Service

Saturday Claire and I met my sister in Walnut Creek for a little errand running and lunch. As Brieanne and I were walking to the pet store (Brieanne carrying Claire and me pushing her stroller) a man started calling out for help. We were on north main in front of Valet parking that is across the street from Pottery Barn and there were lots of people around. He's yelling out help somebody help (In a panicked and impolite tone) and lucky for Brieanne and I we were the closest people around. We turn around he says "yes! you! help, my baby is stuck in her seatbelt and its constricting her. Brieanne and I exchange looks like "uh...why us...not a good idea." But at this point we've made eye contact with the man and I feel obliged to check out this situation albeit cautiously. The guy was pulled out in a driveway almost into the street blocking traffic. I motion to Brieanne to stay well away from the man and the car (again lots of people around) and I walk over to the car to find a girl (probably 8) and her brother (probably 10). The boy is in the front seat and the girl is in the middle seat in the back. How she contorted herself to get the seatbelt twisted the way she did is beyond me. As soon as I poke my head into help the girl is not having it. She's been crying and seems incredibly embarassed in the way 8 year olds do that her dad has asked a stranger to help. So the dad begins to explain what he thinks happened and what he'd like me to do and the little girl is protesting and clenching the seatbelt so much so you can't even see it and the brother is going "she's just trying to help, just sit still." The dad starts bossing me around and asks me to go to the other side of the car. Now that the dad is no longer in between us the little girl starts kicking me away and tells her dad she sit still if he sends me away. Not talking to me, the dad explains to his daughter that he needs my help so the seatbelt won't constrict further. So he asks him to make me promise not to look and she comply. So the dad says to me "okay, you hold here and don't look. PROMISE YOU WON'T LOOK." Meanwhile I can hear MY BABY fussing in the background. I realize at this point I should have said, "tell your daugther to stop kicking if you'd like my help or don't talk to me like I'm 8" but I was so anxious to just get out of the situation I kept my mouth shut. So he somehow flips her upside down in the seat to get her untangled (I wasn't looking but you can't ignore when someone's feet are up by your head). The dad gets on the phone, I let go of the seat belt and he offers a quick thank you, almost as an after thought as I'm walking away.

I become more appalled as I reflect on this situation further. I can't believe that a stranger would have the nerve to ask for help from another stranger while being so impolite. I can't believe he wouldn't say something to his child about kicking the help. I can't believe it was more important for him to be on the phone than thank or release the help. I just can't believe it.