Do you stop to help someone broken down at the side of the road?

chrisb1

Just wondering do many people do this anymore i do it often have helped several people over the years by changing flat tyres or just lately helping a farmer with his jeep that had a diesel leak turned out one of the pipes had come loose ten minute fix and off he went a happy chap

helimachoptor

I've changed tires but that's about as far as my skills go

arleitiss

Was coming from Charlestown to City center on N2, it was around 3 AM, there is a roundabout just in front of Lidl, as coming to it I saw a skidmarks on road, then debris and a nearly flipped yellow civic with all those rice wheels/exhausts blings etc...

My age (20) two guys and a girl were standing outside of car one of them on the phone, the car was lying on grass bit (I assume he tried drifting - hit kerb with right side and it nearly caused car to flip, wheels were off etc..)
All I did was say in my mind: "well done" but when I passed them by I opened my window and just asked "alright?"
that's as much help as they needed tbh.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

arleitiss wrote: »

Was coming from Charlestown to City center on N2, it was around 3 AM, there is a roundabout just in front of Lidl, as coming to it I saw a skidmarks on road, then debris and a nearly flipped yellow civic with all those rice wheels/exhausts blings etc...

My age (20) two guys and a girl were standing outside of car one of them on the phone, the car was lying on grass bit (I assume he tried drifting - hit kerb with right side and it nearly caused car to flip, wheels were off etc..)
All I did was say in my mind: "well done" but when I passed them by I opened my window and just asked "alright?"
that's as much help as they needed tbh.

:pac: You're a legend!

Tbh when I saw your name in this thread I thought you'd be talking about your experiences of being broken down at the roadside, the amount of hassle that beamer has given you

Scortho

If it's a good looking girl who has a puncture trying to figure out what a jack looks like, I would, if she's a heifer then nah.

I'd stop for an alfa, if it appeared well minded. But well minded alfas don't break down!:)

arleitiss

Walkin Talkin Stephen Hawkin wrote: »

:pac: You're a legend!

Tbh when I saw your name in this thread I thought you'd be talking about your experiences of being broken down at the roadside, the amount of hassle that beamer has given you

Yeah, surprisingly the car should've blown up by now, but as amazing as it sounds: it never failed to get me home or to the garage and never left me on roadside

corktina

I might stop for a distressed looking girl on her own as I have daughters myself but I'd be very wary to stop for anyone nowadays I'm afraid.

Mister Man

I got a puncture one day on the way back from Dublin. Pulled in and had the car jacked up and ready for the wheel to be taken off, only to find out the wheel brace only fitted one of the nuts. Tried to flag down people. Two people stopped, and tried to help, but the wheel nuts that were changed didn't fit any of the wheel braces they had. Got lucky with a mechanic stopping.
I can understand people not wanting to stop. I've heard stories of people robbing cars once you pull in to help. I however, would still try my best to lend a hand.

ironclaw

corktina wrote: »

I might stop for a distressed looking girl on her own as I have daughters myself but I'd be very wary to stop for anyone nowadays I'm afraid.

I'd be used to stopping from my time in the Voluntary medical organisations, but nowadays I would think twice if I was on my own. Car and property theft is rampant on the continent when people stop to help someone apparently in distress. Brilliant Channel 4 documentary about it over the summer and the guys doing it are very good.

I figure its only a matter of time before it creeps in here as I believe Irish people are fairly kind and considerate on the whole 'help a neighbour' side of things.

georgefalls

Happened 1st Jan, to a friend.
Crash on the N9. She and her husband stop to assist.
Two blokes from the crashed car, steal her Fiesta, and drive off.

It was found later in the week, in Athy.

Cleveland Hot Pocket

Would never stop anymore.
Due to the amount of fake stops where people jump in and take your car.

Everyone should have AA or breakdown cover in their insurance anyway.

650Ginge

Cleveland Hot Pocket wrote: »

Would never stop anymore.
Due to the amount of fake stops where people jump in and take your car.

Everyone should have AA or breakdown cover in their insurance anyway.

