June 28 - Stuck

My car has been making a bad noise for months now. Before I get absolutely come for, let me say two things. 1: I took it in as soon as I started hearing this bad noise and they told me it was a $2k catalytic converter replacement that I didn’t ‘need’ until the noise was more consistent. 2: I am a religious 5k miles oil changer.

Anyway, the bad noise. It didn’t sound any worse than usual on Sunday as I started it up to head to my friend’s house to pick up a piece of furniture. I cruised down the main street alongside my apartment and made it about a mile and a half down to the left turn lane where I was preparing to turn onto the even more main street.

And that’s when I stopped hearing the noise. Actually, when I stopped hearing anything. My car had gone silent.

Well, that’s not good.

I put on my hazards and tried a few times to stop and restart the vehicle. Nothing but angry clicks. With shaky hands, I tried to call my parents. I needed calm, rational voices to tell me what to do in this situation. No answers. I took a deep breath. No use panicking now. I left the hazards going, turned off the car, waited for traffic to die down (have I mentioned.. this was a VERY busy intersection…), and got out of my car to go stand on the side of the road.

Once safely out of my car, I tried calling the non-emergent police line. Closed on Sundays. I called 911 and waited for 3 minutes (in those 3 minutes my empty car got flipped off 4 times as I watched and yelled ‘it’s dead!’ from the side of the road) before someone picked up. “Is you or anyone else around you in danger?” “Well, no.” “Okay, we’re really backed up. It’s gonna be a while. Call back if anything changes.”

I called the only towing company I could find that was open and remotely close. “That’ll be about an hour and $250.” “Even if I only want you to tow it about 20 feet into the nearest parking lot??” “Yes.” “Well, I guess that’ll have to work.”

I watched as a man swerved so angrily around my car he almost took out the back bumper. He rolled down his window so I could hear him scream at my empty car, “What the hell do you think you’re doing asshole!”

“It’s dead! What do you want me to do! I’m doing everything I can think of!” I yelled from my spot on the corner. He immediately looked like a hurt puppy. “I’m so sorry.” I just shrugged. Hope he has a great day.

A man on a motorcycle assessed the situation and then called out to me on the side of the street, “You need help!” It was not a kind you need help. More of a you’re mentally deranged and should be admitted. “Well, is that you offering?!” I called back. He looked at me like I was even crazier than he’d thought and sped off as the light turned green.

This went on for 30 minutes. 30 minutes of watching my empty car get called horrible names, shown obscene gestures, and not a single person even pausing to ask if I was okay. I called friends, no one could think of what to do. My only option, it seemed, was to wait and see if the police or the tow truck company would win.

And then. My saviors.

“Is this your car?”

I looked up dejectedly. Another asshole wanting to heckle me for a situation out of my control.

“It is, yeah. It’s dead, I’m sorry, go around!”

“Well, do you want us to help you push it?”

Push it?? Was that an option?? “I have no idea what to do in this situation, but if you think we can, then yes of course!”

“We’re turning around, be right there.”

And that was how a couple, probably 10 years older than I, stopped traffic at one of the busier intersections in Denver and helped me steer and push my car into the Midas parking lot only about 15 feet from where I’d broken down. We got honked at. Shouted at. Not a single human offered to help.

Once my car was in a parking spot, it was my turn to break down. My hands started to shake uncontrollably. I felt the stress of the last 40 minutes show itself in hot tears down my cheeks. The man and his wife both gave me a big hug. “I can’t thank you both enough.” I managed to eek out. “Don’t worry about it, people are assholes, can we give you a ride somewhere?” “No, no, you’ve done enough, I will seriously never forget this.”

Would you have stopped? I don’t think I would have before 3 days ago. I wouldn’t have cursed or screamed or thought the universe was specifically spiting me, but I would have continued on to my errands or my friends house comforted by the thought of I’m just one person, what could I have done.