Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Rescued Today By a Man. Feeling very grateful

362 replies

NeverGoingToBeThinAgain · 12/02/2026 17:36

I have a reliable little car (had for 7 years old) and it has never given me any trouble. A few weeks ago I thought it was taking longer to start than usual and thought I better take it into kwik fit to get checked but then it seemed to be starting fine again and I have to admit it slipped down my priority list.

Today the battery died on me while I was out with the dog and had a full shop in the boot (with frozen stuff). In the interest of cutting costs/saving money I cancelled my green flag membership a few years ago. Mainly because I only drive about in our local town and hardly ever do long journeys now and also because up to now I've never had a days bother with my car.

Obviously I was regretting that today. I was sitting in my car helplessly trying to start it for 5 mins and coming to the conclusion I was probably going to have to phone up the AA and get charged a huge fee to join and get jump started.

I then realised the man at the next car along was talking to the shop worker and asking if he had jump leads to try and help me. I was so touched to realise this complete stranger was taking it upon himself to help me when I hadn't even asked.

Anyway shop worker said they weren't allowed to give us jump leads due to insurance but they sold them in shop. Shit - I had no money with me as I had just popped down to collect shopping (done online all paid for). Stranger Man was on phone to his mum asking how much jump leads were in Tesco and they were £15. He then went into shop and bought jump leads and insisted I take them home with me. That was after he used them to start my car. He had already diagnosed the problem while we were waiting.

I came home and cried because I couldn't believe how kind this man had been (I'm in my fifties and overweight, so not some hot young thing).

So if you are married to a train driver from Fife who shops at Tesco (his wife was a train driver too he said) your husband was my hero today. I'm back home now and of course will be taking out an AA membership before driving anywhere and also going to kwik fit to get the battery changed asap.

The man was also with his two young children and so it was not convenient for him to help me as he had to look after them and he had just collected his own shop too.

We read on here bad things about people all the time and I have to say I never expect kindness from strangers. So for all those that have lost faith in men (or people) this is my story for you.

Meanwhile I pledge to play it forward and help out someone just for the sake of it.

So Mr Train Driver from Fife. At Tesco's today at 4pm - thank you very much.

Anyone else like to share a nice story about help from a stranger

OP posts:
Original poster
NeverGoingToBeThinAgain · 17/02/2026 11:02

ChiaraRimini · 16/02/2026 09:15

that’s lovely OP. Don’t beat yourself up about the AA membership- they can be very slow to come out so it may not have helped. I’m not sure it’s worth the money. Halfords can come and fit a battery on your driveway so you don’t need to drive the car to kwikfit.
Do try and find a local garage that you can trust for future repairs and servicing though.

Really? Halfords will come to your house to fit a battery. Wow that's a good service. Such a good idea. Thanks for letting me know

OP posts:
Original poster
NeverGoingToBeThinAgain · 17/02/2026 11:06

Sadworld23 · 15/02/2026 15:52

Hrft, kind thing he did.

But great tip, carry jump leads, you can nearly always find a car to jump from, but not everyone carries leads.
It also gives you great street cred with neighbours and colleagues when you say, yes I'll get my leads out, no problem. Suppose the EV crowd have different issues but regular petrol and diesel drivers, definitely recommend.

Jump leads are staying firmly in car boot so yes I'll be able to impress someone by whipping them out and then standing about saying 'eh so does anyone know how to attach these'. Might ruin the effect slightly!! I did try to pay attention to what the man was doing but I'm pretty sure I've forgotten now. Still having the leads is a step further than I had before (alongside my new battery and AA membership of course).

OP posts:
Original poster
NeverGoingToBeThinAgain · 17/02/2026 11:09

Skibbgirl · 16/02/2026 09:54

It is so lovely to hear about the good things that happen. There are some truly great folk out there but, sadly, good news is often viewed as 'no news'. We should all try to be more 'Train Driver from Fife'! 😀

It's probably true. The press don't print these feel good stories as bad news gets more clicks. That's why I'm delighted that so many people have taken the time to post here (and the OP is up to 604 likes/flowers etc so hooray for the helpful train driver from Fife)

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Driving & parking
Original poster
NeverGoingToBeThinAgain · 17/02/2026 11:11

GrumpyUngulate · 16/02/2026 12:03

That's a shame. I'm a biker too, and I always stop if I see someone who appears to have broken down or crashed. I've experienced the reverse more than once, and been very grateful for the help.

Show quote history

So if you breakdown in UK you need a train driver or a biker around! Keep em coming folks. Lovely to hear all these feel good stories.

OP posts:
Original poster
NeverGoingToBeThinAgain · 17/02/2026 11:14

Horsedoglover59 · 16/02/2026 19:32

Well add one to the number of people now with jump leads in their car. I wouldn't know how to attach them but I would certaintly offer them to anyone broken down (plus my car to attach them to obviously!)

