Some one is broken down on the road side, how do you tackle it?

[austastar]

Hi,
   Crazy Dog's

post	Small | Large

with the Brazilian Toyota advert prompts this post.

Some one is broken down, but the situation looks dodgy. Either a rough looking mob or individual, or just a 'some thing ain't right' feeling.

We have yet to put this plan into action, but ours is that we drive past slowly to assess the situation, if its 'code red' we keep going, 'code green' stop and render assistance, 'code orange' is a bit more involved.
This is where it should be ok, but it isn't a family with kids or an elderly couple.

The plan is to drive past by about 40m and for me to walk back with the hand held radio, and the Mrs moves to the driver's seat to wait for a call from me to either back up or get away fast and get help.

Any one else got contingency plans/ideas for this situation?

cheers

[Moto Mech]

A few years back we were travelling from Ivanhoe to Menindee when about half way across there was an old HQ holden parked in the middle of the road, doors open but bonnet down. We slowed down and as we drew level and stopped I called out "you ok". This guy was slumped on the steering wheel, no visable injuries but very rough and dodgy looking. Called out again and no responce. We looked at each other (me and the misses) and took off. Something just didnt "feel" right. We told the cops about it at Menindee but never heard anything more.
Now when we see a vehicle stopped, we slow down well before it, check out the situation and make a decision before we get to them. Kids are a good sign to stop.........or a blonde with legs that go all the way

[Top.ender]

That's sound advice if ever I heard it.During the 7 years I drove the Kimberley it was common practice for the police to inform travellers to not stop and to inform the authorities as soon as possible of anything suspicious.

[BigJules]

I routinely stop to offer assistance if it looks like folks are broken down. I must admit that I hadn't given much thought to the fact that some might not be kosher.

On our way to Wilmington we found a =n old bloke in an old Volvo broken down between Cobar and Emmdale. We spent some time trying to fix the problem but in the end the best we could do was call the NRMA for him - when we got sefvice 150km downthe road.

I don't see many hitchhikers in my daily travels, but when I used to pick the odd one up, if it was a bloke, I'd wait until I drove off and then make a rough joke to let them know I wasn't the fella to mess about with.

[Calum]

I broke down driving up the Clyde a few weeks back.  Didnt have reception on the phone so I had to hitch back down to Batemans bay to organise a tow truck.

Had to leave my wife a bub in the car, and by the time I got back to the car (about an hour later) she said not 1 person had stopped to offer assistance (except a tow truck driver who would have been looking for a quick buck anyway).  She said that over a hundred cars would have passed easy.

Whats the world coming to when no one stops to see if a woman and child needs help.  People would have been travelling pass at about 10 - 20km/h as it was stopped right on a 180 degree corner so they would have seen who was in the car.

I usually stop when I see a bonnet up or something like that, but after this incident the other week, it kind of makes me not want to anymore.

[Bird]

When I first got my license I'd pickup anybody hitching as I'd been thru it manytimes myself.
Where i grew up was 1 road into town same road out with little traffic on it.
Sometimes you could sit there for hours... it was sort of an unwritten thing, you saw someone you picked em up.


These days, it would depend where it was and a few variables. If I had the kids in the car and its a road with loads of traffic on it I dont think I'd bother.

Although when I was drivin trucks back in 90's came across a lady Hume Hwy Liverpool with her VW beetle with the engine on fire.. She had bailed and ran to the kerb and was really hysterical... Not suprisingly all the cars just drove around her car in the right hand turn lane. We got upto it then Terry saw her baby still strapped in the back. He was out before I'd realised we had stopped. I got the extingusher as Tez ran straight back into the car grabbed the kid as cars laid on their horns at him being in the road. I hadn't even seen the inside of car...

But if your in the middle of nowhere, its a different ballgame where no traffic goes. If your with a group of people, then yea, everyone stops.

