Where's the Good Samaritans???

Okay, so I thought that I would wait a few days after this incident to cool down to be able to blog about it. Last week on Thursday (Jan. 17th) I had two home visits scheduled in the evening. One of them was in Spanish Fork at 4 o'clock for a new case I got. I then had a home visit in Birdseye (up Spanish Fork canyon) at 6 o'clock. The visits went well and then the drama began. So I left Birdseye around 7 o'clock that night. As I was driving along Highway 89 towards Highway 6 I was following a car through the winding canyon. I all of the sudden heard something hit the car underneath. I didn't see anything in front of me as I was driving and didn't see the car in front of me hit anything either. I turned off the music and listened as I drove for a few minutes. Everything seemed fine. Then a few turns down the road later I felt that I didn't have much control of the car and that something didn't seem right. I pulled onto the shoulder of the road and got out and looked at the tires on the drivers side (since that was the area that the noise seemed to come from when I hit something). Everything looked good, but then I had the feeling to check the other side. Low and behold there was a flat tire on the back passenger side. I sat there debating on limping the car up the hill to the junction of the two highways where I knew that there would be a streetlight. Then I thought about how you are not suppose to drive on the rims of the tires because it ruins them.

So I got the spare and jack out from the trunk and then the cursing began. There was no flashlight or anything of the sort in the state car. Oh, there was a car seat in the trunk...but what good would that do me?! It was dark, there was no cell reception, and I was on a road that isn't traveled too much. As I fumbled in the dark feeling along the bottom of the car to figure out where the jack was, I was glad that I was no longer in my skirt from the court that I had that morning, but I was frustrated because the flashlight that I usually have in my purse was in my drawer in my desk because it sets off the metal detectors at court. I eventually got the car up high enough to take off the tire and flung it into the trunk not caring. During this entire event there were a couple of cars that passed without slowing. There were some that slowed, but then kept on going. I thought to myself, "Where are all the Good Samaritans?" I was in the process of tightening the lug nuts on the spare when someone finally stopped and asked if I needed help. I told them I was almost done, but they pulled behind me and provided light (which would have much much more helpful in the beginning). Then the guy got out and helped me by finishing tightening and then lowering the car back down. By the time I got back into the car I was freezing, my knees were wet from kneeling in the snow/gravel, and my hands were filthy. I figured that it took me about a half an hour to change the tire only because I was doing it all by touch without any light.

I then drove to my parents house (a few miles outside of the canyon) to use the restroom, clean up, and get something to eat. I didn't get back to Salt Lake until 9:30 that night (only an hour and a half later than I had planned). When I got back to the office I sent an email to the appropriate people explaining my evening and stating that a flashlight and emergency car kit would be helpful for the state cars. They replied back saying that I should have called the roadside assistance for help. Um...hello...I would have done that if I had any sort of cell reception...duh!!! So, hopefully for future trips the state cars will be better equip. But I am now a firm believer in stopping to help or even ask if someone needs help who is alongside the road. Be a Good Samaritan!