Author Topic: If not for the kindness of a stranger  (Read 6662 times)

Offline lucian

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If not for the kindness of a stranger
« on: August 24, 2018, 06:29:48 PM »
Today could have been a lot , well lets say ,  different. Like a dummy, I got home from work and decided to take a spin. I got about 20 miles from home out in a less than populated area when I remembered the bike being low on fuel when I left. I thought , no biggy , I've got twin petcocks with reserves so  continued on  figuring I'd head for a gas stop when I had to switch to reserve. Well that time came soon enough and switch to reserve I did, except it didn't matter as the tank was bone dry and I was all done.  I managed to find a soda bottle in the woods nearby and started hoofin for the nearest station about 10 miles away.  I didn't get more than 1/2 mile when a guy pulled up and asked if that was my bike back there. I said it was and he asked if I was out of gas. I nodded yes and he told me to go back to the bike and he'd be back. He was back with a 5 gallon can before I even made it back to the bike, What a nice guy. I insisted on paying him for his trouble and gas and he refused, said just pay it forward and we''ll be good. I had a feeling he rode and understood the scenario. Sure enough he rode a Harley and has been on the other side of the same equation, and he was paying it forward.  I   hope I get a chance to do the same soon as it sure saved me a lot of misery.
Doesn't matter what brand you ride he said , when they're empty you're walkin!

Looks like I need to pull the petcocks and see why I have no reserve. New to me bike and still learning. :violent1:

Offline Sheepdog

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #1 on: August 24, 2018, 06:38:39 PM »
Good story. We see so much bad stuff, you'd think that the world was a bad place. It doesn't have to be...
"Change is inevitable. Growth is optional." John C. Maxwell

Offline Tom H

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2018, 07:50:31 PM »
 :thumb:
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Offline Perazzimx14

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2018, 07:51:28 PM »
Just yesterday I was traveling down PA 944 when I saw a rider pulled off the side of the road.  Turned around and asked if everything was alright. The rider thanked me and said she stopped to take a call. When I see a bike stopped on the side of the road (when possible)  I'll stop to see if they are okay. Fortunately too date no one has needed help as they were ether checking emails, calls or directions. If they needed help I'd do my best to curtail my plans to help them out. I can always get home late for dinner to late to a hotel check-in. I'd hope if I ever need; someone feels the same way.


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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2018, 07:51:28 PM »

Offline Gliderjohn

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2018, 07:57:26 PM »
The few times that I have had any roadside problems I had people stopping to help within minutes. These were in mostly rural areas. I have never felt alone when riding solo.
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Offline rodekyll

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2018, 08:01:18 PM »
In the same vein, I am sitting in a Chinese buffet somewhere in Georgia, where the waitress just handed me the bill and said that it had been paid by another diner.  No explanation, and she didn't identify the person.  The bill simply says "God bless."  I guess he does.

Offline lucian

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #6 on: August 24, 2018, 08:12:32 PM »
In the same vein, I am sitting in a Chinese buffet somewhere in Georgia, where the waitress just handed me the bill and said that it had been paid by another diner.  No explanation, and she didn't identify the person.  The bill simply says "God bless."  I guess he does.

 :thumb:  Just be careful RK ,could be the work of the Egg Roll Stalker

Offline John A

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #7 on: August 24, 2018, 08:27:30 PM »
I ran out of gas in  a desolate part of North Dakota on a trip to California . Reserve didn't have as much as I thought on the old Ambassador. A guy in a pickup truck towing a cattle trailer with calfs in it helped me push the bike up the ramp and gave me a ride to a town and gas station. Good people out number the others I think.
John
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Offline Lannis

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #8 on: August 24, 2018, 08:43:00 PM »
Glad to see this thread; it's been exactly my experience too.

Now maybe when people ask in horrified, morbid curiosity how I dare ride the long roads without a cell phone, I can just post up a link to this thread and say "It's been this way my whole life, and it's STILL this way ..... ".

