A friend who's broken down
Poll: A friend who's broken down
Total Members Polled: 271
Discussion
I would do it too even if they were only a distant mate. Can't be leaving people stranded. Sometimes it's easier calling a mate for a simple solution such as a jump start than wait for the AA/RAC and use up one of your lives.
That said people I do hate are those who don't buy any breakdown cover and expect you to come out so they can use your membership.
That said people I do hate are those who don't buy any breakdown cover and expect you to come out so they can use your membership.
I wanted to say the second or third options. But it was a friend/colleague, so I'd probably have gone out to them.
After all, amongst other little things, I've changed wheels (twice) and given a can of fuel to complete strangers, to get them out of sticky situations. The wheel changes were to help elderly drivers, who knew how, but were struggling with the mobility and strength to do it themselves. The girl I gave the fuel to, I just followed her to the nearest petrol station, where she refilled the can (and bought me a box of roses, too). It was as much to help everyone else at commute time, as it was to help her, as she'd run out on a dual carriageway where it meets a roundabout. Her car was stuck, closing off one lane, yet no-one else had even offered to help push it out of the way.
Hopefully, one day, the circle will complete itself, and I'll be on the receiving end of a random act of kindness when I need it most. That, or Karma will ensure that I never need that help...
After all, amongst other little things, I've changed wheels (twice) and given a can of fuel to complete strangers, to get them out of sticky situations. The wheel changes were to help elderly drivers, who knew how, but were struggling with the mobility and strength to do it themselves. The girl I gave the fuel to, I just followed her to the nearest petrol station, where she refilled the can (and bought me a box of roses, too). It was as much to help everyone else at commute time, as it was to help her, as she'd run out on a dual carriageway where it meets a roundabout. Her car was stuck, closing off one lane, yet no-one else had even offered to help push it out of the way.
Hopefully, one day, the circle will complete itself, and I'll be on the receiving end of a random act of kindness when I need it most. That, or Karma will ensure that I never need that help...
jmorgan said:
Depends on the mate. Are they the take take take or do you get favours back? You might be up that creek without a paddle one day if it is the first time and you point out the benefits of other means.
I would have voted depends with the above caveat.
Yup. It's not really a motoring question, it's a "is this person a friend or just using you" question.I would have voted depends with the above caveat.
You did the wrong thing IMO. Us Brits seem to have become very isolated and often selfish in how we conduct overselves, and in my opinion it is exactly stuff like this we should do for friends and family.
If one of my mates was stuck it wouldn't matter what time of night it was, I would be there.
If one of my mates was stuck it wouldn't matter what time of night it was, I would be there.
I have helped friends out before... However on one occasion I had to tow a friend back due to fuel pump failure, unfortunately this friend had no concept of being towed and refused to keep the tow rope tight this led to the towing eye ripping out of its thread on his car smashing my rear bumper.... not happy
Got to go and help. It's the right thing to do (actually, whether it's a mate or not).
A reasonably good friend (not bestest buddy or anything) once drove for an hour and a half to help me on the motorway after I'd had a tyre blow out at speed. Was travelling from Oop North back home Dahn Saaf, on Christmas Eve. He was the only person I could think of who was relatively close in the Midlands, who had a Landy capable of dragging my very poorly car off the hard shoulder and to the nearest garage (who luckily was open Christmas Eve).
He got a good drink out of me that New Year when he was in my village visiting relatives.
I'd be happy to do the same if possible for someone I know (or more locally if it was clear someone was in serious trouble).
A little while ago I helped a girl whose car had overheated whilst stuck in appalling traffic on the M27. Managed to stop her from opening the rad cap whilst there was steam coming out the head... Then gave her the unfortunate news that the head gasket was clearly gone and that there was little point trying to put half a litre of water into the rad.
A reasonably good friend (not bestest buddy or anything) once drove for an hour and a half to help me on the motorway after I'd had a tyre blow out at speed. Was travelling from Oop North back home Dahn Saaf, on Christmas Eve. He was the only person I could think of who was relatively close in the Midlands, who had a Landy capable of dragging my very poorly car off the hard shoulder and to the nearest garage (who luckily was open Christmas Eve).
He got a good drink out of me that New Year when he was in my village visiting relatives.
I'd be happy to do the same if possible for someone I know (or more locally if it was clear someone was in serious trouble).
A little while ago I helped a girl whose car had overheated whilst stuck in appalling traffic on the M27. Managed to stop her from opening the rad cap whilst there was steam coming out the head... Then gave her the unfortunate news that the head gasket was clearly gone and that there was little point trying to put half a litre of water into the rad.
It`s hard to say no to friends especially when they know you have a spec-lift and a tilt and slide with spec-lift.
my pal,the only other person I know personally who is trustworthy and who can drive them(6.5+9 ton unladen) has a spare key to the spec-lift and has rescued me without complaint with my own truck twice now,once very late and just over 100 miles from home.
He has never taken a penny as thanks and I have never had to return the favour,for him I would gladly go and help without hesitation.
my pal,the only other person I know personally who is trustworthy and who can drive them(6.5+9 ton unladen) has a spare key to the spec-lift and has rescued me without complaint with my own truck twice now,once very late and just over 100 miles from home.
He has never taken a penny as thanks and I have never had to return the favour,for him I would gladly go and help without hesitation.
Oh, someones got to have this story, so it's going to be me. Years ago, when the house phone was the only communication, our phone went at 1am. It was a friend of my mum, who's car wouldn't start. She was a nurse on callout rota. Me and dad were both pretty hot on car things as were many in those days. Anyway, yours truly was dispatched on my motorbike, toolbox strapped to the rear seats, as the oldman was away working. A quick shifty showed the bloody HT lead was flopping around at the ignition coil. Shoved it back, and bingo. By then, it turned out mums nurse friend was now replaced, and wasn't needed. Never mind, breakfast was nice !!! A suitable b*******t story re fixing the car was regaled to mum when I eventually returned!!!
i would go and help but only after taking the piss out of him down the phone and again when i turned
up and then after calling him a thick / tight (delete as applicable) t
t for not having breakdown
cover then taking pictures and posting them to FB, twitter and a forum or two to make certain
he gets ribbed by as many folk as possible.
and to those who ticked no in the poll karma's a bh guys.
up and then after calling him a thick / tight (delete as applicable) t
t for not having breakdowncover then taking pictures and posting them to FB, twitter and a forum or two to make certain
he gets ribbed by as many folk as possible.
and to those who ticked no in the poll karma's a b
h guys.Would always go and help.
Last one was last month.
A mate heading from London to the Nurburgring alone and his gearbox packed in somewhere in Belgium.
I was already at the 'ring, and got the phone call 5 minutes before the track was due to open!
It was a mk2 Golf GTI, so I had a good idea what the problem would be, and asked him to check for oil in the gearbox.
It was dry, so I knew I would either tow him, or go and buy some gearbox oil and try to free it off and get it working with the new oil.
Headed off, found him about an hour and a half later , put the oil in and it started to work.
Happy days, I didn't have to tow him to the 'ring!
I did do a lap of the ring before I headed out though.....;)
He's a great friend, who would definitely do the same for me, and I did sell him the Golf last year, so I couldn't have just left him!
Last one was last month.
A mate heading from London to the Nurburgring alone and his gearbox packed in somewhere in Belgium.
I was already at the 'ring, and got the phone call 5 minutes before the track was due to open!
It was a mk2 Golf GTI, so I had a good idea what the problem would be, and asked him to check for oil in the gearbox.
It was dry, so I knew I would either tow him, or go and buy some gearbox oil and try to free it off and get it working with the new oil.
Headed off, found him about an hour and a half later , put the oil in and it started to work.
Happy days, I didn't have to tow him to the 'ring!
I did do a lap of the ring before I headed out though.....;)
He's a great friend, who would definitely do the same for me, and I did sell him the Golf last year, so I couldn't have just left him!
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