To winch or not to winch, would you have?

We were wheeling in one of our favorite areas and came across a jeep completely buried up to the door sills in what used to be just a small muddy spot. The teenagers in their parents jeep had run back and forth, mudding through the muddy spot until it was a huge mud pit with feet deep grooves.

The kids immediately noticed that my Taco Sport had a winch and their eyes lit up and smiles came to their faces. They were stuck to the point of needing a tow truck to pull the jeep out. We asked if they had called for help and they said no, it was their dads jeep and he would get "upset" if he saw his jeep in that condition. We asked if they knew that mudding on an existing trail was illegal, they didn't know that.

I seriously thought about leaving them, they were within almost reasonable walking distance to town, they had cell phones and cell service and their dad to call for assistance.

I ended up winching them out, after I made them call their dad and let me talk to him, you would be surprised how fast that dad made it up to that mud hole in the woods to see his jeep.

Well, what would you have done, winch or no winch?

 

Always a tough call in this sue happy society. Sucks that you can't offer somebody a helping hand without wondering if this "dad" will want to sue you for scratching his bumper. Hate to say it, but better safe than sorry. Let the kids learn a lesson and have their dad chew their ass and not yours.

 

No pics?!?!

Perfect opportunity for jeep rescue shot

 

you did the right thing brother...offered help like a gentleman, and made it a learning experience. props for integrity

 

Winched, we were all were young once

 

Eh... Dumb of them to take their dad's vehicle out to do things he wouldn't want them to do with it, but then again, we've all done stuff like that.
Winch it.
And kudos to you for helping those dopeys out.

 

You did the right thing!

David

 

That will bring you good Karma sir, I would have told them to call the dad and tell him I'm winching it out, but not responsible for any mishaps.

 

Winch em out and don't make a big deal of it. I had some kids offer me weed once after I pulled 2 of their trucks out of the snow in the forest. I laughed and said thanks anyway an wasn't a douche about it.

 

Well done sir! You helped them with their problem and helped dad with his, perfect.

 

Thought this was going to be a question to have a winch or not.

I'd help them out.

 

I winched a silly young jeeper out earlier this year....


Was buried up to his frame. Axles were gone, no recovery points...had to get creative.

 

For sure I know Tinkham, Snoqualmie Pass area, some really good trails to tackle in that area.

You did well to rescue those kids, no telling what would have happened to their unprepared asses. Stupid kids and beer...

I have seen Christmas tree cutters in 2WD drive cars trying to get up the trails through the snow going after a good tree. They usually end up high centered or in a ditch. The bad thing is they usually have a car load of little kids with them.

 

No pictures, my Nikon D5200 I bought and my GoPro 3 my son bought me were both sitting at home idle. I wasn't expecting any photo ops. I do wish I could have gotten a photo of their dad though, pissed doesn't even begin to describe his demeanor.

 

Never leave one behind! Most of the time people are thankful for an offer of assistance and I'll always offer help, then there's the dickheads. The only times I've left someone off-road or off-shore is when they're dicks. It's surprising to me that someone can be so macho or whatever the hell it is that they give a good samaritan shit for offering a hand. It's happened a few times, twice I stayed a distance and watched. One, a stuck truck and these guys were SUPER dicks to us. They eventually started walking and not dangerously far from civilization so we drove by laughing. I might have accidentally done a couple donuts upwind of them. The other a disabled boat. When they had finally drifted dangerously close to the breakwater I insisted I to tow them but only took them out of danger then used my VHF (they didn't have one of course) and called vessel assist for them. I wanted to let the jerks hit the rocks and sink, but there was a little kid on the boat. I expected it would be a $600+ lesson; I would have towed them all the way back in for free had they not been dicks about it. They were arriving at the launch ramp as I was finishing up my washout and they'd actually gotten a free tow! ...from the coast guard.....and they were in handcuffs. They were so shitty to the vessel assist guy he had to call the coast guard and the guys were too stupid to realize you can't just tell a coastie to F-off without them forcibly boarding your boat. The evidence bags had lots of alcohol containers, lots of weed, and a handgun. Fish and game was waiting to meet them so I'm guessing they picked up a few charges for illegal fish as well. Following my conversation with the coasties there was a child endangerment charge added. It happens much more often on lakes than in the ocean. On a lake and without immediate danger, I just give the finger wave and motor on while placing a radio call.

 

Never leave anybody stranded!!!!!

I would've hooked em up without any hesitation what so ever

 

When someone is saving your ass, be polite and cooperative. I've had people get sassy with me, but not to the point where I leave them. However, I might if they were complete assholes. Learn a lesson.

Sounds like you did good