I think
@Shadowprophet is rubbing off on me. Here's something that happened last night that is causing me some angst.
Left my local Home Depot last night - yes I know I spend too much time there. Dark, pouring rain, high 30s. Not exactly balmy.
So there's a minivan right by the front door and the kid I know is the cart collector jumps into it. His Dad is picking him up from work. As I'm walking out to my truck he's calling after me in very broken English. His minivan went dead and he wants a jump. OK. He hit the jackpot with that one. I grab my Maglite, tools and jump pack. Didn't load test it but the battery had 12.6v, terminals looked clean & tight. Electrical problem. She didn't so much as click with my jump pack on it. Dead as a door nail - not even an interior light. I happened to notice a big orange wire nut on something right next to the battery. They don't belong in a car and is a sure sign of stooopidness and that someone's field engineering has failed.
This man just stood there absolutely doing nothing useful but wanted it pushed over into a parking spot. Great idea. He could've put the minivan in neutral, turned the wheel and tried to push it with his son. Instead he just stood there waiting on me doing absolutely nothing. At that point the store manager came out, saw what was happening and we just did it for him. Of note, this minivan appears to be a private taxi. Had a sign on the door.
So here's the angst. I tried to help him and actually did even though getting his vehicle running wasn't possible right then and there. He didn't know what to do. I asked him if he had a phone - he did. So did his kid, he couldn't get his nose out of the damned thing. Told him to call for a tow. He could have someone there in a half hour - this ain't out in the sticks. Go into the damned store and wait - use their phone. They were closing but there were a lot of people still in there. Something. Anything. Nope. He wanted me to ride him and his son home! "
I have no way to get home."
This guy is no kid - probably in his '40s at least. Actually, I probably would have done it but it wasn't local at all and it the opposite direction. I'd been out all day and wanted to go home myself. Again, I told him to call for a tow truck. It's what I would have done - or probably most of us. Told him I had to go pick up my wife, which wasn't true, and split. Maybe he didn't have the money, I don't know.
So today I'm feeling guilty. Not false modesty and I'm not fishing for praise - don't mind helping anybody. Tried to help this guy. But he seemed so damned pathetic I feel like maybe I should've just taken him home. It's like that little penguin that cried ice cubes when Bugs Bunny tries to ditch him .....
And then I flip and say why? He's a grown up that was going about his business before he met me, and if I were in that spot would I get a ride home from a passing stranger? Would I want one to do that anyway? Feel as if I was being taken advantage of.
But ....
Ugh .....