# Survival



## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

I got a call to go and rescue my 22 year old grandaughter who was out of gas.

She is a college student and was in town a block from the local college.

When I got there, she was parked in a parking lot across the street from a gas station.

She had money in her purse.

I put some gas in her vehicle and placed a gas tank with a gallon in her trunk.

The degree of helplessness is incredible ! ! !


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## CrackbottomLouis (May 20, 2012)

Wow. She may need a weekend in the woods.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

LMAO! I hope she got a lecture and a dose of shame to go along with the free gas.


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## BrendaLee (Jan 23, 2013)

BillM said:


> I put some gas in her vehicle and placed a gas tank with a gallon in her trunk.
> 
> The degree of helplessness is incredible ! ! !


LOL!!!!! But it worked!


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## swjohnsey (Jan 21, 2013)

You are a good grandfather.


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## IlliniWarrior (Nov 30, 2010)

besides everything else ..... running the gas tank to empty, especially in the wintertime, isn't exactly wise


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## lotsoflead (Jul 25, 2010)

I hope you told her to get the gas out of her trunk before hot weather, maybe you better tell her to take it out, a gallon of gas is equal to two sticks of dynamite, if she were to get rear ended by some idiot texting, there could be a fire.


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## Mase92 (Feb 4, 2013)

I was expecting so much more but I did get a good laugh. Great job being such a great grandfather. 

Did you lecture her?


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

I agree with BrendaLee. It worked. All she had to do was sit there and let you take care of it.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

Man my kids had better not ever play that crap. I"d call a tow truck instead and the vehicle would be bye bye. Anyone that helpless needs to stay at home.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

jsriley5 said:


> Man my kids had better not ever play that crap. I"d call a tow truck instead and the vehicle would be bye bye. Anyone that helpless needs to stay at home.


Why would you call the tow truck?


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## bahramthered (Mar 10, 2012)

I'm just loving the hate. Seriously where you 5 mins away or a longer trek? Did she have a gas can? Was a station close? 

Full honesty I think we need to see the effort on both sides before we cast judgements.

But seriously be glad she was willing to call you for help for BS, my parents would be beyond insulted if they knew the risks I've taken on occasion to avoid calling them for help. Are you going to feel good if she dies trying to go it alone when she could have asked for help?


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

I'm sorry but a woman no matter how old, right across the street from a gas station, with money, is beyond helpless. I wld seriously get in trouble with anyone in my family for less than that.


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## RevWC (Mar 28, 2011)

Does she have blonde hair? :cheers:


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

bahramthered said:


> I'm just loving the hate. Seriously where you 5 mins away or a longer trek? Did she have a gas can? Was a station close?
> 
> Full honesty I think we need to see the effort on both sides before we cast judgements.
> 
> But seriously be glad she was willing to call you for help for BS, my parents would be beyond insulted if they knew the risks I've taken on occasion to avoid calling them for help. Are you going to feel good if she dies trying to go it alone when she could have asked for help?


Did you miss the part where he said She was in a parking lot across the street from a gas station and had money on her person?? It's one thing to come to the rescue it is another to be taken advantage of by someone too lazy to walk across the street.



> Why would you call the tow truck?


Assuming I drove all the way there I"m not leaving my car there to drive her's home. It can be towed to a dealership of my choice or home to have the for sale sign put on it. Willing to bet the car wasn't hers paid for with HER money. And at this point she has proven she is seriously at risk being allowed to drive at all.


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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

My dad made sure by the time I was old enough to drive that I already knew how to change a tire, oil, brake shoes, etc. I passed it on to a few of my female friends who weren't as lucky to have a dad with the sense to pass the basic knowledge on. Sounds like she needs a little extra guidance, she isn't the only one male or female her age to not know what to do when she runs into a minor auto situation.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Lake Windsong said:


> My dad made sure by the time I was old enough to drive that I already knew how to change a tire, oil, brake shoes, etc. I passed it on to a few of my female friends who weren't as lucky to have a dad with the sense to pass the basic knowledge on. Sounds like she needs a little extra guidance, she isn't the only one male or female her age to not know what to do when she runs into a minor auto situation.


