To the people of Williamsport: (Brockway, Dale: coupon, insurance, high crime)

[NYMD67]

This past Sunday (oct 12th), my family & I were passing through Williamsport on our way back from visiting family for the weekend in NY.
We have been doing this same route for 15 years or so now, always stopping at the Williamsport Wegman's for our mid-point break.
We LOVE Wegman's!

My 2 young children were sound asleep in the car so my husband just went in alone to pick up some things for lunch. My car doors were locked and I was reading.
Then what to my wondering eyes should happen next??
Well, we were parked next to the "Expectant Mothers" parking spot and I see a little red car with an elderly gentleman sitting in the drivers seat. I didn't think much about it, but then a woman (who was obviously not expecting) came out and proceeded to act very "silly" for the lack of a better word, in front of this little red car. Next thing I know,she has slammed her car door into my car and they proceed to try to get away as quickly as possible, not stopping to check the damage or anything.
She knew what she had done and it was even more obvious when my alarm started to go off in my car.
I tried to get out of the car in time to at least get a plate # but they were speeding away as though they had just robbed the store!
They knew what they had done and could have cared less.

What made it even worse though,was the fact that the place was packed,people walking in and out,all over the parking lot and my alarm is going off, I can't stop it because my husband had the keys in the store and I am outside of my car trying to get the attention of the people who had just slammed their car door into mine, not ONE SINGLE PERSON even stopped to see if I was okay. My girls at this point are crying because the alarm had scared them and I was out of the car...
I wonder what would have happened if it was something much worse?
I would have been left alone with not a single care from anyone in that parking lot.
Shame on you Williamsport, shame on those of you who were there Sunday afternoon and just walked by, shame on you to the people who hit my car.. You knew what you had done or else you wouldn't have sped away like speedy gonzalez!

I was finally able to get my alarm to shut off and went back to waiting in my car with my children. As I sat there not believing what had just happened, I proceeded to watch not one,but two more people park in the "Expectant Mother's " parking lot. Not for anything people, but are you really THAT lazy? I mean one was obviously again,not expecting. She was probably in her late 50's and had grown children walking away from her van with her. The 2nd person to park there was a young man, my guess is,not pregnant either.
Cmon people, you should just all be ashamed of yourselves.

Your actions on Sunday afternoon in the Wegman's parking lot certainly didn't set a good impression for myself,or my children.

[Internet Superman]

It sounds to me as if you are nothing but a bunch of city slickers.

Country folk don't like city folk because they act so stupid.

You don't even need to lock your car doors in Williamsport when you are not in the car let alone when 3 people are in the car.

I am sure that the ding to your door was minimal - but enough to set off the car alarm and make you look stupid.

You act as if you were robbed at gun point, when actually all that happened is that someone bumped into your car door and set off your car alarm.

How would you not be ok?

Nobody was holding a gun to your head or kidnapping your children.

Accidents in parking lot's happens all the time and this wasn't even a hit and run, all they did was bump your car door.

Do you realize that 100 years ago, there were more millionaires in Williamsport Pa then anywhere else in the world?

It's not a high crime area. I don't even lock the doors on my truck when I stop there to get a burger after a hard day of hunting bears when I am in town. The people see your blaze orange hunting suit and hunting clothes and they know that you have been out hunting and that you have a firearm and could use it if there was trouble and they welcome hunters and out of town guests with open arms.

Everyone in Williamsport for the most part is friendly, hardworking people who are no better or worse then you are.

How dare you badge a entire town as misfits and criminals just because of the actions of one stupid person.

I hope your car is ok.

[NYMD67]

WOW! you are certainly entitled to your opinion there Superman but wow!

First, let me start with the positive, yes,you are right,no one was holding a gun to my head,but honestly, no one knew that for sure.. There was no hit & run either, but again,no one knew because no one asked.
The people had no idea that day what had happened and I can tell you honestly, that if the situation were to have been reversed, I would have asked if the person was okay, especially if I saw that "she" had children with her. It is just a polite thing to do.

There is not just a slight "ding" in my car door, she SLAMMED her car door into mine producing significant damage. She took a very large chunk from my door,it is as if the car was hit. So sorry Superman, you weren't there to witness what actually took place. It is currently in the shop for an estimate ,but it won't be just a few pennies.

What does it matter to you if I lock my doors or not? so what, it is just a habit,and not because I live in a high crime area either. I never said that Williamsport was full of country folks or criminals.
I never called anyone Stupid,as you did. I never implied I was better than anyone.
I never once made a statement about the social status or financial status of anyone in the area. I have no idea what the area is like, just that we like driving through and we like stopping at Wegman's. That is all.
I don't care how many millionaires use to live in the area, it is insignificant to my post.
People with money can be just as lacking of class as people without money, it means nothing to me.

