I never set out last week thinking I’d become a Good Samaritan.

I was just going about my normal routine, doing my own thing. But twice in the space of a few days, I found myself stopping to help someone who really needed it.

And it got me thinking about how a small decision – just choosing to stop – can make a much bigger difference than we realise.

The first one happened while I was driving behind a motorcycle on the outskirts of Longnor.

Something caught my eye. There was smoke coming from the back of the bike, but it didn’t look right. It wasn’t just exhaust. It was oil smoke.

The rider had no idea and it was getting worse.

He was carrying on, completely unaware that his bike had developed a serious oil leak. The oil was getting everywhere, including all over the rear tyre.

Now, anyone who rides knows that oil and a motorcycle tyre are not exactly the best of friends. One corner taken a little too quickly, one emergency stop, and things could have ended very differently.

So I did what I’d hope someone would do for me. I got his attention and managed to get him pulled over safely.

When we looked properly, it was clear just how lucky he was. He’d avoided a potential crash, and the bike had hopefully avoided much more serious mechanical damage.

I stayed in touch and found out a few days later that it was an issue with his oil filter being installed incorrectly. Luckily he’d only just purchased this used bike and the dealer had offered to sort everything out including a new tyre and brake pads to replace the ones soaked in oil.

Time to help out another rider

A few days later, another opportunity to help came along.

After a bike night at the Yew Tree in Cauldon, I was heading home when I spotted an older gentleman pushing a motorcycle along the road.

Not just any motorcycle either.

A 200cc 1954 Triumph Tiger Cub.

A proper little piece of history, that ironically I had taken this photo of earlier at the bike night.

The problem was, the little Triumph wasn’t going anywhere under its own power.

He was miles from anywhere, struggling to move the bike along, so I stopped to see if I could help. Between us, we managed to freewheel the Triumph to the next village.

From there, I asked a local resident if they would kindly keep an eye on the bike for a short while. Thankfully, they were happy to help, which gave the owner time to get his van and return later that evening to collect his pride and joy.

Whilst the bike was safe for now, there was still one thing to sort out though – getting him home. So he jumped on the back of my own Triumph, and I gave him a lift.

A simple thing really. But it saved him a long walk and meant he could start putting things right straight away.

I don’t see myself as some kind of hero. I wasn’t rescuing anyone from a burning building or doing anything extraordinary.

I just stopped.

That’s all.

But maybe that’s the point.

Sometimes we’re all so busy getting where we need to be that we forget to look around. A few minutes of our time can make a bad situation a whole lot easier for someone else.

The motorcycling community has always had that spirit. It doesn’t matter what you ride, how old your bike is, or whether you’ve been riding for years or just started out. If someone’s stuck, you help if you can.

Because one day, it might be you standing by the side of the road hoping someone else will stop.

These situations reminded me that being a Good Samaritan isn’t about being noticed.

It’s simply about noticing.

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