Event Coverage Cruise Night Help

Last night I took my son's OT muscle car to the local cruise night. After a while I locked it up and decided to take a walk around and look at the cars. In passing I saw this guy with a mid-sixties Caddy laying on the ground next to his car with some tools. I stopped to see what he was doing. No one seemed to care and two people actually stepped over him to get buy. I asked if he needed help and he said "the two small wires on the starter came off but the car was too low to be able to get to them". My son keeps a "bottle" jack and a work light in a toolbox in his trunk. He came with me, and we got the stuff, and he was able to fix it. I was disappointed with the lack of help he was offered with all the car guys that were there. I didn't even have to do anything except lend him a few things and I made a new friend in the hobby. He is a nice friendly guy, and I was glad I could help out.

 

An old adage is that if you have it in the trunk, you won't need it.

But it might help the person that doesn't have it in their trunk!
Good on you.
The monthly local cruise night is probably 60% people with cars there. The advertised once or twice a year cruise gatherings are probably more like 30-40%. Can't blame those who are spectators, but the others participants should be more reliable.

 

What you're missing is most of the " car guys " are checkbook rodders . Most wouldn't be able to offer advice , let alone assistance.

 

I can almost understand no offers to help, but dang, step around the guy not over him.

 

Experienced something similar years ago in Tullahoma, Tennessee…pretty big cruise in put on by the local car club…lower radiator hose blew off, didn’t have any tools with me. I was driving a 46 Ford truck that was in bare metal, no fenders, lake style pipes, chopped and channeled. wasn’t a RR to me…Not one of the members offered any help. However, there were plenty of good folks there just checking out the rides that offered help even going back to their house to get tools. Bunch of good folks made sure I got her fixed up and got home.

 

Times have changed , unfortunately

 

Bellmore?

 

Got a flat tire on the Hwy right between two exits in town. Had fractured my hip skiing, and had surgery and was hobbling around on crutches. Changed the tire and no one stopped to help. That was like 20 yrs ago.

 

I'd have to say that now days a lot of people who show up at the cruise night things are just too involved in themselves and taking their car out for show and tell to think about asking if someone needs help. I've pulled my floor jack out of the trunk of my car to help a guy change a flat in the middle of the local grocery store parking lot, Hauled a kid who was in the same lot with brake problems to the parts house to look for a hold down pin for his rear brakes and then when we couldn't find one at a parts house in town dropped him back at his car and went home and made one out of a nail that was a match for the one he had. Amazing what you can do with a torch and hammer in less than five minutes to get a guy who is stuck on the road.

 

At a show I installed my spare electric fuel pump temporarily to get someone home, helped a fella with a jammed hood ( wouldn't close and blocked his vision), hotwired ignitions, lent tools and parts, changed flat tyres for people, lots more that I can't remember. I have been stuck with flat batteries and other faults which stopped me moving or starting, but always managed to get help from someone. I was stuck once in the middle of nowhere, (Australian bush), in a 50 year old car. Not 1 late model car even looked my way. The only bloke who stopped to help was in a 70 year old car, it turned out we were both heading to the same swap meet. "Carma", I suppose.

 

humans suck.

 

Good man, @57Fury440

My wife Sandy was a nurse and often worked at rest homes in the area. There were times I had opportunities to go inside the facilities. Most of the residents were elderly, of course. But a few weren't. One guy was about my age. He was in a wheelchair. I honestly forget his name. Let's call him Jim. I suggested to Sandy that maybe I should take Jim to a car show. She thought it was a great idea so we set it up. Fairly early morning, I picked Jim up at the facility. Got him and his big fancy electric wheelchair loaded up and off we went, headed to the Street Rod Nationals North in Kalamazoo. We arrived, parked, unloaded and got Jim situated in his EV. And here we go across the grass parking lot. This was going to be great. But the wheelchair seemed a little slow. And it was getting slower fast. We stopped. Jim said, "Oh no... I forgot to charge the batteries!" He didn't sound happy at all. I suggested that among all these car guys, I was sure we could find somebody with a battery charger. Jim said he doubted it and that it took a special battery charger. I said, "Well, let's see what we can come up with anyway." I really had no doubt at all that we could figure out something. I left Jim temporarily and went for a walk. I started asking everybody and anybody for a little help or any ideas. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nothing. Well, don't be discouraged, there's a guy with the name tag. I bet he'll know something or somebody. But when I explained our unfortunate sitiation, he looked at me kind of funny and the word "no" was coming out of his mouth too. I pressed him just a little bit. "But don't you know somebody who might be able to help us?" The dork was still saying no and actually turning away from me. Oh... okeedokee... thanks so much. I walked back to where Jim was and told him I was very sorry that I didn't think I could get any help from these people and we really didn't have much choice but to go home. The wheelchair had barely enough juice left to get back to the vehicle. Jim was super disappointed and I felt so bad. I told him we'd try again another time, but he took a turn for the worse and it didn't happen.

