A few days ago when dropping off a package at the post office, I saw a car had broken down at the busy intersection alongside the post office parking lot. It must have just happened because traffic from the busy two lanes was now backed up as drivers tried to merge around the woman’s car.
She had gotten out and propped open her hood so people behind her knew she was stuck. I thought, “After I drop off my package, I’ll see if I can grab another guy and we’ll push her off of the main drag into the lot.”
A minute later when I came out of the post office, a police car had arrived and blocked the lane behind her with his lights flashing to alert other drivers. He was leaning into the passenger side instructing her to try to get the engine started again. I heard the ignition click, but the engine wouldn’t turn over so I said,
“Officer, do you want to try to push her into the lot with me?”
I’m a little surprised that none of the burly men driving their lifted Ford Pickups offered to help during the previous k10 minutes she had sat there stuck. They were all too focused on getting around her car and through the intersection.
But whatever, I was there and the cop was game.
We started push her up through the intersection and then up the road into the lot. Initially, it went fine, until we reached the 25 foot stretch into the lot that was uphill. I could feel us losing momentum. Then, as we strained more I flipped around to push using my back against the bumper so I had more driving power from my legs. I made a joke to the cop that it would be easier if we were pushing her downhill.
We got slower and slower until we couldn’t move it an inch more, still only halfway up the hill. We hit the wall. Right when I was about to tell the woman to hit the brakes and put her car in park before it drifted backward, some young dude suddenly appeared beside beside the cop pushing on her bumper and the car began moving again. I said, “Awesome dude…you arrived in the nick of time”.
With 3 of us pushing, we got her up the hill into the lot with ease.
Me and the dude jumped back into our cars, while the cop stayed back to help the woman sort out her next steps.
Not everyone is an a$$hole. In fact, I’d say, there are a lot of good people out there.
If you are one of them and come across someone broke down in the middle of rush hour, feel free to jump in a lend a hand. You might be surprised at how helpful a little extra push can be.