I agree ...

And my Dad did the same thing ... and I think that has a lot to do with the kids today. (sorry ... but true)


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

I'm 28, know how to change oil, battery, brakes and hot wire a vehicle. Most of my friends can pump gas. It's a sad fact that even growing up as rural as I did, those I grew up with were not given an education in things they need to survive. Calculus and trig won't help you to survive in the real world folks.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

BillM said:


> I got a call to go and rescue my 22 year old grandaughter who was out of gas.
> 
> She is a college student and was in town a block from the local college.
> 
> ...


Bill M, I am probably going to offend you. With this kind of helplessness "allowed", there needs to be another thread about HOW to prepare our families. That includes not allowing helplessness. This is just making her so vulnerable. And there is NOTHING "attractive" about this. SHE needs help that is not the rescue type.

Young men and women need some education when they start to drive and when they get vehicles. Someone has failed with her. Just handing someone car keys is not enough. I am a female and I took Driver's Ed. in h.s. that included learning how to change a tire. And in college, I took a 1 hour credit about car maintenance. Again, we had to change tires. And we had to do a tune-up to pass. Of course this is a few decades ago, but whenever I have car trouble, I can pretty much tell the mechanic what is wrong and needs to be fixed, allowing him the ultimate diagnosis. Many times, the mechanics will say, so few people know what is wrong. They just drive until the car won't go.

Everytime someone has this type of problem, it is telling you there has been a failure at several levels in preparing her for life.

How do we usually educate females? By taking them shopping!!! We give our young people what they want, not what they need. We are not really doing them any favors.

So while we are on the subject of cars and young people, does she have a good spare? And can she change a tire? Does she know where to put the jack on HER car? I have had to show many women how to do this. They want me to do it for them. I WILL NOT! If I can do it, anyone can and it does no one any favors to do it FOR them. However, teaching them how helps them.

I was raised differently. Helplessness was not allowed. Where my family grew up, it could mean life or death. Everyone had to roll up their sleeves and pitch in.

I'll get off my soapbox now.:gaah:


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

*I'm working on it*



weedygarden said:


> Bill M, I am probably going to offend you. With this kind of helplessness "allowed", there needs to be another thread about HOW to prepare our families. That includes not allowing helplessness. This is just making her so vulnerable. And there is NOTHING "attractive" about this. SHE needs help that is not the rescue type.
> 
> Young men and women need some education when they start to drive and when they get vehicles. Someone has failed with her. Just handing someone car keys is not enough. I am a female and I took Driver's Ed. in h.s. that included learning how to change a tire. And in college, I took a 1 hour credit about car maintenance. Again, we had to change tires. And we had to do a tune-up to pass. Of course this is a few decades ago, but whenever I have car trouble, I can pretty much tell the mechanic what is wrong and needs to be fixed, allowing him the ultimate diagnosis. Many times, the mechanics will say, so few people know what is wrong. They just drive until the car won't go.
> 
> ...


I'm working on it.

She now has a gas can in the trunk and the spare is good.

we are learning how to change that tire next week end.

She is attending a CCWD coarse with her boyfriend this year to learn how to defend herself with her new nine milimeter.

Hopefully, by next year at this time, she will be able to cross the street holdup the Miniutmart and carry gasoline back to her vehicle.

I will be so proud ! :flower:


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## chick (Mar 25, 2012)

Do you run the girl down for acting helpless, or do you feel sorry for her for not being taught what to do?

Many rural raised girls learn how to do those things by watching, but city girls are most likely never offered the chance. A lot of city boys probably never learn simple things like changing tires or oil either because they grew up in homes where the vehicles went to a garage for maintainance and a tow truck was called to change a tire or give a boost. 

OTOH there are women over 60 that have never watched or questioned their husbands' activities and are totally helpless too.
A friend in her mid 60's called me today asking me to explain how to use a self serve car wash, because now that her husband had a stroke and is in extended care she's finding out there's a lot of ordinary day to day things she needs to do. The big problem is she has no clue how to go about doing them herself because her husband always did them.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

The flip side of this coin is (maybe not so much now) Men who can't feed them selves, My Dad had to teach my sisters husband how to fry an egg and make toast, (said bil was about 35 at the time) because his mother or girl friend or what ever female was around just cooked for him. My mother made sure that her boys could feed themselves, but she didn't force us to learn to clean up after our selves:scratch


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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

I think that's something we can all take from BillM's post. If we look hard enough, there's always more to learn on a path to being self-reliant.


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## pmabma (Dec 4, 2008)

BillM I think you are a good grandfather, my husband or myself would have went for our grandchild. Even though ours know how to do the tire change and put gas in a tank, things are not like they use to be, it is not safe even in the middle of the day for a female to be out trying to fix a tire or put gas in on the side of the road.Everybody makes mistakes and I know she would not have run out of gas intentionaly. It is just not safe people , they are so many crazy crazy crazy people in this world now.So I think you did good, especially since it was a grandaughter. It might not be a bad idea to teach her general things like changing tire and stuff just incase you aren,t around. .Just my 2cents


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I think it is great that BillM is helping out his granddaughter to learn a few things, we all have some things that we don't know. Sometimes we have times that we look back on and wonder what we were thinking 
What concerns me is that some people seem to think it is up to someone else to make sure that this ADULT is TAUGHT what to do in a circumstance like this. I haven't relied on anyone to teach me what I needed to know since I was a teenager. I have learned a lot from people much wiser and more experienced but it was up to me to seek out that knowledge. When I got my first vehicle I asked a lot of questions and spent a lot of time learning things I didn't have someone tell me what they thought I needed to know


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

BillM said:


> I'm working on it.
> 
> She now has a gas can in the trunk and the spare is good.
> 
> ...


Bill, After I posted, I had lots of errands to do. I felt really bad for being so self-righteous. I want to apologize.

I have a daughter who runs to me for help. I rescue her also. But she has learned to weld, has a friend who works with her on her car, and has built some furniture. As she gets older she seems to be more self-sufficient, but occassionally I get the call to help her. It is what we do for our loved ones. Her father has been deceased for many years and I am all she has for family where we live.

I am sorry for being the south end of a horse heading north.:ignore:


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

*No offence taken*



weedygarden said:


> Bill, After I posted, I had lots of errands to do. I felt really bad for being so self-righteous. I want to apologize.
> 
> I have a daughter who runs to me for help. I rescue her also. But she has learned to weld, has a friend who works with her on her car, and has built some furniture. As she gets older she seems to be more self-sufficient, but occassionally I get the call to help her. It is what we do for our loved ones. Her father has been deceased for many years and I am all she has for family where we live.
> 
> I am sorry for being the south end of a horse heading north.:ignore:


Our children are being graduated from high school and college without knowing how to read a map or find North , South ,East and West.

When they can find the direction, they have no idea what state is north of their home state or south of the same.

They cannot change a tire , repair a faucet or pay their bills. they don't know how to apply for a job or interview for one.

They can not cook or do their laundry.

They do not know the law, the country's history or who their elected representives are.

They can not make a budget or write a check.

They can not count back change from a transaction.

Most of them do not know where their food comes from.

They are too soft for manual labor.

They have no religion and most have never attempted to pray.

Unless we teach them now they will die in a coming collapse of sociaty.

It is up to us and the time is short.


