Should I help this kid?

[jmc]

Late yesterday afternoon, on a dead end road near our house, someone's car broke down. This morning, he's there, trying to fix this beater. Out of state plates. Says he lives nearby. He asks for a jump start so I obliged- still won't crank. He's about 20 years old, smells bad, and probably pretty close to broke. Needs to get to his job. He's pretty clueless about his engine. The battery terminals are corroded but he didn't notice. For some reason, he wants to know if his solenoid is an alternator. Its down there under a bunch of hoses so you wouldn't notice it and not even close to the drive belt. Now this is the interesting part- He takes out a lug wrench and shorts out the solenoid so that the car now cranks. This from a guy that's clueless about engines? My best guess is he knows just enough to steal car and that's why I excused myself. He's back down there now, not making any progress and I'm thinking if he's legit, he really could use some help. What do you guys think?

John

 

[Tig]

Did you notice if there was a key in the ignition? Is the steering column damaged around where the key should be? Those are a couple signs that things are not on the up and up.
A dead end is an odd place to break down unless you spent the night there.
I wonder if you could take his plate # to a local police station and have them run it for their own information. If they have no interest then give the kid a hand. If they are interested tell them where to find the car.
If you do go help you should bring a friend for safety reasons.
Just my 2 cents....

 

[jmc]

Steve,

I didn't actually see the key but he was in the driver's seat trying to crank it during my jump. If this particuliar car is stolen, I don't know why he wouldn't just abandon it. He's been back at least twice. I'm just wondering if he's experienced hot wiring other peoples' cars.

John

edit: I didn't want to involve the police because if he's legit, they'll make him tow it and that would be expensive for him.

 

[Charlesaf3]

can you call police with the plate without letting them know where it is?

Also, did you get a "feel" for the kid? I tend to trust gut instinct. Though maybe yours is that something is iffy.

 

[skipro3]

I would help him. Bring a sandwich with you and another friend. Tow him if you have to or spring for a tow using your AAA membership or something.

The measure of a man is not in how he helps someone who can help him in return, but in how he helps someone who would never be able to help him in return.

Let us know how it turns out.

 

[bigshovel]

I agree, safely help him he probably needs it. If he did in fact steal the car just think of how bad things must have been for him to get into that kind of trouble. I would retain the plate number for after he is gone. A little kindness goes a long ways.

Brad

 

[rox]

I think I would go back and ask him. "How did you end up down this way, where are you heading? You know we don't get many people donw here" Then sjut listen to what he has to say. Maybe set it up so that your wife calls you after 10 minutes so that if what he is saying doesn't rign true to you you have a non confontational way to bug out. "Sorry I have to go that's my wife"
It is nice to see somenone who is willing to help out someone in need.

 

[RonMar]

First rule of assistance: Don't become a victim...

Some people are not quallified to "go with their gut" as they just don't have the experience. That is a judgment call on your part. It is good karma to help someone who truely needs it If you are good with engines, it shouldn't take very long to guide him in the right diection toward driving away, or at least determining that it is not gonna start there alongside the road.

On the pessimistic side, If it is a dead end road, and he dosn't live on it, I would be wondering why he was there in the first place. Does he know someone on the road? Was it parked there initially at night? Could he have been casing homes after dark looking for a "opportunity" and his transport wouldn't start when it came time to go back to where he really lives?

 

[tallyho8]

I would think that if someone was to steal a car they would pick a nice one and not an old "beater" as the penalty is the same for either one. I vote for "not stolen".

 

[jmc]

He said he ran out of gas on the main highway and pulled off onto the dead end. After adding gas, it won't start.

I don't think this particuliar car is stolen or otherwise he would abandon it. Believe me, it wouldn't be worth taking the risk of hanging around it.

I guess my question boils down to this: would a guy who doesn't know an alternator from a starter solenoid have any legitimate basis for knowing how to take a lug wrench, slip it down into an inaccessible part of the engine compartment, and bypass the ignition switch? How would you learn that and not learn anything basic about a engine? For example, is it likely he could he have called up a buddy and his buddy described how to do that over the phone to someone with no familiarity with an engine? That's why the most likely explanation seems to be he knows just enough to steal a (working) car. I also asked him how he figured that out and his answer didn't make much sense.

