9:58 pmReason
This morning at 9am I was going about my business of shuttling kids to different schools. First I drive Zoe across town to her school for kindergarten, then I drive Jachin back across town the other way to his school. At one of the 5 stoplights along the way back, I came to a stalled car. The light was red, but I could tell that the car was going nowhere because there was a teenage boy standing behind the car, preparing to push it while the mom, a teenage daughter, and another young daughter sat inside. After a nano-second of thinking “it’s a small car, he can probably push it himself”, I pulled off to the side, put on the hazard lights, and told Jachin to wait in the car. I got out of my car and started pushing right as the light turned green. We got the car off to the side of the road, and I asked the kid if they had a cell phone to call for a ride. He said they didn’t. At that point, the mom got out of the car and thanked me. I told her that I would run back to the car to get my cell phone for them to call someone. She said they had no one to call, but that usually, if they waited a little while, it would start back up. I wasn’t sure what to do… I felt a little weird leaving them all sitting there along side the road, holding their backpacks, waiting for their car to start. I asked if I could do anything for them. The mom said, “Well, are you going that way?”, pointing south. I said yes. She told me that her two teenagers were in a program at UVSC to finish up their associates degrees before graduation (from high school). She said that it was very important that they get there on time. She asked if I’d drive them. I said sure. I still felt weird leaving the lady and little girl sitting there along the road, but I took the other two with me.
When we walked back around the corner to my idling car, Jachin was sitting in the front seat, the hazards flashing on and off intermittently, the windshield wipers going, and the headlights now on. A few more minutes and he may have taken himself to school. I motioned for him to get in the backseat. The teenage girl opened the door to get in the front seat. I had to move my old purse (still sitting there because I haven’t quite finished moving over all of the important stuff to my new purse), a hoodie, some school papers, a water bottle, some candy wrappers, and some swimming goggles. The teenage boy, who had to ride in the back with Jachin, had a tougher time. The backseat contains two booster seats for the kids, with the ”middle” seat being open. And when I say it’s open, I mean the middle seat is the trashcan for the backseat. He had to sit in the empty booster. A 16 year old butt in a booster seat that a five year old usually sits in. Before actually being able to enter the car, he took his foot and shoved a clean spot on the floor for his feet to rest. Crap in the back: three sweaters, empty chip bags, half of a cookie, another pair of swimming goggles, more papers, two pairs of shoes, and empty juice boxes.
I was humiliated.
I apologized repeatedly to the teenagers I had “rescued” and then forced to ride in my mobile trash can.
I drove quickly, telling them about the time my car broke down while I was pregnant with Jachin. It was right at a stoplight at the exit to a movie theater. Everyone honked and flicked me off and screeched their tires going around me, and no one would stop to help a pregnant chick.
They were impressed and saddened by my story, and I think my plan of diverting their attention from all of the trash in my car was working. Oh, but the story came to an end and we weren’t to the college yet. The girl’s gaze wandered back down to the remains of my old purse; receipts, wrappers, old tissues, a few odd pieces of gum…
I offered her some of the gum.
She politely declined.
I dropped them off and wished them luck. The boy accidentally kicked a juice box out of the car, and it clanked to the pavement. He picked it up, not sure what to do with it, and threw it back in.
Note to self: clean. your. friggin. car.
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Suz,
It is cool you stopped and helped. Offering the girl some gum is classic. I have ridden it the back of a truck to get a ride and ended up covered in hay chaff. Still better than being stuck… I’m sure they appreciated the ride and they will have a good story to tell their friends.
Thanks for the giggle.
-Stu
Comment by Bad Dad — October 30, 2007 @ 9:42 am
My van is in similar condition. Plus, there’s a foul and mysterious odor coming from the back. I’m almost afraid to search for the source.
Comment by Leslie — October 30, 2007 @ 12:37 pm
dude…i think we were separated at birth. the “i offered her some of the gum” sent me into hysterics. and the juice box, oh dear, i’ve been there. note to self…clean my own friggin car…soon.
Comment by kate — October 30, 2007 @ 8:33 pm
The trash falling out of the car happens when I drop Parley off at school. He gets out and then has to clean up all of the trash he kicked onto the ground before he can actually go into class.
Comment by Sam — November 1, 2007 @ 8:08 am