I have and still would stop for a motorbike. But the last guys I stopped for in sub zero temps was just having a fag.

I would stop for an accident. At the very least ring it in. Rather risk it being a con and losing a car than leave someone possibly hurt.

ednwireland

never stopped for someone but have jump started a car before now and got wheelnuts off (they couldnt budge the locking bolts but i tried my 12v impact wrench which shifted it)

_Kaiser_

No I wouldn't stop - as noted above, breakdown cover is standard on most policies and everyone has a mobile phone.

Came across a stopped car on the overpass from the M50 to M1 inbound a few weeks back at around 5AM with 3 20-somethings standing beside it waving at me but no way would I be stopping at that hour on my own.

Noccy_Mondy

In this day and age, you wouldn't know what you are going to meet at the side of the road. There's a lot of tricksters out there that could try anything. Depends entirely on the time of day and the location, for me anyway.

biko

I suppose it depends on time of day, location, who it is etc.
Mostly it has been neighbours just needing a push/jump in the morning.

djimi

corktina wrote: »

I might stop for a distressed looking girl on her own as I have daughters myself but I'd be very wary to stop for anyone nowadays I'm afraid.

Harsh as it might sound, Id probably be least inclined to stop for a distressed girl on her own, as in my head this is the most likely scam type scenario. Maybe movies have just made me paranoid!

johnty56

Got flagged down a couple of years ago by a guy with a car pulled in at the side of a main road.. when i pulled in a could see another car with another couple of guys standing beside it. The first guy, a Romanian gypsy dude, gave me the spiel about running out of petrol and could i give him 10 euro for juice and he would give me his gold ring.... huge gaudy fake gold ring- the kind they sell on the street on the continent.. he had his head and half his torso in the passenger window at this stage- nearly took him with me as i pulled off!

Galway K9

ive stopped for people that needed fuel, lift to a garage, jump and wheel changed. If they look anyway sketchy,or the car appeared to be neglected, i wouldn't stop tho.

I got 50 euro once for stoppign to help a guy get petrol. sound out. Same with a guy with a motorbike who was pushing it up a road lol (been there many a time)

Tea 1000

What I don't understand is the folk who got scammed, stopped to help someone and left their car with the keys in it? If I'm outside my car, so are the keys.

H3llR4iser

Tea 1000 wrote: »

What I don't understand is the folk who got scammed, stopped to help someone and left their car with the keys in it? If I'm outside my car, so are the keys.

You'd be surprised about how many people actually stop and leave the keys in the dashboard.

Anyway I did my fair share in the past, most notably an old man I found standing in the middle of the road when I still was in Italy: turns out his car, phone and walled had been stolen at gunpoint. Drove him to the Police.

Lofty123

Would not dream of stopping these days, far too many scam artists out there.

Also, if you can't change a wheel or read a fuel gauge you should not be driving.

Bpmull

I'd be slow to stop I suppose it would really depend on the situation place etc. if it was something that was wrong with the car ie you could see the punctured tyre if be more likely to stop. I haven't really come across a situation that warranty stopping for. Although my dad has stopped to help people in the past. Also if I was passing by a crash then I would stop and help if no one else had stopped at the scene yet. It is hard to know what to do these days with all the stories you hear. I suppose best thing to do is go with your gut feeling if anything looks iffy just keep going.

Supergurrier

Nope, not anymore.

In the past have changed tyres for damsels in distress but would seriously think twice even for that now as everyone has a mobile phone/free assistance from insurance.

Sign of the times i guess.

lway

johnty56 wrote: »

Got flagged down a couple of years ago by a guy with a car pulled in at the side of a main road.. when i pulled in a could see another car with another couple of guys standing beside it. The first guy, a Romanian gypsy dude, gave me the spiel about running out of petrol and could i give him 10 euro for juice and he would give me his gold ring.... huge gaudy fake gold ring- the kind they sell on the street on the continent.. he had his head and half his torso in the passenger window at this stage- nearly took him with me as i pulled off!