Fay and I were on Interstate 81 in a car going south at milepost 116 one evening.   Four lanes of traffic one way, bumper to bumper at about 60 or 70.   Suddenly there was a disturbance in the flow about 10 cars ahead, and a car in one of the middle lanes headed for the right shoulder.   Nobody hit anyone, but we ended up in the right lane at a crawl, and saw that the swerved car was a teenage girl in a beater Toyota with a shredded left front tire.    We pulled over about 20 yards in front of her on the narrow shoulder (there was a guardrail), and Fay led the way to see how she was.   She was already in the trunk pulling out the jack; Fay stood traffic guard (the big trucks were flying by about 5 feet from us), and I wrestled out the spare.   

The girl already had the jack under the car and cranking it up, but couldn't pull the jack handle around on the crappy old scissor lift so I took over the jack and she worked on getting the spare out.   I jumped on the lug wrench handle and got the rusty lug nuts started and off, she wheeled up the spare, I twiddled the nuts on, she ran it down off the jack, we tossed the old wheel and tools back in the trunk, and off she went.   

About the only thing I said was "You're pretty good with these tools" and she said "My dad's had me working on cars since I was little."

We weren't there 10 minutes, and she was on her way with a wave and a Thanks!   

If she'd had a phone calling AAA, she'd have been there for hours ....

Lannis
« Last Edit: August 24, 2018, 08:44:53 PM by Lannis »
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Offline leroysch

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #9 on: August 24, 2018, 09:22:20 PM »
The helpfulness of strangers out on the road has been my experience too. Thanks for the reminder of those past memories....
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Offline Zoom Zoom

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #10 on: August 25, 2018, 05:55:57 AM »
It's nice to hear about some good things once in a while. Often, people tend to post things because of some problem or another and the good stuff goes unnoticed. Although an unfavorable event led to a favorable outcome in this case, it is a positive all round. I had a similar experience some years ago myself. No doubt many here have some story or another.

Thanks for sharing your mini adventure. Things like this helps restore our faith in mankind.

John Henry

Offline egschade

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #11 on: August 25, 2018, 06:05:19 AM »
Glad your 'road angel' came along and helped - pay it forward is right on so many levels.

Re: your reserve - is it possible you were running the petcocks on reserve from the start of the ride by mistake? Been there - done that. Other possible explanation is that the inner seals/fit are shot and the gas is bypassing the valve enough to run the tank dry. Usually that means a leaky/wet petcock but you never know...
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Offline Guzzistajohn

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #12 on: August 25, 2018, 06:05:32 AM »
I had the trailer hooked up to the truck a couple of weeks ago and saw a dude on a little Ninja beside the road. I pulled over, we loaded the bike and off we went to the nearest gas station. The guy said he might have been stopped two or three minutes. I was happy to help!
« Last Edit: August 25, 2018, 06:06:13 AM by Guzzistajohn »
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Offline sign216

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #13 on: August 25, 2018, 06:48:16 AM »
Dave, similar thing happened to me in the pre-cell phone era, 30 yrs ago, up in Maine (just like you).

My ancient Datsun B210 w 100k+ miles died.  I knew I had friends that lived 20 miles away, so I took out my backpack and started walking. 

Not too far and some guys in a pickup truck stops by, and lets me ride in the bed, almost the whole way to town.
A life saver.  I didn't even have my thumb out, I was just trudging.

Joe

P.S. on some of my vintage Italian bikes the petcocks' "reserve label", doesn't match the valve's reserve in real life.  It's weird. 
« Last Edit: August 25, 2018, 07:11:24 AM by sign216 »
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Offline severely

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #14 on: August 25, 2018, 06:54:02 AM »
I've found good people everywhere I've travelled and look forward to meeting more. My experience has been the people that have the least give the most. I've been helped by folks north and south of US borders and find most folks are the same all over.

Offline Chuck in Indiana

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #15 on: August 25, 2018, 07:25:38 AM »
Good thread.  :thumb:
Just last evening, Dorcia and I were unloading the Monza off the trailer at the Kid's place in Wisconsin. It was uphill, and we old pharts were struggling. (!) It's no fun getting old..  :angry: A guy saw us, left his car running in the street..there was no place to park.. and came and helped. Jumped back in the car and was gone.
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Offline kballowe

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #16 on: August 25, 2018, 07:31:36 AM »
We're rural - off of a piece of Route 66 in East Central Missouri. 
Lots of bikes come thru here - and we rescue one, now and then.

We have a Honda/Kawasaki/Yamaha/whatever dealer and also a Harley dealer - and both of them will go out of their way to help a stranded bike.


