Flat Tire, person needs help changing it. What Would You Do??

[MA-Caver]

Help a woman... oh yeah... help a man ehhh? Help a Muslim... no way! That's what this video shows. At the end there is one very special young man who does help out, regardless of who it may be. Check it out!
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People need to be more like that young fellow. Amazing things can happen as a result of it.

 

[K-man]

Had trouble playing it at first but, hey, great video, especially the young guy at the end. :high5:

 

[Cyriacus]

Im not sure what to say, other than cheers to the guy at the end

 

[Gnarlie]

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I was walking out of a fast-food restaurant in Albuquerque once and there was a very elderly man standing next to his car with a very flat tire, looking forlorn.

I actually had somewhere I needed to be, but I offered to help him change his tire. He opened his trunk and I got busy.

I got out the tire, jacked up the car, then realized his spare was flat. Drove a couple miles to a gas station and filled it up; it would not hold air. Got it patched (my cost) then drove back.

While putting the spare tire on the car, I noticed the side of his car was damaged. In fact, the whole lower side of the passenger side of the car was extensively damaged; it was hard to see while the car was on the ground. And the flat tire wasn't just flat, it was shredded.

Turns out, the guy didn't know the car was damaged. Didn't know the tire was shredded. Only knew that the tire was flat.

I got the tire changed, got the damaged tire and rim back in the trunk, let his car down, and he drove off. Over a 12-inch high concrete barrier in the street as he turned the wrong way onto a one-way street, cutting off oncoming vehicles, which swerved and honked to avoid him. All four tires blew out and he ended up high-centered on the divider he drove over. He got out and stared at me from across the road as if I were responsible for his situation.

I called 911 on my cell phone and told them of a motorist assist needed, then I left. As I drove out of the fast-food joint, I noticed how he must have blown out the first tire; he took out a huge chunk of curbing and part of a US mailbox on his way in; the mailbox was tilted at a weird angle and the paint transfer on it matched his car. He damned near drove over the thing; no easy task. And he had no idea how he got a flat tire. Holy crap.

No good deed goes unpunished.

 

[jks9199]

I haven't watched the video. In real life -- I've changed tires for folks, at work and on my own. I've given others a ride to get help. (Pre-cell phone days...) I've watched while others did it themselves -- including one young lady that really impressed me, because once I got her out of the road, she was set. Even had a novel, but very effective way to break the lug nuts... I think, if she'd been able to push the car herself -- she'd not have needed my help at all.

It's a judgement call. The odds of it being some sort of trap a la some of the "gang initiation" emails, are low. Not nonexistent, but low. I look at the location, I look at the person (are they elderly or very young? sitting despondently & lost, or on the cell phone? already working on the problem? and more...) and generally apply the "what if it were my wife/mother/kid" test.

 

[MJS]

I saw that show this past Friday. 2 thumbs up for the kid at the end! As for what I'd do....me personally, I'd offer the use of my cell phone, I'd see if there was someone I could call or perhaps give them a ride. I'd rather not take on the task of changing it myself for the following: 1) to be honest, I've never changed a tire in my life, and 2) I would rather not take on the task, in the event that I did something wrong. I'd hate to do the change, and have the guy drive down the highway at 70mph, and have the tire come off.

 

[cdunn]

Can't watch the video from work; but, a decade or so ago, I was at an anime convention in Baltimore, that in a fairly surreal twist of events, was sharing the facility with a large group of Muslims. Our van was dead one evening, we got a jump from a group of Arabic-descended guys that were also at the center. Quite appreciated, indeed. So, it goes two ways.

 

[The Last Legionary]

Nope. I call the cops and let them handle it. If it's a threat, they have the ability to deal with it. If it's an drunk/senile person, again they can deal with it. If it's just a disabled motorist, they'll help contact AAA and take care of it.

 

[Carol]

I don't think I have helped someone change a tire. However, I have helped a lot of people that were stuck in snow or ice. I see it as paying it forward. There were many strangers who did that for me when I was much younger. I have long since decided to stick only with 4wd/Awd vehicles and haven't gotten stuck since I made that decision. But out of respect to all the folks that helped me in the past, I help as many people as I can in wintertime...especially in the North Country.

 

[Sukerkin]

A bit late but I finally got to watch the clip.

Very nice to see that in the first two scenarios there was no shortage of people willing to lend a hand. On the gender divide, I'd be less reflexive in going to help a chap than I would a lass because I would expect a fellow to know how to change a wheel and wouldn't want to be seen to be suggesting he couldn't (that's my age showing there I reckon ).

Not too surprised by the reluctance with the third scenario - I'm too sure I'd rush up without thinking about it first either. Not necessarily because I'd associate the headgear with the Islamic faith but because any mode of 'dress' that signals overtones of 'group/gang' membership to me means I'll size up what I think of the person first.

 

[Sukerkin]

Here's another one from the same series:

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I thought this one was very telling indeed in that the two couples who objected and stood up against the discrimination were a mixed race husband and wife and someone who was born in a nominally less free country. Sometimes we take things for granted that we shouldn't and this clip really made me think what would I do in such a situation - I like to think I would say something but I fear I'd be too inhibited by my essential 'Englishness' to say anything at the time (no matter how I felt inside).

 

[Big Don]

I have a AAA card, ergo, I am above changing tires.