It seems possibly Superman, that you are embarassed that SOME people in your town seem to be lacking in consideration for others, otherwise I am not sure why you chose to be so defensive.

[WonderingWanderer]

I am not from or live in Williamsport, but am in the town very often. At least 5 times a month, often more. I'm on the fence between you and Superman. I well understand locking your doors, that is more than acceptable, but mostly not needed in the area. Superman is right, it's a very safe place compared to many other cities I've been in. You're right in that the people parking in the expectant mothers area are being thoughtless and my only justification is that the spot is almost always emtpy and it's there simply as a courtesy. Unfortunately today's society has less and less courtesy. You shouldn't judge such a big town by those few actions.
Williamsport and the entire surrounding area is a very nice place and I hope your next visit is much better. I will draw a lesson from this and try to remember courtesy.

[scottrpriester]

Originally Posted by Internet Superman

It sounds to me as if you are nothing but a bunch of city slickers.

What a stupid thing to say.......

And stupid acts like what happened in the parking lot happen all over the world today, nothing to do with Williamsport.

[Dawne]

Unfortunately people have grown so accustomed to car alarms going off that they are basically ignored no matter what. They probably saw you next to your vehicle with the alarm going off and the door open and figure you goofed and would reset it.

I had an elderly couple back out of their parking space behind mine as I walked out of Weis' in Hummels Wharf one time. They backed right into my vehicle and saw me looking right at them. They calmly drove off as if nothing had happened. I just shook my head. Fortunately, there was no damage done to my vehicle.

I also parked near the expectant mother slot one day and recognized the vehicle that was in it as belonging to a male acquaintance. He happened to come out of the store as I was going in. I gestured to his parking spot and said, "So when is your baby due?" He had the decency to look sheepish and we both had a laugh.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience and that your kids got scared. I think as a mother that would have upset me the most, my kids being upset by something. Hopefully your insurance will cover the damage to your car. And may your next trip to Wegman's in Williamsport be a wonderful one!

[Gerania]

My sentiments. If I'd seen your door get dinged, your alarm go off and your kids start to to cry, I'd most likely think, "Oh, I've had days like that". It's nice when someone offers to comfort for even a moment or assist in any way, but really, you were OK, flustered, but OK. I would have stopped for a few minutes of moral support. You weren't being assaulted, carjacked, nor was anyone bleeding.

I've had people offer to jump my battery, help strap things to the roof rack. The two times that I've been in an auto accident, no one stopped. Funny, isn't it?

Originally Posted by Dawne

Unfortunately people have grown so accustomed to car alarms going off that they are basically ignored no matter what. They probably saw you next to your vehicle with the alarm going off and the door open and figure you goofed and would reset it.

I had an elderly couple back out of their parking space behind mine as I walked out of Weis' in Hummels Wharf one time. They backed right into my vehicle and saw me looking right at them. They calmly drove off as if nothing had happened. I just shook my head. Fortunately, there was no damage done to my vehicle.

I also parked near the expectant mother slot one day and recognized the vehicle that was in it as belonging to a male acquaintance. He happened to come out of the store as I was going in. I gestured to his parking spot and said, "So when is your baby due?" He had the decency to look sheepish and we both had a laugh.

I'm sorry you had a bad experience and that your kids got scared. I think as a mother that would have upset me the most, my kids being upset by something. Hopefully your insurance will cover the damage to your car. And may your next trip to Wegman's in Williamsport be a wonderful one!

[Internet Superman]

I have a better story then yours.

I am physically disabled. I can still walk and talk and stuff like that. But a logging truck, hauling a log skidder out of the woods along rt 989 ran into the back of my car. Tore the drivers seat right off the floor. The crash was every bit as violent as the one that killed Dale Earnhardt.

I took a very small settlement - less then $100,000 for 7 years of pain and suffering and I signed off on all medical benefits. I was working at the time of the accident and 4 insurance companies were involved.

The owner of the truck was from Ridgeway PA. The ones with the big saw mill in the middle of the town. Buehler Lumber

Last year, I took my vehicle to get inspected. The shop that did the inspection hires Vo Tech kids - Monro in Dubois. The boy in the shop forgot to tighten one of the caliper mount bolts. A few days later, I was hunting with a friend on Empire Ridge in the Brockway game lands.

Empire ridge goes through the Brockway gamelands and ends up on Rt 989 - not far from where I was injured in Portland Mills.

The brake caliper did not come off, it mearly went up into the wheel and tore a hole in the aluminum wheel and wouldn't let the wheel turn. All the air came out and the wheel was ruined.

