Breaking down in bugs can be interesting..

Government

So I've broken down a few times in other vehicles, and No-One stops for any kind of aid.
I break down in the beetle and multiple people stop to help and tell you about their bugs and what have you. The point is, they stop.

My nice family oriented child-mobile is benign and harmless looking... No one stops to help. Not that the help is required, just a matter of principle really.

Anyone else get this too?

PastaJuice · Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 8:23 pm Post subject:

You know I do. I just got my beetle on sunday but today when I was taking it out for a spin in the neighborhood I found a problem with a throttle cable connector thingy that kept snapping off. No big deal but when I was fixing it a gentleman on his way back home stopped and asked if I needed help. I said no because I really didn't but I have never had anyone stop and ask if I needed help in any other car. Really good to see.
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'69 Dudes!
I wish I had a lift.

Dismas · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 4:44 am Post subject:

It's a bug thing Smile

Was driving the family to 7-11 on free slurpee day and saw a bug broke down on the way, stopped to try to help, of course.

Unfortunately, her front wheel bearing had disintegrated, and destroyed the hub when it went, so a new bearing couldn't be popped in.

I had no spare hubs, so the poor girl had to get it towed Sad

Good news, I saw the bug on the road about 4 days later, os she got it taken care of.

I had gone and got bearings for her, was going to swap them out for her on the side of the road , then discovered the hub damage. Tow truck guy was mystified about why I was trying to help . . prolly thought I was trying to get in her pants. I told him it was a bug thing, but he didn't understand!
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gt1953 · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 6:42 am Post subject:

We are part of this well Volkswagen family, cousins, uncles, aunts, nieces etc. I have stopped before and offered assistance. You just never know it might be you.
_________________
Volkswagen: We tune what we drive.
Numbers Matching VW's are getting harder to find. Source out the most Stock vehicle and keep that way. You will be glad you did.

72 type 1
72 Squareback
({59 Euro bug, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 73 type ones 68 & 69 type two, 68 Ghia all sold})

79SuperVert · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:08 am Post subject:

I was stopped by the side of the road, clueless as to why my Beetle wouldn't run any more. A scruffy-looking guy in a beat-up pickup stopped to help. Went right to the distributor, took out a matchbook and used it to set the points. Said he used to do that all the time.

So many things about that story...scruffy guy in a pickup is my saviour...has a matchbook (how many people carry one now?)...knew exactly what to do...

Would not have happened if I was stuck by the side of the road in my minivan.
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Central Jersey VW Society

Wanted: Art Collins VW (Savannah, Georgia) items - license plate surrounds and other items. Also ivory "AM", "FM" and "SW" buttons for a US Blaupunkt Frankfurt.

Tim Donahoe · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 8:29 am Post subject:

Most Volks folks are members of a particular mind-set. Almost every time I pass another ACVW here in town (and there are lots here in northern California where I live), a wave of the hand is expected. We may have our differences, but we are members of a peculiar sect that share a kind of secret that owners of other makes ... just don't get.

Perhaps we are more likely to stop when we see an ACVW stranded because we know there is something we may be able to do to help--as opposed to many modern cars.

But, I think what binds us more than knowledge--the actual ability to help another motorist--is the reason behind that friendly wave when you pass another volks.

Tim

gt1953 · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:08 am Post subject:

79SuperVert I have match books in the glove box for that reason. Well to start a signal fire also.
_________________
Volkswagen: We tune what we drive.
Numbers Matching VW's are getting harder to find. Source out the most Stock vehicle and keep that way. You will be glad you did.

72 type 1
72 Squareback
({59 Euro bug, 62, 63, 67, 68, 69, 73 type ones 68 & 69 type two, 68 Ghia all sold})

79SuperVert · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:53 am Post subject:

_________________
Central Jersey VW Society

Wanted: Art Collins VW (Savannah, Georgia) items - license plate surrounds and other items. Also ivory "AM", "FM" and "SW" buttons for a US Blaupunkt Frankfurt.

68IHscout · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:34 pm Post subject:

crvc · Samba Member Joined: April 28, 2004 Posts: 1308

My bug died in a small mountain town. I was trying to find the problem using my only tools, a leatherman and a remote starter. An older couple stopped and asked if I needed anything. I said, "Well I could use jumper cables". The husband left while the wife stayed. He came back with jumper cables. We jump-started the bug. Then the wife mentioned they had a Kombi van and they took it to Mexico every winter.

crvc

smokey503 · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 1:43 pm Post subject:

Hopefully I have better luck in my bug than my other cars that have broken down on the side of the road.
All I ever got were law enforcement wanting to run my ID.
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If a car travels the speed of light, would the headlights work?

Bob Loblaw · Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2014 3:00 pm Post subject:

Recently, in the border lineup in Sumas Wa. heading back to Canada after a weekend of kart racing, there was a '72 Bus ahead of us. As the line starts to move, we hear the starter cranking and cranking, but it won't fire. So me & the boy get out and start pushing her up the border lineup, leaving the Ol' Lady to drive the truck up through the line. After about 20 min of pushing & chatting, I tell her to put the pedal to the floor and try again. Fired right up. Vapour lock. Told her to keep it running and she'd be fine. It was just the right thing to do.
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sent from a phone using poor grammar and spelling

VW_Buggsy · Samba Member Joined: April 15, 2002 Posts: 517

Stops where I helped others:
One clogged fuel filter which I got going by pulling it off and blowing through it backwards. Must have had a dirty rusty tank. That got them going again at least I assume long enough to get a new one. That was a middling years beetle.

One bay bus stopped at a gas station that wouldn't start again. Dead spot in the starter and after a few persuasion whacks with my large crescent wrench it turned over again.

Every time I've had a break down in a vw somebody had offered to help me. Only once in a non vintage vw (my Toyota) did somebody stop.

My favorite save was I once had a breakdown at a trail head parking lot because the oil line to a remote oil filter I was running on my old 65 got rubbed through and burst. This very attractive young woman cyclist, who was alone that day, actually drove me to the local flaps in her car so I could pick up new oil line and some mechanics wire to hold it away from the chafe point that cut it.

She hung out while i did the repair made sure I got going too. I was just surprised because she didn't know I wasn't some psycho or something and I'm a big guy. Of course for all I know she could have been a triple black belt in kungfu and wearing her steel toed nut seeking cross trainers that day too Smile

Yes of course I angled for her number and offered her a thank you dinner for her kindness but alas she shut me down due to already having a hopeless project boy.

Government · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2014 9:37 pm Post subject: too much

That's pretty funny stuff! So far I have not had any women stop to help, but I imagine there will more mechanical challenges in the future that may lead to that. I had a neighbor that walks his dog every day, and would frequently see me under the bug working on something, somehow he can solve my three day problem in 5 minutes of eyeballing it and hearing me what doesn't work.

Too cool, I really look forward to getting my super good to go. And then getting another!, to break down in lol.

irun5k · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 6:55 pm Post subject:

I heard once that you're much more likely to get help if you're broken down in an area with low traffic vs. high traffic. Makes sense. If you're the only one on a rural road and come upon someone that needs help, you know if you don't stop nobody will.

Broken down on an 8-lane highway? I'm guessing a lot of people assume someone else has you covered.

My '88 Scirocco broke down in the middle of nowhere when I was in college back in '96. First truck that came by stopped and he helped me get to his mobile home in the middle of the woods where I had Thanksgiving dinner with them while he charged my battery. I was an IT student, so I replayed the favor as best as I could by fixing a bunch of stuff on his PC while the battery charged. Events like this can change your view of society that is for sure.


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