Shredded Rubber, Good Samaritans, and My Nuts (1499 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.56 on 43 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Manic <please somebody put me out of my misery>Mother (View user info) at 2006-02-28 17:11:35 EST
It starts off as a busy day. There's a doctor's appointment, a trip to the bank, gas, bring home lunch, all before 1pm. You are racing at 70 glorious miles an hour over the sunny, but terribly cold freeway in the closing stretch with plenty of time to spare, and it happens.
You see it before you feel it.
The chunks of rubber in your peripheral vision, more seen through the rearview mirror. And then the inevitable bumps in your normally smooth drive.
You have had a blow out. Not just any blow out on this cold winter's day, NO. It's a tire shredding, riding on your rim to the shoulder, rubber fragments everywhere, HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!! type of experience.
But this is not about a flat tire.
This is about a man. A person kind enough to stop and repay a favor given to him.
I called my husband as my first order of business. Yeah, yeah, I know, it will take some time. He needs to get the 4 year old ready to go out in the cold. Damn, no gas, he'll have to stop somewhere.
I checked on the 2 year old in back, other than being irritated that we haven't gotten to "Burger Ping" yet she was occupied. So I got out, pulled out the jack, the little spare, and the 4 way bar...... and stared at it all. I CAN change a tire. I just haven't in the last 10 years and so, obviously, never on this vehicle. Ok no problem, it's colder than hell, traffic is whipping by me at 70 miles an hour just 3 feet from where I'm standing, and the jack looks like a toy model, I can do this....
I have it in the air 15 minutes later, shivering not only from the cold but from being shoved up against the car by the air wash from several passing tractor trailers. A little unnerved by the cars speeding next to me, filled with visions of being nothing more than a grease spot on the highway, I had gotten this far. Now for the lugs. It is at this point I must pause and give a little insider information. The last time this tire was off my car was when I had my brakes replaced. I had it done by professionals. Not a big deal mind you, but those pneumatic guns really tighten those little bitches. Hence the profanity filled rant.
"GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKIN' LUG NUTS! YOU FUCKING STUBBORN BASTARD CUNT! TURN YOU BASTARD WHORE! GODDAMN TRUCKS, YOU CAN SEE ME AT LEAST A QUARTER OF A MILE AWAY, MOVE OVER BEFORE YOU FUCKING SQUASH ME. BASTARD NUT, YOU WILL COME OFF! AUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH! <steps back, smoothes coat, raises gloved but numb fingers to temple where a massive migraine is poised to unleash hell> Ok we're going to do this nice and easy right? I'll just slip the bar on and....GODDAMN SON OF A WORTHLESS...."
I stood back up, threw the 4 way to the ground tearing up a chunk of asphalt and stopped. A truck was pulling up behind me. At first glance it could have been my husband getting there MUCH sooner than I had hoped, but right make, wrong model of truck. It was just..... a guy. He smiled through his windshield at me and grabbed his coat. He hopped out and asked if he could help. Lips turning subtle shades of purple murmured only two words,
"Lug nuts."
"No problem."
We sat down on the side of the road and just chatted as he cracked each stubborn nut in turn. His wife had a blow out not too long ago. She was alone and hadn't ever changed a tire. She had left her phone at home. A man had stopped, pulled everything out for her, did the job, and had saw her safely away. Nothing asked, just a good deed. He had been grateful for that when she came home and told him the story. He saw me and his first thought was of his wife that night. This was his way of giving back to humanity for what it did to help her when he couldn't be there. He was courteous and the smile remained the entire time he was there. His name was Jason. My husband pulled up just as we were putting the lug nuts on the spare. The 2 big men squared off for a moment, and smiled at each other as my husband shook his hand and said "Thank You." The husband in chef's clothing finished tightening the nuts and I tossed the shredded remains of my back driver's side tire in the Cherokee. The husband offered the man dinner, on him, sometime. He politely refused and just said it was no problem. He partially blocked traffic in the slow lane, let me back out on the road, and was on his way.
The whole process took just over an hour from shredding tire to driving off. A stranger took time out of his day to stop and help a stranded woman in honor of another doing the same for his wife. To me, that is an incredible sort of thing. I look rather skeptically at society, like some rare disease to be studied and watch in abject horror and glee as it mutates into some new strain. What I have found, most often, is that society is highly self involved, motivated to action by little that can be seen as honorific or for the greater good. Helping your fellow man? HA! Chivalry is dead, they say, buried and all it's honor with it. I believed that until this afternoon. This man stopped to help, asking nothing and giving me back not only mobile abilities but a sense that maybe, just maybe, society isn't really so bad. After all, every once and a while that viral strain produces a throwback that can be the key for curing it all.
User Reviews
Submitted by sideshow (user info) at 2007-03-28 12:59:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2006-03-03 05:15:14 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice to see there are still some decent people around.
Post more often.
-Dave
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I'll second that
Submitted by phauna (user info) at 2007-01-02 22:01:08 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I must put in here that NOONE will ever help a man with a child or infant, no matter how much in need of help they may look. This sucks.
Submitted by Sphagnum (user info) at 2006-04-29 15:43:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
FUCK OFF
Submitted by c1ndy (user info) at 2006-03-31 11:09:01 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I couldn't get the petrol cap off the other day- stupid thing was sort of rusted on. Some nice bloke came over to help, and told me to use some WD40 on it. Restores your faith in humanity huh!
Submitted by zakalwe (user info) at 2006-03-14 14:28:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
tried to send an e-mail to the address of yours I had but it was immediately bounced back with "receipt failed permanently," which seems very final. it is ~10 months old or so (doesn't time fly?) so I am reduced to attempted to contact you via this sorry site. my e-mail is
senator.kong.at.gmail.com
and my bank balance is
$1,000,001,
so don't hesitate to ask for more.
toodle-pip, and good luck in future dealings.
Submitted by MANICMOTHER (user info) at 2006-03-11 23:53:50 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
My husband just called. He's going to be late getting home from work.
He stopped to help a woman trying to change a tire on the same stretch of road.
Karma
Submitted by Method (user info) at 2006-03-08 18:31:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
wanna fool around?
Submitted by electrictoothsyndrome (user info) at 2006-03-07 12:48:40 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
Submitted by precision (user info) at 2006-03-03 13:14:46 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
about ten years ago my ex-wife hit a deer at around midnight, on a out of the way state highway...no cell phone, no houses nearby...she said that about 40 cars slowed down...and then passed her right by even though her car was in the middle of the road steam coming out of the hood, broken glass, flashers on and everything,...when she wasn't home by 2am I got worried and went looking for her...glad to see you had a good (relatively speaking) experience.
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2006-03-03 05:15:14 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice to see there are still some decent people around.
Post more often.
-Dave
Submitted by Xcuses (user info) at 2006-03-02 19:04:45 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I can SO picture this
Call me next time honey!
Submitted by Sphagnum (user info) at 2006-03-01 15:32:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
A MANICMOTHER POST?
*ejaculates*
Submitted by inion_de_trua (user info) at 2006-03-01 12:38:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
well except if you're an alone woman you shouldn't stop and help cuz murderers and rapists have used the flat tire thing to snatch people before.
Submitted by MistressFist (user info) at 2006-03-01 12:29:19 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
excellent!
Submitted by inion_de_trua (user info) at 2006-03-01 11:59:35 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
hahahaha i liked how you called it a 4 way bar, that's so cute and girly really it is.
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2006-03-01 11:44:24 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
growing up in the black hills I've done this several times. depending on where you're playing you don't know when you'll see the next person. I've been saved from more trouble this way and I've helped others out too. it's worth the time and energy for sure.
Submitted by MANICMOTHER (user info) at 2006-03-01 10:20:50 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Glad you got the point of the post Nelly.
Submitted by Nellypaal (user info) at 2006-03-01 09:13:04 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
You were taking your 2-year-old to BK?
That's disgraceful.
Submitted by sicosemen (user info) at 2006-03-01 07:43:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I won't suck your ass like everyone else, but will tell you that your husband should return the favor as well. It's right. +2 for karma.
Submitted by sinna (user info) at 2006-03-01 06:53:58 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 Karma.
Submitted by skrapmetal (user info) at 2006-03-01 06:41:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Heartwarming and funny.
<soapbox>
Please don't change a tire next to the expressway. You husband and kids will miss you. Drive on the rim (slowly, on the shoulder) to a safe place. A replacement rim is a much better investment that a casket.
