When the car broke down.
By dpk262006
@dpk262006 (58679)
Delhi, India
August 30, 2018 6:18am CST
I was driving my car back home few days ago. The traffic was horrible and someone hit my car from behind. I came out of car and confronted the driver of the car, who was unapologetic about the hit and his mistake.
I came back and to my horror, the car won't start again. Some snag developed in it and it broke down. I had to call the Road Assistance Service for help. Meanwhile, the traffic was so heavy that other vehicle lined up behind my vehicle and finding that my car has broken down, would blow their horn and would change their lane with disdain. Finally, after a wait of 45 minutes or so, helped arrived and the car started. There was some problem in car battery, I was told.
Those 45 minutes in between the heavy traffic with blaring horn and high decibel of noise were like hell
. I wish it would not have happened.
Have you faced the similar situation, when your vehicle unexpectedly broke down and it was not easy to get Road Side Assistance?
Picture courtesy - Google images
. I wish it would not have happened.
Have you faced the similar situation, when your vehicle unexpectedly broke down and it was not easy to get Road Side Assistance?
Picture courtesy - Google images11 people like this
12 responses
@allknowing (153544)
• India
31 Aug 18
Roads are packed with vehicles and that is a common scene and your breakdown in between must have created hell not just for you but the drivers behind you. This bumper to bumper traffic needs some attention.
2 people like this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
31 Aug 18
Volume of traffic is tremendous in Metro cities like Delhi. Breaking down of a vehicle amidst heavy traffic could be troublesome.
You are right that the authorities must do something to reduce the vehicular traffic and number of private vehicles.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (77084)
• Philippines
30 Aug 18
Fortunately none of my cars ever broke down at all. We make sure they're well maintained and we check for anything that might cause trouble on the road.
2 people like this
@Mavic123456 (21891)
• Thailand
30 Aug 18
That's why I ride a bicycle to go to work. haha. I hate traffic and waiting. so is your car OK now? Will your insurance cover the damage behind your car?
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
31 Aug 18
It is not a bad idea to ride a bicycle or a two wheeler amidst heavy traffic. However, the irony is there are few roads here, which have separate dedicated cycle tracks for cyclists.
Thanks for your concern. My car is running fine now since the snag was rectified. There was not much damage to the car, so won't go for repairs through insurance cover.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
4 Sep 18
@Mavic123456 No, I could not. As it was heavy traffic and seeing that I was standard in traffic, due to break down of car, he slipped away. Moreover, people now a days are incorrigible, they do not admit their mistake(s).
1 person likes this
@Mavic123456 (21891)
• Thailand
31 Aug 18
@dpk262006 thumbs up to the car. so were you able to straighten things out with the offender?
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
31 Aug 18
OH! That would have been a horrible experience for you to wait for 7 hours on the road.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502208)
• Italy
31 Aug 18
@dpk262006 It has been a nightmare, it snowed all the time, it was cold and we could not keep the car running because of the fear to finish the gasoline.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
31 Aug 18
@LadyDuck I can understand that it would have been difficult time for you, standing in the cold and snow, without your car running continuously.
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
30 Aug 18
Luckily, I have not been is such a situation where my car broke down and caused traffic. Instead, I was in a situation where I was rear-ended. I just drove the car to the side of the road and asked the one who bumped me to do the same and we waited for the police to arrive. I can imagine the feeling you had with all those other motorists blowing their horns without considering the situation you were in. Certainly no one, including you, would want to stall the flow of traffic.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
31 Aug 18
You are lucky that you faced no occasion, when your car broke down amidst heavy traffic. I can understand that someone bumped the car and you had to call Police to make a complaint.
Yes, you are right why would I unnecessarily want to stall the flow of traffic, that too during peak hours. I feel that other drivers were crazy, mindlessly honking their horns behind my vehicle, even when I had opened the boot cover also to let them know that the car has broken down. Every body is in hurry on the roads here in Delhi, as they are competing in a race and they want to come first.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
31 Aug 18
@sunrisefan Yes, you are right that they would only realize when they themselves land in such a situation. I won't blow my horn, if a vehicle ahead of me has broken down.