Offline Ncdan

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #17 on: August 25, 2018, 07:42:29 AM »
In the same vein, I am sitting in a Chinese buffet somewhere in Georgia, where the waitress just handed me the bill and said that it had been paid by another diner.  No explanation, and she didn't identify the person.  The bill simply says "God bless."  I guess he does.
He absolutely does my friend:)

Offline JJ

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #18 on: August 25, 2018, 07:51:07 AM »
Good story...with a happy ending....and thanks for sharing.   :cool:

The "Play It Forward" state of mind is so important in today's world. 

Everyone should live by this creed, and most  motorcycle riders that I have encountered understand this completely... :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

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Offline blu guzz

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #19 on: August 25, 2018, 09:25:53 AM »
I have more of these stories than I can remember.  Just Weds., I got my borrowed zero turn mower stuck in a ditch because I just was not used to it.  2 min did not go by but 2 people stopped and we hauled it out.  Speaking only for me, I have found these times depressing, but little gestures like this really give me hope that we have not completely lost our humanity.  Great stories.  Thanks for the reminders.
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Offline Sasquatch Jim

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #20 on: August 25, 2018, 09:46:28 AM »
 I was riding cross country on I-90 some years back on my Airhead BMW.  I stopped to help a stranded rider with Harley.  He refused my help because I was not riding a Harley.
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Offline John A

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #21 on: August 25, 2018, 10:01:20 AM »
I was riding cross country on I-90 some years back on my Airhead BMW.  I stopped to help a stranded rider with Harley.  He refused my help because I was not riding a Harley.


I've had that happen to me too, many years ago. I don't know if I need Harley stickers on my truck or trailer to be able to stop and help someone on a Harley or if they've relaxed that rule....
John
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Offline Roebling3

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #22 on: August 25, 2018, 06:55:06 PM »
I've been totally innocent several times when 3 or more h-d guys turned on me. Worst was @ a gravesite service for a good friends' dad. (My friends' dad, b4 either of us saw the light of day, was a Guzzi guy). But! When I threw the chain on my RS who knew? The youngster right behind me was a dirt bike fanatic w/ his girl friend. I managed to roll into a safe spot and stopped. The lad leaped from his car saying; 'I'll get that'. Got himself greasy (chains. Yuk).

Who knew? That wee 2 stroke racer, bought new, had a clip and no O rings. They add friction. I love that bike.

So the youngster knows where to get a master link,- cool. We go there. A Harley shop. We ask if they have a certain size link. The fellow behind the counter brings down 3 boxes of master links, plus some chain, the proper size. Hot dam. How much? 0.65 cents each! - and no shipping :). I kept one as a spare; guaranteeing I'll not need another.

We drove back to my bike. My driver/savior leaps out with the stuff. Before I'm down on my knees he's finished with the job. The master link is going in the proper direction. "Paul' has all that truly ugly black, gooey shit near to his elbows.  But he's happy! I say; Please tell your mom & dad they've raised a kind and generous son w/a bright future.

How come you knew to stop and were so willing to help? "My dad's a motorcyclist". What does he ride? As if I didn't already know. "he's got a Harley. He'd never forgive me if I kept on going". I had to force a princely sum upon him.
(McDonalds for 8 wx or a dress up dinner for 2). He restored my faith in young people.   Good fortune, R3~
 

Offline Huzo

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #23 on: August 26, 2018, 02:32:55 AM »
This one happened on my 2015 Nordkapp trip, a bit of a saga so unless you're in for the long ride I'd bail out now while I was high enough...

Still at the controls..? Ok strap in and feel the G's.... :thumb:
#1
As mentioned I was on the 2015 Nordkapp trip and had decided to do it on a BMW, 'cos at that stage I'd not developed the guts to take an Italian bike hundreds of K's past the Arctic Circle (I've since done it twice), and thought a GS 1200 would be like a rock of Gibraltar, and as I was to discover, it sort of was... weight wise.

Blasting down the E4 from Jonkoping to Helsingborg, I rolled off a touch to allow a mob to ease past at about 130 k's. No sooner had the last one cleared the front beak and the Beemer lost all motive power and rolled to a stop right at the base of the on ramp from Markaryd, this one..!