</soapbox>
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2006-03-01 06:20:26 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Manic, I've missed you!
Why don't you post more often? You wrote this really well.
Submitted by ozzy (user info) at 2006-03-01 05:32:15 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I really liked this.
Submitted by MandaPanda (user info) at 2006-03-01 03:57:22 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
That's exactly how I feel.
Submitted by Chroniclysm (user info) at 2006-03-01 03:46:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by knucklesnelson (user info) at 2006-02-28 22:28:03 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Yeah i've heard about them nice people.
Submitted by GodLovesALittleLovin (user info) at 2006-02-28 20:48:17 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Shenanigans. All people are assholes. This only happens in the dreams of schoolteachers and the like.
Submitted by pragmatic (user info) at 2006-02-28 20:38:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Kinda like that movie where you pass it on... you know, with that kids who dies....meh
Great to hear that sort of thing happens in real life though.
Submitted by Saxon (user info) at 2006-02-28 19:26:28 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Sometimes people just amaze each other. good to see you back Manic.
Submitted by stardamage (user info) at 2006-02-28 19:20:29 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
This reminded me of last winter, when I slid off the road near my house on my way to work. My car (1986 Volvo wagon) was pretty well stuck and I, being a teenage girl whose solution to most car problems is to turn the radio up and ignore it, was pretty much completely helpless.
The first woman arrived a few minutes later when I was on my hands and knees digging at my back tires with my hands, cause I'm too stupid to keep a shovel in the car in the middle of winter in Massachusetts. She had one, though, so I used that, and she stayed to make sure I was okay cause I was obviously a bit shaken. Then someone else stopped. By the end of it, there were seven people helping me or offering advice. Eventually the first woman drove me home so I could tell my parents and call my boss, and by the time my dad drove me back my car was on the side of the road again. Some guys in a plow truck had stopped and after hearing about it used their truck to drag my car back onto the road.
That morning pretty much restored my faith in humanity. Thanks for reminding me.
Submitted by Genko (user info) at 2006-02-28 19:05:46 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
I'm glad you're okay.
Submitted by The_taste_of_Monkeys (user info) at 2006-02-28 18:30:08 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Hey, I remember you, where the hell have you been?
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Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2006-02-28 18:02:34 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
That good samaritan should have told you to always loosen your lug nuts BEFORE you jack the car up, not after.
Submitted by Teephphah (user info) at 2006-02-28 17:51:31 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by ChristPuncher (user info) at 2006-02-28 17:50:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
IMO BEAT UP YER HUSBAND SELL YER CHITLENS TO THE BLACK MARKET AND KIDNAPP CHU AND TAKE CHU TO PUERTO RICO
DONT TELL NO ONE
Submitted by BrownEyedGirrl (user info) at 2006-02-28 17:46:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
who says payback has to be a "bitch"...
turns out it could be a really helpful husband!!
Submitted by AshK (user info) at 2006-02-28 17:35:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2006-02-28 17:27:16 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I was so close to hitting you up on AIM about 20 min. ago. Had a mini-mommy crisis.. mentally. And now you post... so weird!
Submitted by The_taste_of_Monkeys (user info) at 2006-02-28 17:18:13 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Sometimes there seems to be hope for humanity, not often though.
Submitted by Shlongy (user info) at 2006-02-28 17:17:24 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Mrs. Shlongy had a flat tire YESTERDAY on her way to work...she didn't call me...she called my 70-year old neighbor just to come pick her up and take her back home. She never called me.
He came and changed her tire.
He's a hero, too. I bought him a bottle of booze last night.
we replaced her tire today...$139.
Goddamn SUV's.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2006-02-28 17:17:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Good thing you didn't get a blow-out on Ubersite, you'd still be sitting by the side of the road.
You're too stressed, kiddo, I'm gonna send you to a day spa or something..
Submitted by PokeyPecker (user info) at 2006-02-28 17:16:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Glad you made it ok.
(That was me by the way).
har har. Not really. There are so many fucking people named Jason now.
Nice story though. +2, and good to see you here again.
Submitted by Merlina (user info) at 2006-02-28 17:12:52 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
yay Manic... where ya BEEN?