Just so you know for the future and maybe can be of help to someone else!
If someone needs jump starting :
Get both cars as close together as possible, battery to battery.
Make sure both cars are turned OFF
Then put the jump leads first on the car that is being jumped from - very easy black lead is NEGATIVE - and the Red lead is POSITIVE +
The batteries usually have either red and black terminals or + and - signs on them. Put the black lead on the minus clipping them onto the battery terminals then attach in the same way to the car battery that's not working. Then start the car that's working and let it run for a few moments. Then have the driver increase the revs for a little while, then while it's still revving, try to start the other car. It may take a few attempts depending on how flat the battery is. If successful remove the leads from the cars - be very careful not to let the clips touch each other! And make sure you keep the car that's had the flat battery running, best thing for it is to take it for a fairly long whizz for a few miles up a dual carriageway or similar, where you can legally get a bit of speed up. Batteries tend to flatten quickly if they're just pottering a mile or two to the shops etc, they need to be used! Hope this is helpful.

thank you - yes this is helpful. The man also told me to press my clutch in before I tried starting it. Is this part of it or just something particular to him?

OP posts:
Tonissister · 17/02/2026 11:18

Lovely story OP and thank you for sharing it. There was a horrible thread recently about hating all men because they are (according to the OP and many posters) all evil offenders under the surface. Mocking any NAMALT comments. I was in despair of it. It's good to offset that sort of damaging, blinkered thinking with beautiful examples like this of men's kind and trustworthy behaviour.

Badbadbunny · 17/02/2026 11:19

Horsedoglover59 · 16/02/2026 19:32

Well add one to the number of people now with jump leads in their car. I wouldn't know how to attach them but I would certaintly offer them to anyone broken down (plus my car to attach them to obviously!)

Just so you know for the future and maybe can be of help to someone else!
If someone needs jump starting :
Get both cars as close together as possible, battery to battery.
Make sure both cars are turned OFF
Then put the jump leads first on the car that is being jumped from - very easy black lead is NEGATIVE - and the Red lead is POSITIVE +
The batteries usually have either red and black terminals or + and - signs on them. Put the black lead on the minus clipping them onto the battery terminals then attach in the same way to the car battery that's not working. Then start the car that's working and let it run for a few moments. Then have the driver increase the revs for a little while, then while it's still revving, try to start the other car. It may take a few attempts depending on how flat the battery is. If successful remove the leads from the cars - be very careful not to let the clips touch each other! And make sure you keep the car that's had the flat battery running, best thing for it is to take it for a fairly long whizz for a few miles up a dual carriageway or similar, where you can legally get a bit of speed up. Batteries tend to flatten quickly if they're just pottering a mile or two to the shops etc, they need to be used! Hope this is helpful.

All good advice BUT people need to be aware that some modern cars can be damaged by being jump started, especially now that most are computer controlled. You need to do more than simply attach the cables between batteries if you want to be sure not to damage either car's electronic systems. I seem to remember reading that it's something to do with the auto stop/start systems that use special stronger/higher power batteries to cope with the auto start, whereby it's possible that the higher charge is too much for the electronic/computer systems. Apparently, even higher risk of damage if either of the cars is a hybrid!

I think you're safe with older/simpler cars (assuming both cars are old/simple), but that expensive damage can be done otherwise unless whoever is doing the jumping knows what they're doing and what to watch out for.

I've got jump leads in my very old car (18 years old) which is as simple as you can get, not that I've had to use them, but just as a precaution, but we don't have any in our younger two cars (2022 and 2024) for which we have breakdown cover instead and I'd not be keen on a random stranger using jump leads on them as they're both high computerised, one being a hybrid.

Badbadbunny · 17/02/2026 11:20

Tonissister · 17/02/2026 11:18

Lovely story OP and thank you for sharing it. There was a horrible thread recently about hating all men because they are (according to the OP and many posters) all evil offenders under the surface. Mocking any NAMALT comments. I was in despair of it. It's good to offset that sort of damaging, blinkered thinking with beautiful examples like this of men's kind and trustworthy behaviour.

Edited

It's the old 80-20 rule. A minority of men are arseholes, but they're the ones we notice more. The majority are absolutely normal/harmless/helpful human beings but we don't notice them as they're mostly just going about their lives, not bothering anyone, being virtually "invisible".

Sadworld23 · 17/02/2026 12:58

NeverGoingToBeThinAgain · 17/02/2026 11:06

Jump leads are staying firmly in car boot so yes I'll be able to impress someone by whipping them out and then standing about saying 'eh so does anyone know how to attach these'. Might ruin the effect slightly!! I did try to pay attention to what the man was doing but I'm pretty sure I've forgotten now. Still having the leads is a step further than I had before (alongside my new battery and AA membership of course).

Show quote history

I have to Google it every single time, but it generally works Ok.

We drive older cars so I guess we get a bit more practice 🤪

CauseImMrDarkside · 21/03/2026 07:59

I drive around a lot, and if I drive past a woman at the side of the road looking broken down, I always stop and check they are OK.
Men too. But, I am a biker and we always look after people! 😃

ViciousCurrentBun · 21/03/2026 09:46

Very nice story thanks.

As an aside there is a device called a jump starter power pack with air compressor that has a battery charger and tyre inflator. It is about £70 but it’s especially useful if you are in the middle of nowhere so no cars about or if your car is stuck in a place where it would be hard to manoeuvre another car. Plus the air compressor is a quid at the local garage now.

OneLilacCrow · 23/03/2026 20:44

That has brightened my day! What a lovely man to help a stranger like that. But you too are lovely for taking the trouble to share the story in the hope that he will eventually get to know how very grateful you were.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page