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Compared to many Americans, I do not drive very often. This is due to the fact that in DC there are many incentives for not driving (parking is expensive/unavailable, DC meter maids are the most vigilant in the world, and public transportation is cheap and abundant). Plus, my time in China has led to a strong preference for biking, and any car transportation needs are easily provided by family members. As such, I only drive about once or twice a month, which keeps my driving skills and emergency know-how at a persistently rusty level. This makes any unforeseen car problems all the more difficult for me to handle. Luckily, there are the Michelle Obamas of the world that are there to offer help.

As I was driving back to Maryland from DC today, I stopped at a traffic light as per usual traffic regulations. When the light turned green, I hit the gas to find that my car suddenly wouldn’t move. Confused, I check everything and discover that the car’s engine had inexplicably shut off. Thinking it was a mere stall, I turn the ignition once, twice, thrice…nothing. The ignition was turning, but the engine would not catch…my car was dead in the middle of the road. Cars started to honk behind me (I was in the left lane of a two lane road) and I realized the desperation of my situation. I was by myself, obstructing traffic, and completely unsure of what to do. I decided that since I couldn’t move the car by myself, my best option was to turn on the hazards, call my dad, and sit there pathetically until help arrived. Perhaps if I looked miserable enough, other drivers wouldn’t be so mad that I had created a traffic jam. So, I sat there. After five minutes, a cop pulled up and asked if I had called a tow truck. I told him that my dad had called one, and the cop told me that he had a round to make, but that if I was still there after he made his round, he would help me push the car to the side. Thinking that he was just going to loop around and be back in a few minutes, I waved off a taxi driver who stopped on the other side of the median and asked if I needed help. 10 minutes later, I was still in the middle of the road, when a figure suddenly taps on my window. It was a well dressed, middle-aged African-American woman in high heels and a fur coat. She first asked me if I was okay (which I thought was an interesting, but kind way of inquiring why the heck I was stopped in the middle of the road), and I tell her that I am fine, but the car is not. She then takes command, telling me to put the car in neutral and turn off the parking brake, and without any further ado gets behind the car and begins to push. I might also add that it was freezing cold out with high winds. A passing biker, probably shamed that a middle-age woman in high heels was pushing the car by herself in freezing weather also stopped, and together they got the car off the road. I thanked them profusely, and they both left. At this point, my parents and tow truck were on the way, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

But the altruism of the Michelle Obama look-alike didn’t stop there. Apparently she had gone back to get her car, which meant she was not a passer-by as I had previously thought, but had specifically pulled over to help me out. Then she came back for me, and offered to give me a ride to a Starbucks or the metro station so I wouldn’t have to freeze in the car. Talk about kind-hearted! I was about to take her up on her offer when I got a call from my mom that she and my dad were only 15 minutes away. Thanking the woman, I told her I would be rescued soon, and with a cry of “Happy New Year!” she drove off. If there was such a thing as a New Year’s Fairy, it would be that woman. Thanks again First-Lady-Look-Alike!