Locked out of car and a stranger refuses to let me use her phone

[Joe81]

I just want some advice, I want to know if I'm in the wrong for feeling this way. I'll give a short story first of the setup. Yesterday I was 2.5 hours away from home out in a secluded park not well-known to people doing some photography. Mind you, it's not a very populated area and there were only two houses within the area that I could see and knew of.

 

Well, what happened was is I locked my keys in the car. My fault. I had a cell phone on me, but for some reason or another I do not understand the battery was going dead. I had talked to my mom earlier, she knew where I was at. Once my phone goes dead, I really have no other communication with people. The park is fairly empty, only 3 other people there.

 

At the two houses, one nobody was home. Well, to keep from killing my cell phone I was going to go to one of the houses to see if they had a phone book and could be me a phone # so I could call a locksmith. I knew my cell battery was low, so I didn't wanna risk it dying out completely by calling 411 or something. Well like I said at the first house nobody was there.

 

The second home sits on the other side of the river, there's a bridge that goes across and then it turns into a drive. Well it's private property, but of course that's really as a warning for criminals I suppose. Well this lady is outside, other people in the area, and I don't even step foot on her property. I shout out to her that I locked my keys in the car and my cell phone was going dead and I asked her politely if she could get me a phone # for a locksmith out of the yellow pages or lemme look at a phone book.

 

She flat out refused just saying "no, can't help you". Well, I finally got the courage to use my cell phone hoping it didn't die to call my mom, she finally found one and he was gonna come out and get me out. Well then my dad gets home, says to my mom that there's a hide-a-key on my car. So she calls locksmith, says nevermind I have a key to get in.

 

Well, in the end NO there was no hide-a-key on my car and I still had no way to get in unless I had a locksmith or bust a window. I wasn't about to bust a window. Well, my cell phone died so a) the locksmith was cancelled and b) the last thign between myself and my parents was that there was a hide-a-key so I had no way to call them back to say "hey, there isn't get me a locksmith".

 

There's no public phones, of the few people there they didn't have a phone either. But am I wrong for being upset that the lady couldn't of just gotten me a # but instead refused help? The way I look at it is yes, she didn't have to but sometimes we have to put that behind and help out a person in need. It's not like I was in a populated area.

 

Can someone explain to me if I'm right in being upset or if that was wrong of her or what the deal is cause everyone says now that I'm wrong for being upset she refused help and blah blah blah.

[moimeme]

I think it's mean of a person not to get a number for you. She could have shouted it through the door.

[sonofhud]

Good God, I would think that the majority of people would be decent and at least get you a number. Where do you live anyhow?

 

I would be pissed off as well though and I don't think you should feel bad for feeling that way.

[Joe81]

Thanks for the replies. I live in Kansas, I was at a secluded park that isn't well known but my god is it ever beautiful there. Waterfall and all. It's a public park, but it's not one with an office or in a town or city. It's way out in the country about 15 miles away from any city and it's no populated out there.

 

It is approx. 2.5 hours from where I live, so yeah I was in an area I knew absolutely nobody and was new to. My closet contact was 2.5 hours away which is where I live. After 7 hours of sitting in the sun next to my car hoping my mom called that locksmith back to tell him to come out and didn't wanna leave in case he'd come and I'd miss him.

 

Basically because she refused me a phone book and my cell was dying, I used the remainder to call my mom and tell her what park I was at. Told her to call the sheriff's dept, she did, and she got ahold of a locksmith and he was going to come out. My dad then comes home, says I had a hide-a-key on my car, well my phone dies. So at this point, no locksmith no more, last I hear is there's a hide-a-key on my car, and that's it.

 

Come to find out, there was no hide-a-key, use to be until my dad removed it. So I sat in the sun, next to my car with $1,600 worth of photography equipment hoping to god my mom was smart enough to call the locksmith back, but she didn't.

 

The only other house was nearby, but nobody was home. The only other houses were beyond the point of "private property" where that lady refused me a phone book. So I was just SOL. 7 hours later my dad found me, got me in my car and I was on my marry little way.

 

Now, had that lady allowed me to borrow a phone book or given me a # to a locksmith, I would of called myself, paid the cost, and be done with it. I would of been gone within an hour. I was upset, I posted this and that she upset me like that on a forum on a local newspaper website and everyone on there says I'm wrong and that they would of refused me a phonebook too and that they "dont have to" do anything for me and I should of just walked.

 

That's why I came here for an opinion. She didn't have to give me a phone book, but it wouldn't of hurt for her to just shout me out a # to call.

[HokeyReligions]

I would have called a locksmith for you -- I think the majority of people would have tried to help. If she was afraid of you, or felt threatened she should have called the police herself and the police would have helped you.

 

I can understand her reticence if she was elderly or alone or had a bad experience with a stranger in the past, but even then she could have done something. You are right to be upset about it, but now its time to let it go. Feel sorry for someone who is so rude or selfish or scared or whatever, that she can't even muster enough human kindness to help someone else.

[Leikela]

Joe,

 

You definitely have a right to be upset. Basic human kindess in anyone would have at least been willing to get you a phone number if they didn't want you on their property or in their house. I think the lady's actions are disgusting. I would have helped you.

 

A few years ago my car broke down on a major highway and I had no cell phone so I started walking to the nearest exit. Cars just whizzed past me until one stopped and offered me a ride to the nearest exit so I could call a tow truck. It was an eldery couple and they seemed nice, so I hopped in. They were awesome. Not only did they drive me to the nearest phone but they drove me back to my car, waited with me for the tow truck to come, and then drove me back to college, where I was living at the time. They were my guardian angels in disguise. I will never forget that random act of kindness and hope to be able to help someone else like that.

 

Seriously, what goes around comes around. When that lady needs help, she won't receive it and then maybe she'll think twice about her actions and help someone in the future. Just think though, the next time you encounter someone in need, you'll be more apt to help them since you know what it feels like to be refused help. The cold hearted woman might have actually taught you something.

[sonofhud]

Best thing you could do now is try to contact the park manager/owner and tell him what happened, maybe you can get some phones out there. Cause something is bound to happen to someone else in the future.

[Joe81]

It's me again, ok people on the forum I originally stated this on and that she should of helped me and it upset me that she didn't is still going off on me. now I'm being called a depraved maniac, and every other name because I'm still arguing with the fact that if she can't help a person out with a simple request of a phone book, then god forbid should someone in a life and death situation come to her because they'd get refused help.

 

What is so bad about me being upset that she didn't help me? I do not understand why now this forum, which I've been a board member of since it first started years ago, I am being attacked by everyone on my way of thinking.

 

They come to say that I posted direction to this womans house when I never did, just named the park. I'm being bbq'ed and it seems that I can't get it that everyone has an obligation to help a person out when in need. It's just human kindness, anyone know of a website regarding stuff like this that I can use to back me?

[Bob]

That is life....

 

About a year ago... a man and a wife ran out of petrol just beside my house. They woke me up at 3am and asked if I had any petrol ( ). I didn't, but offered them to stay the night here as the nearest 24 hour petrol station is 30 miles away... .

 

So they stayed over and left the next morning at about 8am when the local petrol station opened. About a month ago they returned to Ireland again, and gave me a rather nice watch and some chocolates.

 

It pays to help people in need

 

Sometimes you get those nasty people in life that are to lazy to look up a phone book, I on the other hand was just to tired and lonely to be nasty...

[Paul]

Originally posted by Joe81

It's me again, ok people on the forum I originally stated this on and that she should of helped me and it upset me that she didn't is still going off on me. now I'm being called a depraved maniac, and every other name because I'm still arguing with the fact that if she can't help a person out with a simple request of a phone book, then god forbid should someone in a life and death situation come to her because they'd get refused help.

 

Well, from a personal perspective, I would immediately stop discussions with people that weren't able to engage in a intellectual discussion the matter and had to resort to name-calling.