So I am driving back to work after lunch... come around the corner and here is this car sitting cross-ways on the road - stuck in the snow.
A young girl was driving this rear wheel drive car and she had dug a hole with her back tires and she was not going anywhere - so being the nice guy I am I decided to get out and help.
I went to the window and told her that I would try to push her out. I started to rock the car - but I don't think she quite had the concept figured out.... as I pushed the car forward - she let off the gas.... when the car rocked backwards - she gunned it... thus digging the hole deeper and ensuring that I was not going to push her out alone.
Just then one of the guys who lives across the street came out and said, "Here, let me give you a hand". Then he commented on how slippery it was and how there really was not any good place to put his hands on the back of the car.
So - new guy in tow - we start rocking the car again. Again - the young lady does not have the idea of what we are doing.... one big push - she is almost out - then she lets off the gas - the car stops and..... POP!
The plastic spoiler on the rear of the car goes flying into the snowbank beside the road!
The other and I look at each other... "Doh!" we said (or something like that). The plastic clips that keep this thing in place are busted... the girl gets out... the guy hands the spoiler to her... she smiles and says "Thanks!". He apologizes and she says, "Oh no problem - I will just get it put back on". Then she tosses it in the back seat - gets in and starts spinning the tires again.... one more big push (while she let off the gas - again) and we got her out. She pops out one more time to thank us for the help and merrily goes on her way.
Now - I don't know if she just has so much cash that a broken spoiler is not going to worry her, or if she does not like the car in the first place, or whether she is just clueless and thinks $20 will get that thing stuck back on the car... but I know this: I spent the rest of the day half expecting her dad to show up in my office asking how on earth that happened and wondering who was going to pay for it.
Now that did not happen, but I would not have been too surprised if it had. I don't know for sure, but I am guessing that it is going to cost a couple of hundred bucks to get a new spoiler put on there (at least). I don't want to pay for that - in fact - honestly I don't even know how it happened (was the other guy leaning on it - did we hit it when she stopped the car at the end of our last big push... I am not really sure) - but if it was my kid's car I think I would be mad at someone.
What about you? What would you do? Would you blame the kid for getting stuck? Would you blame the nice guys who tried to get her out? Would you just swallow the cost and say it was "just one of those things"?
I am not sure how this is going to turn out yet - but here are two thoughts so far...
1. Being a nice guy may be over-rated... if I had just driven past her and left her there - none of this would have happened.
2. I may need some cash.... please send cheques or money-orders to our home address (any gift over $150 will be acknowledged with a thank you note!) :)
____
PS. Actually - my two thoughts are just for comedic effect... I don't really mean it. Even if I end up being chased down and made to pay (which will never happen - likely) I would still do it again. Ya gotta help one another even if it has negative effects for you, right?
PPS. Oh - and even though there is likely no need to fix this guys car for him... you can still send the cash! There is a "thank you" note in it for you. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment