Would you really help out a STRANGER Jump Start / Change Flat Tire / Buy Gas ?

Under the right circumstances, limitations noted by Junkdrawer, Dave9, Char, oldhp, I'd try if possible. Going to give an example though of how it can go badly....

Was at my favorite manual carwash, day time and there was an old hoopty dead in the lot with three people sitting inside. (Old Taurus iirc) Will say individuals inside had sketchy appearance. So guy with nice newer GM truck offered help on his way out, either after being asked or perhaps offered. I'm not sure whose jumper cables, likely hoopty owner's.

Good sam pulls up his newish truck in front, and lets hoopty operator handle cables. Big mistake. Guy connects the cables to the good battery, new truck. Not proper order but so far nothing damaging. Then, wait for it, I see hoopty operator crack the ends of the two cables together at least once to see if there's a spark. I cringe and shake my head. Guy with new truck inside his. Connects to dead battery, car starts and cable disconnected. Hoopty dies again. Gives it another try, and hoopty owner does the same thing. I shake my head in amazement again. What a cretin. Pretty clear why his vehicle is a hoopty. I don't think the GM truck owner recognized or understood what was happening. In this case, ignorance was bliss.

So lesson here, if you're going to offer help with a jumpstart, you better control the jumper cables no matter whose they are. Portable jump starter, eliminates that possibility. Still situational awareness very important.
 
I have. It's a gut feeling. I've changed a tire for an elderly gentleman in a rural area, under the remnants of a hurricane, when no one else would help. Could see the grey hair on his head, knew he was older.

After getting soaked changing the tire, then also had to jump start his car. He'd sat there so long with his flashers on, he'd run down the battery to the point where his car wouldn't start. At that point, it didn't matter much... I was already soaked.
 
Originally Posted by mrsilv04
I have. It's a gut feeling. I've changed a tire for an elderly gentleman in a rural area, under the remnants of a hurricane, when no one else would help. Could see the grey hair on his head, knew he was older.

After getting soaked changing the tire, then also had to jump start his car. He'd sat there so long with his flashers on, he'd run down the battery to the point where his car wouldn't start. At that point, it didn't matter much... I was already soaked.

Age means very little except that they've got more experience on this planet.
 
Last time I jumped someone I didn't know, we were waiting in the cell phone lot at Logan and the guy across from us couldn't start his car when he got the call that his wife had arrived...we were already nose to nose and I had cables, so it was no trouble at all.
The only thing I dislike about jumping others is pushy people who want to take charge of the operation, and they almost always want to connect the batteries directly in parallel...I'm sorry, I'm in electronics and you NEVER connect two batteries directly in parallel. Often these people are not even the owners of the car that won't start. Gotta have some kind of added resistance in series beyond the cables themselves...I was jumping another parent from my daughter's team at a softball tournament and some guy tried to push me away from my car, saying, "I'm a fireman, let me take care of this." I had to tell him to get his hands off my car and my cables!! Of course, he wanted to connect the batteries directly in parallel...if I'm offering to give somebody a jump, it gets done MY way or I don't do it, I'm sorry if somebody else doesn't like it.

I was taking my daughter out for lunch while she was on break from school and we were searching for a spot in a parking garage when an older lady tried to cross in front of us and fell down. I was terrified out of my mind that she was having a heart attack or a stroke and told my daughter to have her phone ready to call 911 if the worst was happening as we rushed over to where she was laying. The lady had a pretty good egg on her forehead and a bloody nose, but she was lucid and told us that she was frantic because she couldn't find her car and got tired from walking up and down the ramps. I was still thinking we needed to get her an ambulance, but she said she just wanted to find her car and drive herself to an urgent care...we helped her up and got her into my car to search for hers. I was paying very careful attention to all of her responses to us, her breathing, etc, and felt that she really was physically OK but just very tired and frustrated. We went all the way up and down and finally found her car on the bottom level...I told her that I still wanted to call her an ambulance, but she swore that she was going straight to an urgent care and was able to get out of my car herself after having gotten a rest while we were searching.
We watched her drive away (she didn't need a jump ;^) and she was in proper control of the vehicle...I still had mixed feelings about not having gotten an ambulance for her or calling the police, but she was completely lucid and didn't have any debilitating injuries. My daughter mentioned that ambulance rides can sometimes end up being a huge financial burden, which I hadn't considered. I sure hope that lady got some medical care and then went home safely, and I was glad we were in a position to have helped her out.
 
I stopped to help someone with a flat tire. They had the (McGard) wheel lock key but it sheared off. I now carry those sockets you hammer on, just in case. Should probably pack a hammer, too, but might find a rock in the ditch.

I won't jump a stranger with my prius. There's a 100 amp fuse between the 12V battery and underhood power point. Some people are crack heads and will instantly grind on their key when hooked up, not waiting a few minutes for a surface charge on their batteries. I have jumped a few people with my conventional cars. One was super cute. For pushy people the donor can hold their keys, if they don't like it, they can get jumped by someone else. I also say I (the donor) hooking up the cables but the donee can call "stop" if they have concerns.

I consider context. A car on the side of the road doesn't just need a jump start-- why'd they turn the car off. It's either a trap, or they have alternator issues, which my jump won't fix.

Helped a guy in the nevada desert in 2001 by driving to the next high spot where there was cell phone coverage and calling his buddy, to come bring him a thermostat for his RamCharger. He had the thing apart with just a Leatherman. (Coulda chucked the one he had, IMO)

Let someone sit in my car in the rain while waiting for a tow truck-- was driving a fiero and the lug nuts came off sending her wheel flying. Just had work done.
 
On my motorcycle or car I always stop and help other motorcyclists and motorists if I can. I have even stopped to ask a motorcycle gang member if he needed help, but he had help coming.

Last summer I stooped to help some old guy and his wife in a Lexus change a flat. When I was done, I realized I was probably older than he was. How did this happen, in my mind I am only in my 40's. And how can a guy not be able to change a tire, shame on him.

Anyway, when I ran out of fuel on the motorcycle last fall, not one single person stopped. Including a small group on bikes. Lucky for me I happened to be riding with a friend. Now I carry spare fuel. So much for Karma. I will not change my behavior though.

Shame on the bike group though.

Rod
 
Originally Posted by ragtoplvr
On my motorcycle or car I always stop and help other motorcyclists and motorists if I can. I have even stopped to ask a motorcycle gang member if he needed help, but he had help coming.
Last summer I stooped to help some old guy and his wife in a Lexus change a flat. When I was done, I realized I was probably older than he was. How did this happen, in my mind I am only in my 40's. And how can a guy not be able to change a tire, shame on him.
Anyway, when I ran out of fuel on the motorcycle last fall, not one single person stopped. Including a small group on bikes. Lucky for me I happened to be riding with a friend. Now I carry spare fuel. So much for Karma. I will not change my behavior though.
Shame on the bike group though.
Rod

I ended up sitting next to a [censored]'s Angel wearing full colors on a flight from Phoenix to Salt Lake City, he ended up being a really interesting guy and we had a nice talk on the flight.
He helped us find the baggage return and rental car desks after our flight and he was also very kind to my ~11 year old daughter.
I did make the mistake of asking him what he did for a living, he really did not want to talk about that.
He told me that he was wearing the colors because he had just attended the funeral of another member.
 
I've helped people. An elderly lady couldn't get her car started in the mall next to my car and I stayed with her. She said her husband was on his way. She had the hood popped but it wouldn't stay up when I lifted it. The hood strut things were broken. It was raining and cold and I told her she could sit in my warm car until her husband arrived but she was scared to do that. Mall security arrived soon after and then her husband. He was an old guy but on top of things. He had a stick to hold the hood up in his hand as soon as he got out of the car and had the car jump started in about a minute. Looked like he had a lot of practice doing it.

I wrote before that I helped a car of three 3 people add antifreeze to their radiator after it ran out. That was in front of a gas station on the shoulder of a busy road.

There is more to the stories in the articles listed above. Good Samaritan that lets 4 strippers hang out in his house while he fixes their car? Maybe he was looking for a payback for his troubles and girls said no.
 
I have a compressor that I will use if someone needs help. But I will not jumpstart anyone else' vehicle with any of my vehicles. If I have a booster pack, sure, use that.
 
Originally Posted by discountdon
Originally Posted by Ws6
It depends. At a busy Starbucks? Yeah.


My assumption was many people where capable of helping...

Surely a percentage of the public have immediate access to jumper cables or even a lithium jump starter.

But didn't want the hassle or possibility of getting dirty???

It me under 5 minutes, and I was dressed in professional business casual too, my hands didn't even get dirty nor needed to wash my hands, hood was already popped up.