@49ratfink is right. Humans suck.

 

I have had the opposite happen. I pulled over in the Produce Truck to check on something in the bed. I had several hot rodders stop and check on me. They were headed to a local show.

 

I have helped others and been helped countless times, but I had a interesting experiance a few months ago.
I was at a car show and saw a couple of guys struggling to get a car started. The way the starter was spinning ,it sounded like my car when I had some teeth strip off the the flexplate.
I offered up some help and one of them said, “We don’t need any f$&@inghelp”
They were still sitting there when I left and I bet all they had to do was turn it over with the fan until the starter found some good teeth.

 

....Good on you for helping the guy out. That's what this car culture is all about or at least should be. Far too many ass-hats out there who are only concerned with themselves. I was struck by the fact that you felt that you needed to lock your Son's car before going for a stroll around. Guess I live in a better neighbor hood than I thought!

 

We are all in this together
Well done @57Fury440

 

Part of my life I was in the business. But all my life when I come upon a stuck driver
We will have a conversation to seek a solution ( I believe I get it from my stepdad and my father )
Today now it seems like everyone has a phone and the right person to contact
One night at "Hot August Nights" in Reno` walking around one of the show lots I saw a guy with weak battery trouble.
He said he no jumpers. I thought hey someone here does.
Hang loose I'll be back. ( My truck was parked in the next town. )
5 cars later a guy tells me he has a battery pack that he's been wanting to test

 

Before I retired I said "no good deed goes unpunished" in regards to my job. Luckily from my experiences the same doesn't apply to hot rods/cars. And from my off roading days, you always offer to help someone who needs it in the boonies because next time it could be you who needs help. JMO

 

Used the to be a time when people would stop to help someone stranded along side the road, people picked up hitchhikers and also helped neighbors just because they were neighbors. Not so much anymore. Folks today are afraid of getting mugged or worse, getting sued if things go wrong, don’t want to get involved or think they are too busy.

 

I was fortunate enough to be raised by my dad who was always willing to offer aid & assistance, I vividly remember us rounding a curve on the way to Church one Sunday morning and seeing a overturned car, there were people standing around but no one was making any effort to help the elderly man & woman get out of the car.

Dad didn't hesitate and dived into action, he was able to pull the lady out of the smoking car but the gentleman was pinned and couldn't get out, Dad removed his jacket and put under her head, then a lady that was a nurse showed up and offer aid to the man, later a policeman showed up and he & dad finally was able to pull the man out.

They both feared the car would catch fire but it didn't.

After the ambulance showed up dad got back in the car and we went to church, dads shirt and pants were dirty and he explained his appearance to anyone that ask, I was extremely proud of my dad, he was my hero.

The elderly couple survived and stopped by dad's paint store a few times to play checkers. HRP

 

In today's world doing what your dad did would have opened him up for lawsuits at the very least ! I'd rather be safe than sorry . Crass ? Unfeeling ? Yep , but understandable .

 

https://lawdivision.org/what-is-the-good-samaritan-law/
Lawsuits can be filed for any (or no) reason.

 

Most places in the US have good samaritan laws that protect folks from liability who offer help.

 

meh

 

Since you mention that I can recall late 40s early 50s I lived with my grandparents.
Whenever there was someone walking by the road, they stopped sometimes it was "Hey Hi", often it was "Wanna Ride?" get in.

 

I live in a really nice area. When I take my 57 I never lock it, but I had my son's car and felt it was the right thing to do.

 

Oh, I have and I continue to do so but it has also cost me a lot of money in my life, some tools, one wife...and a few friends. I miss the tools the most.