Broken car /unhelpful people.

[Le Chat]

I have just had a very upsetting experience. My car just broke down about 10 metres from the traffic lights, at the junction of a by pass. It stopped right in the middle of the road. I was with my son of 4 yrs, so we got out. Nobody stopped so as my husband was leaving for work later than usual, I tried to call him from my mobile. However, I could get no signal. I turned the corner and started walking down the main road. There was still no signal on my phone and I was starting to panic in case someone drove into the back of my car and was hurt. I decided to call at a house and ask if I could use the phone. I chose a house with 2 cars parked in the driveway. I rang the doorbell, my 4 yr old son at my side and explained the situation. The woman, who was in her 30's asked me if I was ringing a local number and I said yes. I also added that I didn't want to come into the house, as she seemed abit reluctant to help. Anyway, I apologised again that I had no signal and was worried about the position of the car, so if I could stand outside and make a quick call to my husband, then I would be on my way. Well, she just looked at me because she really didn't want to help! So I said that if she couldn't help, I'd try someone else. She just shut the door and went in then!!
This neighbourhood is Birkdale. The Open golf is happening next week. It's a lovely, crime free place. I am a 40 yr old, well turned out woman with my small son at my side. What is going on?????
As it turned out, a man in the street offered me his mobile, as I was in tears at this point and came back to the car to push it into the side, whilst he waited with me until my husband arrived.
The woman in the house was not even alone, there was a bloke lurking in the background.
I am so upset by this lack of caring and concern.
Just thought I'd let off steam. Thanks for listening!

[redcrx]

omg.

Thats awful. I can understand if it was the middle of the night or something and she was alone but fancy not even trying to help. She could even have made the call for you if she didnt trust you!

The world is such an untrusting place nowadays, but what happened to kindness.

I hope youre OK now and that the car gets fixed! x

[andy-hughes]

That is shocking!

I always try to be helpful when ever i can - I am simply made that way.

This morning, as I parked my car, a lovely young lady came into the car park, and turned her car around, and waited intil I walked past. She asked me where the local Council car park is located, and also the street she needed to find to visit some business premises.

I offered to hop in to her car and direct her - it was just a few minutes away. I then walked her to the local cash point to get some money, and to a newsagents to get some change, showed her where her premises was, and walked her back to her car.

This took about fifteen minutes, she was supremely grateful, and as I told her, she was a beautiful lady, and i had very much enjoyed my fifteen minutes in her company.

It cost me nothing but a few minutes of my time, I helped someone, and made both our days more pleasant because of it.

Why this lady could not do the same - a far more impolrtant request with far less effort on her part - is a mystery.

Glad you found someone helpful - restores your faith in human nature.

[redcrx]

pmsl, tetjam occasionally you are funny :)

[puddicat]

Le Chat i bet your belief in human nature has taken a big dent! What a insensitive idiot, hope something like that doesent ever happened to her,but yet again maybe i do hope it happens!!!

[Goodsoulette]

Whilst there are some unhelpful so and sos there are people willing to put themselves out to help like the man who lent you his phone and pushed the cars aside. Try and focus on the positives.

[bednobs]

don't forget -you were in the middle of a crisis - so might she have been. Her partner may have just told her he ws leaving her, the toaster may have exploded, she may have been 2 hours late for work

[karmabum]

Like Bednobs said - she may have had troubles of her own which prevented her from being helpful. Man lurking in the background may have been an abusive type who could have been of a mind to blat her one if she let you in. Or maybe she was just a bear of little brain or something. Try not to let it stay with you - after all the man was kind and helpful who stayed with you and pushed your car, focus on that as much as poss and if you like gin, have a stiff G&T, easy on the tonic!

[Le Chat]

Thankyou for all your answers! Yes, I will let it go and the man in the street was very helpful....he was a gem!

