A Word of Thanks - The Karua Puncture Story

SydGTi6 · Post by **SydGTi6** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 12:38 am

So,

It was Friday night, around 9:30pm and I was making good time northbound on the Pacific Highway, taking the 340km trip from Sydney to Taree in my old '87 L wagon. All of a sudden things got a little rough under the rear axle and I realised that I'd had a tyre failure and had lost pressure in the nearside rear tyre. I pulled up, about 4km from the Karua turn-off, with a badly flat radial.

There are no lights on this stretch of the Pacific Highway and nothing but scrub on either side of the road. Must have been about 8 degrees. The only activity out there is the constant passing of large semi-trailers and larger than life b-doubles.

I got out to change the wheel. The problem? I soon realised that the car (a recent purchase) had been supplied to me with a wheel brace that was too damn large for the nuts on the Subie's small wheels. I could jack the car up and the spare was in good shape, but the useless wheel brace couldn't pull grandpa off grandma. I cursed myself for having checked the spare and the jack, but not bothering to make sure the brace was correct.

I got back in the car and reached for the mobile phone. I got a good signal and made a call to the NRMA. As it happens, the L series wasn't joined up yet, so I paid the fee to put her on the books and the small premium for needing assistance on the date of joining (which I figured was better than sitting there in the freezing cold going nowhere). The operator said I had a 60 to 80 minute wait. I got out to grab the spare from under the bonnet. No sooner had I opened the hood than a white Subaru Brumby with a fine coat of mud pulled up beside the car. The driver leaned out to see what was going on. I said G'day and told him about my problem. He reached behind passengers seat and pulled out a cross style wheel brace and handed it straight over to me.

This Gent, in the dead of night, was kind enough to stop for a fellow Subie driver and render assistance. It took no more than 5 or so minutes to get the spare wheel secured on the car, but I'm eternally grateful to this bloke. He mentioned that he'd recently blown a ball joint in a remote spot on the road and had been stranded for quite some time, so he knew the vexation.

I told this good samaratin Brumby driver about a great site called AUsubaru.com, so hopefully he'll stop by here, discover a great forum and read this word of thanks. Thanks mate!

Outback bloke · Post by **Outback bloke** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 4:24 am

Good read. There is something about Subaru drivers. I probably have Subaru blindness, but I don't know of, or ever heard of other make owners stopping to do the same.

It might happen but I don't think it would be as common as Subaru owners would it?

lovey80 · Post by **lovey80** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 6:04 am

A great read. I hope that this sort of stuff happens more often. What happened to the almost assured ritual of drivers flashing for speedo's that we use to see years ago. Aussie's looking out for each other. Yeh it still happens but no where near as much.

I recently heard a similar story of a family freind from west of Toowoomba that was travelling around Australia. (Landcruiser). they broke down in the middle of nowhere (Far north West WA) 100's of Km from the nearest town no mobile reception. Less than half an hour later car car pulls over to render assistance. As it turns out the guy that oull over was a friend from the same small town......... what are the chances of that?

Cheers Chris

dibs · Post by **dibs** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 7:36 am

our lucky he pulled out a wheel brace and not a gun

dibs

Post by **Captain Obvious** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 8:40 am

great story good to see there still is people like that i the world!!

00outback · Post by **00outback** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 10:33 am

Good story mate, I would do the same thing myself and hope someone would do the same for me.

chubby37 · Post by **chubby37** » Mon Aug 11, 2008 12:34 pm

i have had other stop to see if i,m ok or help and were i can i return the act of kindness...you get some strange looks tho when you walk up and ask...you right mate,need a hand...

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:15 pm

dibs wrote:our lucky he pulled out a wheel brace and not a gun

Its this attitude that hinders this generous behaviour of others. I know I've stopped for a few people regardless of make or model of vehicle - I just think of the times I've broken down in my old lancer only to watch people drive by without any offer of assistance or to see if everything's sorted...

Even in the middle of no-where, 2 hrs east of Ceduna no one would help, even though it was obvious that our engine was in bits. One guy did come up to check out what was happening, by then we were pretty much sorted - he had also been in a van with 6 women driving to perth from brisbane - poor bloke just needed to talk to some other blokes!

Cheers

Bennie

Subafury · Post by **Subafury** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 7:06 pm

valid point you make there wajiguqu0223. spot on.

i passed up the oppurtunity to help someone out the other day - but i figured i was in a similar position and not much help- barely driving with collapsed suspension in the rear. i felt bad tho because no one else would stop either.

AlpineRaven · Post by **AlpineRaven** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 9:05 pm

Yeah ive done that the same, people tend to be more comfortable if they have same car as what you have, i did pull up an fella with broken down liberty (turns out faulty spark plug leads and at least I helped them.) I always like to look out anyone who I would know how whoever have same make car what I have.
Cheers
AP

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:38 am

Funny how certain cars attract certain drivers and i get the feeling that most Subaru owners of both mud and show can be similar in some ways and have time for other Subies ownwers, then there are those that drive VN's, some of them are all the same too

Next time you are travelling alone a skirt and a wig may get some HELP other than join NRMA

I have often carried a 20l water bottle on mountain trips of past, funny how it seems to be Falcons with thoise plastic recovery bottles that form part of the pressure cooling system seem to be the recipients - the bottle deteriorate with age and blow when under pressure towing or not, up hills

wrxtc · Post by **wrxtc** » Wed Sep 03, 2008 8:04 pm

yeah its a scary world out there imagine if that was a woman out in the middle of nowhere like that broken down , wether in the nrma or not youd just wanna curl up and cry i reckon at some ungodly hour too.

i know that i always think of joanna lees ive travelled the outback and have seen there is nothing in between them towns but dust and shrubs and thats if you are lucky she was lucky that there were some shrubs out there to hide in after he boyfriend was taken by some lunatic from the kombi van they were in, mate ide have been scared to wave down the truck she waved down thinking it was the mad man that had done what he did in the first place.

yep makes ya wonder if men get scared as well ? after that what happened to that dude.
glad your safe and sound . cheers

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 7:09 pm

A few years ago, i went on a holiday to brisbane and on our 3rd day up there, my rear wheel bearing started to crunch.

I put a post on the forum for advice or help, and within an hour, i had a phonecall.

Chubby37 and Curley gave me directions to their house and swapped my rear trailing arm with a spare that they had in the shed.

Saved my holiday.

chubby37 · Post by **chubby37** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:51 am

wow...i had forgotten that...was very happy to get you guys sorted and back on the road...

Bumpty · Post by **Bumpty** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:59 pm

Outback bloke wrote: It might happen but I don't think it would be as common as Subaru owners would it?

Probably a bit of 'If you drive this make of car, you'll see it everywhere' case. But who knows, Suby drivers may do it more...
I've noticed alot, that many subys around my area drive with their lights on in the day? haha. But I tend to as well

Great story Syd,!

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A Word of Thanks - The Karua Puncture Story

A Word of Thanks - The Karua Puncture Story

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