Is Chivalry Dead?

 

Five minutes down the road, I realised I had left my phone at home.

"No worries" I said to my kids, "As long as my car doesn't break down".

 

Is chivalry dead?

 

Well I'm pretty sure it was in it's demise when the bloke crossed in front of my car, giving it what I thought was a dirty look.

I said to the kids "What's his problem?"

He'd been looking at the front of the car.

In hindsight he would have been looking at either steam or water pouring out.

But he wasn't chivalrous enough to alert me to it.

 

 

No problem. I could re-attach a hose.

Though I doubted the existence of a screwdriver in my car, which was sort of true.

There was a rat shit ratchet that I couldn't lock off,

Image courtesey of Evan

 

 

Image courtesey of Evan

 

so used the next best thing – a five cent piece.

Sad about the eight guys who wandered past, individually and in groups, while I toiled under the open bonnet with my stupid little coin, and not one offered to help.

 

Evan was impressed with me. He said I really was a 'Jac-of-all-trades'.

My repair job lasted from Manly to Frenchs Forest (a little over 10kms). I was pleased with my effort. The plastic the hose attached to was cracked off so I hadn't expected it to last. I just needed to get closer to home and nearer to a phone.

Remember?

I hexed myself when I left my phone at home.

 

Fortuitously, I was near a petrol station when the hose blew a second time.

 

Shame the attendant couldn't call the NRMA for me because I didn't have their phone number, instead sending me outside to ask customers filling their tanks if they could call.

Unbelievable that none had a phone either – and I really mean unbelievable, as in, I don't believe them.

 

Unfortunate that I had to beg the station attendant to make the call using the "I have three kids in the car, what do you expect me to do?" line.

 

 

 

 

Chivalry was alive an hour later, in the NRMA man, as he organised a tow and a cab for me.

I always offer assistance when I can (I remember years ago seeing two guys struggling around under the bonnet of some flashy sports car, and I asked if I could help. They were looking for the battery. I told them to look under the drivers seat, sure enough, that's where it was).

It's not hard to give a moment of your time to help someone out.

But the rest of you lot, who don't offer to help, shame on you.