[ELVIS68]

A few weeks ago a woman had stopped her car on her way out of Tescos car park, hazard lights flashing causing other drivers to wait and drive round her

As I drove past her I asked her what was wrong and she said she had a puncture, I pulled up infront of her and asked if she had a spare tyre, jack etc

As she was lifting her shopping out of the boot and into the back seat she was getting quiet upset at the other drivers beeping their horns so I told her to ignore them and to go and sit in my motor while I changed her tyre

After 10 mins I changed her tyre and she said she didn`t have any money to pay me, I told her I wasn`t expecting payment and that I did it out of goodwill and that I hope someone would do the same to my wife if it happened to her

Anyway, the woman went to the back of her car and gave me a bottle of wine she had just bought as a thank you

I refused it and said I`ve already got some and that she should go home and enjoy it

It cost me 10 mins of my time and some greasy hands but I felt happy to help out rather than just drive past her

[johnny.5]

last week a woman had broken down at a junction at the top of a hill as i turned the corner a saw her two feet sticking out the door being dragged backwards she had only tried to push her large family saloon up hill and nearly killed herself in the progress . she was on he school run i had just picked up my daughter from a nearby school har car was siezed oil pump not working for days . i gother to safety and offered to take her topick up her son but she was in such a stateall she wanted was her boyfriend . i did what i could butt she was also upset that no one had stopped to help but at least she was alive if only abit bruised

[~max~]

How lovely Elvis! I hope I (or my mum) meet someone that helpful if ever we're in need of help! People are very paranoid nowadays, they won't even come out of their house if you're shouting for help, more often than not. That's why the police advises woment to shout "fire" if they are going to be raped, as people will respond to this rather than "help".
I've never been in that situation, but I know if I saw someone who is obviously in a predicament, I would see what I can do to help. When I was a kid, we live with my mum in a flat at a junction. One night, there was a car crash, which woke us both up, and we both went out (I was about 10). Some w4nker had crached into a car with a lady and her two kids inside, and just drove off. The lady had a cut on her head and the kids were very upset, obviously. Mum ran back into the house and told me to stay with the lady whilst she phoned the police. I held the lady's hand through the car window and tried to talk to the kiddies, who were just a few years younger than me, bless. Mum came back after a minute, and we all waited for the ambulance together. They were all fine in the end, but the mum received a big bouquet of flowers a few days later! :O)

[lajohn]

That's awful. I might post rubbish on here at times, but I would never refuse helping someone if I'm in a position to. What a terrible experience for you. I'm glad a good Samaritan came to help you and in the end and things turned out well for you.

[ELVIS68]

Thanks max, I`d gladly help, although I`d want dinner with the wine ;o)

[~max~]

lol! you would get the dinner too, don't worry! :O) that's long due, isn't it? lol

[Ethel]

The problem is that a stranger at the door with a small child is a well reported scam.

If somebody posted on here saying they had been conned by a distressed woman knocking the door for help, many people would say it served them right for letting her in the house/use the phone or whatever the situation was.

Don't take it personally. As already mentioned they may have been in the middle of an argument or any other sort of crisis.

For all you know the man you saw may have an injunction to keep away from small children.

Whatever the reason, it was nothing personal.

[ELVIS68]

Ethel is right

max...shove the wine and the dinner you scammer! ;o)

[lajohn]

Yes .. great point Ethel.

[ELVIS68]

On the other hand, if you`re in the middle of an argument or some sort of crisis and someone knocks at the door, the next line is "YOU FOOKING ANSWER IT!"..."NO, I`M NOT FOOKING ANSWERING IT, DO IT YOURSELF!"

and so on til the person has given up and goes away

[~max~]

I agree, actually...If you're in the middle of difficult situation when someone knocks on the door, you'd either not answer at all, or answer but be very shifty and quick, like "no, sorry, got a problem of my own there"...don't you think?
You wouldn't talk to the lady, then turn her down?

Even - and that's an extreme situation - if the lady was being held at gun point or something. She just wouldn't have answered, would she? I don't know, I just can't think of any situation that would have me open the door, talk to the lady, then tell her "sorry no can do" then shut the door in her face!
Especially if she has a toddler in tow!