Doing the right thing.......
Discussion
So, on Wednesday, i hit the M25 traffic at about 2pm, Stop start, max 10mph between A10 and M11. Half way along this stretch, all the traffic in lane 3 is just slowing, and swerving around something. Turns out to be a DB9 in the outside lane, hazzards on and not moving. I hear a couple of fellas in a van laughing at the bloke as they drove past. So figured, what better way to take away the monotony of this stop start traffic, than offering the fella a hand, His car had just cut out, no ignition, and he was a sitting duck. So I offered him a Tow off the road. He was very happy at the idea. So theres us, lane 3 of M25 in one big traffic jam, i grabs the tow rope out of the boot. he hunts around for a towing eye....not one to be seen anywhere in the car, he then pops the bonnet. Asks if i will tow his DB9 off the M25 using the strut brace!!!!!! Short on options, and double checking he is happy with this, we hook up the aston, and pull him out of the way across the 3 lanes of traffic.
Chatting to him, he was a genuinely nice bloke, who clearly works hard. Its easy to laugh, be jealous and just drive by, but that wouldn't really have helped anyones day. Made me about 10 minutes later than i would have been back to the office, but that doesnt matter.
Not trying to make any point here really, I was just surprised at everyone at works reaction to "why the hell would you do that?" when to me it really is a case of why didnt anyone else in the 10 mins he was sitting there! Am i alone here????
Chatting to him, he was a genuinely nice bloke, who clearly works hard. Its easy to laugh, be jealous and just drive by, but that wouldn't really have helped anyones day. Made me about 10 minutes later than i would have been back to the office, but that doesnt matter.
Not trying to make any point here really, I was just surprised at everyone at works reaction to "why the hell would you do that?" when to me it really is a case of why didnt anyone else in the 10 mins he was sitting there! Am i alone here????
I did something similar a couple of months back. Old boy broken down in a people carrier at the lights blocking a lane. Rather than wait, I got out and pushed his van off to a side road. Not at all surprised that most people sat in their cars watching me do this in the pissing rain. Thankfully some council workers in a van did the decent thing and helped.
mybrainhurts said:
That's an offence, isn't it..?
I would imagine under normal circumstances it wouldnt be smart, But with about 3 miles of stationary-5mph traffic behind, there wasnt a huge danger. The fact there was a vehicle not moving, not going to be moving and just in the way, seemed a bit daft to just crawl on by to be honest. Behind the front number plate? there was the hole for a towing eye to the left of the plate as we looked at it, but just no towing eye we could find. Was just intent on getting the fella off the road asap to be honest.
It's Karma (or Kurma)
Next week something good will happen.
Here's the opposite story.
So I'm on the way to work over the Runcorn Bridge, and the traffic suddenly comes to a halt, because an ORDINARY car has broken down. I'm delayed by 3 mins, and knowingly avoided stopping with my tow rope, because I CBA'd
My boss is an hour late for work, because he was about 15 mins behind, and by that time the whole traffic system heading from North of the Mersey to South of the Mersey was in Chaos.
I chuckled to myself.
A week later my engine threw a conrod through the block (destroying the sump, block, and starter motor), whilst going home over the bridge. I was 3 hours late home.
THIS is Karma. I believe I should have stopped, and helped out.
Next week something good will happen.
Here's the opposite story.
So I'm on the way to work over the Runcorn Bridge, and the traffic suddenly comes to a halt, because an ORDINARY car has broken down. I'm delayed by 3 mins, and knowingly avoided stopping with my tow rope, because I CBA'd
My boss is an hour late for work, because he was about 15 mins behind, and by that time the whole traffic system heading from North of the Mersey to South of the Mersey was in Chaos.
I chuckled to myself.
A week later my engine threw a conrod through the block (destroying the sump, block, and starter motor), whilst going home over the bridge. I was 3 hours late home.
THIS is Karma. I believe I should have stopped, and helped out.
I've done something similar for an older couple in beautifully restored triumph herald. Stopped and pushed them off the junction where they'd broken down and into a layby. Took 2 minutes of my time.
Today my wife was at her friends house in the garden with the kids when they heard s low moan. They looked over the fence and the elderly neighbour was lying unconscious on the lawn. They couldn't get into the garden via the gate so my wife had to scale a tall fence, get onto the shed roof then jump off in order to help the old lady. Not bad for someone in their 40s, I'm quite proud of her
. The old lady is ok now too.
