spots

He's just probably peeved he bought the 6.0 powerjoke... <br>I woulda gone out and started it up again and then drove away.....

Homestead

It's a tough call when you have to make a decision like that that. I guess the big thing with me was what it would have cost him in the end. I wouldn't be to happy about paying the bill.<br>Embarrassement, ignorance, whatever, I don't think anyone needs to be crapped on for doing something good. I guess I just come from a time when a thank you went along way.<br><br>Oh well!!

blackboat

I've been there, but it could have been more serious than a blown motor.<br><br>Had taken the boat to Florida for a long weekend with my brother. It was too rough in the sound so we went fishing in the bay behind his house. Just dropped anchor when we heard a funny noise; turned out to be a kid who had been in the water for a few hours. His boat had run out of gas and he was trying to swim home. He wasn't making good progress in the current and was plumb eat up with jelly fish, as well as badly sunburned. Turns out he lives 3 houses up the bay so we run him back to the dock.<br><br>About 50 yards from the dock he asks if we have seen his buddy, who was also trying to swim back. My stomach drops to somewhere around my toes; this don't sound too good. We drop him amongst some worried parents (like near frantic), learn they have called the Coast Guard. We talk amongst ouselves, figure the current, and head out toward the bridge, looking hard into about a half circle of the remaining sun. Not real sure at this point if we are hunting a kid or a corpse. Several shrimpers working the area, a few pleasure boats zipping around, no telling what's happened.<br><br>We get to where we figure he should have drifted to, cut the motor. Nothing. Bump up a couple hundred yards, try again. This time we spot him, riding low in the water, but moving. Thank God. Get him on board about two minutes before a big orange and white helicopter moves in. They hit us with their searchlight and we signal we got what they're looking for. They follow about halfway to the dock. We drop the kid, who is hustled off. We motor back down to our landing and try to figure out dinner, which obviously ain't gonna be fish at this point.<br><br>Next day one of the kids brings back some of the clothes we loaned them and walks off. Never received any real heart felt thanks for this one. I'm sure the stupid teenagers were too embarassed, was kind of suprised the parents didn't have any better manners. Didn't expect any huge cash rewards or anything. But I got $40 of now dead shrimp and the best part of a fishing day gone. &quot;Thanks&quot; wouldn't have been out of line, maybe?<br><br>On the other hand, it was fun getting the job done before the CG even got on site, and we did feel pretty good about ourselves. Still gives me the ******* wondering what would have happened if we hadn't of fished that area that day (normally wouldn't have, except fot the weather) and those kids were still out there in the dark. Funny how things work out.<br><br>I guess the moral of the story is that if people won't recognize your efforts to save their kids, they sure as hell ain't gonna thank you for saving their engine.<br><br>Do what you know is right anyway, 'cause you know what you've done.<br><br>Rob

Lary Ellis (Top)

Like Blackboat I too found a teenager floundering in the water, had I been much later in reaching him I don't think he would have survived.<br><br> I pulled him out of the water and took him to shore to the campground he had decided to swim across the lake from. His mother was on the bank screaming hysterically and the young man only gave me a dirty look when I deposited him on the beach.<br><br> I understand his pride may have been a little bruised, but if that had been me, I would have gone out of my way to thank the man in the boat for saving my life.<br><br> Oh well, I didn't do it for thanks and would do it again in a heartbeat, It made me feel good knowing the youngster still had a chance at getting old.

Redleg

What counts is that at the end, the RIGHT people will recognise what you did, probably why you were PUT there in the first place. You ever get this way, you guys will get your fish dinner.

firestorm

As a volunteer fire fighter, I completly understand what you guys are saying. I have run into people, shortly after 9-11-01 who thanked me in the store for doing what I do. Then again, I have run into people who have said ' you are only a volunteer, you don't count.' &gt; I have given up in trying to explain that the fire doesn't care if the fire fighter is paid or a volunteer. I even got into an arguement with a paid guy from another county about it. I told him, we do the same job, with the same training and guidelines. Diference being, he gets a check weekly, or bi-weekly for what he does, I don't. I still do it because of the satisfaction of knowing that I did the right thing, and saved soneones life and/or property. We never get a 'thank you' on scene, but under the circumstances, I completly understand. Rarely do we get someone that returns to the station to thank us for what we did. When that person does come by, we thank them for their consideration and tell them &quot; It's all part of the job, but thank you for your thoughtfulness&quot;. I guess what I am trying to say is you got to do it for you, even if the receiving person doesn't recognize it what you've done.

greatwhite

Flip side of coin. When I was about 16, the whole family went to Bismark ND for a long weekend. Down at the hotel pool, I spotted this incredibly cute girl (about 19) in a most revealing bikini. She was however accomponied by her 6'2&quot; 235lb hubby. After about an hour of drooling at a distance, I hear her say &quot;Quit that, c'mon quit it. You're splashing me' Quit' I look over and the big guy is struggling hard, turning blue and going down. Now the life ring and pole are at the other side of the pool, so I (5''6&quot; 135) push off the pool wall and grab him from behind. He panicks and starts to take me down. So I drop for the bottom and he lets go. 3 tries later, I slap his ears, scream at him that I've got him and drag him to the pool deck. She gives me one of those melting looks, he says thanks. I try to be cool. &quot;It was nothin man.&quot; About a half hour later, its time to go for supper, so I go up to the room and tell Dad and Mom about it. Dad says &quot;Yeah right&quot; <br><br>So we go for dinner. And the guy walks up to the table about halfway through dinner with the cutie on his arm, and tells my folks how they're on their honeymoon and I saved his life in the pool. Tells them they must have raised me right because I kept going back even though he tried to drown me. And then he says &quot;I'm buying your dinners tonight, It's the least I can do.&quot; Dad looks at me after they leave and says &quot;I'm going to apologize to you right now, because I thought you made it all up.&quot; <br><br>See some people do appreciate it. 30 years later... I can't really remember what he looked like or his name , but his wifes name was Robin and she was cute

westcoaster

Homestead, You will never know what the reaction will be BEFORE you do the good deed. All you can do is keep on being a good guy and take the bad with the good. The next dude could pay for your tank of fuel or flip you the bird for your effort...

Cowhand

I can top that....gotten into fist fights with people who have called 911. It's happened to me or members of my crew several times. &gt;<br><br>And firestorm is right, we seldom even get a thank you. Funny thing is, we can ****** someone from the jaws of death and not get so much as a thank you, but we help a little old lady up off the floor and back to bed in the middle of the night, and she's bringing cookies to the station the next day.....

Hoss

[quote author=Shovelhead link=board=10;threadid=16695;start=0#156702 date=1057372298]He was probably too embarassed to face you. :-[ [/quote]

Or too ashamed about calling you all of those names when you were just trying to help a brotha out. :

Hoss

[quote author=greatwhite link=board=10;threadid=16695;start=15#157078 date=1057503692]30 years later... I can't really remember what he looked like or his name , but his wifes name was Robin and she was cute <br>[/quote]<br><br>Funny what our little male pea brains can remember... ;D

greatwhite

As they say the devil's in the details.