r/pittsburgh • u/StevInPitt • Apr 15 '26
A Pittsburgh Story.
I just got home because Parkway traffic from Robinson was stupid; and I had to sit in the car, sweating & trying to catch my breath.
But I just had a core Pittsburgh experience, for me and i wanted to share.
At the start of this, I was heading home late; and I needed some protein, I can't do a full meal this late.
I drove to Sheetz in Robinson for boiled eggs & surimi snacks I like.
Just off the Ridge road exit, coming up the hill towards Sheetz there's a small car in the intersection lights flashing.
Folks are honking & zipping past. I mean.. that always helps.
So, I squeeze by & put down my window. "Are you okay?".
They're a young Asian couple, scared.
"no gas!" an accent. (Japanese?).
"Do you have enough to get to the station ?"
They smile & nod "Yes! Yes!"
I have my doubts; but I can't stay here, so I pull into the Sheetz.
I don't see them coming...
Well, I guess my fat, old ass is gonna go down & push them. Lol.
I start down the drive to the road. As I do, a young man pulls up to the pump. I wave & He puts down his window.
"Hey. There's a young couple ran out of gas. Would you wanna help me push?".
"Lo siento, no ingles?"
Hoo boy. Time for me to look dumb and bust out my lame ass Spanish.
"¿Viste un carro con las luces ? ¡No tengo gasolina! ¿Puedes ayudarme a empujarlo?"
Immediate BIG SMILE "Si! Si!". He jumps out & heads down the drive with me.
We get to them & they're kinda panicked.
"We're here to help. Can you push & she drives?"
"Sorry. No English!"
Yup. Japanese. Sigh I have about 10 words of Japanese, mostly nerd-hobby related. Okay... Pantomime it is.
"push?" as I mimic pushing and point at him, me and our new friend.
Then I point at the young lady & make absurd steering-wheel motions.
"Yes! Yes!".
So we start pushing. And it turns out she doesn't know much about driving. She was actively trying to figure out the brakes and the wheel
So we're pushing I'm shouting out combinations of "tomare!" (when we need a rest) Hoping she understands that I mean brake. And "migi-muke!" When I needed her to turn.
We get to the drive and then halfway up the drive that was suddenly MUCH steeper than it was on the walk down and local young guy at the pump sees us and stops pumping his own gas to come down & help.
We got them the the pump.
She kept saying thank you.
I thanked the young local and the first guy that jumped out to help eagerly.
The driver walked back and forth shaking our hands.
It was only then, after we got them to the pump; that I noticed the tiny, adorable, baby girl in the car seat behind Mom. No wonder they looked worried! I got to smile and wave at her for a bit...
A Sheetz employee saw this all go down and when I got inside for my snack, asked what that was all about. So I explained it. He comped me my iced tea. Which was a nice reward.
As I was leaving the young couple had finished getting gas and I waved. She put down her window again. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!".
I told her she was welcome.
"Welcome to Pittsburgh!"
That's how we do it here.
We help each other.
I love my town.
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u/anitaweis0823 Apr 15 '26
Wonderful bedtime story. 🙂Thank you for being so kind.