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## Wellrounded (Sep 25, 2011)

We have a lot of younger people staying with us through the year (18 to 30 year olds) it never ceases to amaze me what these people CAN NOT DO. I have to teach them the most basic things, how to wash dishes and clothes, how to cook on a very basic level (heating up canned food to begin with and we progress from there), some can't even wash themselves (they may never have been dirty before ???). Although I think it's in a small way the fault of their parents, these are adults and more than capable teaching themselves.
Much, much more annoying is that they expect me to run around after them and provide everything they think they need. I have to jump up and down and shout just to get them to wash their linen, last guy that was here didn't wash his linen for 7 weeks, didn't matter how much I pushed him he just wouldn't do it. 
If I make a batch of homebrew they line up for it and you should see their faces when I say "Sorry you didn't help, so you miss out!" They just don't seem to see the relationship between work and reward....
We try to push them to be more self reliant but in some cases it's hopeless, they just end up thinking we're nasty, horrible people, lol.
We do have a few that are willing to learn but they are in the minority.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

Granted, I am part of the entitlement generation and was spoiled by my grandmother, but I was also taught how to garden, change a tire, oil, basic repairs and how to sew. Many of my friends have no idea how to do these things and will be completely unprepared for a societal collapse. It's also sad to see them blindly trust what others tell them instead of doing their own research.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I agree with wellrounded, I think the key is to instill the idea of personal responsibility and ideally a love of learning. Someone who loves to learn new things and solve new problems on their own (including seeking the wisdom and knowledge of others) is much better equipped than someone taught exactly how to do things.
The solution is not for us to try and think of everything they might need to know and drilling it into them, they need to learn to solve problems on their own.
When I first saw someone making wine I was fascinated, watching the stuff swirl ever so slowly in the carboy, I wanted to learn everything about it.
dixiemama makes a great point too, many people are "taught" something by an "authority" on the subject and refuse to consider that there may be other ways of thinking/doing. That is the reason I am on here, to see how others think/do on these subjects and to give my own experiences/opinions.


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## seanallen (Nov 13, 2012)

I can relate to what yall are saying. One of my ex-helpers went to college after working with me for awhile. Decent kid, fairly intelligent but completely helpless. While he was upstate on campus his battery went dead in his new truck(paid for by momndad). He had no tools, no knowledge, nothing. My boss (his uncle) had to make a 4-hour drive up there to fix the truck. The kicker: this kid is taking MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. smh...


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Exactly my point, it is the problem solving and seeking out information on your own that is key. What most people learn in school is just a tiny fragment of the knowledge a person should acquire.
Don't get me started on the average university graduate's level of common sense


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## seanallen (Nov 13, 2012)

Ikr... In his case, its a total lack of life experiences thats crippling him. Once he has to start doing (thinking!!!) for himself he should be fine. His momndad totally did him wrong on not teaching him basic life skills. The few things i taught him he picked up fairly quick. Monkey see monkey do stuff, but as for sitting back and analyzing a problem, formulating a fix, and then implementing it: lost completely.


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## bushpilot (Dec 3, 2012)

Stuff happens. When We were all young then, when we were all young then, shit happened. We killed, we saved lives. We did what was expected. Someone explained why?
I tell myself, it was because of the war, but I did not feel this for many years. I was there from Sept. to Jan in 1969. We were shot at everyday , asked to fly over possible anti-air craft guns to conferm the location of enemy location. Most missions were in Laos about 90 to 100 miles from Hanoi. The other, and last mission was the last Golf of Tokin mission. We were targeted by Migs on our turn around and saved by the Navy. A-4's were dispatched to escort our aircraft away from the area. Thank you Navy, from the USAF.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

At 9 years old, my son can pump gas, help change the oil in our vehicles, 4wheeler and side-by-side, helps with the garden and animals, can see a button on, cook enough so he doesn't starve, start a fire and basic first aid. Granted he's a boy, but our nieces know the same things. Too many parents try to be their kids friends and not teachers. We are our children's teachers, we have to teach them how to survive.


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## Transplant (Jan 10, 2013)

dixiemama said:


> At 9 years old, my son can pump gas, help change the oil in our vehicles, 4wheeler and side-by-side, helps with the garden and animals, can see a button on, cook enough so he doesn't starve, start a fire and basic first aid. Granted he's a boy, but our nieces know the same things. Too many parents try to be their kids friends and not teachers. We are our children's teachers, we have to teach them how to survive.


