Northern Auto Tech - ECU and Blue & Me Repairs

Would you help a broken down motorist?

Currently reading:
Would you help a broken down motorist?

Would you help a driver, who's car has broken down?

  • Yes

    Votes: 174 74.0%

  • No

    Votes: 61 26.0%
  • Total voters
    235
I grew up in a part of Cornwall where going shopping usually meant a 20-30 mile round trip. Carburettors and contact breakers lived under most bonnets, no-one had a mobile phone and any exposure to a computer involved lots of typing or a cassette deck.
Everyone stopped for a broken down car. If you had tools and knowledge you tried to fix it, if not you ferried the unfortunate driver to a town or garage.
I rescued a few. Some would give you something for your help, others couldn't but were always grateful.
A few years after I moved away I stopped to check on an alfa with it's bonnet up and my offer of help was greeted in the same manner one might greet the offer of having a boiled stoat rammed up a nostril.
I'd stop for a dangerous situation or if a family was stuck. Anyone with a Fiat Forum sticker would get the gold service obviously!
To be honest I'd probably stop for anyone who looked like they needed help. I find it pitiful that we allow ourselves to be scared to stop and offer help. Living scared of everything ain't livin'.
:slayer:
 
Whilst not broken down, I stopped for a woman stood on the side of the road, and a man laying in a ditch next to her (no idea what could have happened), which is obviously quite different from a breakdown. I did stop, but I made sure that the door was locked and my girlfriend only would down the window a few inches to speak and check everything was okay. It was - he was very drunk and she was very cross with him. Good start to a new year!

As for breaking down, I would potentially stop. but only if I could actually be of any assistance. Or I'd offer my phone to call the AA or something. I myself would be little use.
 
Last edited:
I have stopped in the past, but with little or no mechanical knowledge it's more to make sure the people are OK. I probably would stop again but in very limited circumstances, probably not at night and not for a bloke or group of blokes unless they're over 70 ! :)
 
If I could help, definitely. Not sure I'd be that much use though. Have in the past done a couple of jump starts & gave some spare fuel.
 
I stopped to help the owner of a Citroen Picasso (beyond help really but) who had a flat rear tyre and no clue what to do.

The spare is under the boot hanging in a cage like my old 205GTI so it was a matter of seconds to get the bolt undone enough to drop the spare on the floor. The jack and wheel locking wheel nut key was in a box inside the spare.

Problem: Because the rear tyre was flat the car was too low to get the spare out of the basket. You need the spare out to get to the jack. That you can not get to because the car is now too low. :bang:

I used my jack, and the locking bolt key was so rusted it snapped first try. :bang:

Hammered a socket over the bolt to free it, got the spare on, tied the basket up with a cable tie as it wouldn't do up due to rusty threads, put the car down and the spare was flat. :bang:

I put my jack back in my car and luckily that day I happened to have my compressor in there. As I was waiting for the tyre to fill with air six girls turned up. They had been watching from inside a fast food establishment and were his passengers.

GIT!!! :devil:

Turns out they were all nurses and he was driving them back from the beach. :yum:

GIT!!! :devil:

I guessed that's why he was driving his Mums car. It was his and he took his trainers off, put on a pair of crock looking ballet shoes to drive in. :confused:
One of the nurses said if we had asked for help it would have taken at least an hour. A group "Thank you" and they all left.

:idea:

No I will never get a Picasso.
 
Liquid Knight said:
I stopped to help the owner of a Citroen Picasso (beyond help really but) who had a flat rear tyre and no clue what to do.

The spare is under the boot hanging in a cage like my old 205GTI so it was a matter of seconds to get the bolt undone enough to drop the spare on the floor. The jack and wheel locking wheel nut key was in a box inside the spare.

Problem: Because the rear tyre was flat the car was too low to get the spare out of the basket. You need the spare out to get to the jack. That you can not get to because the car is now too low. :bang:

I used my jack, and the locking bolt key was so rusted it snapped first try. :bang:

Hammered a socket over the bolt to free it, got the spare on, tied the basket up with a cable tie as it wouldn't do up due to rusty threads, put the car down and the spare was flat. :bang:

I put my jack back in my car and luckily that day I happened to have my compressor in there. As I was waiting for the tyre to fill with air six girls turned up. They had been watching from inside a fast food establishment and were his passengers.

GIT!!! :devil:

Turns out they were all nurses and he was driving them back from the beach. :yum:

GIT!!! :devil:

I guessed that's why he was driving his Mums car. It was his and he took his trainers off, put on a pair of crock looking ballet shoes to drive in. :confused:
One of the nurses said if we had asked for help it would have taken at least an hour. A group "Thank you" and they all left.

:idea:

No I will never get a Picasso.
Click to expand...

Picasso's are only 5 seaters though aren't they :confused:
 
(It was an old shape Picasso I was more annoyed with the wheel cage design)




i know what you mean, Stupid desighn,


used to own one of the thing's.




wouid i help a broken down motorist,?


A: No.


back in the 90s iwouid of, and have done,
but them days are gone now,


Breakdown cover is cheap, everyone shouid have it, :)
 
No idea whether this has been shown before. But I'll just leave this here.


[ame]https://youtu.be/ClPZINVp0y8[/ame]


Question is; how quick would you have moved?
 
Liquid Knight said:
It was an old shape Picasso I was more annoyed with the wheel cage design to ask about the seating arrangements.
Click to expand...

6 nurses and the thing you were most interested in was the design of the wheel cage..... Amatuer !!!

I work with hundreds of nurses and the thing that makes this story most unbelievable is that they went to a beach rather than the pub !
 
Helped few people , a couple of weeks ago a guys polo had clonked out in the middle of a busy roundabout , everyone was beeping and driving round him so I did the good thing and gave him a push up the road out of danger

Also spotted an old couple with a flat tyre about 3 months ago , could see they were struggling and I wasn't in any rush so I pulled over and changed there tyre for them .

It does surprise me that so many people will just ignore it and drive on , not me! Haha
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Rocco Reviews
Which 500 engine do you have?
Replies
7
Views
8K
callisr
callisr
Skillmaker
  • Poll
Would you like a modern X1/9?
Replies
8
Views
8K
James2300
James2300
V
  • Poll
Would you attend a local FIAT /ALFA meet?
Replies
6
Views
7K
Percy100Hp
Percy100Hp
S
  • Poll
How many of you work on your own cars?
2
Replies
20
Views
21K
chris3234
C
Liquid Knight
  • Poll
Intercooling a Fiat Coupe
Replies
1
Views
6K
Liquid Knight
Liquid Knight
Back
Top