Finding Friends In Heavy Traffic
Wednesday - October 24, 2007
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Del.icio.usDear Pamela,
My wife and I were on our way home to Mililani when our blue Chevy truck got stalled in the middle lane of the H-1 freeway near the Pearl City off-ramp. In the middle of hundreds of cars and in rush-hour traffic, I got out of my truck and within a couple minutes, a very kind military gentleman and his wife stopped to help me push my truck safely out of the way and onto the emergency lane. Being concerned about what to do next, I failed to get their names to thank them personally. Our sincere mahalo goes out to them. We would also like to thank Van and Kalei Smith, who stopped to see if we needed a ride, and the HPD solo bike officer who stopped traffic and checked on us to see if we were OK.
A special mahalo also goes out to my former co-worker, Ryan “DC” Dela Cruz, for stopping on the side of the road to see if he could assist us and get our truck started. We ended up having to get our truck towed, but we truly appreciate each of them for taking the time to help us.
Glen and Sharla Respicio
Mililani
Dear Glen and Sharla,
Can you believe there are two Ryan Dela Cruzes who work for Servco? Your Ryan said he recognized your personalized license plate. “I used to work with Glen in Waipahu,” he says. “I was driving home and noticed his truck on the side of the road. I pulled over and said howzit, and checked a couple things on the car. He said not to worry because a tow truck was already coming, but I wanted to offer help anyway.”
Dear Pamela,
As I was driving on the third level near Macy’s Ala Moana, my car had a flat. I notified the Customer Service Center and they referred me to Kevin in the Parking Security Department. He came to my rescue and stayed with me throughout the whole time as I waited for the tow truck. In the meantime, he guided other drivers in and out of their stalls near my car and kept the flow of traffic running smoothly. He did his job with so much compassion and aloha that I wanted to acknowledge him. He truly made my day!
Charlene Takehara
Nuuanu
Dear Charlene,
Mike Gonzalez, contract manager for Call Security Ala Moana, says your angel Kevin Ikei is a great employee. “He’s been on the job for a couple years now and knows how to help people. By the way, if anyone is in a similar situation, just look for any pay phone at Ala Moana and press “security.” Someone will be there shortly to give assistance.”
Dear Ms. Young,
I love your column because it reaffirms the importance of human kindness and gratitude in our community. The letters offer glimpses of the wonderful deeds that people perform for one another every day but do not make media headlines.
I was traveling west on Nimitz Highway when I realized that something was wrong with my car. I drove into the Zippy’s parking lot on Nimitz and got out of my car, only to find out that one of my rear tires was flat. As I walked toward the restaurant, Dave Amodo asked if I needed help, because he had been driving behind me and saw that I had a flat tire. He immediately jumped into action and changed my flat tire so that I could drive on my spare. He also made sure to tell me the rule on driving with a spare tire so that I could safely be on my way. I was touched by his kindness and willingness to help out a stranger. Many thanks to Dave Amodo for being such a great Samaritan!
Karen Tashima
Aiea
Dear Karen,
Dave Amodo, a promotions editor at KHON-TV, shares that rule with us. “I told her don’t go over 50 and stick to the surface streets,” he says. “Coincidentally, just a few days before, I was driving with a flat tire and someone was waving me down to let me know. I thought, you know, we go through life ignoring people because we think they might harm us, but some people just want to help out. I wanted to pay it forward.”
(If you know someone who deserves some Applause, send your letters to Pamela Young, MidWeek Applause, KITV, 801 S. King St., Honolulu, HI, 96813 or e-mail pyoung@kitv.com. Include your name, phone number and, if possible, the phone number of your “applaudee” so we can contact him or her.)
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