to think that people have really become unfriendly and self absorbed that they can't spare 2 minutes

[Patchworkpatty]

So, I came home on the train to my little rural village station. Lots of commuters use it as free parking all day. Got in the car and the battery is flat , my fault entirely, oldish car and left the radio on ..anyway, I have jump leads in the boot, so opened the bonnet and attached them and then asked (politely) each passing commuter walking to their car if they could give me a jump start... fifteen people, not one could help... the reasons varied from : sorry I'm in a hurry , I don't know how (I explained I did but then they were also in a hurry !) to its dhs car and I'm sure he wouldn't want me to ..and my favourite of all, I'm sorry I don't know how to open the bonnet !. Saddest of all was that all 15 were women and not one could spare 2 minutes. In the end called Dd1 who was fifteen miles away who rescued me. she knows how to change a tyre and jumpstart a car because we taught her when she first started to drive , she also knows how to open the bonnet. Aibu to think it wouldn't have been too much to ask ?

I would not have helped for two reasons

1. I do not have the cables
2. I have been told by several mechanics that this can damage the car I am not being a bitch or uncaring or whatever

Google it: it can damage your car.

Silverblur- the OP did come back under the name kittensinmydinner.

Lone woman are a priority with Green Flag wherever they break down.
IME Green Flag are far superior to the AA.

I would probably have helped you out unless I was in my old Fiesta - tried to jumpstart someone's car with that once and it just didn't have the oomph to do it (my battery might have been on the old side too).

I did laugh at Nomama's story though - serves the fatuous arse right!

Some people are ignorant lazy selfish twats. I would have helped you.

Those of you who are afraid of damaging your cars -- do you not keep the car manual in the glove compartment?

Mine have all had instructions on jump starting my own cars and the cars of others. The only way you can cause damage is if you don't do it right. Doing it right is not rocket science.

You turn off everything in both cars -- lights, radio, wipers, interior light, alarm, etc. (And turn off both engines.) Make sure you correctly identify + and - cable clips and terminals, and attach + clips properly and in proper order to both batteries.
Attach one positive clip to the dead battery's positive terminal or lug.
Attach the other positive clip to the OK battery's positive terminal or lug.
Attach one negative clip to the OK battery's negative terminal or lug.
Attach the other negative clip to a solid and unpainted metal part of the engine block in the dead battery car, as far from the battery as the cable can be stretched. Do not attach to any moving parts of the engine.

Dead car will have one clip attached to the battery and OK car will have two clips attached.

If you want to be absolutely safe and avoid the (rare) risk of a voltage spike damaging your onboard computer, hook up the cables properly and then only run the engine of the car with the good battery, for about five to ten minutes. Do not try to start the dead battery car while the cables are attached.

Shut off the good battery car's engine. Disconnect cables in reverse order.

Once the cables are removed you can try to start the dead car. There should be enough juice to get it started and then you can drive around for a while to charge it more.

Don't smoke or use a mobile phone while hooking up cables or charging, and don't lean over the batteries at any point.

('Not rocket science, positive to positive and negative to negative. Turn on car, turn on flat battery car .. bingo')
-- More like !KABOOM! Sorry OP, but one cable has to be grounded, and it is best to only run the car with the good battery.

I imagine a lot of the women had to pick up children from nurseries or after school care or CMs, or were facing bathtime, dinner prep, homework -- their second shift in other words. I would also suspect some of them were conscious of safety issues involved in hovering around in the company of a total stranger while their handbag would be presumably on the floor of their car or in some way not something they would be paying attention to.

Bottom line is I would always be inclined to ask a middle aged man in situations like that.

That being said I would have helped, and I know what I am doing.

Lone women are a priority with RAC - still takes far longer than a jump start. I think it is sad that no one would help and all the 'reasons' given here have sounded like excuses. Apart from the 'my DH told me not to' reason, which just sounds witless.

'I connected the leads to the positive and negative to the appropriate terminals to be ready for any kind person who would offer help... '

Sorry to belabour this point, but that is a no-no.

Recently I broke the door handle off my car, it came off in my hand, with the keys inside and the passenger door locked.
After a few minutes of trying to fix it a young man came, fiddled about for 5 minutes and got it open. I'm not in UK, he barely spoke English. I could have hugged him.

I wouldn't trust that a stranger knew how to connect jump leads without damaging my car. That said, like others, I'd have offered use of my phone and/or a lift.

Things have definitely changed since I owned my first car - then there was none of this earthing of the batteries, it was positive to positive and negative to negative and yes, start both cars.

It worked fine and no cars blew up, but there were a lot fewer electronic gizmos in the cars then; maybe that's why the changes have happened?

I would have refused too- sorry.

These things can turn into much longer jobs, it's not a two minute deal- and as others have said you may damage my car.
Best to sign up with a breakdown cover- if you go though a cashback web site the cover will cost you next to nothing.

Explosions happen because of hydrogen gas from the batteries. The risk to electronics is a spike or surge, but nothing electronic will explode.

My dad always grounded his cables when jumping the family Renault 4 back in the day. This was after mum persuaded him to get cables as he had put his back out pushing one of the Renaults from the drive to the intersection where our road met one with a slope where he would give it a running start.

I would refuse, as my mechanic told me that was the reason for my £200 car bill because about twice a week for three weeks I jumped started my neighbours car, because they were too bone idle to get another battery.

I'm another who wouldn't have helped, I knew there's a right and wrong way to jump start a car, and wrong way can damage the donor car. I was taught this best part of 20 years ago, along with changing a tire, but I've never had to actually do either in all my years driving and put on the spot, would probably just remember "it could fuck my car, I need my car." So say no.

I have break down cover. I would just wait for them if my own car didn't start.

"Jump-starting a car can be very dangerous and cause serious injuries. According to the Sight and Hearing Association, each year nearly 6,000 motorists suffer serious eye injuries, even blindness, because of improperly jump-starting a dead vehicle battery. Injuries can be caused by battery explosions, chemical burns, crush injuries from lifting or dropping the battery, and electric shock from battery and/or post contact. - See more at: learningcenter.statefarm.com/auto/safety/how-to-jump-start-a-car-safely/#sthash.S64omQMK.dpuf"

Mathanxiety, yes I do keep the manual in the glove box, it's all in a little folder. It's also, like many newer cars on a DVD. I don't carry a laptop around with me.

Op what car do you drive that you've needed hundreds of jump starts, or do you just make a habit of leaving your lights on?
I've never ever needed a jump start although we had the AA out last weekend as our battery was dead, and needed replacing. He arrived in 10 minutes.

I wouldn't bother even trying to change a tyre these days.

I am more than capable but tyre companies screw the wheel nuts on so tightly with the hydraulic tool that they are very hard to loosen.

THe past few times I have tried to change my wheel it has been impossible to get the nuts off.
I always call Green Flag instead, they are usually there within 20 minutes.

I know I'll get slaughtered for saying this, do you live in England, specifically southern England?

I cant see this happening in Glasgow or most of northern England.

Well I would have helped you even though I have no idea how to do it, but reading this thread and now knowing the damage it could do if anyone asks me now I would probably say no.

The battery negative terminal is connected to the earth points on the car - connecting a jump lead to the negative terminal will do absolutely no harm because if you connect to an earth there is a piece of wire that connects the earth to the battery?... Sorry I don't care what Google says, my DF was a mechanic, my uncle was a mechanic and my DH trained as a mechanic before he moved to another industry - just because you find something via Google it doesn't make it true!

I had a flat battery a few days ago. I rang DH first. He came out to collect the DCs, but was unwilling to try a jump start incase of another underlying issue causing the problem that would still necessitate a recovery call out, and causing me more delay, also the risk of damage or draining his own battery.

If I was having to rely on a stranger, I would assume an older man most likely to be able to help.

My evening commute is a fine balance of maximising my work time, against picking the DCs up before incurring two sets of late fines from nursery. Yes, I'm genuinely busy.

I like that everyone who is saying "Do those of you with modern cars never read your manuals?!" is ignoring everyone saying - the manual says it's a bad idea.