small acts of kindness

[theHighwayman]

Witch & I traveled up to my son's home in RB last nite to see our new family member



Ruby's a beauty:cool:




my son's lookin a bit tuckered:o:)

Had an uneventfull trip *up* --

but

comin home was a different story --

on the EB I-8 jist passin the 70th St xchange, I noticed a small, older SUV sittin on the WB RS JEO the 70th on the curve as yer approachin [ makes it hard to see when yer WB]

I manuvered thru 5 lanes of traffic to git to the Fletcher Pky off and went around to come back and land behind it, lit up & coverin -- turned out to be a young gal w her girlchild in a car seat in the rear -- both of em lookin at me with wide surprized eyes as I told em I was "here to help -- what's the difficulity?"

she was OOG I said "that's the EASIEST thing I do -- turn yer key to the run position so yer fuel pump will pick up the gas the moment it gits it and prepare to git OUTTA here" [ tears filled her eyes ] she'd been aprehensive as I'd approached:confused:

She "launched" w me LIT up behind and covering and we both took the 70th St off -- her to turn inta the Shell station there and us to "go around" and continue our journey home --

only

we didn't GIT home jist yet --

comin up on the Second St off -- I spotted a small car on the RS just at the head of the off ramp [ a VERY dangerous place! ] this un a fella -- also OOG

vehicles whizzin by in a steady stream - dangerous cuze, of a sudden, there can be screamin tires and dodging vehicles when the traffic backs up from the signal lights below -- this is a VERY bad spot to be stuck in!

I'm FULLY lit behind him w my strobes and arrow bar workin as I pour fuel inta his driver's side fuelin hatch -- while standin beHIND the car and leanin around to do so to lessin my chances of gittin hit by the stream of passin vehicles --

I'd given moren half my fuel to the leetil gal in the SUV so I put mosta the rest in and he trys it -- nope - won't start - trys it agin whilst I rock the car to shift the fuel in the tank -- car's on an angle and sometimes this will help nope -- still no go -- bout now I notice there's still a mite of gas in the bottom of the can -- maybee a spoonfull -- so I pour it in and shake the can to git every last drop -- ONE more TRY and ROOOMPH -- starts up and he begins to move out [ I'd told him to move out instantly it started:D ]

We both got outta there safely:cool:

I stopped by my regular fuelin station to refill and thence be prepared for anuther day's adventures -- arrived home to the excited, enthusatic welcome of our forlornly left behind Shela:o:D:cool: who never lets us forgit who's important to her:cool:

[theHighwayman]

My story for t-day 02/21/13

Went out to "play" -- been promisin Shela DID so fer a while -- back & forth "over the bridge & thru the woods [ park ] several times - stopped by a resturant I've frequented over the years -- 40 years -- WAS a Denny's THEN a Topsy's THEN Brian's -- NOW it's called Maple -- shoulda guessed from the name it weren't gonna be like *I* am used to

REALLY UPSCALE! not set up yet to have breakfast -- if they're ever gonna -- hamburger was FOURTEEN DOLLARS! coke wern't light eaither!

anyways, I digress, everyone was nice & friendly - must a been 20 plus servers, & staff fer about that many tables & booths -- WAY less places to sit then afore -- seemed like a lotta em were walkin around to look busy

anyways, I decided to give em a try -- took a while fer the food to come, but, it WAS good -- kinda kinky small rectangular boards w paper coverins instead of plates ??

nice silverware, cloth nappy, no paper nappys until I asked fer some so's I could take last coupla bites of burger out to Shela waitin patiently in the Merc - her eyes fixed on *me* inside the resturant -- asked for my check -- waitress said
"there IS no check for you -- friend of your's have already spoken for it" :O

well, that was a nice surprize -- went over and said thankee -- nice couple --

from there, it was once thru the park agin and over the bridge -- @ the top of the bridge, leanin agiainst the moveable jersey wall in the center, is the whole "donut" of a steel radial tire tread!! wasn't there the last time I passed over -- scannin the traffic ahead for brake lights I don't see any, but --- this donut is fresh, so whatever lost it hasn't gotten far -- THERE it is -- at the bridge plaza -- van type vehicle maybe Chrysler w a RR FT -- did my roll-out into the plaza and doubled back to where the van had stopped -- RR was onlt sidewalls -- fell had driven it offa the bridge after the explosive blowout that threw the whole tread donut inta traffic behind him [ caused a TC between 2 vehicles followin him we come to find out later ]

anyways -- spare on thisun was kinda hard to find -- turns out it was built inta the LR corner of the van -- tho it didn't appear to BE there - it WAS was flat of course

changed out the ruined RR, installed the donut spare, aired it up to 60 and prepared to leave -- just then the folks whose cars had been damaged by the ruckus showed up and the fella assurred em he was gonna make it right w em -- he said to me he wanted to give me somethin for helpin him and I, of course said "just pass it on" but he was insistant, and said he worked "for the government" and made me take a gold coin he'd carried in his pocket for years -- I accepted as a souveneer, and pocketed it w thanke and *almost* asked what he did for the government? and if he told me would he haveta kill me?

got home, looked at the coin, --------------------------------------------------------- well I'm GLAD I didn't ask the jokin questions -------------------------------------------------

"Central Intelligence Agency" "United States of America"

[SurfnSnowboard]

^^^ Uh oh, it's probably spying on your right now!



That's really cool that someone appreciates your efforts enough to "pay it forwards" right back to you!

Sounds like another successful day playing in traffic.

[theHighwayman]

I just never know what's up next

helped save a Corgi type dog on the Coronado bridge approach from the I-5 NB & SB t-day -- me, several other motorists, & a CHP officer -- some seriously dicy moments afore I got the WB traffic shut down completely to cover the officer & peds in traffic as they attempted to capture the littl dog -- right QUICK it was in dodgin despite his short legs WHEW!

coupla FTs & a OOG to round out the day's "playin"

[theHighwayman]

Hours of boredom, minutes of terror!!!

nuthin to DO t-day as Shela & I cruised hither & yon lookin fer folks in trouble to help --

stopped by the dog park for her romp & dump
...
headed "back to the ranch" after an uneventfull day

when ----------

EB I-8 oppisite the Grossmont shoppin center - right AT the 125 offramps -- in the right wheel track of the #2 lane -- a LARGE barbq -- straddlin the right side line!!!!

narrowly missed it m'self -- and only because I had a decent space tween my vehicle and the one ahead of me to SEE it coming -- dove for the CD across the #1 lane which provendentially was clear at that moment -- and LIT and began backing the nearta an eighth of a mile it took me to roll out & stop -- backed "upstream" *past* the incident scene a ways [ so as to NOT git hit by any out of control veering vehicles that might occur -- ] [ you never want to be "downstream" or right beside sumthin like this as the likelyhood of gittin wiped out by veerin vehicles is expotentially high there ]

placed TWO 911 calls to hasten CHP response for a break -- meantime a Caltrans pickup nearly HITS the barbq and slides past it and goes to the CD as well and also begins backin to *just * upstream of it -- short distance ahead of me - he lights up too --

now a young fella pulls up on the WB side of the CD close to me and comes over to discuss the situation - he'd seen the barbq fall off a small pickup directly in front of him as he was EB and had "gone around" and come back to try to help

traffic is heavy and closely packed and vehicles are swerving and skidding but no one has thit the barbq yet as it is "on the line" and therefore more avoideable --

LOTSA near misses while we watch and we cringe everytime the tires start smokin and the vehicles dodge

we're all waitin tenesly for a CHP to run a "break" -- fully expecting a vahicle to hit the object and start a tire screamin, metal tearin and grindin crash!!

didn't happen, luckilly, -- break in traffic appeared w CHP cruiser LIT up & criss crossin in front of a solid wall of vehicles --

CalTrans pickup launches from the CD in front of me and I launch as well to cover -- the 2 fellas jump outta the truck and grab the barbq and toss it over the tailgate and take off over to the RS where ther's a small pick up sittin w it's hazards blinkin [likely the one responsible ] as I roar past the fellas wave -- then the CHP cruiser blows past* me* -- on to some other "situation" I wager

