A pregnant woman, a thoughtful bus driver, a naval officer and a brave son--compassion rides the freeways

Since so many of us spend so much time on the freeways, it is encouraging to hear that there are Good Samaritans out there.

My few stories of roadside kindness have brought others; apparently we are not as mean and selfish as we sometimes seem.

“Like your son,” writes Mrs. Nadeem Hakeem of North Hollywood, “I was driving in my Taurus blithely unaware that it was on fire, until a young couple caught up with me and alerted me.

“She was several months pregnant, but I never saw anyone in that condition run so fast with the fire extinguisher, while her husband was getting me out of the car, as I simply froze.

“I wasn’t as fortunate as your son in getting their address, but I’ll never forget their kindness.”

Dorothy Trantow of Northridge, a professional clown, got not only an assist but a job out of her near disaster on the freeway.

“I was returning from a ‘gig’ one hot Sunday last September,” she writes, “and had a massive blowout of my front left tire. I managed to steer to the center divider between eight lanes of traffic.

“Resplendent in my classic white face, balloon clown suit and blazing red wig, I awaited the CHPs. To my astonishment, at least 10 cars stopped to offer assistance and/or advice. . . .

“One gentleman actually exited the freeway, U-turned and came back on my side! A young man with his girlfriend wanted to change the tire for me. I refused, citing membership in the auto club. How to thank all those people?

“Here’s the kicker! A car drove up and before I could say ‘No thank you,’ the guy inquired ‘How much do you charge to do a birthday party?’ ”

Pamela Sidenfaden of Laguna Niguel also writes of a desperate situation from which she was rescued by Good Samaritans.

“While driving my two children in a small sports car along the 405 freeway I felt a tire growing flat. I pulled into the emergency lane on the right and attempted to limp to the next off-ramp, but I ran over an unavoidable orange crate, which I could not dislodge from the underside of the car. I had to stop.

“Soon thereafter a young naval officer, obviously dressed for some fine occasion that afternoon, stopped and asked if he could help by changing the flat tire. No sooner had I opened the trunk than a large truck passed nearby, bringing the trunk door down on my head. The young gentleman, seeing no spare tire, then asked if he might take my children and me to the nearest gas station so that I might call for help. He lit three flares, placing them behind my car, and we left.”

When she returned about 45 minutes later a fire truck was just leaving the scene and a police patrol unit was waiting for her. The policeman told her that while her car was unattended, the wind caused by the passing traffic blew one of the flares under the car. It ignited the orange crate. Minutes later another driver stopped and put out the fire with a fire extinguisher, then left to call the fire department. The fire department sent a truck to make sure the fire was out, then left the police officer in charge.

“All of this occurred in a very short span of time,” Mrs. Sidenfaden says. “I have not had, up until now, any way to thank those caring people, some of whom I never saw, for stopping and helping me and I am so happy to be able to do this now.”

Let’s hope that young naval officer got to his fine occasion on time.

L. A. Heinz of Santa Monica recalls an extraordinary courtesy by a bus driver:

“Our Big Blue Bus from Santa Monica was en route downtown on the freeway when a young woman two cars ahead suddenly stopped in the center lane.

“Cars were flying by on both sides of us and after the two cars ahead of the bus were able to get out, the driver pulled up closer behind her. He turned to ask if we minded staying there because he was afraid she might be hurt.

“We all said no, don’t leave her. Then he said if he could block the two right lanes with the bus someone could help her push the car over to the side of the road. Two male passengers rolled up their sleeves and jumped out to do just that.

“As the two men returned to their seats we gave them and the driver, Manny Gonzalez, a rousing round of applause.”

A woman who signs her name “Mrs. W. S. C.” of Sherman Oaks, tells a story with a more ironic ending.

Her son was driving east on the Ventura Freeway with his wife and two children when he saw, in the west lanes, a Highway Patrol officer fighting with two men who seemed to be trying to get his gun.

“My son stopped immediately, ran across all lanes, east and west, and helped the officer subdue the men, probably saving the officer’s life.”

To help subdue the assailants, she added, her son had used a “sap” or “billy club” that had been given to him by her father, a U.S. marshal.

“The thanks my son received,” she added ruefully, “was to have the sap confiscated. Is it any wonder ‘people don’t want to get involved?’ ”

Sorry, lady. A concealed weapon is a concealed weapon, even in the hands of a Good Samaritan.