I was hunting at the time and I had no tools with me. I jacked up the vehicle and took off the wheel - but I did not have the bolt that came out and I had no way to take the other bolt out to keep the caliper mount from doing to the spare tire what it did to the aluminum wheel. I had no cell phone, not that it mattered - because it wouldn't work up there anyways. I came across a disabled hunter in the woods who was driving his 4 wheeler through the woods to hunt squirrels. I asked the guy where he lived and he said he lived just down the road. I asked him if he had any tools - even a pair of vice grip pliers that I could borrow and he said no. I asked him if he had even a crescent wrench at home that I could borrow for 2 minutes and he said no! I asked him if he had a neighbor that would have even a crescent wrench or a pipe wrench that I could borrow for 2 minutes and he said his neighbors don't lend out tools!

Now this is one disabled person talking to another disabled person.

Since I had already walked 2 miles in one direction looking for the bolt that fell out and since I had walked 1/2 of a mile down to his vehicle in the other direction to ask him for help, and since it was already getting dark, he offered to give me a ride back to my vehicle. Since I had no family members that I could call to come and help me and since I have no income - I couldn't just call a tow truck. I was pretty much screwed.

I was at least 10 miles from the nearest town, maybe even more.

Finally the guy relented when he saw what type of situation I was in and he offered me a piece of rope to tie up the caliper when he saw me trying to tie it up with my boot string. He reaches into the back of the trunk on his 4 wheeler and was going through the trunk and came across a pair of vise grips and he told me to hold them while he found the rope he was looking for.

You want to talk about STUPID!

I borrowed the vise grips pliers and got the other bolt out and I stuck a tree branch between the brake pads and I tied it to the lower control arm of the suspension - it was a Chevy Avalanche.

I even gave the guy $5 for letting me use his pliers.

I have stopped dozens of times along the road and asked people - do you need a hand. I was a mechanic and I worked in a junk yard and I know a little more about cars then most people who works in garages. Just that my body is the equivalent of a 75 year old man and my mind is the equivalent of a 25 year old person. The mind wants to go but the body doesn't want to do what the mind wants to do.

Idiots in a parking lot with people in a car with a car alarm set - is just that to me - idiots.

I don't even take the key's out of my car or truck at night. I don't even have a lock on my garage door. I can leave my house all day with the doors unlocked. If people wants to steal something - they will kick down the door or smash a window and get in. You aren't going to stop them.

Even with the limited amount of money that I have, I still put money in the collection plate at church every week, and I donate money to needy causes and people. Even though I get no social security and have no money coming in. I work sometimes for days to help out the old people in my community and I even plant a garden every year at my house and I grow my own food. All the surplus food I grow I give to the old people and the needy in my community.

Just two months ago I gave a ride to a person who's car was broke down and when I stopped in a grocery store where I had once worked and where I had shopped every day for 25 years, someone stole my wallet after I bought two gallons of milk.

It had all my money in it. $155
My drivers license
My social security card
my pistol permit
gift cards with money on them
my debit card
my discount cards
my telephone number
even a coupon for a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

I have not shopped there since the incident because even though the stores camera had everything on tape - they refused to tell me or the police who stole my wallet. The police said that unless you can prove that someone picked your pocket that it was finders keepers.

$155 to someone that is working or has a steady income is nothing.

$155 to someone who only has $155 and that is their food money and their gas money and their money to pay their bills - is a small fortune!

You want me to sit here and feel sorry for you - because your car got dinged and it was a traumatic experience for you.

I don't think that you would last 5 minutes in my world before you would go running out of the house kicking and screaming.

Grow up already! The world does not revolve around you!

[pennsynative]

Wow Superman! What harsh replies. I found it ironic that you mentioned putting money in the collection plate at church when you appear to be an angry, judgmental person. The OP had a bad experience in Williamsport and was venting her frustration. It doesn't matter what you think about whether she should have had her doors locked or alarm on, etc. The couple who hit her car were wrong and they should be ashamed of themselves. I tend to find that some elderly (I DID NOT say all elderly) pretend to be clueless and also feel entitled to get away with things because of their age. I hope that the OP will not judge that particular area of PA by the actions of a few at one grocery store. I also agree with Dawne that people have become indifferent to car alarm sounds because there are so many these days. Superman, you should go back and read your posts again and feel the anger in them. There was no need for that.

[WonderingWanderer]

Superman, you have my respect.

These posted stories show just how few in number the "Good Samaritan" type of people exist in today's world. Matt 12.24; "and because lawlessness will increase, the love of many people will grow cold".
Folks don't want to get involved anymore. That's sad.