View Full Version : No Help!
So my car decided that the electrics would pack up this morning, car would run but every time you turned on the fans, wipers etc the car would cut out and if you touched the brakes the engine would cut out.
So I decided to try and get it to a garage so with the help of my mum I drove it to Dunbeath but had to put the brakes on suddenly coming down the fly-over and the car cut out and then would not start again so was stuck on the road.
Luckily a friend of my mum's came along and her and my mum decided to try and push the car into a layby out of the way for the time being, bearing in the mind the car wouldn't start and had no power steering.
The reason I post this is because there were so many cars and vans passing that could see what was going on, i.e. 2 women trying to push a car, up hill and no-one even bothered to stop and ask if we needed a hand or anything, this I find really disappointing in this day and age.
Well that's my grump over for today I hope, just hope it doesn't cost the earth to fix. :o(((
thats just what alot of people are like nowadays
hope ur ok and that it doesnt cost alot to repair
Well...you women folk did want equal rights...now you have them so stop complaining :lol:
arana negra
31-Oct-08, 15:17
Sign of the times perhaps, can't blame men ( or women for that matter) from hestitating to help woman on their own. All sorts of accusations could be flying in no time. (not suggestion for one minute that was the case with you)
Shame somebody did not wind down window to at least check if they help in any way though.
on a slightly different note, you were probably very lucky your car stoped. alot of cars early this morning went off the road, or skated around it on sheet ice around that dunbeath/latheron stretch. at least 2 writeoffs occurd, one of them being my car that a relative was borrowing, though no injuries that ive heard of. reason for the ice?! the road did not appear to have been gritted!!
Well that is one saving grace, luckily it was later in the morning and by that time the gritters had been out!
We live at Berriedale and my hubby works in Wick and he was on the road at 7.15 this morning and he was all over the road and saw the accident at both Dunbeath and was held up at Latheronwheel, it was a nightmare this morning on the roads.
Why do they always choose to grit the roads after the accidents have happened, they should be doing them before.
Am I right in thinking that the gritters are controlled by a branch in Aberdeen and are only allowed out to grit if the Aberdeen office give the go ahead?
If this is correct, it's useless
So my car decided that the electrics would pack up this morning, car would run but every time you turned on the fans, wipers etc the car would cut out and if you touched the brakes the engine would cut out.
So I decided to try and get it to a garage so with the help of my mum I drove it to Dunbeath but had to put the brakes on suddenly coming down the fly-over and the car cut out and then would not start again so was stuck on the road.
Luckily a friend of my mum's came along and her and my mum decided to try and push the car into a layby out of the way for the time being, bearing in the mind the car wouldn't start and had no power steering.
The reason I post this is because there were so many cars and vans passing that could see what was going on, i.e. 2 women trying to push a car, up hill and no-one even bothered to stop and ask if we needed a hand or anything, this I find really disappointing in this day and age.
Well that's my grump over for today I hope, just hope it doesn't cost the earth to fix. :o(((
Well in this day and age its but unsafe and unwise for a woman driver to be broken down at the side of a road late at night thats why if u are a woman driver then join the AA rather than expecting someone to jump to your aid.And lets face the modern car now u cant really do much with it at the side of the road.And its a lot cheaper to join the AA OR RAC than paying a garage to come out and tow u back to the garage
Well in this day and age its but unsafe and unwise for a woman driver to be broken down at the side of a road late at night thats why if u are a woman driver then join the AA rather than expecting someone to jump to your aid.And lets face the modern car now u cant really do much with it at the side of the road.And its a lot cheaper to join the AA OR RAC than paying a garage to come out and tow u back to the garage
I dont think its apoint of joining a motoring organisation, its more a point that some of our citizens bypass someone in need of help as they are too busy with their own lives.
I wouldnt expect anyone to stop and help me but i would be darn grateful if someone actually did. Gone are the days when you would help someone in need ,nowadays most people dont even know their neighbours!
I dont think its apoint of joining a motoring organisation, its more a point that some of our citizens bypass someone in need of help as they are too busy with their own lives.
I wouldnt expect anyone to stop and help me but i would be darn grateful if someone actually did. Gone are the days when you would help someone in need ,nowadays most people dont even know their neighbours!
Maybey up in caithness it might be safe to stop and help someone but futher south u go its not a good idea getting involved with other people u dont no its crap way of living but thats life but i still agree with what i said in the first posting
Maybey up in caithness it might be safe to stop and help someone but futher south u go its not a good idea getting involved with other people u dont no its crap way of living but thats life but i still agree with what i said in the first posting
Can't say i've ever had a problem getting into a car with strangers, i once got a lift all the way back to Scotland from this lovely couple, and they weren't even going my way, they even invited me to come and stay with them anytime i wanted, Fred & Rose were there names, such a sweet couple, wonder what they're up to these days? :)
Instead of being angry at the lack of help from, and I presume from the tone of your post, men, may I suggest you thank your God you're still alive. Had you a modicum of intelligence you would have read your cars handbook and discovered how dangerous it could be to drive a car with so much going wrong with it.
The engine doesn't just propel the car, it also drives the power steering pump and the hydraulic system. Lack of engine power results in the loss of power steering and you get maybe a couple of presses on the brakes before they fail. I'm sure you can imagine what could have been the outcome, especially on a hill such as that at Dunbeath.
I've stopped and helped people of both sexes over the years, the worst being a VW camper on fire on the M6, fortunately I had a fire extinguisher in my car, but it annoys me somewhat that someone has the temerity to start a thread complaining about the lack of help from fellow motorists when their own actions need closer inspection.
So my car decided that the electrics would pack up this morning, car would run but every time you turned on the fans, wipers etc the car would cut out and if you touched the brakes the engine would cut out.
So I decided to try and get it to a garage so with the help of my mum I drove it to Dunbeath but had to put the brakes on suddenly coming down the fly-over and the car cut out and then would not start again so was stuck on the road.
Luckily a friend of my mum's came along and her and my mum decided to try and push the car into a layby out of the way for the time being, bearing in the mind the car wouldn't start and had no power steering.
The reason I post this is because there were so many cars and vans passing that could see what was going on, i.e. 2 women trying to push a car, up hill and no-one even bothered to stop and ask if we needed a hand or anything, this I find really disappointing in this day and age.
Well that's my grump over for today I hope, just hope it doesn't cost the earth to fix. :o(((
Ber219, you have my sympathy for the pickle you found yourself in but I hope you are aware that it was a very dangerous thing to do to try and drive a car that was cutting out.
When the engine cuts out, you no longer have control of your vehicle so you should not have taken it out on the road. You need the power of the engine to control everything else; steering, brakes etc.
Glad you are ok though.....
Oops sorry Jox; I must have been typing slower than you!
So my car decided that the electrics would pack up this morning, car would run but every time you turned on the fans, wipers etc the car would cut out and if you touched the brakes the engine would cut out.
So I decided to try and get it to a garage so with the help of my mum I drove it to Dunbeath but had to put the brakes on suddenly coming down the fly-over and the car cut out and then would not start again so was stuck on the road.
Luckily a friend of my mum's came along and her and my mum decided to try and push the car into a layby out of the way for the time being, bearing in the mind the car wouldn't start and had no power steering.
The reason I post this is because there were so many cars and vans passing that could see what was going on, i.e. 2 women trying to push a car, up hill and no-one even bothered to stop and ask if we needed a hand or anything, this I find really disappointing in this day and age.
Well that's my grump over for today I hope, just hope it doesn't cost the earth to fix. :o(((
You got in a car with known problems, and drove that car knowing that by using the most important safety device (the brakes) and the probably the second most important (the wipers to let you see) you would lose the power from the engine and steering control?
Driving an unroadworthy car is illegal. You broke the law, endangering the life of everyone on that road, then you have the cheek to post here about the "consideration" of others.
Madness.
ber219,wow-sick car-ok-go to garage-possible most cost effective move, in absence of a.a rac. or similar! so the sod conks out! an so all the nice thoughtful helpful kindly considerate car an van drivers in that area of Dunbeath,thought it best to ignore 2 females in trouble! prap's they thought you deserved your plight-but whatever I would have checked you out-an done all in my power to assist you! Common decency.
It annoys me that people in that area (caithness)could do that-even the bum holes here in Corby would have sussed you out to see if there was anything worth nicking,an then come to your aid:)
Never mind the rights or wrongs of your predicament-you were 2 ladys in need-an you mean to tell me the nos let you down!!!
How the hell can I boast about the excellence of the caithness org forums,as i usually do,to all an sundry after that!!
Hope it was not too costly to repair,an you were right to post your grump you could have been in all sorts of dreadful predaments,an no passerys bye could spare a few mim's -better stop now or I will be in suspension again.:D
Lack of engine power results in the loss of power steering and you get maybe a couple of presses on the brakes before they fail.Are you sure about the brakes? My brakes work when the engine is turned off so why should they not work when the engine fails?
I don't really know what I'm talking about here so please tell me if I'm being naive.
Moi x
Are you sure about the brakes? My brakes work when the engine is turned off so why should they not work when the engine fails?
I don't really know what I'm talking about here so please tell me if I'm being naive.
