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The Good Samaritan
An urban legend

As told by Pit Weston...

A man is driving on a deserted road and comes to see a man on the side of that road with a flat tire. The driver stops his car and offers to help. When he is done, the grateful man asks him for his address to send him a reward for helping him. The helpful man declines and declines, but finally gives in. Then both man get in their cars and drive off.

Two weeks later, the man receives a letter in the mail that says:

"Thank you for helping me, here is a little something to say thanks. Signed, Donald Trump."

Inside is a check for 10,000 dollars.


* * *


As told by "Wino"...

An auto mechanic who specialized in BMWs was driving on Interstate 5 and spotted a BMW on the shoulder of the road, with the driver standing beside it. The mechanic stopped and asked if there was anything he could help with. The driver thanked him and explained that he had called BMW's roadside assistance line and was now just waiting for the BMW person to show up.

Good Samaritans

As against the old truism that virtue is its own reward, the moral of this story is that benevolence can be downright profitable if the person in need happens to be rich and famous. Other celebrities of whom this tale has been told are Perry Como, Mrs. Leon Spinks and Mrs. Nat King Cole.

Further reading:

Trumped Up
- UL Reference Pages

Celebrity Legends
- Fame, fortune and scandal
 

The mechanic offered his business card and explained that he specialized in repairing BMWs, again offering to see if he could help, with no obligation. Perhaps he could save the driver a long wait. Again, he was thanked for the offer and turned down politely.

He insisted and was finally allowed to look at the car. He found nothing more than a loose wire, reattached it, and the car ran fine.

The driver turned out to have been Bill Gates.

Mysteriously, the mechanic's house mortgage was fully paid up the next week.


* * *


Previous Legends of the Week:

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Exam Scam: 'The Flat Tire'
Professor wins battle of wits with class-cutting students

'Oh, Susannah...'
A very creepy dormitory tale

The Choking Doberman
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The Hare Dryer
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The Hairy-Armed Hitchhiker
Gosh, Grandma... what a big axe you've got!

Double Whammy!
A car thief turns out to be a nice guy... or is he?

The McPus Sandwich
A fast food horror story



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