My business partner Melissa and I were traveling in the SUV with some of our kids today ages 2-15. We had four kids under 4, Rylee who is 9 and Jordan who is 15. All of a sudden the tire blew out on the highway.
Not to worry, Melissa got us safely to the shoulder.
However, we were on the side of the road for almost an hour and no one stopped to see if we were ok. My husband Chuck was on his way to pick up the kids and Melissa's husband was on his way to change the tire.
So, seeing that the kids were switching vehicles I lined up all four child car seats on the shoulder so that the kids could move around in the SUV while we waited for daddies to come rescue us.
So there we were, obviously stranded with a pack of little kids and no one stopped. They had no way of knowing that help was on the way. I was very disappointed with the residents of Spokane today.
3 comments:
I was driving home with Amani, John and Colleen making a left at a light and noticed the car in the oncoming left traffic lane was stalled with hazards flashing. I watched as people drove around, honked and were generally stupid. I said out loud "Aren't any of you a**holes even going to try to help!". Then I saw a little head poking around in the back seat, which would have been obvious to some driving near the rear of the vehicle. I said "Oh my God! She has a little one in that car with her and they are going to get hit!" I made my turn, pulled into an empty lot, and walked to her car to offer assistance. At this same time, the woman in the car behind her got out, we talked and decided on the best route to push her to safety. The woman blocked the intersection with her car, and i started pushing. While pushing a man who was walking down the road came to help. Five minutes, everyone was safe and accounted for, and even in 100 degree monsoony weather, I hardly broke a sweat.
Driving home from this I was pissed at most people. I must have watched fifty cars zoom around this woman stranded in traffic with her kid. Thankfully, those other two strangers showed there was some altruism left in Tucson. Ultimately, I guess that is why we act and project the change we would like to see in the world, and teach our children to do the same. I am sorry you were ignored on the roadside, but glad you are all safe. If my two strangers and I were there, we would have helped. :)
Thanks for the space.
Oh Linda, I just wish you were there...
Unfortunately, I have a story similar to Linda's...
We (a pregnant me, Dane and Nyah) were in our van heading home when we got stuck in a non-moving line at a light. After the light had changed three or four times and angry cars were swerving, honking and giving the finger to the stalled car at the front, it got to be our turn to pull up to the light. As we neared the intersection, we realized the guy at the front of the line was either asleep at the wheel or passed out, and he'd been that way for quite some time. So we pulled through and Dane dashed back out across the intersection while I phoned 911.
Turns out the guy had carbon monoxide poisoning, had passed out and wet himself. And probably would've died right there if no one had stopped. I'm not patting ourselves on the backs because I was FURIOUS that at rush hour on a Tuesday at a busy intersection (no less than 500 cars passed him during the 15 minutes we were there) not a single person other than us stopped to see if he was OK.
I'm so sorry you were stranded and left alone. Sometimes I really have to wonder about the world we live in.
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