Are you willing to share your umbrella with a stranger?

[importswim]

When I was around the age of 17 I did exactly that. I had an umbrella with me and, upon leaving a post office, noticed that quite a few people were hanging out by the front door waiting for the rain to stop. I offered to walk back and forth to their cars with them and the only one that took me up on it was a middle aged man. I walked him to his car and he thanked me profusely. I remember that day fondly as it's a reminder to me to push myself out of my comfort zone. 

 

Now, I'm quite a bit older and have lived in the PACNW and Alaska. I rarely walk in the rain with an umbrella, but if I did I'd definitely offer to help someone who looked like they might need it. 

[Lady Florida.]

It's not that I wouldn't offer, but that I can't imagine that scenario happening. We get two kinds of rain. All day rain that ktgrok and I were complaining about in a thread of hers. That's rare. And short lasting downpours that are very common in summer and usually come with lightning. In the first, most people would already have an umbrella with them because it's a rainy day. In the second, the sudden rain referenced in the original question, people just wait it out. Rain isn't usually sudden here though. You can see the rain clouds and which way they're moving. If you wait long enough there will be a break in the rain, or the rain will slow down enough that it won't be an issue to go out in it. Unless you absolutely must leave, you won't go out in the downpour - seriously it's like buckets of water being poured out - you'll be soaked. And an umbrella is useless because the wind likely has the rain blown sideways. (For those of you who are my friend on facebook, the video I posted the other day is very typical of a summer storm*.)

 

This isn't a walkable area so most likely you're just going to your car anyway. In a different world, yes I'd offer. In my little section of the world though, it's just so unlikely a scenario that I never thought about it.

 

*ETA -  Link to the video even if you aren't on facebook or aren't a fb friend. See why an umbrella would be useless?  :lol:

 

https://www.facebook.com/kathy.m.chumley/videos/10158708186360447/?l=2411405404176706140

Edited June 19, 2017 by Lady Florida.

[Jean in Newcastle]

It's not that I wouldn't offer, but that I can't imagine that scenario happening.

 

Yes.  There is no need for some of the judgment on this thread.  I could very easily find some other kindness that I do that others don't and set up a thread where I look down my nose at everyone else.  Somehow that kind of self righteous attitude is the antithesis of genuine kindness. 

[Guest]

Then I'd expect a woman to be prepared and bring her own umbrella or other devices to protect herself from the elements, and not rely on others for "help."

 

This just makes me think of movies from the 50s where the dashing hero must protect the idiot woman from the harmful effects of water on her shoes. I really hate that image of women, as helpless and stupid and not able to anticipate the effects of weather on her clothing, face and hair.

Yeah, I hear ya. I usually do have my own very substantial umbrella if rain is due and it wouldn't occur to me to hope some random guy has one to share. That said, I have been caught with my umbrella not quite with me - it's in the car, but I'm stuck watching the downpour out the window of the building, wondering why I failed to actually bring the umbrella *all the way* with me. ðŸ˜

 

The foolish thing I seem to do over and over again is go to a kid's ballgame without a jacket or sweatshirt and then it turns out to be colder than I realized. DH is forever "rescuing" me from my own idiocy in those instance. 😠He is usually much better prepared for the weather than I am.

[Tangerine]

Yes. There is no need for some of the judgment on this thread. I could very easily find some other kindness that I do that others don't and set up a thread where I look down my nose at everyone else. Somehow that kind of self righteous attitude is the antithesis of genuine kindness.

Boy howdy. Those of us who don't like shared saliva aren't going to offer people tastes or sips of things, or appreciate the offer of such. People who hate to cook aren't going to bring homemade casseroles to potlucks. People who have no automotive skills aren't going to stop on the side of the road and help someone change a tire. And people who don't like close confinement with strangers aren't going to offer shared umbrellas. Everyone brings something different to the table, thank goodness.

[heartlikealion]

Then I'd expect a woman to be prepared and bring her own umbrella or other devices to protect herself from the elements, and not rely on others for "help."  

 

This just makes me think of movies from the 50s where the dashing hero must protect the idiot woman from the harmful effects of water on her shoes. I really hate that image of women, as helpless and stupid and not able to anticipate the effects of weather on her clothing, face and hair. 

 

Just this weekend a man at church was talking to me about this event where it rained horribly. He said he ended up escorting another parishioner to her car in the rain (she may have had an umbrella but he was worried about her because she was wearing heels and is an older woman). So he was describing the scene and talking about how flooded the area was and how they were having to step in a number of inches of water I guess. He said he didn't really understand why she wore heels to begin with. I don't know if I laughed but I wanted to. I assumed she didn't have any other shoes to match her outfit (don't know if that was the case but just a theory). I have a pair of dressy boots so I would have worn those, but not everyone does. One of my dressy boots has a heel and I will sink in soft ground immediately, but my other pair is almost completely flat. 

 

All this to say I guess sometimes people will make kind of strange choices despite weather. Men's clothing is more practical to begin with so I see this happening more to females.