This wasn't near Loughrea in Galway by any chance. Had this exact thing happen to me there once. As I drove off I could see him in the rear view mirror trying to flag down another car. I offered him a lift to a garage but no, all he wanted was money so I drove off, this made me wary of stopping for people but on the flip side a guy once stopped to help me removing a wheel and I was extremely grateful. I signed up for AA roadside assist shortly after that.

Tea 1000

lway wrote: »

This wasn't near Loughrea in Galway by any chance. Had this exact thing happen to me there once. As I drove off I could see him in the rear view mirror trying to flag down another car. I offered him a lift to a garage but no, all he wanted was money so I drove off, this made me wary of stopping for people but on the flip side a guy once stopped to help me removing a wheel and I was extremely grateful. I signed up for AA roadside assist shortly after that.

Funny you should mention Loughrea, I was passing there one night, there was a car pulled into the side of the road. I passed him and he pulls out and starts flashing me. I was doing around 60mph, so he was far back for a minute or so before catching me, flashing frantically all the time. I kept going, if he's able to catch me with his car he's able to drive somewhere to sort himself out! Just outside Loughrea on the bypass road that leads to the motorway.

MugMugs

Managed to stop a runaway diesel on the M2 once. I was a few minutes too late for her though. Car was goosed


Also left my spare wheel with a stranded Motorist with a similar car to my own as his own wouldnt fit

Got my wheel back and a crate of beer the next week.

Chris_Heilong

Depends on how good looking she is...:pac:

joujoujou

In case of breakdown - I'd stop or not - all depends on how much I'm late on the way to my destination.

In case of crash/collision/accident - I always stop.

Stheno

I used to but would be wary of doing so now

tobsey

Heard a good story last week. A lady was pulled over on the side of the road with the bonnet up. Two lads in a van were driving past and saw those reindeer antlers on the windows and assumed she was a mother and might need some help. They pulled in and asked her if she needed any help. She said "no thanks lads, I'm just fixing my nose"!:D

visual

I have often stopped to help.
Driving a Jeep on a beach or when there is snow on the ground get literally roped into it.

The only place I don't stop and ask is on motorway as many pull in for various reasons and if broken down are often waiting on tow truck.

Stoolbend

I've stopped to change wheels lots of times.

Don't stop for anything else as I don't carry any tools.

I stopped to help a fella push a VW Transporter that wouldn't start one day. When he told me it has done it for weeks and he parks on a hill normally, I got back in my car and left.

YbFocus

Yep I stop anytime I can lend a hand, be it a push or a tyre change or just trying to figure out whats wrong with X car.

It's the good thing to do.

johnty56

lway wrote: »

This wasn't near Loughrea in Galway by any chance. Had this exact thing happen to me there once. As I drove off I could see him in the rear view mirror trying to flag down another car. I offered him a lift to a garage but no, all he wanted was money so I drove off, this made me wary of stopping for people but on the flip side a guy once stopped to help me removing a wheel and I was extremely grateful. I signed up for AA roadside assist shortly after that.

No, it was down near Waterford.. I would say they were doing it country wide all the same

hmmm

Absolutely, it could be my wife or daughter some day who needs help and I hope someone will help them.

The chances of something bad happening are miniscule, sounds like a copout and an excuse to me. No man should think of leaving a woman standing on the side of the road.

galwaytt

hmmm wrote: »

Absolutely, it could be my wife or daughter some day who needs help and I hope someone will help them.

The chances of something bad happening are miniscule, sounds like a copout and an excuse to me. No man should think of leaving a woman standing on the side of the road.

Did it twice in 2013, No problem doing it again.
Mind you, when I pull up on my Harley it's usually they're more worried about me than I am about them !!

Toyotafanboi

i'd not stop for much tbh, possibly not even if someone was flagging me down. unless i was first upon an accident.

i was once in an accident that was fairly bad, wrote off the car etc... car was pretty much wedged to a tree just off the roadside and nobody driving past stopped to help me when i was clearly in distress. some people beeped though :rolleyes: