the scene,,,

why?

scenario #1,,,guy stopped on opposite side of road,,,during my u-turn to help i'm sideswiped from the rear by a guy who (to this day i swear) had no lights on

the guy i was going to help?

"didn't see anything"

scenario #2

car in front of me gets it's windshield smashed by a tire that had come off another vehicle, i come to a screeching halt within a couple of feet of the now sideways in my lane vehicle,,,

i put my flashers on ( we were blocking the fast lane) jump out run around the front of my vehicle and check on the female driver

i suddenly see headlights growing in the back of MY vehicle followed by the screeching of tires followed by the big BOOOOOM that accompanies a van when its hit,,,

the other driver and i are now STRAIGHT ARMING MY VAN to keep it from running us over!! we manage to avoid this and my van then glances off her car, crosses 3 lanes of traffic and winds up in a ditch on the slow side of the road

about a week later her FATHER calls me up because my van did minor damage to her car when it glanced off of it and he WANTS COMPENSATION!!

i said something like "dude,,,i stop to help your daughter and this is what i get??"

i didn't hear from him again,,,

since then,,,it's been every man / woman for themselves as far as i'm concerned

i will call on my cell so that "official" help is on the way when i see it's needed

and the police always thank me

m

fyi and fwiw,,,a big part of my job involves driving,,,so i am and have been a professional driver with a very clean record for many years,,,so this is my PROFESSIONAL opinion regarding your question

oh,,,i HAVE stopped since, twice,,,both involved serious accidents that occured literally in front of me and involved extricating people before the emergency people arrived,,,(including a baby in an overturned vehicle, you've never felt true relief until you've pulled an unharmed baby out of a serious wreck)

i made sure my truck was in a safe position in both instances,,,having learned this the hard way

 

[birddog]

Yep

Yep, I usually stop. If my daughters are with me, I only do so if the need is obvious. I've pulled people out of ditches, helped change flat tires, jump started cars. I feel guilty not stopping.

My crowning moment was at a rest stop where two college kids were watching their engine catch on fire and I doused it with the large diet coke I'd just purchased for oh, probably 10 bucks. (New York State Thruway prices are well...ridiculous).

If someone needs a ride because they've broken down, I usually tell them they are welcome to hop in the BACK of my truck, where they would have to do some fancy maneuvering to cause me any trouble. (The truck has a cap).

Joel

 

[Kamicosmos]

I never stop. Could be because when I've needed help due to stalled car or whatever, no one has stopped to help me. Even cops. They just cruise on by.

Yet, if I decide to take a mid-night walk to the convience store to get a late snack for a lan party or something....Can I see your ID, what are you doing out so late?

And, at least around here, there are far too many kidnappings, rapes and murders of people along the roadsides....

 

[axeman_g]

Yes

I always intend to ...

I always asses situation .... lighting, traffic, proximity to buildings etc etc

I usually stop. I have had some people say no thanks, someone is coming or they are very thankful.

It is a Karma thing for me .... I may need it myself someday.

Axe

 

[Balog]

My mindset on helping others (not just stranded motorists but just being neighborly in general) has really changed since I moved into the city. I used to have a pretty easy-going, friendly, help a brother out mentality. But living in a city really warps that. It's similar to the way cops often grow jaded and cynical about the public. You get so much exposure to the negative side of life you forget that not everyone is out to get you.

 

[VNgo]

I'll pull over for an accident if there are no medical units on scene since I'm an EMS trainee, but since I'm unarmed (sub-21) I won't pull over for stranded motorists unless I'm *abolutely* sure it's safe.

 

[redhead]

I'm in the "it depends" camp. I'm a woman, and frequently travel alone for business. A few years ago, I was in a rural area, on a road with very little traffic, and quite a few miles from the nearest town. I was flagged down by three guys who looked to be in their twenties. Maybe "flagged down" is inaccurate. They were standing in the roadway, and I had no choice but to stop (or run them down). I rolled my window down about an inch, to ask what the deal was. They had a flat, they said, and didn't have a tire iron (doh). They wanted to know if I had one. Well, I was in a rental care, and didn't know what was available for changing flats, and refused to get out of my car. They didn't give me a hard time, I said I'd call for help if they wanted, when I got to my destination. They weren't too interested in that option, so I put my car in gear and started pulling away slowly. They got out of my way, and I drove off.