WHEW, excitin LUCKY time! WHEW always GLAD when they turn out thisaway seen ENUF of the ones that don't

[theHighwayman]

HOly Smokes!
out t-day 03/22/13 "playin" round my usual haunts -- "over the river & thru the woods"
[ thru the park on the 163 and over the Coronado Bridge ] several times, then to the "Dusty" [ dog park @ the sunset end of the I-8 ] for Shela --
one time over the bridge there's a CHP lit up on the RS @ the Coronado end w 2 minivans in front of him -- odd -- so I go around thru the plaza & come out the turnaround to further investigate the situation -- officer's just sittin w his arrow bar goin apprently to cover the minivans from oncomin traffic -- looks like the lead van has had a BO -- I see a jack under the RF -- so -- I proceed to back to a position from where I can "launch" thru a natural break in the traffic and "land" in front of the lead van -- yup, the lead van had had a BO ON the bridge! and the officer was helpin protect em by escortin em off and stayin behind em lit up -- nuthin fer *me* to do as they had already finished the change -- so -- ON to the dog park this time --
Coupla more rounds thru the city's freeways and then I'm coming back from goin over the bridge fer the last time -- NB I-5 to NB SR163 -- I come over the hump around the slight curve w my finger [ as always ] positioned to LITE up my arrow bar WIG wag!

and THERE!

RIGHT in FRONT of me in the #1 lane!
is a small SUV stopped w it's hazards flashin and it's rear hatch open w several people standin behind it !!!

exZACTLY where my Beulah was KIA 08/10/11 !!

Well I HIT my WIGWAGS and EVERYTHING else I have as well cause this is THE most dangerous place in San Diego to my knowledge from the number of rescues I've participated in right here and to my *personal* loss of my Beulah as well !
I run up to the SUV to determine why they've stopped and see a MC down in front of it! The MC rider is up and walking around but he's got a LARGE area of roadrash on his chest and the SUV folks were helpin him and protectin his bike & him w their vehicle -- BRAVE folks! [ or maybe unaware ]
anyways --
on determin what's what I grabbed my bright day-glo orange signal flags outta the Merc and ran back up the hill a ways to alert the incomin traffic to move over afore they crashed into us!
After I'm doing this fer a while -- the young fella's gittin patched up and puttin his gear back on -- then I hear the MC start, he puts his helmet on and turns to look up the hill at me and gives a thumbs up --
He pulls out w the SUV followin and I reduce my "CODE" and follow for a distance untill there's enuf vehicles behind *me* to provida a buffer -- just in case then I shut everything off and continue w the flow of traffic -- a number of folks honked and waved as I went by thru the merge
Hope the young fella's OK -- he was ridin all right when he pulled out -- I'm guessin he came over the hump and around the curve jist a leetil fast and had to lay the bike down to avoid collidin w stopped traffic he encountered there
anyways -- felt GOOD to provide em w some pertection --
__________________

[Spirit Tree]

Highwayman - Nothing like a "hedge of protection" ehh...

[SurfnSnowboard]

I could have used your help on Monday Highwayman! Coming back from Viejas driving my mom's car we had a flat on I-8 west just before Tavern. Luckily it wasn't a blowout and I was able to easily get to the shoulder - which is nice and wide - and took only 15 minutes to change the tire. Of course the spare was low but had plenty of air to get us to the gas station. At least it wasn't in a bad spot. I had the car probably 5 feet off the road and it was the RF tire so I wasn't sitting out in traffic changing it.

[theHighwayman]

happened across *this* t-day after gittin in from playin on the freeway a leetil --
http://www.godvine.com/One-Man-in-a-...hway-2337.html

coupla odd incidents -- onea them was as I was WB on the I-8 JWO the Ingraham interchange and approchin the Sunset end of the 8 -- traffic was backed up some from the end stoplite and I'm slowin, leavin a good distance in fronta me [ "jump space" I call it just in case some inattentive driver's comin up on my rear @ high speed ] when I notice a vehicle , several vehicles back, swerve to the RS and keep comin at a good rate of speed ON the shoulder!

It's a Texas plated car and as it swishes past me I pick up my PA mike and shout "we DON'T drive on the SHOULDER here TEXAS!" keeps goin -- as I come up on the stoplite area I see the car has pulled over to the "turnout" area commonly used by CHP and tows *and* I, for breakdowns and such and as I come up to it the driver's door is openin and it goes thru what passes fer my mind "oh shi- -- this looks like trouble"

but,

it's an elderly man [ more elderly then me ] and he's wavin and sayin "I'm out of gas!"

I say "well, I've GOT some FOR you in that case"

he asks "how much will it cost me?"

I say, "well, it's gonna be REAL expensive! you've gotta help at least 3 people you encounter in troubles you kin help em with to pay me back"

he thought that was a right good deal

then, folks in traffic let us back in easily by makin a hole for us as they passed -- several waved ahd honked and one yelled "WHO YA GONNA CALL?"

chuckle -- I git that a lot -- I do NOT know why?

[SurfnSnowboard]

Have you really never seen Ghost busters?

[theHighwayman]

Have you really never seen Ghost busters?

>chuckle< HOW many times

over the years, as I've driven by school yards in recess where lotsa kids were out & playin I'd say [ on my PA ]

WHO YA GONNA CALL? and, as they'd already seen me comin, there'd be a concerted roar from the schoolyard "GHOSTBUSTERS!" I've done this @ the Descanso & Pine Valley parades as well

usta be, MANY years back, i'd try to "educate" folks on the differences of a 55 Ford wagon and a 59 Caddy --

[ my Ford looked like this WAY before Ghostbusters came out ]

nowadays, when someone yells Ghostbusters! I jist chuckle & smile & yell back "WHO ya gonna call?"

[theHighwayman]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TWO "bridge incidents tDAY!

can't remember the last time that's happened, if ever

1st was a box truck that broke down on the San Diego side of the apex of the bridge blockin one of the 2 lanes open WB -- NOT just outta gas anyway, I got a chance to "sightsee" for a period of time after makin a 911 call to alert the CalTrans bridge tow and the CHP -- then I sat there admirin the view w all my lites & LEDs goin so that oncomin traffic would have a chance to merge over and reduce the chances of a TC occurrin
a number of ignorant drivers did NOT merge expeditiously and came right up to my rear afore tryin to which resulted in a coupla near misses in which I hadta givem a piece of my mind on the PA as they passed gotta watch how many pieces of my mind I give away as I git older might not have much left

I momentarialy considered hookin my snatch strap and pullin the truck offa the bridge but I was afraid of damagin the Merc's transmission seems to be more delicate then the Ford's was

anyways, after I was sittin there fer a while, I hear a siren and it's a LIT CHP cruiser runnin CODE 3, headin EB to be able to roundabout thru the barrio Logan neighborhood below the bridge and return WB officer slows by the CD as he passes and waves --

I never saw the bridge tow pass EB so he might have aleady been stationed below the bridge awaitin calls --

he arrived first --

anyways, I *SEE* his warning "sign" board w it's RED rotators spinnin above the roofs of the crawling vehicles approaching from my rear so I git SET to "launch" the moment he arrives behind me as he is going to haveta *push* the box truck off the bridge --

I "launched" successfully and went around @ the bridge plaza to return EB and pass the scene where the CHP had arrived and had blocked bOTH lanes so that the tow could git the box truck movin -- snapped a pic as I passed -- we'll see if it comes out

more later on the second incident --
________________

[theHighwayman]

