21 December 2008

Thanks to Paul the Good Samaritan from ACT Towing

| marnie
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I’d like to publicly thank Paul from ACT Towing for his Good Deed a few weeks ago.I had my newborn and three-year-old in the car, driving home from dropping Dad off at the ATO. It was a rainy day when we got up, and we drop him off so he doesn’t need to ride his motorbike in the rain on the oil slick roads. We were on the way home when Jett, our littlest family member, lost it and needed a feed. So we pulled over on the side of the road on Barton Highway and I gave him a breastfeed, calming him quick smart.

However, when we all got back into our seats, the car wouldn’t start! “Grrr, grrr, grr” was all it said. Where was my phone? Where was my purse? On the fridge at home – we’d rushed out the door in a hurry, I thought “Pfft, I’ll be right this once!” (Sigh).So, Maven crying piteously that it was his fault for not getting back into his seat, we waiting for a passing motorist to check on us and see if we were right.An hour later, we were still waiting. Plenty of cars going by, all having a look, but that was all. I was a bit surprised no-one slowed to say “Are you right?” out their window, especially as Maven kept saying “Are we stuck here all day?”

Finally, there I am standing beside the car with the bonnet up, Jett in a sling and Maven standing nearby as we watched the cars go by, Paul pulls up and says “Do you need a hand?””Yes!!”He hoisted up the car, helped us into the cabin, drove us to Mitchell to Nicks Quality AutoElectrics, who fitted a new battery while we waited in the cabin of the truck out of the cold. He didn’t charge us a cent, just wanted to help out a mum with little kids, as he had a little one at home too. It was so lovely a gesture.Thankyou Paul, we’ve seen you in your truck since and waved, Maven still talks about “Paul who helped save us” (LOL) and waves when we see your truck too.

So, the next time you get stuck on the side of the road, give a call to Paul at ACT Towing: Ph: 0438 651 360 Thanks also to Nicks’ Quality Auto Electrics, (0402 287 813) who fitted a new battery, and only took our rego as ‘payment’ until I came back that afternoon with Chris, phone and purse to pay for our new battery! Charndra, Maven and Jett,Amaroo.

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Nice story. Cheers to Paul for being helpful!

By the way, I know the story author. She is not a bogan, and is the kind of person who would help someone else if she saw that they were in a difficult situation. So it’s nice to see that karma has worked its magic.

tylersmayhem12:48 pm 22 Dec 08

There ARE some really lovely people in Canberra – collar-colour is irrelevant

Spot on Deeza, I agree! Cool story BTW.

> dad took to carrying the metal bar in the car in case the same thing happened again.

Cool, now I see why you mentioned it. Scary!

I was visiting Canberra a few years ago and placed my purse on the top of the car when strapping my baby into the back seat – and unwittingly drove off with the purse still on top of the car. Realised my mistake a few hours later and figured I’d never see my purse or purse contents again. A week later a post pack turned up at my work in Melbourne – with the purse and ALL contents (including $100.00 or so dollars) inside. Although I didn’t have any contact details inside, the fellow who found it figured out where I worked and tracked me down through a friend of his who worked for the same organisation!

There ARE some really lovely people in Canberra – collar-colour is irrelevant (I sent him a bottle of scotch to say ‘thanks’).

justbands said :

> If you see somebody stopped on the side of the road in the middle of the dessert you are probably more likely to assume that they are having car troubles and you would also realise that they need help.

That’s the point I was making, yes. Not sure what it has to do with a need or otherwise to carry a metal bar in the car?

on the road from darwin to adelaide, you see all manner of people. we stopped often to help people who were in trouble. some were grateful, one was completely nuts. he tried to overpower dad, and, for whatever reason, we managed to get away. it was very scary. dad took to carrying the metal bar in the car in case the same thing happened again.

> If you see somebody stopped on the side of the road in the middle of the dessert you are probably more likely to assume that they are having car troubles and you would also realise that they need help.

That’s the point I was making, yes. Not sure what it has to do with a need or otherwise to carry a metal bar in the car?

>Supporting this fact is Justbands account in the Northern Territory – everybody stopped for assistance.

If you see somebody stopped on the side of the road in the middle of the dessert you are probably more likely to assume that they are having car troubles and you would also realise that they need help.

If you are driving in the inner city and see a car stopped on the side of the road with a person sitting in it you are more likely to assume that they are reading a map or making a phone call also you have no way of knowing how long they have been there. This sounds like it was just a case of people not realising there was a problem until it was obvious (out of car, in rain, hood up) you can’t blame people for not helping if they did not no there was a problem and as you will see if you read the story, as soon as it was obvious that she need help somebody stopped.

I have been helped plenty of times on the side of the road and in once even in a car park when some lousy bugger had stolen all the studs of one of my wheels and i was not strong enough to shift the others, but in all of those situations it was pretty obvious to the passer by that i needed help.

justbands said :

> Supporting this fact is Justbands account in the Northern Territory

There’s lots of ways to explain my experience there…I suspect the fact that it’s remote, hot & has very harsh conditions has a lot to do with it.

justbands, my father had in the car when we were out on the highway, driving from Darwin to Adelaide, in case of attack, a metal bar. thankfully, we never needed it. Northern Territorians don’t help because they have to, but because they can.

Here in Canberra, I stop to assist where I can be of assistance. I have assisted people in shock, stabilised injured people, helped move someone in immediate danger, and set up on the road my car with the hazards on. I do it because i can. The people who think that they cannot be of help, are wrong. Even a friendly face with a mobile phone would be welcomed.

you don’t have to be first aid trained, to assist someone. Just a bit of commonsense will do. I am glad that there are people like paul out there. It makes me feel that if i was in trouble, someone would come to my aid, too.

> Supporting this fact is Justbands account in the Northern Territory

There’s lots of ways to explain my experience there…I suspect the fact that it’s remote, hot & has very harsh conditions has a lot to do with it.

tylersmayhem said :

I am still curious how you draw your opinions and conclusions about white collar workers Bloodnut – other than the fact you probably just don’t like us.

Off topic.

Start a new post on why Canberra’s large itinerant population – for the most part white collar – prevents the development of an established culture that engenders altruism and loyalty to the sommunity. Supporting this fact is Justbands account in the Northern Territory – everybody stopped for assistance. As this post reveals that is the exception rather than the rule in Canberra. It’s my assessment based on empirical evidence – not a personal attack.

I’m a volunteer in an emergency service, so am sort of predisposed to offering assistance where needed, however, have also seen a lot of people in trouble and need, being helped by others. As such, unlike many, I am not surprised to hear the OPs story – there are a lot of people out there who care, and take time to participate in a community. From my experience, whether someone is a blue-collar worker, a white-colour worker, a student (yes, even youths are helpful and have manners) or a pensioner, many people help.

As to the reason that people didn’t stop for an hour, it may be that they had expected the OP to have already called for help, or they may not enough about cars to fix a broken down one, so no point in stopping etc…

(Okay time for me to take off my rose coloured glasses… hmmm, they are off, and I still reckon most people are pretty nice)

>noting that you wouldn’t get that sort of response from one of our fine white collar compatriots

Thats and Interesting Assumption mate. I would have stopped. I have stopped many times to help people change a tire or jump start.

But i would have a guess that it took a while for somebody to stop because they didn’t realise there was a problem. I have many a time seen people stopped on the side of the road talking on the phone or looking for something in the car. But if they had the hood up or warning lights on then i recken somebody would have stopped to help out. As they did in this case.

Steady Eddie said :

Jett? Maven? Bogan alert!

bogans have more interesting names, you know….

try Peter, paul, simon, ryan, lachlan, Melissa, rebecca, etc, etc. Names aren’t important.

well done to paul. makes me happy to see that there are still samaritans out there.

Sounds like an advert to me……..

well i am now a white collar worker after 15 years as a commercial fisherman and 5 or so before that as a truck driver……and i tend to agree with bloodnut……

I’m not even touching this one. This article has got to be a trap!

tylersmayhem9:53 am 22 Dec 08

I am still curious how you draw your opinions and conclusions about white collar workers Bloodnut – other than the fact you probably just don’t like us.

> no – its a pretty good generalisation and just because you may be the exception doesn’t make it incorrect.

I think it’s fair to say that a lot of people, whatever their job, wouldn’t stop. The fact that they were there for over an hour backs that up. I highly doubt that it was only white collar workers who went past in that hour.

I remember some years ago breaking down a couple of hundred k’s south of Darwin. I swear that just about each & every car that went past stoppped to offer assistance. We were offered water, food, mechanical assistance, phones…everything. Warmed my soul it did.

Steady Eddie9:40 am 22 Dec 08

Jett? Maven? Bogan alert!

tylersmayhem said :

noting that you wouldn’t get that sort of response from one of our fine white collar compatriots

Yeah – that’s a pretty crap generalisation Bloodnut, particularly on a topic thanking folks. I also would have stopped.

no – its a pretty good generalisation and just because you may be the exception doesn’t make it incorrect.

Good on Paul for stopping and good on you and justbands for being the type that would as well.

I love reading stories like this. Good on you Paul – if we ever need a tow, you’re the first that we’ll call!

tylersmayhem9:13 am 22 Dec 08

noting that you wouldn’t get that sort of response from one of our fine white collar compatriots

Yeah – that’s a pretty crap generalisation Bloodnut, particularly on a topic thanking folks. I also would have stopped.

> noting that you wouldn’t get that sort of response from one of our fine white collar compatriots.

Hang about…I would have stopped!

Nice work Paul, if I need a tow truck…yours is the first number I’m ringing.

tylersmayhem8:36 am 22 Dec 08

Good story and fine form from Paul! We need more folk like that here in Canberra. I know a few who would have stopped, helped and then charged – but what Paul did is gold.

Have a happy Christmas all and take care of each other!

Pommy bastard7:58 am 22 Dec 08

Interesting name, Maven;

ma?ven
? ?/?me?v?n/ Pronunciation [mey-vuhn]
–noun
an expert or connoisseur.
Also, mavin.

Origin:
1960–65; < Yiddish < Heb: connoisseur

Madame Workalot7:47 am 22 Dec 08

Great story. Good to see there’s still some people with heart out there.

And for what it’s worth – I would have stopped for you!

Paul, whoever you are, you are a legend. Live long and prosper!

thanks ant – didn’t take long.

Hang on, hang on… Maven?!

That said, it’s good to get the word out on good operators, good service, a job done well and people who go above and beyond.

Awww, Canberra is ok after all – noting that you wouldn’t get that sort of response from one of our fine white collar compatriots.

i also want to ask something else, but i think i might wait for someone else to do it for me.

great story….sorry to hear that you had to wait so long for assistance….all that
it would have taken would be someone to stop and lend you their phone to call for help….

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