If I'm with my husband, and the situation "looks" OK, then we would stop, and look things over.

 

[IrvJr]

Cell Phone

If I have my cell phone with me I will typically call the police and inform them of the stranded motorist.

 

[ysr_racer]

You guys that stop are nuts. Use your cell phone; let the CHP deal with it. That’s what they get paid for.

Too many “good samaritans " have been killed "helping" others. There's a famous " good samaritan killing" case that happened in Phoenix some years ago.

 

[jwmoore]

I'll stop for an accident if there are no emergency units on scene... Flip on my blue lights, position my truck to block traffic, assess scene safety from the drivers seat. Quick walk around, call 911 & report nature of accident, location, and number of victims. Perform initial triage - don't begin primary care except in the case of immediate life-threatening injuries. Make report to incoming emergency units, then stay out of the way unless requested otherwise.

~W

 

[Binkus]

I usually will if time permits it, its also dependant thogh if I know of a civlized area is real close or that this area of the road is reguarly patorled by LEO thin Id probably pass by. Definatly go in being aware of a increased possibillty of threat includeing other drivers. Recently in NC there were 2 brothers killed shortly after they stoped to help some one in a minor accident, shortly after stoping and rendering help they were hit by a drunk driver.

 

[Jack19]

I voted for it depends....but usually I'll at least stop after evaluating the risk. Good weather, daytime, bad weather, nighttime...all make a difference.

If it's a simple break down, I'll tell folks to get back in their cars and I'll call 911 or a hook for them.

If it's a property damage only accident, I'll do the same thing.

If it's an injury accident, I'll get out providing it's safe to do so....downed wires, fire, etc.

If things are iffy, meaning my gut is telling me there's something wrong, I'll call 911 and sit 50 yards back.

Being able to communicate with people outside your car without opening the window or doors is important. I'd suggest a CB unit with a PA switch and an under hood speaker.

 

[M99M12]

I voted "It Depends"

That situational awareness thing rules. I used to drive wrecker in Hartford, CT. and we did State Police and City Police calls, accidents, break-downs, etc. Sometimes, like if the plates or license was just expired, the driver wouldn't get arrested and the car wouldn't get impounded and all the cop cared about was just to tow the car car to their house. If the person could pay for the tow and the person seemed OK to me, that's what I'd do. I've gotten some hefty tips from some characters for that, so there was some incentive. From '83 to '96 I drove wrecker. Maybe 6 times did it ever get tight. I didn't (couldn't) carry but with a J-hook and 8-ft of tow chain, I wasn't un-armed. I just kept my head and my back to the truck until cooler heads prevailed. Once was when this guy started yelling and wouldn't step back enough for me to un-hook his car. His father, a small Hispanic man about 5-ft tall had paid and tipped me, couldn't do anything with him. His brothers came out and they started at it, rassling around the yard. I dropped those hooks so fast and jumped into the truck when the Dad runs up and gave me another $5. Between the tow and the tip, about $100.
Another time, at the UofH campus, I did a jumpstart on a 300ZX with NY plates and the student (from a fine, upstanding family, I imagine) gave me trouble over a $20 road call. His yelling drew about a dozen other students and things got hairy. One kid pushed me, I rapped him on the knee with a pry bar. The Campus Security shows up, calls a real cop who tells the kid to pay or his car gets towed. He paid, but for three months I had to watch out for him. Slum dwellers or college boys, you never can tell. No tip from the student.

Like Binkus says, other drivers were my biggest worry.