1 person likes this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
31 Aug 18
@dpk262006 They'll only realize when they're in a situation like yours which I'm sure you would not want to happen to them.
1 person likes this
@anya12adwi (10292)
• India
30 Aug 18
No, thankfully, I did not face any situations such as..
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
31 Aug 18
You are lucky that you have not faced such a situation. Do you drive your own vehicle?
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
4 Sep 18
@anya12adwi Haven't you faced any bad experience on the road, when driving your two wheeler?
1 person likes this
@anya12adwi (10292)
• India
31 Aug 18
@dpk262006 Yes, I do.. I ride my activa i.. I never drove cars for longer hours and daily or regularly..
1 person likes this
@smileyhema (4463)
• United States
28 Jun 19
I haven't drove that much in my life. I'd just take my bike to office and I did not find myself in that situation.
I could imagine that was a bad day to you. Sorry for that..
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Aug 18
That would have been a nightmare. I'm reminded of the story of a woman whose car broke down in the middle of a city street and the man behind was sitting on his horn. She walked back to him and said 'you try to get my car going and I'll hold the horn down for you'. What do these people expect you to do? If the car has broken down it's broken down. There is not much you can do until help comes along.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
31 Aug 18
Yes, the story is similar to what happened with me. Other drivers were crazy, mindlessly honking their horns behind my vehicle, even when I had opened the boot cover also to let them know that the car has broken down. Every body is in hurry on the roads here in Delhi, as they are competing in a race and they want to come first.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
4 Sep 18
@JudyEv No, they have no thought for others.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (381837)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Aug 18
@dpk262006 They have no thought for others at all.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
31 Aug 18
Thanks for your concern. You are right that till the help reached, it was difficult to bear the heat and heavy traffic on the road.
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
31 Aug 18
When it broke down, what did you do?
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
31 Aug 18
You are lucky that when your vehicle broke down, there was less traffic on the road and passerby helped you to set the vehicle right.
1 person likes this
@vsai2008 (11794)
• India
31 Aug 18
@dpk262006 after reading your experience, i too felt so.
Hope you have a good day today :-)
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (93194)
• Bangalore, India
31 Aug 18
I can understand your situation. People in our country have no traffic sense. I am a bad driver in India. I prefer to drive when out in other foreign country. Once my car got stuck while I was bringing it out of a parking lot to the road. There was a bump and then a steep down. My car stuck there and would not move. People were honking behind me and I panicked. I heard few of them being rude and even using slang. Soon one gentleman in his late 20's came and knocked at my window and asked if he could help. In all that confusion I came out of the car and he went on the driving seat and started the car and drove it to some distance and stopped on the side of the road. I ran and he handed the keys to me with a smile. I was so thankful to him. Later, I thought how idiotic I acted by coming out of the car and giving him the key. He could have run away with it. When I told my husband the incident, He had his eyes rolling on my childish act.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
4 Sep 18
As you and me belong to same country, you can very well understand my position. Drivers here have absolutely no traffic sense. They would drive in zigzag fashion and won't mind or bother overtaking you from the wrong side. They do not even bother to switch on their indicator, when turning right or left.
May be in foreign counties people have more traffic sense and they follow it diligently and scrupulously.
The incident you have mentioned, sounds very interesting. I understand that since you were stuck and were in a kind of panic, you thought it proper to take the help of an unknown guy. As an afterthought, we could think - Had that guy taken away the car, it would have been very bad. But all are not thieves in this world, so let us be positive. Having said that - it is better to take precautions, when such a situation arrives.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58679)
• Delhi, India
4 Sep 18
@arunima25 Yes, it is not less than nightmare to drive on roads.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (93194)
• Bangalore, India
4 Sep 18
@dpk262006 I can understand. It is a pain to drive in India.
1 person likes this