We had 3 boys and their dad made sure they could take car of their cars and I made sure they could cook and wash clothes. When they could stand flat footed and reach the bottom of the washing machine I taught them how to wash clothes. I waited that long to keep them from pushing each other in the washer. They were all the time trying to stick each other in the dryer LOL. From the time they could walk I taught them to sort clothes. I had 3 hampers with pictures on them and when they got undressed to get a bath they put their clothes in the hampers to that matched pictures. As they got older the pictures went a way and a label was put on the hamper.

Our youngest just got married and he is a better cook than his wife. All three of them can cook and I don't mean opening cans and heating. I mean pull out raw meat and veggies and cook a complete meal right down to cake for dessert.

They all know how to change oil, batteries, tires and brakes. They even have experience in changing water pumps and other parts on vehicles.

They have something most kids their age don't have...common sense! It was a long hard road but common sense was pounded into them.


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## OHprepper (Feb 21, 2012)

My sister called me a few months back when i was at her house talking with her husband. She had broken down just a few blocks from her home in the city. We drove my truck over to pick her up and her husband started looking under the hood. This lasted approximately 20 minutes. He then asked if i could tow it back to the house. I told him i could, but that it seemed easier to bring the gas to the car. He says "what"? I tell him to look at the gauge. He gets mad at my sister and they begin arguing. I remind him that he didnt see it either, take my nephew and leave them there while we go get gas. Im 28. They are both about my age. I sincerely believe most people my age dined repeatedly on paint chips during adolescence. I am guilty at times myself. I kinda feel like i would have been better off if i could have just continued to go to work with my dad rather than school. I try to spend every day i can with him now because i ALWAYS learn something when i am with him.


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## redhorse (Dec 27, 2012)

OHprepper said:


> My sister called me a few months back when i was at her house talking with her husband. She had broken down just a few blocks from her home in the city. We drove my truck over to pick her up and her husband started looking under the hood. This lasted approximately 20 minutes. He then asked if i could tow it back to the house. I told him i could, but that it seemed easier to bring the gas to the car. He says "what"? I tell him to look at the gauge. He gets mad at my sister and they begin arguing. I remind him that he didnt see it either, take my nephew and leave them there while we go get gas. Im 28. They are both about my age. I sincerely believe most people my age dined repeatedly on paint chips during adolescence. I am guilty at times myself. I kinda feel like i would have been better off if i could have just continued to go to work with my dad rather than school. I try to spend every day i can with him now because i ALWAYS learn something when i am with him.


Ok, I must confess I am guilty as charged for running out of gas. In my defense, the gas guage was off by a quarter of a tank. I usually don't let my car get that low, but I was actually going to stop at the next gas station a half mile further up the hill. I'm not a total retard with cars, my father taught me how to change the oil, change a tire, check tranny and coollant fluids. If my oild light turns on or the oil pressure guage if available shows loss of pressure, I know to shut 'er down. I can even jump start a vehicle, and have helped several MEN at work jump theirs. Half of them don't even know to look in their trunk for the battery (some new cars have this, including mine). Long story short, I did not know I was out of gas, so was towed 30 miles all the way back home (past no less than 5 gas stations) and paid the man $180 for his services. :brickwall: My mechanic came out, and now that the car was on level ground, it started right up. Thinking it was something to do under the hood, he takes it down the road, down a very steep hill, turns around, and is right back to where I was, car caput. Mind you, the whole time, the guage says the car has a quarter tank of gas! I towed him home with my truck, and voila, his light bulb went off, he gives the car a bit of a shake, and can't hear any gas sloshing around. Problem solved, after $180 and two tows later! What a dork.