[GLC]

Lost I agree with you, got brought up in the country and you just gave everyone a hand.  Still do in town these days.  I have an advantage on most people, because I am not the smallest bloke in the pub ever;) having said that I believe in making sure that you have things on your terms, picking up a hitchhiker stop about 50 metres up the road, if they have mates you tend to spot them when they come out and allow you to still make a decision.
if stopping to give someone a hand, it is a lot moe difficult as you need to leave your safety to go help:(

[MarkGU]

bloody Yota' drivers...................cant trust em 

[Blinky Bill]

Bald headed bloke behind the mask or not, that guy still had very nice legs. 

[chester ver2.0]

Blonds with long legs are actually the worst to help out
We picked up 2 back packers their completly un outback worthey bongo van broken down
Gave em a lift to the nearest town
Let em stay in our camp for the night
Fed em
Let em drink some of our beer
Rang around and organised parts to come up for them
Paid for parts on my credit card (as they mysteriously did not have 1)

They then proceded to get the cranks that we would not wait for 3 days for the part to arrive and then their card would not work in the ATM when i isked for the $200 dollars back that i had paid for the parts

On our trip we saw so many young people travelling in ill prepared vehicles and it really pissed me off thay they just kind of now expect to be helped out, cause they know that most people will not leave a young person especially female stranded.

Dont get me wrong i will help anyone out but some grattitude is appreciated

[Patr80l]

Blonds with long legs are actually the worst to help out
We picked up 2 back packers their completly un outback worthey bongo van broken down
Gave em a lift to the nearest town
Let em stay in our camp for the night
Fed em
Let em drink some of our beer
Rang around and organised parts to come up for them
Paid for parts on my credit card (as they mysteriously did not have 1)

They then proceded to get the cranks that we would not wait for 3 days for the part to arrive and then their card would not work in the ATM when i isked for the $200 dollars back that i had paid for the parts

On our trip we saw so many young people travelling in ill prepared vehicles and it really pissed me off thay they just kind of now expect to be helped out, cause they know that most people will not leave a young person especially female stranded.

Dont get me wrong i will help anyone out but some grattitude is appreciated

I'd help them up to the point where they said they didn't have any money.

[jclures]

I have always stopped to help if I can.

But I always remember driving to Brisbane in 1975, we drove past police everywhere on a section of the road, they had just found the bodies of the Weckert Family, both shot. From memory they were set up by a couple of people who decided to kill the people in the first car that stoped, just for kicks.

I never stoped on the old back road again.

[Manjimike]

If h/hikers are sitting on their bags or butts, I leave them.
If they have their bag in their hand or on their shoulder and walking I will generally pick them up.
It is the way I used to hitch and I was prepared to walk.
36.5 Hours Adelaide to Perth with 7 lifts was my record 

[Rumpig]

i usually stop for anyone i see broken down on the side of the road, doesn't matter where they are. recently on our 5 week trip to Darwin and back, we stopped atleast 4 times for people who were broken down on the side of the road. we spent about an hour and a half with one lady who was on her own with a blown radiator hose (plus cooked the engine), whilst friends of hers came to collect her. that lady said she'd been there (on the Stuart Hwy just North of Pine Creek) 20 minutes with the bonnet up trying to get people to stop, but they just kept driving straight past her  . we stayed to make sure she was safe and even rolled out the awning on the side of the fourby to give her some shade, as it was stinking hot and no shade around anywhere.

[Alloy C/T]

Out our way I generally slow right down  , you just can't leave people out here in 40c+ heat and dodgy phone reception , we allways carry 5lt of water and a 10lt jerry of diesel  'just incase' we come across a breakdown.

[9775Andrew]

last time I stopped, left mres and bub in car, locked doors and said just watch me walk back to the stranded vehicle with instruction to hit the road if all went pear shaped. this was a few aboriginals and asked how they were going, had run outta fuel and had a family memeber in the next town

I got their address and and went on to send help back to them. all worked out good for everyone ..... the way it should be.



Mrs uncle with another story,
he's a trucker and had picked up a leggy hitch hicking girl who soon demanded money or was gonna scream rape. He chucked her out. He was picked up by the cops and locked up. Fortunatley for him she had been doin it all the way up the caost and had been reported but he spent the night in lock up with a pissed off mrs  not so sure.

