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I recognize that most people in Newfoundland know they are among the most gracious folks that you ever could meet, I reckon it is still nice to point it out from time to time. (http://www.gfwadvertiser.ca/index.cfm?sid=91256&sc=294)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2007_Toyota_Yaris_Sedan.jpgJennifer Pelley – Advertiser – Dec. 20, 2007

A Christmas story - People are for the most part, good at heart. Canadian's in particular ;) -- Ed.

I feel this Christmas season; I have to share a story with the Advertiser's readership about the kindness of Newfoundlanders. It is a bit of a humorous anecdote, so please try not to chuckle too hard when you see me on the streets of central in the coming weeks, covering holiday stories.

About a week-and-a-half ago, I drove into St. John's with the Advertiser's freelancer, Kent Burton, in tow. We left on a Saturday afternoon, with the weather far from ideal and the darkness closing in on us fairly quickly.

However, I navigated the treacherous highways with confidence like the true intrepid traveler I am.

But I should not have breathed a sigh of relief as quickly as I did, because as it turns out, I had sighed too soon. While dropping Kent off at his friends' home on Blackmarsh Road, I followed the advice of our dear freelancer and attempted to park my red Toyota Yaris in what seemed to be nothing more, nothing less than a convenient parking spot on the side of the road. It looked as if the space had been carved out with my jellybean in mind, so perfectly she seemingly would have fit into it.

However, both Kent and I realized quite quickly that our handy parking space was not actually a parking space at all, but rather a ditch that the snowplow had evened off so that it appeared to be level with the road.

As I pulled into the spot, the right half of the car immediately sunk through the snow and water, leaving Kent and I at a 45degree angle. No attempt to dislodge my little red car would even budge her. We were hopelessly stuck.

After several minutes of hysterical laughter, Kent collected his friend from the warm confines of his apartment to see if the two of them could put some elbow grease into it and push me out.

Their efforts were to no avail.

However, within 30 seconds of them pushing, a car with two strapping men in it stopped, and the four of them tried to see if they could dislodge me.

Not a chance… http://www.gfwadvertiser.ca/index.cfm?sid=91256&sc=294

That is a heart warming story. :)

In high school it only took six of us to pick up our friend's rabbit and put it on cinder blocks. :D Good times...If these guys had all lifted the front together then lifted the back together and "walked" the car out sideways I bet they could've gotten it.

In high school it only took six of us to pick up our friend's rabbit and put it on cinder blocks. :D Good times...If these guys had all lifted the front together then lifted the back together and "walked" the car out sideways I bet they could've gotten it.

I thought the same thing, but then I re-read and it sounded like she never had more than four guys at a time, two of whom were writers (probably not all that "strapping") all of whom probably were from "town" (probably not used to mechanical/physical problem solving). Three normal guys probably would have trouble lifting the downhill side of the front of a Yaris. What they maybe needed was a come along. I'll give the Newfoundlanders credit for trying to help though.

It reminds me of the time a couple of dumb town kids rolled their jeep at low speed near my house. They called a tow truck (cost ~$100) instead of a couple of friends to roll it back over by hand (cost ~ one case of beer). My sons and I would have helped roll it back over for free if they had knocked on our door before they called their mom.

Nothing so extreme, but when I lived in Chicago and got my Datsun trapped in the snow, it never failed that 2-4 folks would come along to help me out. It was always people who I never had meet before, and never saw again.

--des

Yeah I've had people help me when I went to school at oswego. Was not much fun trying to get off a sheet of ice in the parking lot.

The same "snow-camo ditch trap" scenario played out for my brother on Friday - except it happened on the highway just outside of town, and the stuck vehicle was a 4500 lb Honda Ridgeline, not a 2000+ lb Yaris. He had pulled off the road to use his cell phone when the 4WD vehicle suddenly went to 30+ degrees and was hopelessly hung up in waist deep snow.

Before he had even had a good look around to figure things out, 2 transport trucks (going opposite directions) had stopped. A car with a bunch of guys also stopped and proceeded to direct traffic while the "towing bee" took place.

After 15 minutes they had chains to the back of the Honda from the front bumper of the tractor trailer behind, the driver of which backed up a few dozen feet and pulled my brother out.

The transport driver said he was driving from B.C. and had done this 3 or 4 times a day :)

Offers of payment for the help were refused by everyone involved. My brother's a HVAC/natural gas technician, so all he could do before everyone continued on their way was hand out his business cards with a promise to repay the favour if anybody ever needed HVAC work done!

Wonderful story and it it IS typical of the people of the "Rock".

These are the same hospitable people that on Sept 11th opened their businesses, schools and homes to the thousands of weary passengers that were grounded that morning at the airport in Gander NF. Thousands of travellers, not knowing what was going on and finding themselves far away from home were greeted by the Newfoundlanders with food, shelter, compassion and love in their time of need. The homesick strangers found new friends as they were put up in hundreds of private homes, schools and hotels and given clothes, medicine, food and other items of comfort. The stranded passengers were given phones to call back home to loved ones. Whole towns mobilized to take care of total strangers and to give them the love that they were needing in reacting to this tragedy.

There was a documentary of this event I think called, "The Day the World Came to Town". In the aftermath, strangers that were treated so kindly, have actually sent tens of thousands of dollars back to Newfoundland in deep appreciation for their kindness.

I was not there during Sept 11th but my father and my son visited years later and still, we talk to this day, of the unsolicited kindness of the people of the Rock that we felt when we were there.

Bradlee
milwaukeehybridgroup.com