This morning I had to ride to work. Again. Poor me, eh? Anyway, along the way, I saw a guy broken down on the side of the freeway. I stopped to make sure he was all right and see if he needed any help.
The conversation went like this:
Me: "Are you OK?"
Him: "Yep, fine."
Me: "Have you got help on the way?"
Him: "Yep, thanks."
Me: "OK, take care."
I always stop for broken down motorcycles if I can safely do so. So far, no one has actually needed help, and they've always already called someone for assistance.
It kind of makes me wonder if stopping is necessary anymore.
I'm going to continue stopping, because I'd rather stop for someone who's OK than ride past someone in trouble.
What have your experiences been?
4 comments:
I stopped to help for the first time a couple weeks ago. I saw a man pushing his motorcycle. He said he had just left home a couple blocks away and was going to push it home. I asked if he was out of fuel. He looked in the tank and it was full. I then asked if his fuel valve automatic or manual. It was manual and he had left it off. There was just enough fuel in the carb to get him going. He turned it back on started back up and rode off without saying another word.
I always stop. I've been there before and been thankfull for the "stopper".
Their cell phone may be dead or broken.
Even if on the phone, they may be broken down, and having no luck finding someone to help them out.
It usually only takes a minute out of your day. Well worth the extra time it may take if the fellow rider is in need of a helping hand though.
Its just plain good for your Karma!
Depends on the situation and weather. I did stop for the R6 rider who was stopped in the rain, in the middle of nowhere eastern Washington. He had a cell phone, but I know coverage is sparse there. Turns out he was out of gas, and none of his buddies was willing to drive 50 miles to bring him some. I was in the pickup, so I helped him get the bike off the road, then took him back 5 miles to a small town gas station. He bought a gas can (Which he gave to me when he was done) and some fuel. A few minutes later he was back on the road to visit Mom and Dad.
The group I ride with (www.pnwriders.com) has a mantra, "No rider left behind." Fuel, accident, dead battery, etc. doesn't matter. Everybody who starts a ride makes it home, one way or another. That's meant some long days for us, going home to get a pickup and trailer, waiting for ambulances, going a hundred miles to pickup a new battery for a fellow rider. Still, I couldn't ask to ride with better people. Yeah, I still stop.
Here in Romania help on the road is not so easily available (both social service or commercial). So if a fellow biker calls you in the middle of the night that he is 200 miles away and needs your help, then you dress up and go that way.
Last time it was a friend with a broken leg. Took the car out, recovered him from the side of the road, brought him to hospital, taking care of him at the hospital and later on delivering him home, at his parents.
So we might not have the greatest services here, but that's great for building friendships!
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