Stop and ask!

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screenman

Squire
That is what my wife and I did last night, I was driving home in the dark down a busy b road and saw a woman sitting beside the road all huddled up in what looked like a dressing gown. I turned around and drove past again to confirm what I saw and sure enough I was right , so back again this time stopping on the other side of the road to ask if she was OK, I could tell from the distress in her voice things certainly were not.

We pulled over and both got out to talk to her, seems she had a domestic and either walked out or got chucked, not a nice thing to happen for somebody 5 months pregnant, after 5 minutes I made excuses about phoning the kids, got back in the car and phoned the police and 15 minutes later a nice policewomant turned up and took over, boy was I glad at that moment. The poor girl was freezing even wrapped in my coat she was still very cold, she declined the offer of sitting in the car, I am not sure why.

She had sat on the edge of the road for 30 or 40 minute before we came along a hundred+ vehicles must have gone past her, even whilst we were there with hazards flashing not one person stopped and offered help.

So please as the title says, just stop and ask.

Most on here will know my stories of helping the old guy who had been pushing his fully laden broken bike for 2 1/2 hours without anyone stopping, or the old guy in his late eighties who could not get his wheel off his car in the freezing cold and pouring rain, 45 minutes he was there hundreds of cars going past.

What is happening that people are so selfish they will not stop and help.
 

Levo-Lon

Guru
Well done mate..im the same..
 

gbb

Squire
Location
Peterborough
But be careful.
I once passed a maybe 13 YO slumped at the side of the road, obviously distressed.
I stopped and asked if she was OK, she had lost her money, couldn't get the bus and didn't know where she was. I offered her the bus fare but she seemed reluctant to take it. It turned out her mum lived two streets from me so I offered her a lift.
En route, I began to think...this might not be a good idea :whistle: She may have been thinking the same.

It was OK, I even vaguely knew her mum. But with no one else in the car...It could have left me open to all sorts.
 

keithmac

Guru
But be careful.
I once passed a maybe 13 YO slumped at the side of the road, obviously distressed.
I stopped and asked if she was OK, she had lost her money, couldn't get the bus and didn't know where she was. I offered her the bus fare but she seemed reluctant to take it. It turned out her mum lived two streets from me so I offered her a lift.
En route, I began to think...this might not be a good idea :whistle: She may have been thinking the same.

It was OK, I even vaguely knew her mum. But with no one else in the car...It could have left me open to all sorts.

Unfortunately that's the way it is nowadays..
 

Sandra6

Veteran
Location
Cumbria
There are unscrupulous sorts out there who will use this sort of tactic to make you stop and then out they come and steal your car!
I am the sort to stop and ask people if they are ok, or atleast call somebody who can help. I once saw a man walking down the street in bare feet and pyjamas, I called the police, turned out he'd wandered out of the local hospital psych ward.
More recently I saw an elderly lady looking distressed and unsteady on her feet, "are you ok love?" I asked and got a very indignant "I'm fine!"
 

sarahale

Über Member
My brother was loitering down the end of a station one day and a concerned member of the public reported him to staff thinking he was going to jump. He's just a train spotter and was very embarrassed by the whole ordeal but I thought it was very nice that someone was looking out for him and that the station staff acted very quickly.

I will always stop and try to help. In the very least I cycle past and then ring the police if I don't feel safe approaching. (Like when I found an unconscious looking man at 5am holding a bottle, I thought he may not enjoy being woken and could get aggressive. On the other hand if I just leave him here he may be dead) Good on you. When I came off my bike and knocked myself out no one stopped, I then sat by the side of the road with a bloodied face and still no one helped.
 

tyred

Squire
Location
Ireland
One of the times I cycled the Antrim coast road, I seen a middle aged couple sitting on the bench at the bus stop at the bottom of the Torr Head road. It was still quite early. I waved as I passed but noted that he was wearing a light coloured top which was covered in blood. Assuming he'd had an accident I stop and asked if he was okay.

He explained that he had cut himself shaving and couldn't get the bleeding to stop. They had stopped only to eat a snack. I chatted to them for a short time but while I was with them, about four other passers-by stopped and asked if he was okay and with increasing embarrassment he had to repeat the shaving cut story.
 
Well done, but one has to be so careful these days

Isn't that the story of the Good Samaritan.

It has been a long time since I attended school assembly but I recall an element of fear and mistrust between the two parties.

Careful of what? Myths, stories, tales. What are the odds of it being a scam.

Is the excuse for walking away.

Looks like have a go at Numbnuts today
I didn't say I wouldn't help.............
 
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