Times Are Changing

[Sigarms]

I think it has to do with who you are. My daughter had tire problems on a Saturday evening on a freeway in Ohio a couple of weeks ago. She pulled off at an exit and into a gas station. the car did come with a spare - not even a donut. She was in a panic and some people got their donut out and changed it for her.

The next Monday she went to the local store of the tire dealer she purchased the tires at and they took care of here under warranty. Then she delivered the donut back to the good samaritans.

I don't think it hurt though that she is 24 and very easy on the eyes. Still I was glad they were there and willing.

+1


IMO it really doesn't matter where you're at per how people treat you. Yes, people from the north can be direct and to the point, but that doesn't make them any less friendly. I know some pretty rural places in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont where the people are just as friendly as the people around me are now south of the mason dixon.

The higher the population density, the less friendly people may seem only because they have other things to do, as well as a host of other variables when living "with a crap load of people" around you and how it may affect the way you interact with people you don't really know.

When my wife and I walk our road, we wave to EVERY car that passes us (some of our neighbors even pull over and well talk to them). Heck, this past week our one neighbor told us to pick as much squash as we'd like from his garden on our way back and the other neighbor gave my wife some flowers from his garden.

However, if I had to wave to 500 cars or end up talking to 50 people during the hour plus walk, I'd probably say forget it not because I consider myself unfriendly, but because it would just get too time consuming and it would take half the night and we only trust our boys by themselves for so long lol I'd guess there are about a total of 15 or 20 homes on a 3 mile stretch on our road. Make that 500 homes on that same stretch, and our interactions with our neighbors would probably change.

Heck, I use to ride the metro in DC. Try to stop and talk to everyone on the subway ride and they'll be sending the white ambulance for you:laughing:

 

[check]

+1 IMO it really doesn't matter where you're at per how people treat you. Yes, people from the north can be direct and to the point, but that doesn't make them any less friendly. I know some pretty rural places in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont where the people are just as friendly as the people around me are now south of the mason dixon. The higher the population density, the less friendly people may seem only because they have other things to do, as well as a host of other variables when living "with a crap load of people" around you and how it may affect the way you interact with people you don't really know. When my wife and I walk our road, we wave to EVERY car that passes us (some of our neighbors even pull over and well talk to them). Heck, this past week our one neighbor told us to pick as much squash as we'd like from his garden on our way back and the other neighbor gave my wife some flowers from his garden. However, if I had to wave to 500 cars or end up talking to 50 people during the hour plus walk, I'd probably say forget it not because I consider myself unfriendly, but because it would just get too time consuming and it would take half the night and we only trust our boys by themselves for so long lol I'd guess there are about a total of 15 or 20 homes on a 3 mile stretch on our road. Make that 500 homes on that same stretch, and our interactions with our neighbors would probably change. Heck, I use to ride the metro in DC. Try to stop and talk to everyone on the subway ride and they'll be sending the white ambulance for you:laughing:

Plus, people simply don't have the time anymore. We spend so much of our time dealing with businesses, technology, and what not outside of our work hours, that we really don't have time to enjoy life.

Take a simple example. A company here called "Bell" puts you on hold and makes you push 175 buttons before anyone will talk to you. All the while, they are asking a whole bunch of questions which are basically marketing questions, and of course you were doing their work for them. Then as soon as you hang up or, even before, they ask you to complete the survey saying how satisfied you are, etc.

Similarly, the Internet is a great thing, which allows you to find out an amazing array of answers to your various questions. However, it is also very time-consuming, and involved, and you often waste a lot of time trying to do something on the Internet. And if you try calling a company, the first thing they say is go to the Internet if you have some cool comment "questions, or what they referr to as FAQs

 

[houstonscott]

What ever happened to all the friendly folks who used to live in the country? Today, while towing a 20 foot tandem axle trailer loaded with four round hay bales, approx 8,000 lbs, the right rear tire on the trailer came apart. I saw the blue smoke in the mirror and found a safe place to pull off the 35 mph road. The temperature was pushing 100ｰ which may explain why no one stopped to offer to help change the tire, but it sure doesn't explain why roughly 50 cars drove by and no one stopped to even offer to call for assistance. Times sure have changed.

Bell county is changing fast now....

 

[Sigarms]

I feel you pain.. I live down the street from a HUGE campground & marina.. I cant count the # of times I've stopped & offered assistance.. & drove to the house for a jack or tools for some stranger.. & even taken their "wife" back to the house to use the bathroom..
I hope things get better where you live..

Let's play devils advocate.

Why in the heck should YOU have to drive back to your house for tools when the person who's broken down doesn't have any tools themselves, let alone with the possibility that they are hauling a boat on a trailer? You retired? I work 60-70 hours a week and I know I'd be hard pressed to find time to drive back home for tools and play chauffeur for somone I don't know.

What ever happened to self resiliency? Ever hear of "Be prepared"?

The OP complained that not one person even stopped to help call for assistance. What did the OP do? Call themselves?

I consider myself a decent man, but I can't count the number of times I've been driving in a snowstorm doing 45MPH in 4 wheel drive only to have some yahoo's passing me out in the passing lane doing at least 60. Pretty much all of them I came across down the road in a ditch stuck in the snow. Guess how many I stopped for? Not one. You want to drive like an idiot, be prepared. That said, have hopped out of my truck to help elderly people shovel snow because it looked like they were having a bugger of a time doing it.