I'd say your assumption(s) were wrong. I think you're overestimating the number of people who carry jumper cables let alone a battery pack let alone know how to use either !

You refer to a guy in a pickup truck but driving a "truck" by no means suggests the driver is a hands-on, get-dirty fixing stuff person.

Others have alluded to so many people being scared of strangers and I've seen it personally. Once, we were driving down what's effectively an on-ramp to a state route and a lady was pushing a stroller with a small child as well as a toddler (3-5 years old) walking down the side of the road. We were in a mini-van, with my wife and kids, and we pulled over and my wife asked if they needed a ride. She told us "no". Another time, I had to make an 11:30pm run to the local convenience store for a gallon of milk. It was 20º F, with 8" or more of snow on the ground, still coming down hard and heavy, with strong winds. A young lady was there, not dressed for this weather, with a 1-2 year in one of those cheap, "umbrella" strollers !! She left as I was getting the milk and paying. When I left, she was a 1/2 block away, trudging through the snow. I still stopped and asked her if she wanted a ride. I knew she would say no (a lone guy, at night, etc) but at least I tried. And yes, she said "no".
 
I have (under safe conditions) although not as often as I could or should have. I've taken people to the gas station to fill up a gas can, then back to their car. Helped our local Jimmy John's delivery guy jump his 90s civic when it died on him in a left-turn lane. I still see him driving it around and making deliveries with it too.
 
Originally Posted by discountdon

I don't know... Strangers have help me, or strangers have help my friends when I was riding with them, I've seen & felt the care & generosity of people first hand. I'm proud of helping people in need, when I can. Just sometimes a bit surprised that the vast majority chooses to ignore the signs for help.

Hard to say for sure why nobody helped her, some might have legit reasons, some might have no excuse at all besides just simply not caring - sad if that's the case. I for one don't mind helping people out when/if i can. I say if because if I'm with my kids or GF, i won't pull off the side of the road but i will call 911 and report a motorist in distress. Most jurisdictions will dispatch a LEO or request State DoT to attend to her/the motorist. I'm not sure why any of those men you described standing around doing nothing couldn't at least do that, call 911?

But good on you for helping her out..ðŸ‘🤘
 
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Short answer Yes. I have done all of those things. Does not take long and hopefully the person has a better day after that.
 
I've helped but at times I've thought about and decided against. I go on a case by case basis.

I figure, if I see them on a phone, they're probably all set. If anything, that is why I've pretty much stopped, most people have a phone and can call AAA or a friend and deal with the issue on their own. Now I don't feel obligated to stop on the side of a busy road and thereby increase my chances of becoming a statistic.

Not sure what I'd do out in the middle of nowhere though. Tough call on those.
 
^ I offered to push/ pull a girl who was nearly stuck at the top of a snowy hill. Just needed a tiny boost. She had already called AAA. I could have done it with her doors locked! Such cognitive dissonance. Enjoy your 30-90 minute wait.

PS she had bland all season tires. Whoever bought her AAA membership should have gotten her better tires.
 
Pan handlers look different around here, than the homeless souls seeking help.

Twice I witnessed a dishonest panhandler that was suddenly caught off-guard. His cellphone began ringing in his pocket.
 
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Yes with services - jump start, tire change, etc.

But not with "can I have a few bucks to put gas in my tank".

If you got this far, you should have considered how you were going to pay to get where you're going.
 
Absolutely because of Karma.


* As kid in Kuwait my mum with me (7) brother (9) and sister (2) had a flat in Kuwait on desert road to the beach(before they paved the place). A nice Kuwaiti man wearing a "native" white dress robe driving a Rolls Royce who did not speak a lick of English changed the flat tire for her. I remember the car getting jacked up and thinking it was great sitting in the idling car with AC. 1979.
* Back at age 20 my 88 VW Jetta occasionally would not start and strangers including well dressed women offered their vehicle for a jump start. Turned out to be bad ground strap.
* wedged wife's 2005 Legacy GT wagon between snow banks due to weird diagonal slide catching hidden ice/snow piles during intense storm on exit ramp. A nice man in Jeep pulled it out. I was blocking the entire exit and his path anyway.

In last 5 years
* Jumped started two vehicles of stranded stranger women.
* Pulled a car full of teens onto road from icey lawn off side of road using a tow strap using MDX
 
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