My car died the other day on Dunbrack. I was on the side of the road for over an hour, and no one would pull over to help. After a hour of this, I flagged down a cab. I had to pay a cab to take me to a gas station, and then back to my car.
It’s unreal that people this day can’t take 5 mins out of their day to help someone that really needs it.
So thanks to all those that slowed down to gawk at me, but wouldn’t stop. —Stranded driver
This article appears in Apr 29 – May 5, 2010.
We’re taught not to pick up strange people on the side of the road from birth. Meanwhile, Dunbrack at the best of times is not exactly stopping on the side of the road friendly.
Meanwhile, does your car’s gas gauge work? Because it certainly sounds like somebody forgot to get gas!
Dr. Fever, that lesson… it’s based on irrational fear. Irrational fears have pretty much been the biggest hinders of a society constantly trying to progress.
Having believed in that lesson since day one, and not taken the time to perhaps consider the shades of gray as you got older, I’d have to assume your susceptibility to fear-mongering is up there with, as an example, the ‘Great’ Yank.
I’m just wondering where the black and white comes from.
– guy’s outta gas, or has car troubles.
“Looks like guy is having trouble… or… perhaps he’s going to try to stuff me in the back of his trunk?!”
And Dunbrack?! Give me a fucking break.
Back of a fucking trunk in broad daylight, yea? You fear-mongering inconsiderate-futile.
Learn how to stand your own and you may grab some confidence along the way.
Chivalry is almost dead.
After Washington lost to my Habs, Brooks Laich stopped to change a wayward travellers blown tire.
Still a generally Canadian thing to do but a dying breed nontheless.
If it was just a flat-tire, I’d suggest you fix it yourself.
Wow buddy, just on the basis of that one post, you’ve got me down pat huh? Go grab yourself, fuckface and shove your idea of confidence up your ass. Arrogant much?
It seems to me that there’s no shade of gray here at all. OP had car trouble. They needed to go to a gas station. Nobody picked them up. That could be for any number of reasons, but hey, we get to blame everyone else for our problems, right? So, instead of giving up flailing their arms around like an epileptic after 10 minutes, they continued to do so for an hour, meanwhile they could have walked the 10-20 minutes to any number of the gas stations located along Dunbrack. Wow, what a novel concept! Walking, being self-sufficient.
Seems to me that the OP’s pissed that they didn’t pick up gas. But hey, that’s just my opinion.
Nope. Definitely don’t have you down pat. I considered that before I hit ‘Preview your comment.’
Seems perhaps you’re so confined that the shear notion that someone may have an opinion on your opinion, and therefore a partial, and very incomplete, opinion on your character scares the shit out of you.
Nice attempt to round me up in the same breath, too, buddy-pal. Your assumption that I have you down pat pretty much led you into a fruitless attempt of the same.
I had, merely, a remark on your argument – that we’re taught since we’re born not to pick up strangers.
Commends on the safety watch, Fever, but the point I was trying to make was pretty much that it’s defenseless fools who carry the argument that “Don’t play with fire” as their mantra are the same assholes who refrain from the most basic ways of human interaction – HELPING SOMEONE OUT.
But god forbid he’s on the side of the road. Wasn’t there a movie about that?
And last time I checked, Dunbrack, despite the few gas stops ‘along the way’, does leave for a few lengthy breaks that would give someone a bit of a walk to get gas.
But to be honest, I don’t even agree with OP. Nobody owes him a ride – his bitch is unwarranted – but so if your bull shit life lesson.
I would have walked after a few minutes, and understood why I got no help.
So Fever – I recommend the Bible. I was taught the Bible since the day I was born, like you were taught about strangers.
And the Bible hasn’t caused much trouble for anyone … ever. Serious.
Why? Because no one questions it.
Yeah, the Bible says a lot of things, and not very clearly…
Point in case.
I never stop to help people, I don’t want to get molested.
From car break-downs to the Bible in five posts. Neato!
“the Bible hasn’t caused much trouble for anyone … ever.”
Hmm. I’m pretty sure there’s a few ethnic groups, some gays and an entire gender that would beg to differ.
maybe take the bloody axe and rope off the front seat and hide em the trunk …. that did it for me 🙂
It rubs the lotion on it’s skin or else it gets the hose again…
meOw I’m pretty sure NoBro was being sarcastic.
Were you waving people down, or just sitting in your car? Nowadays I just assume you’d have called for help on your cell already and not have bothered to stop. I’ve pulled over to help someone twice, and both times they had already called for help, so now unless you frantically waving, I just drive on by.
I would never stop as I generally assume everyone has a cell phone (which I realize they don’t, but still!). And if I see someone leaning on their vehicle “waiting around”, I assume they’ve called someone. Now if you were flailing about, I would stop. But I can honestly say I’ve never seen anyone trying to wave someone down.
