I was aghast earlier when Mr Marmalade came home and told me his 'going to work' story of the day. Despite many people not venturing to the roads this morning, the main road into Oxford was bumper to bumper during the rush hour, mainly because of the lorries slowing everything down, trying to get up the icy hill ahead. So whilst staring idly from the passenger seat at the side of the road, Mr Marmalade noticed two women trudging through the heavy blizzard alongside the busy dual carriageway, mobile phones attached to their ears. Mr M and his colleague driving, noticed that these two ladies didn't look like they were having a snow holiday, stopped to enquire after their welfare (firemen just can't resist damsels in distress!) and discovered that the problem was a flat tyre on their abandoned vehicle a few metres back. The girls, in their mid 20'(ish), went on to say to their rescuers who were by now changing the offending tyre, that a passing motorist had noticed that they weren't moving very fast not because of the traffic jam, but because they had a flat. This man then helped them move their car onto the verge.
And then he left without further ado because he was late for work.
He left them alone with their flat tyre, in the blizzard, in the middle of nowhere ....
Is it me?
Is it just me who's flabber is ghasted???
Is it just me who's flabber is ghasted???
18 comments:
Chivalry must be dieing out. Thank goodness for your husband and his friend.
Hoping some of that snow reach us again soon.
A lack of humanity ... it's not right, is it? There is such a thing as decency to fellow man. A bit of kindness goes a long, long way. x
I'm with you... he should have stayed and helped... I mean, he was going to be late for work anyway, why not be later for a better reason? People do get very absorbed in their own lives and can't see outside the bubble.
When I was in France in 1997 a girl friend and I had a tyre blow out. We waited by the side of the road for barely sixty seconds before a car stopped and an off duty fireman got out and seeing the problem immediately asked us where we kept the spare. He changed the wheel and wouldnt even let us give him the price of a pint. I bet firemen all over the world are the same.
Shame on him. I must admit, I've always been very lucky I have broken down in heavy snow a couple of times when I'd just learnt to drive and both times, lovely chaps have stopped and helped me out. The first one said I have a daughter around your age and would like to think someone would do the same for her.(Funnily enough my Dad would and did help anyone too). Second time a gang of blokes were helping people who got stuck on a hill near where I worked, by pushing cars and putting bits of old carpets under car tyres - how's that for service. My car crashed once after the wheel bearings collapsed again a couple stopped and helped me out. I really believe what goes around comes around and would always help anyone in distresss if I could. Good on Mr Marmalade. Apologies for the essay.
By the way my driving career got better:)
Twiggy x
I agree with a cooment here about relating the situation to a family member. This might sexist but I bet this man was single because he would have had an appreciation of how leaving these young women alone like that was not a good idea. Most married men would have had the,'if my wife was caught out like this I would want someone to help her'. Or maybe I am so used to being married to a man who does think like that and did help change a young girl/women's tyre for her just before Christmas because he knows I couldn't shift the b****y tyre nuts let alone heave the spare out of the boot on my own!
We are living in such a selfish world :(
Well... maybe he had a REALLY important job. Maybe the security of the entire world depended on him being at work on time. That can happen... I've seen it in movies starring Keanu Reeves.
In this world nothing shocks or surprises me any more. People are just so sh***y to each other. "It's all about me" has become such a cliche but it's so true in so many people.
It's nice to hear that there are some good ones out there - your 'other half' gets a pat on the back from me.
Mine is ghasted too!!
I remember a lovely RAC man changing my Land Rover tyre for me when I was sweet 22. I spluttered that I wasn't even an RAC member and he told me not to worry, he couldn't see me struggling with a great big thing like that on my own - bless him :-)
My brother and his friends used to go out in the snow in their Land Rovers just to help people but decided to stop when so many people didn't so much as say thank you to them! It works both ways.
Your hubby sounds like a perfect gentleman!
Outrageous! Lucky that there are kind decent fellows like your husband and friend.
Should I love it that your flabber is gasted? Mine is too!
People are so wrapped in their lives today to the point of oblivion.
At least Mr MK can sleep at night...
Lucky your husband and his colleague came along! I have to say I haven't the first idea how to change a tyre, and I don't imagine blizzard conditions help!
well I'm glad to hear there are at least some people happy to help.
Good grief. I'd have been no use at all in helping to change a tyre but I like to think I'd have at least offered them a lift or helped them sort out a garage or something. But then maybe he was a brain surgeon going to perform life saving surgery ....
oh heck, thats dreadful.
they were lucky your hubby and friend had the decency to stop.
you know i think the work ethic in this country~work work work and nothing else matters is appalling.
gggrrrrrrrrrr
I hate to say it but he probably couldn't help, not a lot of people are actually capable of changing a wheel... Mr P's friends were sat with a haynes manual trying to change theirs one time and then their mum came out and tried to fill the oil on her car through the dipstick hole!
Mind you he could have offered assistance in another way....a lift etc
It really is frightening times, we use to know everyone in the road where I grew up, now all the oldies are dieing off and the younger generation do not speak to anyone...
If this is progress, they can keep it!
Well done to your husband and his friend, it is in his soul to help people though, otherwise he wouldn't put his life on the line everyday for complete strangers.
We need more like minded people and then perhaps the world would be a happier place.
Getting off soap box now, lol
X Alex
Now I shall tell you my damsel in distress story.
Before mobile phones were invented I went off the road into a field along a really dark country lane. I was alone. I noticed some headlights coming towards me and flashed and flashed my lights and tooted my horn. A man in a car stopped, got out and asked if I was okay. I said yes but that my wheels were stuck in the mud. He said (wait for it)
"Serves you right for driving so fast" and drove off.
!!!!!!!!!!
I managed to commit his number-plate to memory.
One day a short while later me and Mr Jelly found ourselves behind this "man".
Mr Jelly followed him and followed him, but we were low on petrol. Lucky for him we were because I think Mr Jelly would have caused some serious injury!
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