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Luke Pease: Can You Help Me Out?

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When Luke Pease found himself in a desperate situation and in need of help, he turned to those most in need of help themselves, the unhoused.

The Cesar Chavez exit from 101 South is fast, sharp, narrow, and provides a severe brake test for cars flying off the freeway. So being stuck in the gore point with a non-functional motorbike is possibly one of least desirable locations in San Francisco.

With a dead battery and a stalled engine, my options were limited. The right fork is uphill, providing no escape, the left fork is a short downhill on which it might just be possible to generate enough speed to bump start the bike. Fail though, and the situation deteriorates further - trapped in the low point under a bridge, in traffic, squeezed against the sidewall, being potentially both the cause and recipient of a nasty accident.

But, this being America, the solution was at hand, right there under the freeway. A homeless camp. Just a couple of guys in this one, but a homeless camp nevertheless. I crossed the freeway, clambered up the wall, and without a hint of irony asked the question, “Can you help me out?”

I explained that I just needed help getting my bike up that hill, round the corner onto the surface street (Potrero Avenue for those following along at home) and out of danger.

One gentleman though disabled, was clearly willing to help, but suggested the other gentlemen would be more appropriate for the task. We skipped back across the freeway, a gap in traffic, a few seconds vigorous pushing and we were done. Safe. Another push, and we’d restarted my bike.

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I offered profuse thanks, some grateful words, and a little cash to my savior. He refused the cash

I persisted, pressing $20 into his hand. He acquiesced; more I think to help me assuage my feelings of guilt than to profit from his Samaritarian actions.

Of course one should never explain irony, but living around the Bay as we do, we so often hear and usually ignore ,those five simple words, ‘can you help me out?’

With a Perspective, I'm Luke Pease.


Luke Pease writes - and rides - from Oakland, where he has installed a new battery on his motorbike.

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