Moi x
Modern brakes are hydraulically driven. With the loss of engine power to drive the hydraulic pump you'll have a couple of presses on the brake pedal before it goes solid beneath your foot. I had this happen to me a few years back. Winter, early morning, snowing-had the lights, wipers and heater running. Was headed down Olrig St. Thurso to turn right-handed into Traill St when the engine cut out-I only just managed to turn the steering wheel and brake or I would have been into the roadside barrier. A very scary moment-I never wore those pants again. [lol]
Kevin Milkins
01-Nov-08, 09:46
Sorry to hear your car is not well.:(
In a vain hope to restore your faith in mankind ,if I had been driving past I would have offered to help.
Keep smiling and hope your car gets better soon.
Ber219, there are many people like Kevin; just unfortunate that they were not around when you needed help. It is a sad reflection on fellow motorists when they don't help each other in this modern day society! :~(
Ber219, there are many people like Kevin; just unfortunate that they were not around when you needed help. It is a sad reflection on fellow motorists when they don't help each other in this modern day heathen society! :~(
If someone decideds not to stop and help someone thats there choice it doesnt make them a heathen.
The bottom line to this thread is if ure going to drive an old car which has problems it going to have a higher risk of breaking down so it makes perfect sense to be in the AA or RAC and if you choose not to then expect to be pushing an old car into a layby and sitting there for hours waiting on passer by or friend to help u all because the person is to mean to join a breakdown services.
Its all very well slagging of a motorist if they dont stop and help someone but thats there choice not yours and this day and age its not a safe thing to do to stop and help someone you dont no if the person is evil twisted person that might harm u thats why a lot of motorists dont stop now.
I would have thought that most woman nowdays would have mobile phones?
I would have thought that most woman nowdays would have mobile phones?
They do...it's just they need a man to show them how to operate it! [lol]
{Builds sandbag wall, dons flak jacket and helmet}
Maybey up in caithness it might be safe to stop and help someone but futher south u go its not a good idea getting involved with other people u dont no its crap way of living but thats life but i still agree with what i said in the first posting
Maybe so but I would certainly stop if I saw someone in trouble, but then again I am Human! Doesnt bother me what part of the country I was in,its all the same.
People that break down dont "expect" to get help but they would still like it. Thats the attitude I would take pity I am in a Minority. :(
If someone decideds not to stop and help someone thats there choice it doesnt make them a heathen.
The bottom line to this thread is if ure going to drive an old car which has problems it going to have a higher risk of breaking down so it makes perfect sense to be in the AA or RAC and if you choose not to then expect to be pushing an old car into a layby and sitting there for hours waiting on passer by or friend to help u all because the person is to mean to join a breakdown services.Are you on commision from the AA or RAC. I am not a member as its on my insurance that I get assistance.Joining the AA is not compulsory and shouldnt have to be.Maybe more people have faith in Human Nature than waiting hours for a guy to turn up to state the bleeding obvious!!!
Its all very well slagging of a motorist if they dont stop and help someone but thats there choice not yours and this day and age its not a safe thing to do to stop and help someone you dont no if the person is evil twisted person that might harm u thats why a lot of motorists dont stop now.
I would have thought that most woman nowdays would have mobile phones?
The only person that is "Evil and twisted" is the one that would watch a woman struggle with an obvious breakdown.
Modern brakes are hydraulically driven. With the loss of engine power to drive the hydraulic pump you'll have a couple of presses on the brake pedal before it goes solid beneath your foot. I had this happen to me a few years back. Winter, early morning, snowing-had the lights, wipers and heater running. Was headed down Olrig St. Thurso to turn right-handed into Traill St when the engine cut out-I only just managed to turn the steering wheel and brake or I would have been into the roadside barrier. A very scary moment-I never wore those pants again. [lol]My car cut out at about 60 or 70mph on the M9 about a year ago whereupon I managed to turn onto the hard shoulder and brake hard without any problem. :confused
I have a small car and I don't know whether the brakes are power assisted. Does that make a big difference?
Moi x
Sapphire2803
01-Nov-08, 17:52
My car cut out at about 60 or 70mph on the M9 about a year ago whereupon I managed to turn onto the hard shoulder and brake hard without any problem. :confused
I have a small car and I don't know whether the brakes are power assisted. Does that make a big difference?
Moi x
Undoubtedly, I once had an escort cut out on me (Power steering and servo assisted brakes) and the fact that I managed to get it onto the hard shoulder of the M27 is probably due to my gym membership at the time. Stopping that car involved putting every last bit of my strength into the brakes, I was pulling on the steering wheel and shoving against the back of the seat so hard, I'm suprised I didn't take the seat off it's mountings. :eek:
Sapphire2803
01-Nov-08, 17:59
So my car decided that the electrics would pack up this morning, car would run but every time you turned on the fans, wipers etc the car would cut out and if you touched the brakes the engine would cut out.
So I decided to try and get it to a garage so with the help of my mum I drove it to Dunbeath but had to put the brakes on suddenly coming down the fly-over and the car cut out and then would not start again so was stuck on the road.
Luckily a friend of my mum's came along and her and my mum decided to try and push the car into a layby out of the way for the time being, bearing in the mind the car wouldn't start and had no power steering.
The reason I post this is because there were so many cars and vans passing that could see what was going on, i.e. 2 women trying to push a car, up hill and no-one even bothered to stop and ask if we needed a hand or anything, this I find really disappointing in this day and age.
Well that's my grump over for today I hope, just hope it doesn't cost the earth to fix. :o(((
Not getting into the debate of whether or not the car should have been driven in the first place, but even with breakdown assistance, surely anyone would still try to push the car off the road and out of the way. So yes, some help would've been good.
My car died at a roundabout in Chichester once. I was completely blocking the entrance to the roundabout and traffic was building up behind me fast. I was trying to push the car out of everyone's way (on my own) and the closest thing to help I was getting was a stream of abuse from the guy immediately beind me. I went back, opened his car door. Told him what I thought of him and also told him that the only way my car was getting out of his way was if he helped me push it... He helped. :lol:
Are you on commision from the AA or RAC. I am not a member as its on my insurance that I get assistance.Joining the AA is not compulsory and shouldnt have to be.Maybe more people have faith in Human Nature than waiting hours for a guy to turn up to state the bleeding obvious!!!
Well whats bleeding obvious is old unreliable car, woman driving it,dodgy people driving out in the countryside car breaks down then she is not safe thats why its a good idea to have breakdown cover so its just one call and someone will come and sort her out and run her home if they cant fix it Instead of waiting there hoping for someone to help her who could have the exact opposite intention?
The only person that is "Evil and twisted" is the one that would watch a woman struggle with an obvious breakdown.[/QUOTE]
If a driver cant cope well with dealing with a breakdown they should not be driving.
I just hope ber thinks about getting breakdown cover or change her insurance so u get breakdown cover included
Several years ago I had a car cut out on me on the A9 in the middle of nowhere about two in the morning. It was a foul night, absolutely pouring down, pitch black and with no moon. I wasn't quite certain of my exact position on the A9 or which way to the nearest civilisation.
Fortunately a kind driver on his way home from Glasgow had the decency to stop and offered, without any prompting from me, to give me a tow into Brora where I was in a lighted area so I wasn't a danger if my battery went flat leaving me with no lights on a dangerous pitch black road.
Those helpful actions and kind behaviour left me with a high regard for the people of this area. However, having read some of the comments on this thread I am beginning to have my doubts and that I was possibly quite lucky to have come across one of the few helpful, none accusatory locals around.
For those posters on the thread who are so perfect that they would never, ever take the slightest risk and are so willing to lecture others I can only say this. If they are ever broken down in the middle of nowhere in the pitch dark and pouring rain that if I am passing and realise who they are I shall simply point out that they are not in the safest place to stop and treat them as they deserve by driving off, sniggering and leaving them to their deserved fate. For any of the more thoughtful and caring posters I would be more than willing to help.
Welcomefamily
02-Nov-08, 08:12
I would generally stop if time allowed and when I had my last car with a tow bar I think I have offered to tow people on a couple of occasions.
Sorry not be on here for a while and have read through everyone's post's.
I would like to say, and maybe my original post didn't explain very well, it was 9.30am so daylight, in Dunbeath with my mum following me in her car in case something did happen. Also my brakes worked fine and the engine ran fine, it was only when something electrical went on i.e. wipers, fan, lights etc that the car would cut out and as I live at Berriedale and the garage was at Dunbeath, rather than waiting for god know's how many hours for Greenflag or whoever to come out etc and cost me a fortune I decided that as the car ran and drove ok I would drive it to Dunbeath, unfortunately, because I had to brake coming down the Dunbeath fly over, which of course puts on your Brake LIGHTS(electrical) this cut the engine out, it wasn't anything mechanically wrong and the brakes worked fine and everything else mechanically worked fine.
After having it checked it out, apparently the "Earth Strap" has gone which I have been told is not a big job, just electrical job so I'm just waiting to get it back.
So for those people that are having a go at me and saying I am stupid, get of your high horse, of course you have never done anything like that before have you. The reason I posted was because no-one at all stopped to see if everything was ok, man or woman, I am not man bashing here at all, and yes I do have a mobile phone but unfortunately there was no signal. God I have pushed enough broken down cars myself in the past and I will always stop to see if I can help in anyway if someone is in trouble even though I am a female and don't know much about cars!
Oh and by the way, my "old unreliable car" as you so nicely put it, has not broken down once before this, or caused me any problems since I have had it (18 months), and my fiance's new car has cost the earth with problems it's had so it doesn't really matter whether you are driving a new or an old "unreliable car". Like I said above, I was just disappointed that no-one stopped, even just to ask if everything was ok etc
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