And, as mentioned, depending on where you were on Dunbrack – you wouldn’t be that far from some kind business or place to get to a phone. I surely wouldn’t stand in one place for an hour.
When I was young (and hot = ), I would be walking down the road and cars would stop and offer me a ride–even getting mad sometimes when I declined (because they took the time to stop, I guess). Yet, when I was middle aged and broke down on the highway, no one would stop–even after I stuck my thumb out while standing by my car–until finally, after about 45 minutes, a lone man stopped and gave me a ride into town.
I think I would be more afraid to take a young woman into my car than a middle-aged woman in need.
Just sayin’…
fear of strangers seems to go out the window if a person thinks they have a shot at getting a little sumpin’ sumpin’.
the universal sign of needing help, is to open your engine bonnet, failing that, everyone probly just thought you were jerking off, or goofing off. you lift bonnet, stand by car, and viola, in no time, usually some nice person, with a bit of mechanical savvy, will stop to try and help out.
So true LS. If you’re standing with the open hood, people will always assume you need help. Mind you, if it has nothing to do with with your problem (like running out of gas or a flat tire), people might think you’re a little strange…
I like the open hood idea, otherwise I’ll assume you’e waiting on a tow or you’ve pulled over to make a phone call like a responsible driver if you’re not in a lane of traffic.
Me no stoppy…
and in return, I don’t expect anyone else to stop for me.
does anybody pick up hitchhikers anymore? when we lived on the island (bud the spud isle) my ma used to pick up drunken farmers and drive them home…aaah those innocent times
Two things you could’ve had, well 3 really:
A CAA membership
A big pair of knockers
The last time I picked up a hitchhiker it turned out to be a hard-ass prostitute who had recently been released from the federal penitentiary. She hesitated to get into my truck when she saw I was a woman, and she looked quite pissed about it. Apparently, she was hoping to score a little spending money before she hit a convention in Moncton. She got in when she found out I was only going halfway to her destination. She was very scary. But, by the time I dropped her off, she had told me her life story, hadn’t rob me and gratefully accepted the no-sexual-favours-neccessary for the money I passed her as she got out.
I usually ended up with fundamentalist religious zealots, so it was something different anyway.
I like the open hood with the steak knife in the hand idea best.
Add in a trench coat, a smile (just to throw them off a bit), and a pair of your grandfathers old work boots and I think you’d have some luck better luck.
well i’d rather have a lady of the evening then a bible thumper
it’s the way of the road bubs….
How the hell can you be “stranded” On Dunbrack? Gezzz walk to a gas station and get gas or use a phone. You may have had a valid point if you were on the highway somewhere but Dunbrack, give me a break.I am laughing my ass off that you waited for more then an hour for help…Like someone else said the walk to a gas station would have taken 10 – 15 minutes tops.
Yeah this doesn’t really make sense…Dunbrack? There’s like a billion stores on/very near that street. You could have walked to a gas station or any other store and asked to use their phone! Jezuz people are fucking spolied idiots these days. How the hell could you stand there for an hour?!!?
Yeah, Ray got arrested… Yeah, whores…
you think kitchen parties are fun….
try getting hammered in a phone booth
Fact: From the corner of Lacewood to the Bi-High (well, behind Shoppers on the Lacewood), there are total of zero (0) stores, gas stations, etc.
For the record, my ‘argument’ was with the presumption he was ‘stuck’ near the Bi-High off-ramps, or even up the NW Arm Dr and just too lazy, or indicatively stupid, to make that known.
Anywhere else, man, just walk.
Actually, there’s a convenience store on the ground level of Prince Andrew Tower, on the corner of Main Ave and Dunbrack…
Last time my shitmobile broke down, I stuck out my thumb, smiled my best Alfred E. Neuman idiot grin and got picked up within 10 minutes.
Touche, Dr. Fever, Tou-fucking-che
Life Sucks said, in part
=====stand by car, and +++viola+++, in no time,=====
What if you’re not a musician?
I”m just wondering…what part of dunbrack did you breakdown on, OP? Because unless you’re a lazy ass, it shouldn’t be that hard (or take THAT long) to walk to a gas station from any point on dunbrack.
If you’re actually disabled, then my apologies, but I remember breaking down on the 102 just before the dunbrack exit when I was little and my mom and I WALKED from there to the old IGA where the shoppers is now. I was a chubby little 7 year old at the time and managed just fine.
Hope your car isn’t a fuel injection!
You got a ride in 10 minutes? You must be one of those older but hot babes, TTFN. Tell the truth, you undid a button or two, didn’t ya = p
Dunbrack near Fairview? or Clayton Park? Either or, you get shot if you stop.
Definitely the chest puppies. My stage name used to be Betty Bodacious and Her Sonic-Booms back in ’74 – my specialty was crushing beer kegs to the strains of Bolero while scratching my lower back with my nimble nipples.
wheelip, it sounds like wholla, you know the french thing word.