Once I run out of my motor bike gasoline far away from gas station (it is a small village remember?), not knowing that I run out of gasoline (the gasoline gauge is dead) I was sweating like hell trying again and again to start the engine. Someone approaching me, complete stranger, we never met before, offer a help which I gladly accept. The person check the gasoline and said that there is no gasoline left.
He ask me to wait, he fetch his own motorbike come back again and tap gasoline from his motorbike and put it in my motor, enough for few kilometers to buy gasoline. I do not know his name or his house till now but I feel become a good friend of him, and feel secure to know that more people like him around me. He actually make me want to help others when they are in need.
Anyway a funny things happened last week, I was with my old land rover cruising around Jakarta, as this landy is a granny old vehicle, I always carry around tools and parts just in case I need them. When I about to enter underpass tunnel (Way Point: -6.22479,106.8, see the picture) the traffic was jammed, it turned out that a Mercedes was blocking the tunnel, a man trying to fix things up and a woman and a baby inside the car... it was hot and very smoky inside the tunnel, certainly this man need help especially the baby.
So I pull over and offer some help, in case he need tools or I can pull them out of the tunnel at least... I was very surprised to hear the answer from the man, he answered my questions in a cold and sharp way , as he want to say "bugger off".He mostly said "No" to most of my questions. even when I offer to catch the taxi for the baby and mother and offer to call a my garage owner friend to help him.
He probably very suspicious about a total stranger who suddenly want to help him. something is not right he might think. Well I can understand, in a big metropolitan like this, people are too busy to help others, if someone offer you a help, he/she might have a hidden agenda behind it
There are too many stories that someone seems very nice but they actually a robber (or worse) in disguise.... since we were kids, one advice from our parent and repeated many times is "do not talk to the stranger". So I think it is understandable that we developed a "stranger phobia" syndrome in the place like this. but almost everyone is stranger here... so I think what we got is acute "nice stranger phobia" syndrome. And I ask myself... should I stop and offer some help to a stranger when they needed? They too can be the bad guy though...
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