Let me tell you a rambling true story from my early days of motoring, involving a pretty girl, a classic Mini, an empty tank of petrol, and how I got into rescuing other motorists.
The Scene
I passed my driving test in 1986, and like most youngsters, parents helped with their first car. Mine was a chocolate brown Mini 1000, registration TTE398T, that I had had from the year before. A big “bus” steering wheel and a central speedo. I went everywhere in it, and I loved it, well, apart from the inaccurate fuel gauge that would read a random level of fuel in the petrol tank.
I met a very pretty, tall, slim, young natural blonde lady, with blue eyes, the week before and she agreed to go on a first date with me the following Friday. A big date. New trousers were purchased. A shirt was even ironed. The car cleaned, both inside and out.
I collected her for our first date from her home, she was dressed in a smart top, skin tight blue jeans, and stiletto high heels, as was the fashion at the time. I met her parents, and I promised her father that I would look after her and have her back for 10:30pm.
She had mentioned to me, that she liked Cheshire, and the beauty of the Cheshire lanes. So, to impress her, off we set towards the Cheshire lanes, and I decided to go over towards the idyllic Delamere Forest and Hatchmere Lake, stopping for a drink at the Carrier Inn.
We appeared to get on well, and she enjoyed the fact that I didn’t follow football, and this was a big plus point, so at the end of the evening, having enjoyed a lovely talk, a few games of pool, and a few more drinks, we set off for home.
The Breakdown
You know where this is heading. My Mini broke down. The cause, insufficient fuel. No spare fuel in the boot, nor a fuel can. A dark country lane, miles from anyway, no mobile phones in them days, and no sense of direction to where the nearest petrol station might have been. At first, she thought it was the age old joke, a secluded country lane, etc., etc. until she realised that no, I wasn’t trying it on, and, we actually had run out of fuel. She was not impressed. I was embarrassed.
I suggested that I will have to walk to get petrol, and also buy a petrol can. Her outfit and shoes were not conducive for a walk, even a short one, and she certainly didn’t want to stay in the car alone. Now, she was getting worried, and so was I, because in the hour we were stopped, not only had I missed the deadline I had promised her father, but, not a single car was travelling on that back country road. I was worried.
The Rescue
Out of nowhere, this old Ford Escort came along the road, and spotted my flashing hazard warning lights. A gentleman of extreme age, I am sure to this day that he was 150 years of age, stopped and asked the problem. I embarrassingly skirted around the issue until Miss Rambling Hot Date piped up that we were out of petrol. With a smirk, he said he could help. He always carried spare petrol for such an occasion.
The Promise
He gave us a gallon of petrol. Yes, you read that correctly. I offered to pay for it, but he refused. I could “buy” the petrol with a promise, a “buy forward promise” if you like. When I was in a financial position to help others and to be able to afford to kit out my car like he had, I was to carry sufficient fuel, oil, water, to help others, and perhaps be able to change a tyre, or jump start another dead car.
With the promise to a complete stranger agreed, and his fuel added to my tank, my car started, we thanked him again gracefully, and off we went to take her home. Her father was not impressed with the midnight arrival, nor the lack of petrol. I was forbidden to see her again, and unfortunately, I never did.
Promises Kept
I am a man of my word, and this is very important to me. Since making this promise in the summer of 1986, I have helped where I could 43 motorists to date (2026). In the early days, before mobile phones, I do not have a photographic record, but, in more recent years, I have asked the stranded party if I could take a photo, and recited the story. Some have even offered me money, and I have asked them to help another by again buying the promise forward. Let’s hope they keep their promise of being another good motoring Samaritan.
The only place I will not assist is on a motorway. I would not be comfortable, nor equipped, nor experienced, to deal with fast moving traffic, perhaps to cone off a lane etc., in order to effect a safe rescue. I am not a rescue organisation and don’t carry cones. I am simply someone who will help another, if I can safely. Sometimes there is a line that cannot be safely crossed, and that line for me is a motorway. I see many stranded vehicles, and once, I saw one in the central divide, so I noted their motorway marker post, and then stopped safely on the hard shoulder a little further along at an orange emergency phone and reported the stranded vehicle’s accurate location, ie their marker post, in case they had no mobile phone or signal. Highways England were unaware of the vehicle and promised to send help.
My Emergency Kit
If I deploy to a roadside incident, I do so safely at my own cost, never asking for remuneration, any time and equipment is donated to the motorist completely free of charge, and I immediately replace what was used. “Oskar” my Skoda Octavia Scout is equipped with the following…
- A gallon of diesel.
- A gallon of petrol.
- 2 litres of tap water.
- A first aid kit, plus instant ice-packs.
- A large fire extinguisher.
- Hydraulic trolley jack, wheel brace, breaker bar.
- Two axle stands.
- Two warning triangles and a high viz vest.
- Puncture repair kit and an air foot pump.
- Towing strop and shackles. Rope.
- Basic tools, spanners, screwdrivers, pliers, etc.
Rescuing Others
Here is a collage of some of the motorists I have helped over the years, including the most common jump starting, changing wheels/tyres, rescue towing, deploying fuel, deploying water, and once a fire extinguisher, or just simply doing a welfare check on another human. As I have owned “Oskar” for 12 years, and most of the images are of more recent rescues, he features in most of the rescues. As “Oskar” is a 4×4 on winter tyres, I have even used him to rescue someone through bad weather when not broken down, but they needed to get somewhere.
When “Daniel” my Volkswagen T4 van is on the road, he will also be fully equipped for any eventuality as well. I intend to continue keeping my promise until I retire from driving even though it has already been repaid many times. I do hope you too could be a good motoring Samaritan and perhaps help others, even if it is just a welfare check, do they need water, first aid, or have a mobile phone signal to alert someone of their choosing to come to their assistance.
Mark Smith
“The Rambling Motorist”