In the past two weeks, I have helped out in two rather dramatic events. One, a domestic violence issue where an aggressive man was abusing a woman who had a baby and a perhaps 3-year-old little girl, and the other when a utility rolled over in front of me on the Bruce Highway.
Domestic Violence
I was on my way to catch a train to the city - an hour's journey at best. I heard voices - one person on the walkway and a man in the car park - yelling at one another. I took no notice and had no awareness that there was abuse in the conversation.
There is an elevator up to a walkway, which takes one across the railway tracks and two other elevators, to the tracks. As I exited the first one, I saw the young lady with the pram, baby and small child. Again I heard her yell to the man below but didn't take any notice. I walked along to the next elevator to go down to my platform, and the woman with her littlies followed me in.
Then I heard the yelling - coming closer. Then this tall brute of a man come in the lift, yelling and pushing. He wanted to take the baby. It is a small area, and I quickly exited but stayed just beyond the doorway. I shouted at the man to leave the woman and child alone, and to go away. He turned to me, only a few feet from me, and yelled abuse at me. I called for people to call the Police. It was a very dramatic few minutes. Soon other people and railway staff appeared and I shakily left the scene. I went down the stairs - my whole body shaking. I heard police sirens an when I looked back the woman and children were being cared for by the railway staff. I had seen the man run off just minutes earlier.
It really shook me up. I realised how close I had come to being a victim too.
Ute Rollover
Less then two weeks later, I was on the motorway, heading home from a meeting. There was a lot of traffic on the road and it had been raining so the road was wet. Much to my horror, a utility just in front of me rolled over and off the road into a ditch. There was a truck between my car and the vehicle that rolled. I stopped quickly, and rushed to help, calling the police as I did so.
As a former nurse, I usually stop to help anyone in such an incident, if there are no others there. The driver was on his own, with no passengers and was very lucky. He didn't have a scratch on him. Of course, he was shaken by the experience.
A couple of other vehicles stopped, but didn't stay and drove away when they saw he was not injured. However, I chose to stay. He was on his own, was a guy who was in his 50's or early 60's and I thought it prudent to stay until someone else did. It was a long wait before police and tow truck appeared. I then left.
I posted about both events on my FB page, and many people said nice things about me, for being kind enough to try and help.
Someone also suggested things like this happen in threes. What will be my next event? I am scared thinking about it. I hope it is just two!
#dihill
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