So, I traveled my normal 3.5 miles home last night with 1 mile of it on the interstate and sitting on the exit ramp shoulder was a H3 with a very helpless looking couple ambling around next to it. I throw the hazards on, pull in front, and ask if they need some help (like any decent jeeper would).
Turns out that the H3's have this odd little feature where if you run out of gas, then continue to run accessories and try to crank the engine, the battery dies. The husband relayed this fascinating information while seeming a bit perturbed with his wife, the driver. She had avoided filling up near her office since it was in a bad part of town, but apparently feeling lucky, continued to not fill up at every subsequent exit, most of which are in good parts.
They inform me that they called a neighbor already to bring them out a set of jumper cables (from about 20 miles away in rush-hour traffic, which could take an hour) and I asked if they'd like a jump right now since I had some in the jeep. They gratefully accepted and about 5 minutes later, the little hummer was humming again.
The irony is that there were two fuel stations at the top of the exit ramp (about 100 yds away from where it had stalled) and BOTH of them carry little emergency fuel cans. That's where the husband had parked his car and walked to the H3 with a 2 gal can of gas. The situation could have been entirely avoided had the driver simply stopped at any one of the probably 25 stations she passed OR walked the 100 yds up the ramp to the station and bought a gallon or two.
I'd do it again in a second, but the question I have is this: Do others have these experiences were otherwise normal people need such basic roadside help that you wonder if they're even capable of "paying it forward"... or is it just a city thing?
P.S. I told her that I wouldn't mind filling her tank a little more but that the fuel I was carrying would destroy her engine. She replied, "Oh, it'd be okay, This takes regular, not premium." I elaborated as to why, but I guess she at least deserves credit for understanding the difference
as far as running it out of gas, The hummer has a 23 gal. gas tank which will warn you at 19 gals. with a light and a chime every few mins. or so which would give you about 50 miles that can be very annoying. I guess there Onstar wasn`t working either when it ran out of gas. hummer will send someone with gas and a jump. It shouldn`t be what kind of car or truck you own, when your stuck your stuck. Pay it forward as you said. I been stuck in the hummer and had no problem asking that jeep owner for help ,and he gladly did.As his buddies filmed it and than put it on youtube before the tow truck had me at the dealers. Right on. big guy, your good people 