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

*Fuel pumps*



redhorse said:


> Ok, I must confess I am guilty as charged for running out of gas. In my defense, the gas guage was off by a quarter of a tank. I usually don't let my car get that low, but I was actually going to stop at the next gas station a half mile further up the hill. I'm not a total retard with cars, my father taught me how to change the oil, change a tire, check tranny and coollant fluids. If my oild light turns on or the oil pressure guage if available shows loss of pressure, I know to shut 'er down. I can even jump start a vehicle, and have helped several MEN at work jump theirs. Half of them don't even know to look in their trunk for the battery (some new cars have this, including mine). Long story short, I did not know I was out of gas, so was towed 30 miles all the way back home (past no less than 5 gas stations) and paid the man $180 for his services. :brickwall: My mechanic came out, and now that the car was on level ground, it started right up. Thinking it was something to do under the hood, he takes it down the road, down a very steep hill, turns around, and is right back to where I was, car caput. Mind you, the whole time, the guage says the car has a quarter tank of gas! I towed him home with my truck, and voila, his light bulb went off, he gives the car a bit of a shake, and can't hear any gas sloshing around. Problem solved, after $180 and two tows later! What a dork.


If you let your fuel level go below 1/4 tank, you risk dammageing your fuel pump. The fuel pumps located in the fuel tank are cooled by the fuel surrounding the pump. No gas and it can overheat the pump.


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## LongRider (May 8, 2012)

BillM said:


> I got a call to go and rescue my 22 year old grandaughter who was out of gas.


Why did you not have her get her own gas? All you did was enable stupid incompetence.



dixiemama said:


> I'm 28, .......*Most* of my friends can pump gas.


Is it any wonder that our country is going to hell in a hand basket. No offense intended but anyone over the age of 12 that can not pump gas is to stupid to breed. Please take your friends to get sterilized and burn their voter registration cards.

Not joking


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Also not funny. Forced sterilization is not a joke, who do you trust to make that decision?


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## Gians (Nov 8, 2012)

pmabma said:


> BillM I think you are a good grandfather, my husband or myself would have went for our grandchild. Even though ours know how to do the tire change and put gas in a tank, things are not like they use to be, it is not safe even in the middle of the day for a female to be out trying to fix a tire or put gas in on the side of the road.Everybody makes mistakes and I know she would not have run out of gas intentionaly. It is just not safe people , they are so many crazy crazy crazy people in this world now.So I think you did good, especially since it was a grandaughter. It might not be a bad idea to teach her general things like changing tire and stuff just incase you aren,t around. .Just my 2cents


When I first read the post I was thinking the same thing, there are gas stations in okay areas and then there are gas stations where you call for an assist, even if you have money...of course maybe that's just city life. Hats off to a Grandpa who cares enough to help her and then teach her...iirc it's sometimes easier to take instruction from Grandparents than Parents.


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## LongRider (May 8, 2012)

cowboyhermit said:


> Also not funny. Forced sterilization is not a joke, who do you trust to make that decision?


Don't try to put words in my mouth to justify making stupid asinine comments. No one said anything about forced sterilization.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

No Longrider you just said;

"is to stupid to breed. Please take your friends to get sterilized and burn their voter registration cards.

Not joking"

No idea how I came to that conclusion


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

inkfight:

Back to the OP ...

Please!

Thanks!


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

I'd help my granddaughter without lecturing her. Things happen. Just because she's young doesn't mean she's irresponsible. If it becomes a pattern then it needs to be dealt with by her parents. Not me. I'm the grandpa. I get to be the good guy.


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## LongRider (May 8, 2012)

cowboyhermit said:


> No Longrider you just said;
> 
> "is to stupid to breed. Please take your friends to get sterilized and burn their voter registration cards.
> 
> ...


Of course you can't because you are obviously incapable of understanding what was actually written nowhere did I say a single word about force, require, make, pressure, coerce anyone to do anything. If anyone to stupid inbred incompetent to understand the difference of taking some one some where to provide them with an option to do something and forcing someone to do something. Than they are a perfect example of the kind of ignorant incompetence this topic is about. They should consider not breeding and please do not vote.


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## swjohnsey (Jan 21, 2013)

We should encourage the stupid to breed . . . never mind! We already do. It is call welfare.


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

Well ... alright then ...

Closed.


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