'No one stopped to help?' Netizen questions after elderly man exits van on expressway to ask for directions

'No one stopped to help?' Netizen questions after elderly man exits van on expressway to ask for directions
PHOTO: Facebook/SG Road Vigilante

It's usual for drivers to get lost on the roads. 

However, stopping your car in the middle of the road, let alone an expressway, to ask for directions is a definite no-no. 

Despite this being dangerous, one elderly man did so on Saturday (Feb 18) at around 3.30pm. 

A video uploaded onto Facebook page SG Road Vigilante showed this driver's white van stationary in the middle of the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE).

As the cam car inched closer to the van, the old man nonchalantly walked towards him on the busy expressway to ask for help while waving a slip of paper. 

The driver of the cam car tried to switch lanes to avoid him but the persistent man followed the car and blocked its path. 

One of the passengers could be heard saying in Malay: "Poor thing! What does this uncle want? He's asking for help in the middle of the road? Ask him what he wants."

The driver of the cam car then winded down his window to talk to the old man. 

It turned out that the elderly man was indeed lost and needed help with directions.

After instructing the old man, the driver of the cam car drove off. 

Sympathising with uncle 

Instead of chiding the elderly man for risking his life and being an obvious road hazard, many of the netizens were sympathetic towards him. 

Several pitied him for having to work and drive around despite his age, while others asked why no one stopped to help him.

However, one netizen pointed out that while we should sympathise with the old man, his actions were still endangering others. 

So, the best way around this is to guide the old man on the proper way to ask for directions, they said.

But others weren't so kind and felt the old man should be banned from driving. 

Man gets yelled at for walking along PIE

Last December, a man got lost on the way home and found himself on the PIE

After spotting him walking along the road shoulder of the expressway, the passenger of a passing car felt the need to warn him.

However, while the man acknowledged that it was dangerous, he did not heed the passenger's advice and continued walking. 

The man and passenger ended up arguing and the lost man asked the passenger if he should "jump off the bridge" instead, to which the passenger responded with a "yes". 

The lost man also taunted the car to knock him down before resuming his walk. 

melissateo@asiaone.com

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