I keep a tow strap in the truck, jumper cables in all 3 vehicles and spares with jacks in all of them as well. I break down, it's my responsibility, no one elses. I've been a member of triple A for over 30 years now. Best gift my parents gave me when I got my drivers license. Been towed from Maryland to West Virginia at 0100 on the side of the road because of that card (my 86 year old dad still uses their "trip ticks" which I forgot all about LOL).

You want to haul a tailer with weight? Just be preapred if it breaks down and don't be dependent on others and don't whine or wonder where humanity has gone if no one stops to offer help.

 

[Oldoak]

Lots of friendly folks still live in the country. The trouble is they are being inundated with the unfriendly types. A person can never tell what a stranger's intensions are, whether it be someone needing help or someone stopping to "help". Unfortunately, drug use and violent crimes are sky rocketing in our nation today, all over the country, not just in the cities. But I will say, South Dakota, where were spend a great deal of time every year, still has a majority of friendly farm folks living there.

I learned early on in life to be self reliant as much as possible. I always appreciated help but never depended on or expected help to change a flat tire on my truck or trailers.

 

[Sigarms]

My daughter had tire problems on a Saturday evening on a freeway in Ohio a couple of weeks ago. She pulled off at an exit and into a gas station. the car did come with a spare - not even a donut. She was in a panic and some people got their donut out and changed it for her.

The sad reality is a good looking, young woman in the evening with car issues potentially standed is a recipe for a big potential danger. What if those "good smartens" who stopped had other intentions of actually helping her?

If she wasn't armed, she should seriously think about getting instructional guideance on how to use a firearm for self protection.

Hopefully as well, she learned from her mistake and bought a spare (assuming the car didn't have one) and she now knows how to change a tire.

We go back to people being held accountable for thier own "emergencies" and how prepared they are to deal with it. At worst, if she isn't a member of a auto club of some sort that offers 24/7 serivce, she should become a member of one.

I knew my future wife had "potentia"l when I dated her because she mentioned her father made her get a gun and learn how to use it before she moved to NC. That, and she could drive a 5 speed and knew how to change a tire before she got her drivers license:laughing:

 

[crreed67]

Let's play devils advocate.

Why in the heck should YOU have to drive back to your house for tools when the person who's broken down doesn't have any tools themselves, let alone with the possibility that they are hauling a boat on a trailer? You retired? I work 60-70 hours a week and I know I'd be hard pressed to find time to drive back home for tools and play chauffeur for somone I don't know.

What ever happened to self resiliency? Ever hear of "Be prepared"?

The OP complained that not one person even stopped to help call for assistance. What did the OP do? Call themselves?

I consider myself a decent man, but I can't count the number of times I've been driving in a snowstorm doing 45MPH in 4 wheel drive only to have some yahoo's passing me out in the passing lane doing at least 60. Pretty much all of them I came across down the road in a ditch stuck in the snow. Guess how many I stopped for? Not one. You want to drive like an idiot, be prepared. That said, have hopped out of my truck to help elderly people shovel snow because it looked like they were having a bugger of a time doing it.

I keep a tow strap in the truck, jumper cables in all 3 vehicles and spares with jacks in all of them as well. I break down, it's my responsibility, no one elses. I've been a member of triple A for over 30 years now. Best gift my parents gave me when I got my drivers license. Been towed from Maryland to West Virginia at 0100 on the side of the road because of that card (my 86 year old dad still uses their "trip ticks" which I forgot all about LOL).

You want to haul a tailer with weight? Just be preapred if it breaks down and don't be dependent on others and don't whine or wonder where humanity has gone if no one stops to offer help.

This.

 

[bigtiller]

One Saturday afternoon in the fall of '73 I had a flat tire going home from work. I had everything I needed except a tire iron. I had to stand in the middle of the highway to get someone to stop so I could use there tire iron...... The following August, a car with 4 young women clad only in bikinis had a flat in the same spot.....So many people (men) stopped to help, the highway was down to one lane of traffic. Kinda ticked me off.

 

[Sigarms]

One Saturday afternoon in the fall of '73 I had a flat tire going home from work. I had everything I needed except a tire iron. I had to stand in the middle of the highway to get someone to stop so I could use there tire iron...... The following August, a car with 4 young women clad only in bikinis had a flat in the same spot.....So many people (men) stopped to help, the highway was down to one lane of traffic. Kinda ticked me off.

Odd, I've been stranded a couple of times wearing nothing but a bikini, and the few drivers that did stop drove off in a hurry without helping. Go figure.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I guess the moral of the story is to carry a string bikini in your emergency kit.

Hmmm, I'm going to have to lose a few pounds...

I rarely stop now adays if someone's sitting on the side of the road. More so now as most everyone has a cell phone, and they can call for help all by their selves. If they're not in any obvious danger (being struck by traffic, car on fire, upside down, etc), I usually drive by, unless they're standing out there trying to wave me down. Most of the time when I see someone on the side of the road, they're sitting in their car, usually with the doors closed and windows up. I figure if they're too lazy to even stand out there and flag down a motorist, then they must not be in that bad of shape.

Now if it's winter time, -40 F outside, they're in the ditch and it's pretty obvious that their car isn't running or no heat, then yeah, I'll stop. But if it's in town, real close to town, the car's running and they obviously have heat, I'll probably go right on by them. Especially if the jack handle just passed me like I was standing still and came over the hill and ended up in the ditch. That there is the perfect opportunity for some "self reflection" time on their part.

If it's out on a rural road, 50 miles from the nearest "anything", then I'll probably stop if I see a person in the car, just to see if they're ok. But again, unless it's -40 F out, you really should be out of the car and trying to flag me down as I go by. The more effort you put into getting help, the more likely you will get some help.