Good Samaritans Times 3

This post is about Good Samaritans and the fact that, thankfully, they still exist. I met mine for a fleeting moment on my commute to work this morning. As I was driving down Church Street approaching Washington Street on my way to entering the on-ramp to the highway I happened to glance in my rear view mirror. I saw the car behind me flash his lights. Well, I thought he flashed his lights but then I thought maybe he hit a bump in the road and it appeared his lights flashed. But I saw him come around to the right side of my car and stop alongside it. I glanced over and he was motioning for me to roll down my window. I did so and he told me I just lost a hubcap and it was on the side of the road in the snow. He was pointing to my right front tire...but told me the hubcap was on the other side of the road...which confused me. I thanked him and he pulled forward...and then another car slowed and it was a young woman who said it is on the sidewalk in the snow. I thanked her and as I was re-routing in my head I was wondering what could have caused the hubcap to fly off the car on a simple right hand turn, jump over (or slide under) my vehicle and land safely on the opposite sidewalk, out of harm's way! 

I did a U-turn near the Common Street intersection and turned back down Church Street...but, alas, I did not see the hubcap. So I did some maneuvering, drove down a couple of side streets until I could park the car in a safe area and went for a walk. It was a short walk, I found the hubcap without too much trouble. After waiting what seemed like a long time to cross the street (people don't stop for people if there is not a crosswalk, cruiser or school crossing guard in sight. I tried to push the hubcap back in place to no avail...so I gave it a couple of good kicks and it locked on. Then I went on  my merry way.

Now I was especially happy that this man and woman stopped me and told me of this little mishap. I was about to enter the the highway, not knowing the hubcap was gone...and I'm still driving the rental!! (Yes ladies and gentlemen, 71 or so days later!!) So I would have gone to return it...and lo and behold, been held liable for a new hubcap!! Then I thought, why did it pop off? Well I think I lost the hubcap because the day before I hit a pothole, the kind that make you say Ouch! and cause you to start cursing. It must have loosened the hubcap and I did not notice. Then I thought, well, if it was on the right side of the car, how did it end up on the left side sidewalk? Did it flip off and roll over there? Did someone stop, pick it up and put it on the sidewalk (a possible third good Samaritan...wow!!) Not sure, and I'll never know...a mystery of the ages.

So, if you hit a pothole that makes you say Ouch!, pull over and check the hubcap. And if you don't notice it is loose, I hope you have a good Samaritan (or 2 or 3) watching your back as I did this morning. Wherever you are, thank you!!