Stop for people broken down. A bloke thing.

[AndThereSheGoes]

Ok so I usually wizz past on the dual carriageway, assuming everyone has a phone and I have somewhere to be.
But.. I did see someone and they were still there in the cold an hour later. So I pulled in on my way back because I knew the road and could see she was a woman. Apparently I was the only person that stopped. She'd been on the roadside in 2 hours. The only time I've been stuck/ list or broken down and it's men that's helped out.

Do women help each other? ,

I do

I don't stop.

I'm not great in a crisis, rubbish at comforting randoms and beyond driving one have zero car knowledge.

If I'm your best hope, you're well and truly fucked tbh so on I go.

I have stopped in the countryside because they might not have a signal, and I've called the police if people are broken down and in the lane on a dual carriageway, but I have to say I assume people generally have a phone on them nowadays.

I probably wouldn't on the grounds that I couldn't do anything useful and it seems a bit risky to stop at a random broken down car. If a woman was standing by her car in a lay-by trying to flag down help I would stop in daylight, after dark I'd call the non emergency police line and report that she needed help.

What a nightmare for her! I hope help arrived soon. In the circumstances you described, I would be reluctant to stop, as it would increase the likelihood of an accident with more stationary vehicles at the side of the road and pedestrians walking around. You can always call the emergency services non emergency number; traffic police do stop for instances like this to offer assistance where they can.

Yes I always stop, not just roadside but for other people in distress, and as a result have helped in medical emergencies more than a dozen times. It makes me sad that people don’t stop. Bystander effect.

I'd also say it's not sex related at all for me. But then I've picked up lone males when they've been walking in the countryside/broken down etc so I may not be risk averse enough to be allowed to use Mumsnet.

It would depend on the circumstances, and I would pull in in front of the vehicle, not behind.

I called the emergency services when I saw a man holding a baby trying to flag down cars. But I wouldn’t stop generally as it is not safe to stop on busy roads and not safe for lone women to stop.

I thought women don't want men to stop in case they have ulterior motives and women won't stop so they need to fix things themselves or wait for the professionals

I stopped for a bloke who had crashed his car into a ditch down my country lane. He didn’t want a lift but I took him some tea as it was a freezing cold day and the rescue truck wasn’t due for a few hours. I wouldn’t have any qualms about stopping and offering assistance to anyone who looks like they need it.

I don’t stop.

In the days before mobiles I was coming home from a night out, we lived very rurally, when I came across what looked like a breakdown. A man tried to flag me down. I ignored him and drove on. As it was a long straight road, when I looked in my rear view mirror I saw 3 other men come out from the bushes. They all got in the car and drove off.

I was shitting myself all the way home. My dad phoned the police. It was a known scam which they’d been doing for months.

I'm a woman

I have stopped for cases where first aid was clearly required.

In general I would not stop as I would consider it a dangerous situation.

Most people these days have mobiles and the aa are just a call away.

I would be wary in case or was some kind of trick but if it was a person who appeared to have been waiting ages or may have a problem, I think I would at least talk to them from my car to see if I could help call someone for them.

This. ^ Shame really. But I am very suspicious of everyone and don't trust anyone. I definitely would not pick up a man. And even with a woman, she could pull a knife out on you/have an accomplice down the road. Nope. No way would I stop (if I was on my own.)

As pps have said, you can call the emergency 101 number and tell police that a lone woman is on the road with a broken down car.

I’ve never stopped because i know nothing about fixing cars and would be chocolate-teapot levels of helpfulness, but i have been stopped for (by blokes) and was incredibly grateful to them in both cases.

I've not been driving long enough to be in this situation yet, but I'd stop for sure. I always help people out if I think they're genuine.

It's sad the people that say they're too afraid it could be an ambush-- that seems very unlikely and maybe you should lay off the true crime podcasts and realise most people are normal people who are not out to get you!

I wouldn’t stop the first time as I’d assume they’d phoned for help. But in this case where you passed by a second time I would’ve stopped too.

Mind you, I was once in a queue of traffic and someone going the other way crashed into a hedge down a small embankment. When I got to the roundabout I doubled back to check on him, and was shocked that none of the other 5 or 6 cars that would’ve seen if had bothered to see if he was ok.

If I saw an accident happen and I was first on the scene, then I'd definitely stop to help, yes. Otherwise, I don't think I would stop - there are too many dodgy people about, and stopping on a dual carriageway is dangerous in itself.

It depends on the circumstances. I have stopped, especially when Ive seen something happen. But I wouldn’t generally stop if someone was flagging me down

I wouldn’t stop for someone just pulled over/broken down, I’d assume they’d have a phone and I couldn’t give any practical help.

I’ve stopped for accidents that have happened in front of me and obviously called emergency services or let them have my details as I have a dash cam.

I wouldn't stop for someone whod broken down. I'd assume that they had arranged their own help - as pretty much everyone does

I wouldn't stop for an accident because if it's a minor bump they don't need help. If it was seriois I wouldn't be any practical help so would just get in the way. If it was looking serious I'd call police or ambulance to make sure they were aware

Someone trying to flag me down. Tricky. I'd probably stop and speak to them through a tiny bit of open window to hear why they needed help & offer to call police etc but I wouldn't open my door or let them in my car

Yep I do. At least I can offer some shelter why they wait for the recovery

I'd just want you to Google my breakdown service and phone them for me/let me phone them as my battery may have died.

Please do stop.