# City ain't what I thought it was. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 2, 2009, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599 "2009-09-02T02:47:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fastidiots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fastidiots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fastidiots)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/1 "2009-09-02T02:47:09Z")
I was working on the outskirts of Calgary today, and driving back to the jobsite after running an errand to see a car broken down next to a major intersection. As I approached I could see it was a First Nations woman, with a car full of kids, struggling with a flat. I pulled over to help, and in passing asked how long she’d been waiting - she told me half an hour, which seems plausible as three of the very tight and rusted lugs had been cracked, and were slightly stripped. I’ve been stewing about it all day, and I can’t believe she was on the roadside RIGHT next to traffic lights where at least a dozen cars would have stopped every few minutes for half an hour and no one offered to help. This is meant to be a Canadian, western hospitality type city. If it had been my girlfriend there would have been a line up of young men offering to help. If it had been my mother, she wouldn’t have waited. She told me she had come from Morely (the reserve), and was headed to the doctors, she was 40 or 50 something and looked pretty rough, and her car was fairly banged up. Either she lied and people had stopped to help, or she hadn’t been there half an hour, or 200-300 people whom I have enormous contempt for drove right past. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/2 "2009-09-02T03:04:02Z")
How did you find out what bank she worked for? ---
**Author:** ![supergoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@supergoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/supergoose)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/3 "2009-09-02T03:06:33Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > How did you find out what bank she worked for? Haha! (But just in case you didn’t know, First Nations is the Canadian term for Native American.) ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/4 "2009-09-02T03:08:50Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > How did you find out what bank she worked for? Uh, I suppose you’re referring to the “reserve”, i.e. the Indian Reservation as people used to call it. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/5 "2009-09-02T06:45:14Z")
Here in the US, we’re told not to stop to help people anymore, because (a) everybody has cell phones (b) a cop will eventually be along if they’re there long enough, but most importantly © it’s incredibly dangerous. I’m afraid my dad will eventually get killed this way because he stops EVERY time he sees someone on the side of the road. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/6 "2009-09-02T07:22:02Z")
I’m not sure how in goes in Canada, but here in the US stopping to help someone with a flat is a multi-tiered decision. It presumes that that they can’t physically take care of it themselves, that they have no cell phone, and no roadside assistance plan, and no friends or SO’s to call. Lacking all these things they are generally assumed to be poor or in straightened circumstances, and to many people this makes them a risky bet to assist. Beyond this, given the numerous ways you can screw up a cars bodywork on a standard frameless unibody car if you are not fairly familiar with jack placement the risk gets higher. Most people figure that a professional will soon be by to assist. Years ago I told my ex-wife about this young girl walking down the side of the road toward town, who I had offered a ride to, and she wanted to go to the grocery store. But when I delivered her to the grocery store I saw her immediately cross the street to go to the nightclub next door. My ex informed me that I had probably just given a ride to a hooker or drug addict as that nightclub was known as a center for dealing and how desperate did a person have to be to walk miles into town in her sandals just to go to a night club? In retrospect she may well have been correct. The watchword these days is better safe than sorry and there a lot of reasons it has come to this pass, and not all have to do with the heartlessness of people, but the very real dangers of getting involved with desperate indigent people. . ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Joe\_Meager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Joe_Meager)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/7 "2009-09-02T15:09:54Z")
Why do you assume she _required_ assistance? Assuming a woman can’t fix a flat is sexist. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/8 "2009-09-02T15:23:04Z")
This is Calgary. My first year here I was asked to sign a petition kicking the local ice-cream shop owner out of his store and his home above it. The reason was as follows: he was selling too much ice cream. This was causing too much foot traffic in a neighbourhood geared around pedestrian shopping (10th ST NW, for those in the know), so he had to go. This city was also host to George Bush’s first (expensive, no press please) speaking engagement since he stopped failing as US president. Calgary is not a friendly place. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/9 "2009-09-02T15:50:13Z")
This seems like as good a time as any to thank State Farm\* for funding the Florida [Road Ranger](http://www.statefarm.com/about/part_spos/community/sflocal/florida/20090407.asp) program- basically, roving repair trucks that stop to help anyone who looks like they need it, and remove debris from roadways and the like. \*even though their homeowners’ insurance department are a bunch of fraudulent cocksuckers. > [@](#): > > Beyond this, given the numerous ways you can screw up a cars bodywork on a standard frameless unibody car if you are not fairly familiar with jack placement the risk gets higher. Most people figure that a professional will soon be by to assist. I hear the owner’s manual usually tells you where the jacking points are- but I can’t back that up. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/10 "2009-09-02T16:09:43Z")
> [@astro](#): > > The watchword these days is better safe than sorry and there a lot of reasons it has come to this pass, and not all have to do with the heartlessness of people, but the very real dangers of getting involved with desperate indigent people. . Not to knock you in particular, **astro** , but that reads like the very definition of bourgeois heartlessness. Poor people are dangerous? Really? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/11 "2009-09-02T16:11:24Z")
Apparently only poor people get punctures? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/12 "2009-09-02T16:21:14Z")
> [@black\_rabbit](#): > > Not to knock you in particular, **astro** , but that reads like the very definition of bourgeois heartlessness. Poor people are dangerous? Really? Not to excuse bouregois heartlessness, but e did say “desperate indigent people.” I assumed desperate meant desperate to survive. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/13 "2009-09-02T16:37:52Z")
Desperate to feast on the delicious brains of middle class folks, you mean. ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/14 "2009-09-02T16:48:12Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > Not to excuse bouregois heartlessness, but e did say “desperate indigent people.” I assumed desperate meant desperate to survive. He also said this: > [@astro](#): > > It presumes that that they can’t physically take care of it themselves, that they have no cell phone, and no roadside assistance plan, and no friends or SO’s to call. Lacking all these things they are generally assumed to be poor or in straightened circumstances, and to many people this makes them a risky bet to assist. …so I assume by “desperate”, he meant “in dire need of somebody to help change their tire.” Like the lady in the OP. Now, I don’t give rides to random people on the street, and having dropped my _own_ cars off the jack more than once, I wouldn’t be comfortable changing tires on an unfamiliar vehicle by the side of the road. I’d like to think that I’d never avoid helping somebody out just because they look poor, though. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/15 "2009-09-02T16:52:17Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Here in the US, we’re told not to stop to help people anymore, because (a) everybody has cell phones (b) a cop will eventually be along if they’re there long enough, but most importantly (c) it’s incredibly dangerous. I’m afraid my dad will eventually get killed this way because he stops EVERY time he sees someone on the side of the road. It’s not all that dangerous unless it’s on the Freeway. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/16 "2009-09-02T17:17:33Z")
I agree with you that it’s horrible, but Calgary is so far from a nice, friendly, hospitable town it’s not funny. I’m surprised someone didn’t throw something at her as they flew past. I hate this city and all the assholes that live here. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/17 "2009-09-02T17:19:20Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > It’s not all that dangerous unless it’s on the Freeway. Well, that’s the only place you really see it, around here at least. If it was on a surface street they would presumably coast into a shopping center or something. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/18 "2009-09-02T17:28:00Z")
> [@EmAnJ](#): > > I agree with you that it’s horrible, but Calgary is so far from a nice, friendly, hospitable town it’s not funny. I’m surprised someone didn’t throw something at her as they flew past. I hate this city and all the assholes that live here. Waitaminit, \*\*I \*\*live here. You must be talking about those other assholes. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/19 "2009-09-02T19:45:53Z")
Here’s a [cautionary tale](http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/san-marcos/article_84cd771d-6a58-51e3-bf9a-6db1d179718f.html) from San Diego County, about half an hour from our place, and right near where my wife and i are teaching. It happened just a few days ago. > [@](#): > > A good Samaritan was robbed Saturday by the couple he stopped to help on Interstate 15, the California Highway Patrol said. > > An emergency dispatcher got word about 3 p.m. that a man had been stabbed on the side of the freeway just south of Deer Springs Road exit, CHP officials said. I’m betting he won’t be stopping to help people anymore. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599/20 "2009-09-02T23:19:52Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Well, that’s the only place you really see it, around here at least. If it was on a surface street they would presumably coast into a shopping center or something. From the Op "…_to see a car broken down next to a major intersection._ " So, I assumed not on the Freeway. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-aint-what-i-thought-it-was/508599.md?page=2)