Midnight. Countryside. Car apparently broken down. Lady waves. Do you stop?

blackcard · 19-08-2015 01:15PM #1

You are driving your car on a quiet rural road at night. You see a car apparently broken down. A lady, seemingly on her own, waves at you for assistance. Would you stop to help her?
Probably 20 years ago, I would have. Now, I would be asking myself why she didn't contact someone with her mobile phone. Was it a set up? Would you stop to help her?

osarusan · 19-08-2015 01:16PM

Yes, I'd stop.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 19-08-2015 01:18PM

Of course I'd stop. And have done so.

Menas · 19-08-2015 01:18PM

I would stop all right. I would not want to go thru life not helping people for fear of something bad happening to me.

Youngblood.III · 19-08-2015 01:18PM

No...I already have a body in the boot.

howamidifferent · 19-08-2015 01:19PM

Not on your nelly. I'd ring the guardai and tell them I passed a stranded motorist though...

EazyD · 19-08-2015 01:21PM

In this day and age it is highly unlikely that someone is stranded with no means of contact. Having said that the least someone could and should do is contact the Gardai to assist the person.

blackcard · 19-08-2015 01:23PM

EazyD wrote: »

In this day and age it is highly unlikely that someone is stranded with no means of contact. Having said that the least someone could and should do is contact the Gardai to assist the person.

Battery dead, no credit? Maybe we should have a poll to see how many people would stop.

VinLieger · 19-08-2015 01:23PM

Menas wrote: »

I would stop all right. I would not want to go thru life not helping people for fear of something bad happening to me.

Your incredibly naive
Ive lost count of the news reports and anecdotes where someone has stepped in to stop a fight on a night out and been seriously injured as a result by one or both parties.

Wacker The Attacker · 19-08-2015 01:23PM

No.

They want equality which means they should be able to change the wheel on a car and other such macho manly tasks.

fran17 · 19-08-2015 01:24PM

blackcard wrote: »

You are driving your car on a quiet rural road at night. You see a car apparently broken down. A lady, seemingly on her own, waves at you for assistance. Would you stop to help her?
Probably 20 years ago, I would have. Now, I would be asking myself why she didn't contact someone with her mobile phone. Was it a set up? Would you stop to help her?

You forgot the most important part of the story,the lady's physical description...But if it was a lady then yes I would stop.

blindside88 · 19-08-2015 01:24PM

Yes if stop. I often pick up hitch hikers as well. You always here thermal story's of these "set ups" with a stranded woman or a baby's eat on the side of the road but I've never heard of anyone that it had actually happened to. Seems to be more or an urban legend. It's like Daire O'Briens joke about a swan can break your arm

Menas · 19-08-2015 01:26PM

VinLieger wrote: »

Your incredibly naive
Ive lost count of the news reports and anecdotes where someone has stepped in to stop a fight on a night out and been seriously injured as a result by one or both parties.

But this is not stepping in to break up a fight.
This is stopping to help someone stuck at the side of the road.
What is the worst that could happen - they rob my car that is insured? My wallet that never has more than 100 in it? My cheap phone?
I would be happy enough to risk it and stop to help someone TBH.

checkyabadself · 19-08-2015 01:27PM

If you don't have a wife girlfriend sister or daughter you still had to have had a mother so pull over and help a person in need. Even to let them use your phone to call someone with a pair of balls if you don't happen to have any.
I must have changed 20 flat tires for stranded ladies and I never even thought about driving past.

What the fcuk is the world coming to?

Yamanoto · 19-08-2015 01:29PM

blindside88 wrote: »

You always here thermal story's of these "set ups" with a stranded woman or a baby's eat on the side of the road

Would you believe, I've never actually heard that one before.

19-08-2015 01:29PM

I am in the stop every time group too.

A user above says you always hear about setups and the like. Perhaps more accurate is you ONLY hear those stories. The news and papers rarely make a story out of "Person stops to help another person - all goes well - both parties now happy with the encounter" and it fuels a social paranoia. For every such story the media do make sure you hear however - one wonders how many perfectly fine encounters there was. 10? 100? 1000?

Ruu · 19-08-2015 01:29PM

What if her partner is hiding nearby and waiting to jump me???

Of course I'd stop!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 19-08-2015 01:34PM

VinLieger wrote: »

Your incredibly naive
Ive lost count of the news reports and anecdotes where someone has stepped in to stop a fight on a night out and been seriously injured as a result by one or both parties.

Firstly, this is not about stopping a fight and secondly you don't hear about the many people who assist others without incident.

Sunnyisland · 19-08-2015 01:35PM

Of course I would stop, would stop if it was a man in similar circumstances to, and have done so and still alive here to write about :-)

kylith · 19-08-2015 01:41PM

I'd either make sure all my doors were locked before rolling down my window, or I'd keep driving and call the Gardaí to report a stranded motorist.

