A new appreciation of NZ
#1
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Joined: Sep 2012
Location: Christchurch, NZ
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A new appreciation of NZ
I have to admit I have been seriously homesick lately but I have a new appreciation for NZ today.
Scenario: Last night driving home from Dunedin to Christchurch, van overheats and I am left stranded 10km from the nearest village. Am not in the AA (could be the moral of the story here) so make several frantic calls to hubby. Then, truck stops, man gets out, happens to be a mechanic. Looks at van, hops in and tells me to drive 6 kms to his workshop, where he proceeds to fix it (on a Sunday afternoon, he was on the way to the pub). Meanwhile his wife (who was in the office doing the accounts) stops what she is doing, makes me a cuppa, plies me with biscuits and chats to me while we sit in the sunshine waiting for van news. 45 mins later, he has fixed radiator and tries to accept a paltry $20 'just for the antifreeze'
Now picture same scenario in UK: you break down in middle of nowhere and no-one stops. If a man should stop, you become suspicious and certainly wouldnt let him hop in your van for fear you may never be seen alive again. Even if he was genuine, you would be expecting him to charge you triple his normal fee to take advantage of the situation. What a contrast.
Scenario: Last night driving home from Dunedin to Christchurch, van overheats and I am left stranded 10km from the nearest village. Am not in the AA (could be the moral of the story here) so make several frantic calls to hubby. Then, truck stops, man gets out, happens to be a mechanic. Looks at van, hops in and tells me to drive 6 kms to his workshop, where he proceeds to fix it (on a Sunday afternoon, he was on the way to the pub). Meanwhile his wife (who was in the office doing the accounts) stops what she is doing, makes me a cuppa, plies me with biscuits and chats to me while we sit in the sunshine waiting for van news. 45 mins later, he has fixed radiator and tries to accept a paltry $20 'just for the antifreeze'
Now picture same scenario in UK: you break down in middle of nowhere and no-one stops. If a man should stop, you become suspicious and certainly wouldnt let him hop in your van for fear you may never be seen alive again. Even if he was genuine, you would be expecting him to charge you triple his normal fee to take advantage of the situation. What a contrast.
#2
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Joined: Jul 2007
Location: bottom of the world
Posts: 4,533
Re: A new appreciation of NZ
What a great story
have had similar happen when my motorbike went pop in the uk, dont be on such a downer about the place
not everyone there is a thief, rapist, mugger, paedofile.
have had similar happen when my motorbike went pop in the uk, dont be on such a downer about the place
not everyone there is a thief, rapist, mugger, paedofile.
#3
Bitter and twisted
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Upmarket
Posts: 17,503
Re: A new appreciation of NZ
Same thing happened to us when my car broke down once in Lyme Regis.
A lady there even entertained my kids for the afternoon while we waited for the parts.
A lady there even entertained my kids for the afternoon while we waited for the parts.
#5
Re: A new appreciation of NZ
I have to admit I have been seriously homesick lately but I have a new appreciation for NZ today.
Scenario: Last night driving home from Dunedin to Christchurch, van overheats and I am left stranded 10km from the nearest village. Am not in the AA (could be the moral of the story here) so make several frantic calls to hubby. Then, truck stops, man gets out, happens to be a mechanic. Looks at van, hops in and tells me to drive 6 kms to his workshop, where he proceeds to fix it (on a Sunday afternoon, he was on the way to the pub). Meanwhile his wife (who was in the office doing the accounts) stops what she is doing, makes me a cuppa, plies me with biscuits and chats to me while we sit in the sunshine waiting for van news. 45 mins later, he has fixed radiator and tries to accept a paltry $20 'just for the antifreeze'
Now picture same scenario in UK: you break down in middle of nowhere and no-one stops. If a man should stop, you become suspicious and certainly wouldnt let him hop in your van for fear you may never be seen alive again. Even if he was genuine, you would be expecting him to charge you triple his normal fee to take advantage of the situation. What a contrast.
Scenario: Last night driving home from Dunedin to Christchurch, van overheats and I am left stranded 10km from the nearest village. Am not in the AA (could be the moral of the story here) so make several frantic calls to hubby. Then, truck stops, man gets out, happens to be a mechanic. Looks at van, hops in and tells me to drive 6 kms to his workshop, where he proceeds to fix it (on a Sunday afternoon, he was on the way to the pub). Meanwhile his wife (who was in the office doing the accounts) stops what she is doing, makes me a cuppa, plies me with biscuits and chats to me while we sit in the sunshine waiting for van news. 45 mins later, he has fixed radiator and tries to accept a paltry $20 'just for the antifreeze'
Now picture same scenario in UK: you break down in middle of nowhere and no-one stops. If a man should stop, you become suspicious and certainly wouldnt let him hop in your van for fear you may never be seen alive again. Even if he was genuine, you would be expecting him to charge you triple his normal fee to take advantage of the situation. What a contrast.
#6
Bitter and twisted
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Upmarket
Posts: 17,503
Re: A new appreciation of NZ
Now picture same scenario in UK: you break down in middle of nowhere and no-one stops. If a man should stop, you become suspicious and certainly wouldnt let him hop in your van for fear you may never be seen alive again. Even if he was genuine, you would be expecting him to charge you triple his normal fee to take advantage of the situation. What a contrast.
#7
Re: A new appreciation of NZ
Is the moral of this story ' Not everyone is a bag of sh!te in this big wide world of ours. Many people are good-hearted and kind'
#8
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Joined: Sep 2012
Location: Christchurch, NZ
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Re: A new appreciation of NZ
And it hasn't happened to me in the uk as I made sure I was in the AA, the thought of breaking down on the M1 somewhere was too worrying to contemplate. Maybe I'm just paranoid.
#9
Bitter and twisted
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Upmarket
Posts: 17,503
Re: A new appreciation of NZ
I know there are good kind people in the uk too, but unfortunately the scary crimes just make you suspicious of everyone. It's a big shame.
And it hasn't happened to me in the uk as I made sure I was in the AA, the thought of breaking down on the M1 somewhere was too worrying to contemplate. Maybe I'm just paranoid.
And it hasn't happened to me in the uk as I made sure I was in the AA, the thought of breaking down on the M1 somewhere was too worrying to contemplate. Maybe I'm just paranoid.
I would say more naive than paranoid
#10
Re: A new appreciation of NZ
I have to admit I have been seriously homesick lately but I have a new appreciation for NZ today.
Scenario: Last night driving home from Dunedin to Christchurch, van overheats and I am left stranded 10km from the nearest village. Am not in the AA (could be the moral of the story here) so make several frantic calls to hubby. Then, truck stops, man gets out, happens to be a mechanic. Looks at van, hops in and tells me to drive 6 kms to his workshop, where he proceeds to fix it (on a Sunday afternoon, he was on the way to the pub). Meanwhile his wife (who was in the office doing the accounts) stops what she is doing, makes me a cuppa, plies me with biscuits and chats to me while we sit in the sunshine waiting for van news. 45 mins later, he has fixed radiator and tries to accept a paltry $20 'just for the antifreeze'
Now picture same scenario in UK: you break down in middle of nowhere and no-one stops. If a man should stop, you become suspicious and certainly wouldnt let him hop in your van for fear you may never be seen alive again. Even if he was genuine, you would be expecting him to charge you triple his normal fee to take advantage of the situation. What a contrast.
Scenario: Last night driving home from Dunedin to Christchurch, van overheats and I am left stranded 10km from the nearest village. Am not in the AA (could be the moral of the story here) so make several frantic calls to hubby. Then, truck stops, man gets out, happens to be a mechanic. Looks at van, hops in and tells me to drive 6 kms to his workshop, where he proceeds to fix it (on a Sunday afternoon, he was on the way to the pub). Meanwhile his wife (who was in the office doing the accounts) stops what she is doing, makes me a cuppa, plies me with biscuits and chats to me while we sit in the sunshine waiting for van news. 45 mins later, he has fixed radiator and tries to accept a paltry $20 'just for the antifreeze'
Now picture same scenario in UK: you break down in middle of nowhere and no-one stops. If a man should stop, you become suspicious and certainly wouldnt let him hop in your van for fear you may never be seen alive again. Even if he was genuine, you would be expecting him to charge you triple his normal fee to take advantage of the situation. What a contrast.
And to put a dampener on your story, I once gave someone a lift in NZ and they ripped off my CD collection whilst I was filling up at the petrol station
There's nice and nasty peeps in both countries
#11
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Re: A new appreciation of NZ
#12
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Joined: Jan 2012
Location: St Albans, Christchurch
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Re: A new appreciation of NZ
Whilst waiting 4 hours by a car with 3 bent rims and blown out tyres yesterday up on the Lewis pass, I was pleased at least 6 cars stopped and offered help. Jeez there are some serious potholes up there - Nelson to CHCH in just 13 short hours. Although thoughts of Deliverance did spring to mind at times.
#13
Re: A new appreciation of NZ
In London about 20 years ago, I was driving alone when I got a flat tyre and pulled over to the side of the road, only to realise that it was the edge of a gypsy encampment. I was a little nervous when a young lad came out to see if he could help me. Instead of taking all the wheels off the car and cutting the body up for scrap metal, he kindly got the spare tyre out of the boot, jacked up the car and changed the tyre for me. Never asked for anything, or accepted anything i offered.
There are truly good and bad people the whole world over.
There are truly good and bad people the whole world over.
#14
Re: A new appreciation of NZ
Whilst waiting 4 hours by a car with 3 bent rims and blown out tyres yesterday up on the Lewis pass, I was pleased at least 6 cars stopped and offered help. Jeez there are some serious potholes up there - Nelson to CHCH in just 13 short hours. Although thoughts of Deliverance did spring to mind at times.
#15
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Re: A new appreciation of NZ
Were you on the Rainbow Road?
Last edited by Mark Smith; Oct 15th 2012 at 11:07 pm. Reason: Wrong road