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overturned compressor trailer in the #3 lane on the EB bridge t-day [ came detached from the truck towin it ] saw the truck BACKIN in the #3 lane as I was WB then saw IT -- continued WB and spun thru the bridge plaza to LITE up comin back EB -- CHP had arrived just ahead of me and had the situation in hand as the HD compressor was on it's side and was too LARGE to manually right by hand -- had called a rollback that he was gonna haveta wait for -- exchanged pleasntries w him and launched outta there -- no one hurt luckily - -just gonna be a massive tieup on the bridge fer a while

mostly uneventfull rest of the day -- we had our "ride" Shela had her romp & dump @ the Dusty [ dog park in OB ] got my corn, beans, LIMA beans, & tomatas planten in my "south forty" [ sharecroppin garden I share w a neighbor -- they provide the land & water -- *I* provide the labor & we share the produce ]

last season's corn -- had 3 plantins

I liketa say I have TWO gardens I work in -- one, on the highway sowing seeds of kindness http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/...n4446290.shtml feedin my soul

the other -- my food garden - feedin my body


either way -- "A Beautiful Garden is a Work of Heart"

GOOD onya friends!
__________________

[theHighwayman]

only came across 1 incident t-day - and *it* was almost home -- treen the 70th st and Fletcher pkw interchanges -- on the RS almost to Fletcher - a small pickup that shed its RF tire gator - but -- only after it beat up the fender sumthin fierce -- [ these things kin do a LOT of damage! ]

anyways young fella, gal drivin, no jack or spare tire lowerin rod - -but -- at least it did *have* a spare donut under the bed -- unlimbered my giant screwdriver [ bout 3 ft long ] and advised the fella if he'd work on gittin the spare down I'd be ready fer it by the time he got it --

jacked up the truck and attempted to take the lugs off -- they were of 2 different sizes onea the small ones stuck in my socket no amount of "persuasion" could dislodge it luckily, I have a number of metric and SAE sockets in the kit w the impact so I grabbed anuther that fit and completed removiin the ruined tire

CHP arrived and inquired as to status - -was happy to hear we were jist about ready to roll -- nice fellla -- gave us a wave and a yelp on his siren as he passed in launchin

spare donut was FLAT of course - -never havin been checked since the truck was new likely -- well -- no worries ya know -- *they* was worried till I told em I HAVE air fer jist this circumstance

anyways - came home w one lugnut stuck in my double ended socket [ truck had 6 so it was ok to roll and they needed to git a matched set of nuts for the future ]

took some "persuasion" to git the dam nut outta my socket - -finally hadta run a stud inta it to have sumthin fer my punch to hit on -- that did it

lug nut added to my souvenir stack of odd objects of intrest from incidents over the years -- lotsa stories
__________________

[theHighwayman]

arrived "back to the ranch" t-day to find this awaitin me [ why I keep doin what I do ]

Hello, Mr. Weller,

Cleaning out a drawer this past week, I came across the card you gave me when you rescued me on the 8 freeway about 27 years ago. So I was curious, and Googled your name, only to have the article written on the Huffington Post come up. That was one sweet write-up, and it warmed my heart to know you were still rescuing folks along the way. I found your website, and thought I’d relay my story.

I was in a little Ford Courier truck in the fast line on the 8, right around Fletcher Parkway when it died. It was a Friday night, lots of traffic, cell phones were non-existent, and I was in a panic. How do I get out of my car and get to the other side of the freeway, let alone get help? I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, while drivers swerved to get around me, no doubt cursing me for holding them up. Then I see a beautiful, older car pull ahead of me in the lane, and, instead of moving on, started backing up! Could this be a miracle? YES! You were my miracle! You came to my window, and softly asked “what seems to be the trouble?” Heck if I knew, but I tried to start the truck again, to no avail. You calmly told me you were going to get a rope and tie it to my bumper to tow me to safety. Once you were done, you came to my window again and said, “whatever you do, don’t run over the rope.” I can’t even remember where we towed it to – someplace off Grossmont Center Drive, I believe. I thanked you profusely, and said I’d walk to a pay phone to call my husband. You, instead, drove me all the way to Parkway Plaza so I could meet him there. I can’t even remember how I got a hold of him, but we were both grateful beyond measure for your help.

Since then, I’ve always remembered you and that evening when I see someone in distress, and more than once, I’ve helped someone out. Paying it back and paying it forward always feels great, and I do it with love in my heart and gratitude for my highway “angel” so many years ago.

And now, I’m off to write a check to you as a small token of my esteem for not only helping me, but helping out all those other stranded motorists over the years. Thank you, Tom!

Phyllis Berger