Oh, man...I completely forgot to tell y'all what happened today. I ran out of gas. Well, my car ran out of gas. Again.
I had just exited 19 and was at the stop sign at the end of the exit when The Dragon just up and stopped running. I put on my hazard lights and called Clyde to bring me some gas. I put it in neutral thinking to roll back onto shoulder but it wasn't budging and no way I was going to try to move it because that would have been pointless and painful. So I was in the road but there was plenty of room to go around.
Then I conducted an interesting social experiment. I wish I'd actually taken notes but I'll just have to do it from memory.
I'd say that about three dozen cars passed me. At first I would stick my arm out the window and wave them around me but I got tired of holding my arm out in the rain and decided if they were that dumb, let them sit there.
Some people--let's say about a third--saw the flashing hazard lights from a distance and just drove around me.
The rest pulled up behind me and stopped like they thought I was going to move. Let's say that about half of those quickly realized that I wasn't going anywhere and went around me. Perhaps they noticed the flashing hazard lights. I even got out at one point to see if they were flashing.
Anywho, at least half of the people who pulled up behind me sat there for more than a minute before it dawned on them to go around.
Then SUV pulled up and sat there...and sat there...and sat there... I watched three minutes go by once I started watching so it had to be five or more but then I was distracted from keeping the time by the ramming of The Dragon's backside by said SUV!!!
I got out of the car and walked back to the SUV.
To the woman sitting in the SUV I said, "What was THAT about?!"
She replied, "Oh, Honey, I'm sorry. I thought you'd went."
So I looked and there really wasn't any damage so I just got back in my car. But she didn't leave so I just ignored her.
A few minutes later, a couple shows up. I didn't realize at first but I guess she'd called them. The guy asked me was I okay and should he call the police. Then it dawned on me that she was still sitting there thinking I'd called the police and she was afraid to leave the "scene of the crime" so to speak.
I told him there was no harm done and it wasn't a big deal so he looked and said he didn't see any damage either so they all left right as Clyde showed up with the gas can.
Through all the time I sat there and had three dozen cars pass me along with a lot of cars going by on the road that I was facing, ONE man stopped to see if I needed help. ONE man. Count him. ONE. smh. Well, I hope something really nice happened for him today.
Results of social study:
1-Most people are stupid.
2-Very few people will even offer assistance to a stranded stranger.
3-I really need a gas gauge that works.