[speewa158]

Call it as you see it , if it turns to st1t then get out of there as fast as possible .
There is no problem driving past then reporting to the cops they can handle it better then us . 

[UTE 701]

Advice I was given , was to drive past , pull up , and get just one of the broken down group to come up to you .

With your doors locked I'm guessing .

Personally haven't had to go through it yet ......

But it's always good to run these things through your head , so you have a head start if you are confronted with it .

.

[JCOJ]

I picked up a hitchhiker (male by himself) last year just outside Ballarat and took him all the way to Adelaide and by that time I knew he was a good guy so he slept in my back yard in his tent that night.

On our 2008 Red Centre Trip, we were in a group of 3 vehicles and this guy stopped us on the side of the road.  Didn't speak good English but said they are parked down a side road and needed help.  He was a pretty big guy and we all looked at eachother wondering how legit he was.  We decided that myself and another guy would go in 1 vehicle and everyone else stayed behind in the other two vehicles, in UHF contact.

Turned out him, his brother, and mother were in a Britz motorhome and spent the night down the road and flattened their battery.  A jump start later and they were very appreciative and on their way.  He said that about 10 cars had driven past before we stopped and he was starting to get worried.

[Spurio]

This thread sounds like one of those current affair stories, why let some facts get in the way of a good story.

I'm sure the statistics show that most murders and horrendous criminal acts occurr ...... not in the remote or regional areas but in the ...... CITIES !!!!!

I stop for everyone 

[baldheadedgit]

Bald headed bloke behind the mask or not, that guy still had very nice legs. 

Bugger,,,,, my cover is blown.! 

[Apollo]

When I was a late teen, I was heading back from visiting Grandparents at Cessnock at night.  Came across a car on the side of the road with a bloke trying to flag me down.  Remote road at night didn't ring SAFE in my books, so I stopped 30m short of him with the lights on him and his car.  Motor running, car in gear, foot on clutch, doors locked and window cracked just a bit to let him approach.  Came to my door and asked that I wind down the window.  Hmmmmm - no.  He said he had broken down and could I have a look.  Claimed I didn't know anything about cars (wasn't too far a stretch).  I kept on for me to help.  Alarms bells starting to tinkle a bit.  Then I happen to put my foot on the brake.  In the rearvison mirror, catch a glimpse of someone sneeking around the back of the car with something shiny in his hand. Ding, ding, ding enough for me, right foot down, left foot up and gone.  Dropped into the next town and had a chat to the cops.  Nothing heard or read in the paper later.

I take the rule of accessing each situation and making a call depending on where I am, what time of day, who I have in the car with me and what is their situation.  Even I drive on, I will let the coppers in the next town know. 

A little while back, I came across a bloke towing a van pulled up on the Tin Can Bay Rd.  Hot day with his bonnet up and wife and young kid trying not to melt.  Pulled up and sussed out his situation.  Car hot as he done a fan belt and boiled the radiator.  Not a roadside service member, so I gave his wife and kid some cold water I was carrying and drove him into town to pick up a new belt and some coolant.  Back to his car and helped him as he had no tools or idea.  Got him going and all seemed right again with the world.  Off they went to start their holidays.  Suggested he gets it checked out when he finds a mechanic and watches the temp guage like a hawk.

[GLC]

I think the older we get the wiser we get:) or more cautious, when I was yound I could take on 3 or 4 blokes and walk away with a smile, these days I wouldnt want to give it a try.  still pick people up, still make assesments about the person both before pick up and on the drive, good person I will happily go an hour out of my way to ensure they arnt stranded back of bourke, not so good, next turnoff sorry mate far as I go.

[Top.ender]

In July 2001 while travelling through the NT with my wife and 2 little ones we were pulled over for a breathalizer at 7.30 am.I thought it was strange at the time being so early in the morning even for the N.t.The police where obviously on edge and checked out our car and van.The same thing happened 3 more times that day as we headed north to Darwin.We thought it  very strange until we saw the news about Peter Falconio going missing 24 hrs before.Previously to thatstopping to help someone was something I,d do without thinking.Just a little more wary now and tend to judge each situation on its merits.