I suspect he will be back there tomorrow.

John

 

[skipro3]

I learned to jump start my camaro after watching my buddy start it for me when the bendx went out. He used a big screw driver to do so. Before that, I didn't know a starter from a stopper....

 

[Tig]

If he has experience with beaters he could have learned the solenoid trick to avoid repair costs. I had to hotwire my own car one time when the ignition switch failed in the K Mart parking lot on Saturday afternoon. As I worked with the materials available (screwdriver, coat hanger and jumpercables) people walked by and stared but no one said a word.

 

[czechsonofagun]

I think he is ok and he learned just few tricks to keep that beater going. But in a situation like this, he has no understanding what is what and is not able to properly troubleshoot it.

I would help him - proly would never thing a kid like that can hurt me, since I am bit overgrown

 

[mjarrels]

I'm not the smartest mechanic but owned a MGB for several years... learned to perform many roadside fixes... worked on the car to get to work... worked on the car to get home... can you say "lucas electrical"

mark

 

[slewisma]

He said he ran out of gas on the main highway and pulled off onto the dead end. After adding gas, it won't start.
John

Perhaps he sucked some junk from the bottom of the tank into the fuel filter when he ran out of gas? Cars and tractors aren't so different sometimes.

Lots of opinions in this thread. I'm with those that say help him but show up with a buddy to do so. It also wouldn't hurt to call the local police and just be honest. If this car is not on the main highway, I'd think they'd be fine with checking the plate to make sure it isn't stolen and then waiting a day or two before making him tow it. Tell them you're gonna see if you can help him get it going and you'll call them back if it is still there in 48 hours.

 

[LMTC]

One of our sons started a new job last spring, big mix from grunts to engineers (steel fabrication company). Young new grunt started shortly after, working in sight of our son a good bit of the time. Our son said he seemed like a decent kid, worked well, drove a beater and appeared to have little in the way of clothing. Second week the kid missed a couple days, called in, then got someone to bring him, wanted to get his first check early (two week holdback), and couldn't. Our son never saw him again, but remembers him saying he had a bad tire. We theorize he was dirt poor, wanted to work, could not afford to replace a tire that failed, couldn't get paid early to replace the tire, thus couldn't come to work and lost the job. We don't know this, but it seems a good guess. When our son told us about this kid coming in trying to get his check early we told him to approach him next time he came in and ask if he needed help getting a tire...but he never saw him again.

I would have given him the money, not loaned it to him. I have immense respect for anyone wanting to work, and do not want the government in charge of such things. I remember being poor. I remember working on a car most of the weekend so I could drive it to work Monday. I am not "wealthy" (whatever that means) but I could (and I bet most on this forum could too) pull $100 out of my budget right now and truly never miss it.

Protect yourself, but offer to help as you can. You never know what the seed you sow may become. You may have already offered him something he rarely gets simply by being cordial to him. And no, I do not sing "Kumbaya" each evening, and am in fact a social and political conservative. I believe it is MY responsibility to help others on an individual level, but I think that choice should be left to each individual.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

we'll assume that if you don't keep us posted, that he wasn't on the up and up

man, that's a tough one......i have the gene that i love to help people like this too, but since i've had kids and my trust level has dramatically decreased, i try to avoid these situations.........i'm not proud of this position, but around here, i don't think too much of my fellow mankind.....

 

[MossRoad]

My cousin stopped to help a guy with a flat tire one night. The guy thanked him, stabbed him in the leg and stole his car.

I have since been disinclined to help people that I do not know. I will call them a ride, tow truck, police, etc.... but keep my distance and be cautious.

You could offer him a tow if it is not too far, but I would go with a friend to watch my back.

 

[jmc]

Looks like he figured it all out yesterday cause its gone. Thanks all.

John

 

[podagrower]

I'm not the smartest mechanic but owned a MGB for several years... learned to perform many roadside fixes... worked on the car to get to work... worked on the car to get home... can you say "lucas electrical"

mark

Short thread hijack--- I believe the inventor of the above referenced electrical system was known as "the prince of darkness"???
We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread...