So your vehicle(s) broke down...do you have help?

[DerekTJeep]

I've had been stranded in my white 1990 Grand Wagoneer and past Grand Wagoneers that I had. I've also been stranded in 1977 Chevy Caprice wagon, 1990 Cherokee, 1996 Chevy S10 pick up, 1991 F250, and 1988 Dodge Ram pick up truck.

The question that I'm asking is do you think you have gotten more help, more sympathy when you broke down in your FSJ as compared to other vehicle(s)? I kinda of think that the result is the same with or without FSJ. I've gotten help when I broke down in my '88 Ram. I got help when I broke in my '90 Grand Wagoneer.

[dajeeps]

it's sad,most people around here won't help. unless they are in middle aged old guys.i'll help people when stranded,but when i need help.well latley i carry a book and a complete tool set to tear down a jeep.:eek: unless i get one old guy in his fifties who is inthrawled by the jeep:thumbsup:

[frank_c]

i must be lucky, i can't remember the last time a vehicle left me stranded.

my Wrangler hasn't even been down for more than a few hours at a time, and it's coming up on ten years old and 150,000 miles.

[Gambler68]

...only on the trail :fsj:

[sungoesdown]

I have yet to break down myself in one of my FSJs. Knock on vinyl wood. My friend broke down in one of my FSJs and I had to come to his rescue, does that count?

[dlowrance]

I've been stranded several times by a variety of vehicles, and I've always been lucky that way...ran out of gas in the Gladiator towing a parts rig on the interstate back this summer, 6 miles from the exit, temp was like 96. I didn't walk more than 1/2 mile before a Peterbilt stopped and dropped me at the gas station, and then another 1/2 mile and a state trooped took me the other way...

My experience is, the further out in the country you are, the more likely you are to have an abundance of folks that'll help. If I break down in an urban area, no helpers and I'm in danger of being mugged/robbed/etc...

That's why I live where I live.

[suzq044]

Being in the City - having a Cell phone helps. I've only been stranded once, blew a tire in my '98 neon in the fast lane, because of an 8-lane freeway, had to pull left, instead of right. Either way - a call to my dad, problem solved. [The man has no mechanical skill whatsoever, but a triple-a card works just fine]. The left emergency lane is far too narrow to do your own work in (like change a tire). Not to mention that last time i got my tires changed (my parents did it without my knowledge), during which they lost the lug-lock keys, so they had to be drilled out (narrow-hole aftermarket wheels).

Only other time was when my '95 Neon ACR finally killed its clutch - i ended up walking the remaining 6-miles to school that day to get towed on the way home. It was my first car, and I still miss it. I will probably get another ACR for a project vehicle after I'm done with Levi.

[addicted]

I had a 79' El Camino when I lived in Nashville for a summer 12 years ago and the PO put a flex fan on it that wasn't far enough into the shroud to pull the air through when sitting, I never had an issue until I got stuck in traffic during rush hour one day. So I pulled over to let it cool with the hood open. I had at least 20 people ask if I needed help within a half hour. I pulled off the freeway just to get away from them, I was appreciative but didn't need help.
I've witnessed a guy break down at an intersection in metro Detroit get honked and yelled at by people that were inconvienienced by him and not one person helped him push his car out of the way. I finally got closer to help, then both of us were being honked and yelled at.

[Lindel]

I've stopped and helped many people, but usually only get help if someone I know happens by.

[Battle_Wagon_NJ]

My Jeep has left me stranded more times than I'd like to remember. But I always get help because I have AAA plus. But sometimes fellas stop to help me before AAA gets there. Maybe it's my.... pretty smile. Yeah that must be it. Takes a real gentleman to push a 6000lb beast out of the middle of a busy intersection (that time the radiator hose blew dousing the dizzy cap. Fun times.).

[andy d]

If you find yourself breaking down more than once in a car, it is your own durn fault. You are not maintaining the car properly. If you cannot take care of a car, dont drive it. You are putting yourself and others at needless risk. In the last dozen or so yrs, my cars have had only 2 breakdowns and only one of those required a tow. They aren't much to look at, but they run. First, help yourelf

[funhog]

With the jeeps I keep a decent tool kit and spare parts for the parts I know break.

I have had people stop and help me though. It's been a number of years but I was in WVa and had a radiator hose break on me. I was in the middle of nowhere. I had a couple of good ole boys stop to help me. We weren't anywhere even close to a parts store. They drove me around for probably 1 or 2 hours.

[imiceman44]

If you find yourself breaking down more than once in a car, it is your own durn fault. You are not maintaining the car properly. If you cannot take care of a car, dont drive it. You are putting yourself and others at needless risk. In the last dozen or so yrs, my cars have had only 2 breakdowns and only one of those required a tow. They aren't much to look at, but they run. First, help yourelf

I agree that if you break down twice for the same hing but there are a lot of things that could happen to the same car that you can't see till it happens, don't be too harsh with your comments.
I am a commercial driver and I do a pretrip inspection everytime I start a day and yet every once in a while something happens, especially electronics they don't give you a warning.
As far as the original post, I did get more attention when I was broke down with an uncommon vehicle, like when I blew my engine in my MG roadster, when my fuel pump went out on my 75 waggy on 35" tires, and when I broke my Tcase on my BIG K5, other behicles I had that no one stooped for: 86 olds, 95 neon, 89 nissan.
I think it does make a difference.
By the way one time only did I get help from a good old american dude, he was a trucker coming back home with his wife and they stopped to take us to a tire shop (blew 2 tires going up to Canada) and then brought us back to our car.
All the other times it was some mexican guys, they seem to care more than most busy americans.
I stop whenever I am not on a tight schedule on my way to pick up or deliver a load.

[710 Burner]

When the '87 got tired of me driving on the bearing race with no axle grease, I (family on hand) was going to have to walk 1 1/2 miles in 98 deg. heat. Balmy. A guy in an Expedition going the other way stopped and asked if we needed a ride. While he was turning around, I stopped my wife from walking (she was ahead of me) and told her we got a ride. Being female, I guess she was a bit protective. She said, "We can't just ride with a perfect stranger!" I told her that he had his wife and (looked to be about) 8 year old daughter with him and I did not think he was going to chop us up and bury us in the back yard....and that is when the fight started. JK. She shut up and got in. But I do not think it was because of the Jeep that I got a ride, but rather the kind of people in this area.

[mattmopar440]

Yea there's some Crazy kid up the road from me that stop and give me a hand :D I think He's on the site :thumbsup:

[Chuck Brown]

Ive only driven the Chief down our backroads on "test flights" til I can get everything in place for the inspection station, so I havent had the opportunity to press her into service yet. However, I do make a point to stop for people broken down on the side of the road. Ive done maybe 5 in the past year, with the most recent being yesterday at 3pm.

Buncha teenage girls in a subaru slid off the road on a rural secondary, so I told 'em to sit put and I'll be back with the tow straps in 5 minutes. The whole time there were guys younger than me driving by and averting their eyes, as I was on my back in the snow tieing onto their frame.

Its a **** shame what the world has come to, either our boys have gotten too lazy to help or to dumb to recognize a car full of teenage girls on the side of the road.

Foolish, I tell ya.

Chuck Brown

[710 Burner]

Yea there's some Crazy kid up the road from me that stop and give me a hand :D I think He's on the site :thumbsup:
He told us you were the nutjob with the Jeep...er, I mean, crazy person up the road.:rolleyes: