Stop and ask!

[ColinJ]

Seriously? This is errant nonsense. Thousands of people across the UK need help every day - I have a few times over the nearly 2 decades I have lived here, and I am not feeble. Even it faking illness was endemic - it's not - in the UK, it would still only be dozens or maybe hundreds of times a day. Still way less than ordinary people who need help.

I gave someone the benefit of the doubt once and ... the cheeky bugger tried to con me again a year later!

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Well done @screenman.
This thread reminds me of the time my pal and I were riding through the local park, after dark, between us we did carry more tools than a bike shop, because that was us returning from leading a beginners ride.
We see this man in the park, bike upside down, doing something at the light of his head torch.
"Are you ok? May we be of assistance? We are the Belles on Bikes at your service ..."
The guy went "Nooo!!!" like he was seeing Count Dracula or something, go figure.
You can't help the ones that don't want to be helped

 

[biggs682]

Well done, but one has to be so careful these days

its a sad state but yes you have to

 

[screenman]

One day, at the end of a training session, I was in a carpark by the Thames talking to a friend. It was late - 10 pm, and it was dark. We were outside our rowing club, but everyone else had gone home. The club is a little bit isolated for London, in a dead end street with a crematorium next door and few neighbours except for the recycling centre. A few hundred metre away you'd be protected by street lights and passing cars, but just in the carpark, anything could happen.

A woman ran towards us from the riverside tow path. "My boyfriend is chasing me. I think he wants to hurt me." I sized her up, and knew straightaway that if she pulled a knife on me, she'd win. There were two equal possibilities - that she was in trouble and I could easily help her, or she wanted my cash and phone and credit cards. She looked desperate, but I have no idea how to tell which was true.

I decided immediately that I had to help her. If she was telling the truth, she was in immediate physical danger. If she wanted to rob me, well, hey, it's only money. Luckily my friend was less of an idiot than me. Once she realised I was going to drive this stranger to the nearest station, she said she'd follow me. So, yeah, no risk at all. But if I left her there, and something had happened. I'd have never forgiven myself. I've been robbed, and it "only" took a year for me to get over it.

Bonus points if you can identify which rowing club based on the above information.

At a guess Putney.

 

[screenman]

its a sad state but yes you have to

Of what? and how careful. I think too many people use being careful as an excuse for cannot be bothered.

 

[velovoice]

Of what? and how careful. I think too many people use being careful as an excuse for cannot be bothered.

I am afraid you're right, especially when -- as so many stories above show -- it is easy and not at all inconvenient to both help others and be careful of your own safety.

 

[jefmcg]

At a guess Putney.

Half points

 

[biggs682]

Of what? and how careful. I think too many people use being careful as an excuse for cannot be bothered.

A few years ago a friend of mine stopped to help somebody change a flat car tyre , a few months later he was being questioned by the police as the women he stopped and helped accused him of doing something he didnt do

 

[screenman]

A few years ago a friend of mine stopped to help somebody change a flat car tyre , a few months later he was being questioned by the police as the women he stopped and helped accused him of doing something he didnt do

Are you sure it happened, only I am finding nothing like that anywhere and I have been looking.

 

[jonny jeez]

Must be spending a lot of time looking.

It makes my blood boil that people could even think for one second about themselves when a person could need help.

Its knowing if they really need help or not, that causes the hesitation or second thought.

Like I say, your blood can boil just as much as mine but the truth is that people do care...they are just scared.

 

[jonny jeez]

Proof please of your shameful incident paragraph.

Just google "have a go hero" and waste your own time

 

[biggs682]

Are you sure it happened, only I am finding nothing like that anywhere and I have been looking.

i only have his word and that is good enough

 

[Tim Hall]

Half points

Putney Town. My nephew used to row there as a youth, so your description triggered vague memories of the time I drove him there at a ridiculous hour on a Saturday morning.

 

[ufkacbln]

I had an incident where I came across a couple of young teenagers and a broken derailleur

They were already late home so used my mobile to explain situation, but still had several miles to go so I removed the offending derailleur, shortened chain to make a single speed put all the parts in a bag and off they went

Two days later started getting phone calls from the father demanding I pay for a new derailleur, chain and the costs of fitting

All sorts of threats, and in the end it was only sorted because I contacted the bike shop doing the repair and got a written statement that nothing I had done had caused any damage or on any way increased the cost of the repair

 

[screenman]

Its knowing if they really need help or not, that causes the hesitation or second thought.

Like I say, your blood can boil just as much as mine but the truth is that people do care...they are just scared.

Scared of what though, lending a helping hand is not being a have a go hero.