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

When I was growing up (and several years after that) one of my best friends' family had a wrecker service in our hometown. During the infrequent ice storms we have around Texas we'd drive around the area in the 4 wheel drive wrecker or one of our 4wd trucks and help out folks who (like all Texans) think they can drive on 'just a little ice on the road'. Usually we'd pull 10 folks back up on the road or up the hill until everybody figured it out, and we'd not accept a penny for it. Just doing a good deed felt pretty good.

Regards,
Rabbit.

 

[FirePower]

As several others have said, I usually try to help after assessing the stiuation if I see that it is a woman, or the elderly (sorry men you should all be able to take care of yourselves).

I do however abide by the biker code, so I generally pull over for any stranded bikers that I encounter because 1) not many people will stop for bikers 2) I'm fairly mechanically inclined in motorcycles as well as cars so can often help out and 3) I also ride, and would like to think other bikers would stop for me as well should something ever happen to me.

 

[Penforhire]

I forgot to add, like Jim, I usually stop for bikers. No that there are no bad seeds among the 2-wheeled but if you had to pick a cross-section of the public you could do a lot worse than people on bikes. There is an intangible bond among those who take that greater risk (riding) just because they want to.

 

[Joe Demko]

I hitch-hiked and got picked up my a very agressive, predatory homosexual. It required the use of a gun to exit the situation. I picked up a hitchiker (a Marine) who proceeded to incoherently rant at me about Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, and Jesus Christ all being the same person. I was relieved to drop him at the Federal Building in Pittsburgh.
Sat on the side of the highway just outside Washington DC for three hours, once, when a vehicle had an electrical failure. Finally, a VA cop stopped to see what was going on. He called AAA for me and left. Stopped to help an apparent breakdown in the Laredo TX area. He bummed a cigarette, cursed me for it not being menthol, then wanted money. I left him there.
These days, no hitchhikers need apply. Nor am I likely to stop and offer help for breakdowns. I just call the locals on my cell phone and notify them. The world is as crazy as a tertiary syphillitic, I keep my distance.

 

[Poodleshooter]

I generally only stop if I'm armed,which is almost all of them time I am in state. I see concealed carry as an extra incentive to stop and render assistance. I seldom stop for large groups unless they're older. The last people I helped were drunk, and staring at the broken axle on their Subaru. It was sleeting and there was a little girl in the car with her mother,so I stopped to offer my phone for her sake. There was no chance of them getting back on the road, so I figured a phone call was safe. I've never had anyone become belligerent while I was lending a hand. I've been the recipient of helping hands by the roadside, so I figure it's my duty to help others when I can.

 

[cameroneod]

I always stop. Iv broken down out in the middle of nowhere enough times to be able to appreciate the help. Plus I was a career hitchiker in my younger years, and pretty shady looking to boot.

 

[Peetmoss]

I voted depends. Passed a women the other day in the ditch didn't stop she was reading the papper and in a verizon wireless car so I figured she was ok Offerd to call for help the other day for a tractor trailor in the ditch. And that same day a poor women was killed pulling out a stranded motorist. She was hit by two cars

 

[yy]

I'd pass by, have a look. But I usually stop and offer to call for help.

If I see women and children only, I'd stop and help with the mechanical problems.

I figure whoever preys on good samaritans can rot in hell. But they won't stop me from helping those in need.

I'll take my precautions.

 

[BryanP]

I voted "it depends" but I've both helped and been helped. Mostly in pre-cell phone days but once or twice since then. Yeah, it's a rough world out there but we gotta help each other out.

 

[hutch24]

Yes. Here in the Interior Alaska a break-down could potentially cost someone life or limb. So there is an obligation to stop. Im always suprised to see the amount of people who will turn a blinds eye to a stranded motorist on the side of a frozen highway.

I feel the same way. You get stranded out in the middle of nowhere at -30 and you'll end up dead and part of a snowbank. In the summer I might be a little less likely too stop, depending on the situation.

 

[Bill Hook]

You gotta think the cold weather in AK means not too many folks are just out pretending so they can rob/rape/murder you when you stop.