Hard to feel sorry

john in la · Sep 6, 2015

Was coming across east Texas headed for Dallas on I 20 today.
Guy passes me in one of those big boy's toy's kind of truck.
Nice looking 3/4 ton p/u with a slide in camper.
He is pulling a car trailer with a nice jacked up Jeep and monster mud tires on it.
Jeep is full of mud as if he is on the way home after tearing up someone's hay field.
One of those rigs you notice when they pass you.

About 30 or so miles down the road I see him parked on the shoulder.
Him and his wife/girlfriend are standing next to the trailer looking at a blown tire.
You could tell from their expression; and the way the wife was flailing her arms in the air she was telling him.

What do you mean we have no spare and or jack.

I really do not wish bad luck on anyone because I have been stuck on the side of the road many times.
But I find it hard to contemplate how people have plenty money for buying things they "want" and no money for things they "need"

DENNIS MIN · Sep 6, 2015

John,

Made the mistake of not having a spare. Was in the heaviest traffic, lost a tire, I'll not do that again.

A lot is to be said for having a backup plan.

As far as the muddy truck, well I do go into mud for fun, but I certainly do not expect others to offer assistance when the time comes.

D.

Bob Bancroft · Sep 6, 2015

I agree, as I take no pleasure in a piece of equipment being abused- to what end? For the "fun" of it? I haven't played in the mud since I was a child. And then it wasn't with much more than my boots!

Royse · Sep 6, 2015

"well I do go into mud for fun, but I certainly do not expect others to offer assistance"

I used to do some mudding and all of us were cheering for the others.
If they got stuck, we'd pull them out. Once they gave up that is!
Like any other motor sport I suppose. We compete, but we're friends.
Blow an engine pulling a tractor? Someone will pull you out of the way.
Someone else will probably lend you the parts to put it back together
so you're not out for the whole weekend. Anyone standing around
will help rebuild it so you can compete against them.
That's what makes it fun!

Billy Shafer · Sep 6, 2015

With all my time over the road. I am still amazed that people don't have jacks or spare tires. Stopped to help one family. No spare. Ask them where it was. We left it at the house because we knew we wouldn't need it. Wanted to leave them. But I drove the guy into town so he could get what he needed.

Goose · Sep 6, 2015

That's the way it was when we were racing stock cars. You'd bust you butt helping someone else work on their car, knowing you'd be racing against them in a few minutes.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 6, 2015

Pure speculation on your part, that might not have been the case at all.

Why didn't you stop and lend a hand?

Pair-a-dice farm · Sep 6, 2015

I learned the hard way that when you buy a new truck you better check the jack. I couple of years ago I had a blowout on my Dodge. I had never taken the jack out from under the seat and they had put the bolt that holds it down through a hole instead of the notch. The bold was rusted to the point that it wouldn't budge. I was lucky that there was an old hacksaw blade under the seat and I was able to cut the bolt off. Naturally it was 100* and not a shade tree within 2 miles.

Steve@Advance · Sep 6, 2015

Many years ago I had rented a walk behind trencher that came on a low, tilt bed trailer. I had taken it to Possum Kingdom Lake, (yes, that is a real place and the real name! LOL), to help a friend upgrade his septic system.

The lake is about a 70 mile drive through some fairly remote backroads. On the way back, one of the 8" trailer tires blew running about 70 MPH. It instantly shredded and came completely off the wheel before I could get stopped. No spare, the truck jack was too tall to go under the trailer.

This was pre cell phone, just before dark on a Sunday evening, so getting help was not going to happen. Got to looking around, the drive wheel on the trencher was a 4 lug... Maybe... Got the trencher blocked up with a fence post I found in the ditch and some rocks, got the wheel off. Got the trailer wheel unbolted and was trying to get it blocked up enough to get the jack under. About that time a Highway Patrol stopped, asked if I were having a problem...

"Well, if you will lift the end of that fence post while I change this wheel..." He did, I switched the wheels, he let it down, and we were both on our way!

I did keep it well under 70 though!

fixerupper · Sep 6, 2015

The wife was probably already on edge because they were a couple of months behind on the payments for their toys and she didn't have any money to buy groceries.

notjustair · Sep 6, 2015

I farm 1000 acres and raise hogs and cattle. Avoiding mud is my number one mission in life.

keh · Sep 6, 2015

Maybe I posted this earlier, but we were coming through Atlanta recently, saw a single axle trailer on the side of the beltway. Apearantly he ran the tire off the wheel and beat up the rim. Looked like he had no spare and had unhooked the trailer to go get a wheel and tire.