I actually do know someone who had a stranger get into their car while stopped at a light (thankfully they were a bit drunk and looking for a taxi home), and my aunt had someone open her passenger door and rob her handbag from the passenger seat while she was stopped at a light.

I'd say men would be more likely to stop than women; barring murder being robbed is the worst that's likely to happen to a man.

looksee · 19-08-2015 01:43PM

Pulling trailer on busy-ish country road, mid morning, trailer gets a flat. Pull in to side of road, can't abandon trailer, too much stuff in it. So, car stopped, aul wan looking sadly at trailer wheel...time was I would have changed it no problem, not now. Cars go by, loads of them. Fortunately friend following some way back, pulls up behind me. Female, petite, cute. Between us - I have the know-how and the tools, she has the energy but never changed a wheel - we change the wheel. Maybe 50 cars pass, no one even hesitates. We are delighted with ourselves!

blackcard · 19-08-2015 01:45PM

checkyabadself wrote: »

If you don't have a wife girlfriend sister or daughter you still had to have had a mother so pull over and help a person in need. Even to let them use your phone to call someone with a pair of balls if you don't happen to have any.
I must have changed 20 flat tires for stranded ladies and I never even thought about driving past.

What the fcuk is the world coming to?

I would stop if it was a female, young or old. If it was an able bodied man in his twenties, probably not.

Dorethy · 19-08-2015 01:51PM

Remember the bad snow we had a few years ago? Awful weather, I had my Dad, sister and dog in the car and paused by a car pulled in with the hazards on. Ok, the (lady) driver hadn't asked for help but I paused just in case and lowered the window to see if all was ok. The woman was freaked out and waved me on! (we're not that scary!).

On the other hand, got flagged down by two men standing by a pulled in car once on a dark country road, went past them, then regretted it and reversed back. They told me their engine went on fire and said they'd pay me to drive them to where they were meant to be, (somewhere miles away).

I regretted reversing as soon as they approached to be honest and got a little scared, (didn't even have the dog that night) but it seems they were genuine and I gave then a number for a local taxi.

I got a talking to from the OH though when I told my sceal... (sorry if I went off the point).

The Backwards Man · 19-08-2015 01:56PM

Aye I'd probably stop, but I wouldn't berate anyone for not stopping. Gone are the days where you can take every situation at face value.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy · 19-08-2015 01:58PM

blackcard wrote: »

I would stop if it was a female, young or old. If it was an able bodied man in his twenties, probably not.

I stopped for an able bodied man in his twenties. He had no wheel brace to change his wheel, and he was dressed in a flashy suit so he didn't even want to get himself dirty. Ended up having to do the whole lot for him.

Whilst I was doing it we were talking about work. I told him I was an electrician, he worked in finance. He told me what I did was labour, what he did was work!

"Is that right?" I asked him. I'd been going to pick up his jack and the mat I'd thrown beneath my knees, and put them back for him but I changed my mind.

"There ya go, safe journey now" I said and jumped back into my car and off away with me. Only when I got a bit away I realised the posh twat still had my wheel brace :rolleyes:

Samaris · 19-08-2015 01:59PM

Being the sort of dimwit that leaves her phone around everywhere and/or lets it run out of charge, I can quite see myself in that person's position. However, if I was alone, it was night, and there was even the slightest warning bell in my mind, I would probably call the Gardai and report a stranded motorist rather than stop. I -would- also be more like to stop for a woman or a couple rather than two men unless my partner was with me. Unfair or not as it is.

Mesrine65 · 19-08-2015 01:59PM

The way I look, if I pulled over on my motorbike to assist anyone, they'd probably have heart failure :eek:

DeadHand · 19-08-2015 02:10PM

I'd stop every time.

I'd rather run the miniscule risk of something bad happening to me than to live like a self-centred coward.

If this makes me a fool- fine. But note I have survived this long operating with the same attitude.

RDM_83 again · 19-08-2015 02:12PM

Samaris wrote: »

Being the sort of dimwit that leaves her phone around everywhere and/or lets it run out of charge, I can quite see myself in that person's position. However, if I was alone, it was night, and there was even the slightest warning bell in my mind, I would probably call the Gardai and report a stranded motorist rather than stop. I -would- also be more like to stop for a woman or a couple rather than two men unless my partner was with me. Unfair or not as it is.

Couples are in on scams because of exactly this reason of being considered "safer", had couple and child weirdly scoping out our site yesterday (urban context though)

EazyD · 19-08-2015 02:26PM

I think the more pressing question is why in the name of jaysus do people not know how to change a wheel yet can hold a license for years if not decades. It's really not difficult.

Son Of A Vidic · 19-08-2015 02:37PM

I'd stop regardless of whether it was a man or a woman flagging me down.

Midnight. Countryside. Car apparently broken down. Lady waves. Do you stop?

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