There was a smell of burning plastic from under the tank and despite every instinct to kick the living tripe out of the piece of German garbage, I took my passport and Go Pro and trudged up the on ramp that you have just looked at on Google Earth.
As you will have seen, there is a supermarket type place 100 metres from the roundabout and I headed in to seek advice. Having seen no one much of any use, I wandered along to a place where I could contact a towing/salvage mob to get the GS to Helsingborg. It was indeed possible to achieve such an outcome for the measly sum of 600 Euro!
Bugger that....
So I trod back to the mall and encountered an old man who engaged me in conversation. I soon relayed to him that the Beemer had lunched itself and I was in Dire Straits, and not the super group from the 70's and 80's.
He informed me in broken English that he had some friends who would "for sure take my bike and me to Helsingborg" and we could fix a price...
Armed with this new piece of news, I departed back out to commence pushing the bike UP the 400 metre on ramp in reverse, 40 steps, followed by 35 steps, then 30 steps........I got there but I was rooted.
Check it out..!



Eventually I arrived at the mall in a comatose state but buoyed by the fact that help was at hand. The two guys had arrived in the dilapidated Proton van that was to be my lifeboat, one could speak no English and the other had limited vocabulary but they seemed nice in a WW 2 Polish resistance sort of way.
A deal was struck for 50 Euro each and they disappeared off to get the trailer.
While waiting for their return I began to ponder the situation and wondered where the smell of dead rodent was coming from, I soon ascertained that it was a rat I could smell and decided to disappear from the scene and work something else out, denying myself the dubious benefit of their assistance.
No sooner had I begun to push the stricken piece of teutonic plague way from the scene, when around the corner comes a lurching Proton with a 6x4 trailer bouncing along behind and the occupants smoking like a North American wildfire. Upon coming to a lurching halt a furtive glance was thrown my way by the driver, who was given to wonder where the hell I was off to with my bike after "we have deal, no..?"
I bullshitted my way out of that little mess and had my rapidly deteriorating confidence restored, when I saw that the trailer was indeed connected to the van by a piece of cord that looked fairly strong, part of me sort of wished for a proper hitch, but you can't have everything can you...?
So while tying $15,000 worth of bike and gear in the stuffed trailer with 800 metres of string, I thought it might be a good idea to develop a rapour and asked what part of Sweden they were from.
It turned out they were Albanians and "did I have a prrobbblllemmmbb with that..?"
Pressure..
Seeing the now sorrowful looking GS trussed up like a Christmas Turkey, I gave my best Jim Carrey forced smile, swayed backwards and said...Hell no..! (Just like on the Truman Show)
A mistrusting sneer was what I received in return and was informed that "now is time we go.."
Well alrighty then...
There were more revelations to come.

To be continued....
« Last Edit: August 28, 2018, 01:17:53 AM by Huzo »

Offline John A

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #24 on: August 26, 2018, 05:50:28 AM »
I'm enthralled so far!
John
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Online Muzz

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #25 on: August 26, 2018, 06:05:40 AM »
Me too. :grin: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:
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Offline sign216

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #26 on: August 26, 2018, 11:38:47 AM »
Me too. :grin: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

I'm going to the concessions stand for refreshments, while this story develops.
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Offline LowRyter

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #27 on: August 26, 2018, 01:35:58 PM »
Darren and I were coming home from Okie campout and noticed the EV has handling screwy the entire weekend.  We stopped for breakfast and discovered the rear tire had  chunked. 

Darren's son took the truck and trailer from OKC, easily 2 hours to get there.  Not stranger but I was going for a UHaul after my sister was on vacation and not at her nearby lake cabin.   Certainly a big help to me.

John L 
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Offline Markcarovilli

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #28 on: August 26, 2018, 09:30:30 PM »
Damn - left hanging here.....

Mark

Offline Huzo

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Re: If not for the kindness of a stranger
« Reply #29 on: August 27, 2018, 12:38:30 AM »
Just like all men, can't wait to get to the end... :embarrassed: :wink:
I've often been accused of being a hopeless romantic with a sensitive streak, but ever heard of building the tension with a bit of 4 play...?
Anyway..
I'll get my girl's dinner and feed the puppies, then it's ...
To the i pad we go...!
« Last Edit: August 27, 2018, 12:42:39 AM by Huzo »

 

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