Car’s Breakdown Fueled Encounter With Kindness

Sat., April 8, 1995

Andrew Biscoe Special To Opinion

Having grown up in Boston, where traffic moves at a breakneck pace, I prepared for the worst when my car stalled on the Maple Street Bridge.

Fortunately, the car had enough momentum to coast around a sharp turn where I was able to pull over and quickly turn on my hazard lights.

It was about 10:30 p.m. so it was dark. The weather was in my favor, it was mild but that seemed to be irrelevant at the time.

I began envisioning an embarrassing scenario, complete with blaring horns, a few obscene gestures and assorted gazes. Instead, to my pleasant surprise, I simply received kind help from people we all call strangers.

Two boys and a girl in their early teens came by. From what I read in the headlines about what happens in today’s culture with kids that age, I was a little apprehensive, but they merely asked if I was OK, then offered to call a tow truck.

Having diagnosed my car’s ailment as a loose fuel filter, I thanked them but declined. I realized I could make temporary repairs until I got to a service station.

Meanwhile, cars went around me slowly. There were no horns. No fingers of any kind. And I paused right there on the side of the road, reflecting on the thoughtfulness of those kids.

No sooner had I completed my car’s temporary fix than another person appeared. This gentleman asked if I was OK and then carefully and patiently gave exact directions to the nearest service station. Thanking him, I pulled away and nursed my car to safety.

It took about five uneventful minutes to get to the service station where I would have light and could borrow the tools I needed to tighten the fuel filter properly. A Tekoa couple who were there, Neil and Nellie Fuchs, took time out of their evening to provide me with a screwdriver and flashlight. Neil held the light on my car’s loose fuel filter as I tightened it.

Despite the seemingly crime-ridden society we may live in, this experience reminded me there still are lots of kind-hearted people.

A little goes a long way, according to the adage I remember from my childhood. A little assistance from each of those folks went a long way in my case, and got me on my way.

MEMO: Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion page. To submit a column for consideration, call Rebecca Nappi/459-5496, or Doug Floyd/459-5466.

Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion page. To submit a column for consideration, call Rebecca Nappi/459-5496, or Doug Floyd/459-5466.

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