KEH

john in la · Sep 6, 2015

Yes pure speculation on my part.
But I think I was right.

Sorry I can not stop and lend a hand even if I wanted to for several reasons.
1) Time I notice you need help and get stopped I am well past you; and while I am good I am not attempting to back wiggle wagons up on the side of the road so I would have to walk 1/4 of a mile to help you.
2) There is really no place for me to park as it is against the law to park a vehicle hauling hazardous materials within 5 feet of the travel lanes.
3) It is also against the law and company policy for me to stop and help someone in distress. Never know when someone is faking a breakdown just to get you to stop.

john in la · Sep 6, 2015

LOL fixerupper

My point exactly.

Straw Boss · Sep 7, 2015

Why should he stop and lend a hand. He said the guy was pulling a spare vehicle behind him. Back the Jeep off the trailer and go
get a tire. Problem solved. Or....unhook the trailer and go get a tire. Or....unload the Jeep and remove the tire and keep going
with the trailer on three wheels and his wife can drive the Jeep. Either way he has options.

Dick2 · Sep 7, 2015

As my brother often says, "It is hard to have sympathy for someone whose troubles are self-inflicted."

I did my share of helping people, at my age I just drive on by and leave the helping to the younger generation.

MarkB_MI · Sep 7, 2015

Some friends visited recently with their newly-purchased motor home. It's an older unit, so one would might think they were prepared for minor emergencies on the road. Since they'd never been around trucks or RVs, I mentioned a few things I thought they ought to know, such as the importance of "thumping" the dual tires every morning before hitting the road. I asked them if they knew how to change tires on the RV. They said "no" and that they didn't think they even had a jack or lug wrench. They said they'd just call Good Sam Club if they had a flat. Oh well. Hope they don't go anywhere their cell phones don't work.

Glen SW Wi · Sep 7, 2015

If I'm on a long trip I always feel all my tires to see if one is running hotter than the rest. Good way to fix a future problem before it happens. Thumping tire is ok, but I believe temperature check is more accurate.

jimg.allentown · Sep 7, 2015

Honestly, I think it is unfair of you to assume that he was "tearing up somebody's hay field" or that he had no jack or spare. Maybe just the time it would take to change the tire was going to make them late for an important event. Maybe he was returning from a sanctioned event on a track designated for mudding.
Either way, if I were passing by and had the time, I would at least be kind enough to offer assistance. After all, we have all been in similar circumstances one way or another. I do remember running out of gas in a remote area, not because I didn't tank up, but because I could not find a gas station open. Late at night, middle of nowhere, and I was stranded. I did get a ride to a place even farther off the beaten path and got back on the road.
Carrying a spare for a trailer is probably one of the most overlooked items in trailering or travelling. Either way, it is not my place to judge where he had been, where he was going, or whether he "deserved" help or not. I have stopped and assisted many stranded motorists in my time. When they offer me payment, I tell them to pay it forward, and help the next person that may need it.

AlinArk · Sep 7, 2015

jim
here is a great big pat on the back for you..

GeneMO · Sep 7, 2015

(quoted from post at 18:53:37 09/06/15) I farm 1000 acres and raise hogs and cattle. Avoiding mud is my number one mission in life.

One thing my dad hated worse than mud, was wind. Seemed like on a windy day it was always blowing gates shut before you could drive through them, blowing dirt in your eyes, just messing with you in general

Gene

Ozlander · Sep 7, 2015

(quoted from post at 23:11:01 09/06/15) Why should he stop and lend a hand. He said the guy was pulling a spare vehicle behind him. Back the Jeep off the trailer and go
get a tire. Problem solved. Or....unhook the trailer and go get a tire. Or....unload the Jeep and remove the tire and keep going
with the trailer on three wheels and his wife can drive the Jeep. Either way he has options.

There you go, being all logical again.

Bkpigs · Sep 7, 2015

John in La..... who do you drive for if I may ask? I work for O.D. When you said wiggle wagons I figure you must be LTL.

john in la · Sep 7, 2015

Without saying the name; The one with a big E on the side of the trailer.

Bkpigs · Sep 8, 2015

(quoted from post at 04:10:59 09/08/15) Without saying the name; The one with a big E on the side of the trailer.

otcha. I know a couple of guys from the St. Louis terminal. Pretty good guys.

Hard to feel sorry

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