[denverpete]

I'm with you PorschDoc. It was ingrained in me growing up as well. Perhaps for many of the same SD reasons, but I have many memories of my father pulling off and helping people. Particularly in the High Country and doubly so in the winter, it's just common courtesy. And, I have so many memories of others doing the same for me as a young driver with little gas money and a crappy car. Because of that, I always keep a "roadside" kit in my cars (tools, gloves, tow strap, jumpers, etc) even though I haven't had to use it on my own car in years.

My only bad experience was in high school going skiing with some friends. We had my parents van and were cruising up I-70 just below the Eisenhower tunnel. We were keeping up with traffic and the weather was clear but hit some black ice and some gusting wind. I felt the back end start to move and before I knew it we were spinning across traffic (luckily to the right) and ended up in a snow bank. Immediately, traffic slowed down to around 15 mph as the weather worsened and it began snowing pretty heavily. I got the van out of the drift but the front right rim was damaged. In trying to replace the tire I discovered that the van didn't have a lug wrench. With the van jacked up and the hood open (to show we needed help), we watched a steady stream of bumper to bumper people crawl past, looking, but not stopping to help. This despite our obvious distress and attempts to wave down someone. Eventually a Jeep pulled off ahead of us. I ran up and knocked on the window. When it rolled down I thanked the lady profusely since no one else had stopped. She told me she didn't stop for me but to lock her hubs. I got her lug wrench anyway and proceeded to replace a tire in a time that would make a pit crew proud.

The problem is that the guy in the crappy car is the one who probably needs help the most. Hell, that guy was me more times than I can count. Sure it can be a risk, but then so's life.