Samaritans - you just can't get rid of 'em

The snow has been rather serious here since last Saturday. It started out slowly enough but seemed to increase as we dawdled home from a neighboring town errand.

We were almost home, chatting and observing how drivers "handle" the first snow - too fast, too slow, too much brake, no lights, etc. As we consciously ticked off the check list, we saw the small SUV ahead of us start to skid, first toward the guard rail, brake - too much correction - then toward the ditch........oooooooooh, she's in it, don't turn over! She didn't turn over, just tipped.

We pulled over, blinkers on, with my spouse automatically dialing his friends at the police department. The young woman hesitantly opened her window and took the card that was passed to her. She was hoping this stranger who had stopped was trustworthy. She accepted the offer of a warm seat in our car, along with her daughter, until a police officer could arrive on the scene.

Unable to find her cell phone, then found - unable to remember her spouse's phone number, clearly she was shaken and probably needed a good cry. Before you could say, look here, a guy with a smoke dangling from his lips, pulled his red pickup over and asked if she would like for him to pull her out - thereby avoiding a big tow company charge. My husband and he conferred a minute and then asked her permission to try the tow. My husband, and now the young policeman, rather doubted that it could be done with the pickup but the driver assured them there would be no problem.

I was cynically thinking, oh boy, I hope he doesn't totally wreck the car getting it out of the ditch, and how clever of him to get out and beat the tow trucks to stranded folks in their vehicles. A nice way to pick up some extra cash, but what if he "damaged" a car or two - it was no skin off of his nose and again, he could pick up a few bucks!

They chained up the car to the truck, (I thought there goes the front end) slip, slide, oh no, oh yes - it was upright and on the highway with no visible damage. She was getting out as all of this was happening, thanking us profusely. At the same time, I was saying to my spouse - "how much does he want?" and as I looked up, the pickup was well on its way...gone on down the highway, have a nice day, kindness of strangers and all that stuff. I had a lump in my throat and a little voice, that said, "Oh, ye of little faith! Shame on you - who do you think was driving that truck anyway?!"