Today my wife was at her friends house in the garden with the kids when they heard s low moan. They looked over the fence and the elderly neighbour was lying unconscious on the lawn. They couldn't get into the garden via the gate so my wife had to scale a tall fence, get onto the shed roof then jump off in order to help the old lady. Not bad for someone in their 40s, I'm quite proud of her
. The old lady is ok now too.Just over 4 years ago I broke down on a dual carriageway (throttle cable snapped) so I decided to fix it. Head under the bonnet, a bloke in a fiesta crashed into the back of my car at 70mph. I was very lucky to survive, and had anyone been in the process of trying to help me they may well have died or been injured like myself.
Last month came across a young couple broken down on a bend near a busy M1 island- just sitting in the car straight after the bend completely oblivious. My friend and I pulled into the next layby then ran back and pushed their car up the road to the same layby, about a third of a mile. They asked for our address and said they would send a bottle of wine as thanks.
They never did, not fussed though was just glad to see them safe. Wouldn't hesitate to help someone as long as it's no too risky. No roadside repairs though- learned that one the hard way.
Last month came across a young couple broken down on a bend near a busy M1 island- just sitting in the car straight after the bend completely oblivious. My friend and I pulled into the next layby then ran back and pushed their car up the road to the same layby, about a third of a mile. They asked for our address and said they would send a bottle of wine as thanks.
They never did, not fussed though was just glad to see them safe. Wouldn't hesitate to help someone as long as it's no too risky. No roadside repairs though- learned that one the hard way.
mybrainhurts said:
Smart is not relevant if it's an offence. A non-traffic plod once told me it was.
Fair point, and if i had ended up gettig a b
king by plod, then so be it. Sometimes situations dont fit in with the written law. Thinking about it, it must have been on cctv, so may end up with a NIP. We will see... 
Im a massive believer in karma and in my mind most of the time what goes around, comes around.
Back in April me and the wife went to London Friday to Sunday. Saturday afternoon making our way around London on the tube (perhaps the most unsociable place ever) we stumbled across a canadian couple with three kids and a shed load of bags trying to get from one line to another (i forget which one it was, but it was busy). Being the helpful northerners that we are we couldn't watch these people struggle, especially considering they had 3 young children and cases to lug about up stairs etc.
Turns out the line they were heading for was a good ten minutes out of our way, but it didn't matter one bit - whats ten minutes on a saturday?
Bloke and his missus was really appreciative and shook my hand.
Moral of the story - if you can help, help. You'll feel better about yourself and you might find yourself in that same position one day.
Back in April me and the wife went to London Friday to Sunday. Saturday afternoon making our way around London on the tube (perhaps the most unsociable place ever) we stumbled across a canadian couple with three kids and a shed load of bags trying to get from one line to another (i forget which one it was, but it was busy). Being the helpful northerners that we are we couldn't watch these people struggle, especially considering they had 3 young children and cases to lug about up stairs etc.
Turns out the line they were heading for was a good ten minutes out of our way, but it didn't matter one bit - whats ten minutes on a saturday?
Bloke and his missus was really appreciative and shook my hand.
Moral of the story - if you can help, help. You'll feel better about yourself and you might find yourself in that same position one day.
I stil feel guilty for not stopping to help a stranded tvr chimaera about 3 years ago, but i was on my way to pick up a friend and I was already running late.
I dropped a core plug last year and all i needed was a one pence coin and some water, I would have payed quite a bit of the one pence! But not one person would stop. So karma got me back in the end!
I dropped a core plug last year and all i needed was a one pence coin and some water, I would have payed quite a bit of the one pence! But not one person would stop. So karma got me back in the end!
Well done OP.Done many, many similar things myself.I once pulled over to help three older ladies out changing a wheel.A few weeks later, several of us were chatting in the pub and my friend mentioned a 'knight in shining armour' who had helped his Mum and her friends out one night.Turns out it was me 
I was walking home a couple of year ago and a car went past making a flapping noise. It stopped 100 yards up the road, by the time I got the car the old boy (easily 75+) had his phone out trying to call the RAC. I told him not to bother and that I'd do it for him. I was done in 10 minutes and he was on his way, he was ever so thankful and I kindly accepted his offer of a lift to my house which was a mile up the road.
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