Have you ever given a stranger a ride?

I gave a ride once. I was following another truck & talking to him on CB. Going up the hill he started blowing white smoke from every direction. He hit the shoulder. I pulled over in front of him & dropped him at the next exit. I then went on.

I would likely not do that again, certainly not to someone I wasn't talking to. Most companies I worked for would fire you on the spot for giving someone a ride.

 

The policy is simple, no non-company or non-family members.

I had a couple of drivers robbed/hijacked; the last one was last winter, he was left on the side of the two-lane country road without shoes, socks, and jacket. He was robbed by a 67-year-old lady and her daughter.

 

I have, 2 times on my personal vehicle. Once in a company truck, because she ran out of gas. I definitely don’t want to do it in the company truck.

 

Nope. Im parinoid and distrusting at the BEST of times. If i dont know you. Then you dont ride. To many #### pyscos, criminals, whackjobs and zelots nowadays. And they come in #### near every flavor too.

 

Many times in the last 40 years. And I have A few stories. But only at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, some of you will understand this some of you won't.

 

used to, waaaaaay back in the day when hitch hiking was normal and safe.

about 10 yrs ago was last time I stopped to help a lady with a flat. it was raining and she didn't even wind the window down, just yelled, " just change the dam tire and hurry it up!!" I told her to kiss my ### and left.
not now.

 

Few years back, I was at the local gas station filling up the pickup truck, and a young black guy walked over and asked if I knew much about cars, because his VW Beetle (newer one) was over heating. Stupid thing didn't even have a temperature gauge, just an idiot light.

I looked it over, said, "I dunno", but the suns going down, and there's no hotels even close - you can bring it to the house and we'll get you sorted out tomorrow. Limped it 2 miles to the house.

Him and his wife and their toddler were on their way to Tinker AFB for work in the Air Force. I called the bride and said they'll be 3 more for dinner.

Cooked them dinner, they slept in the guest room, and we got the car to Joplin the next day and a rental for them to continue. I'm not sure if they slept that well that night wondering if we were sharpening knives, but we got them out of a jam.

Their parents sent us a gift basket a couple of weeks later, and a card that thanked us and said that they were glad there was still good people left in the world.

In the personal vehicles on home time, I'll often stop and see if truckers or 4 wheelers need help or a lift - but carefully.

Now, in the big truck - no. Too much at stake. I'll call for help for someone, or maybe get a trucker to the next exit, but that's about it when it comes to strangers.