Just Ordinary Citizens
User Story
By Wayne Simmons
I had a recent experience last December that I think captured the spirit of this great city. It was a relatively unhappy event given the outcome, but having said that, there were some things that took place that I think separate Edmonton from many of the big cities in the world.
I had just picked up my 8-year-old daughter from the day home and we were off to swim practice at Jasper Place Leisure Centre. While we were driving along 119st a truck pulled out in front of me and began swerving all over the road. I followed the vehicle for a short distance when all of a sudden he pulled over beside an older woman standing on the sidewalk. A man jumped out of the truck and rushed to the woman attempting to steal her purse. I stopped my car to provide some assistance. In my haste, I left the car running, doors open and my daughter in the car. I intervened in the robbery attempt and the man climbed back in his truck and proceeded to drive away only to stop beside my vehicle. He ran to the car and entered it. At the same time my daughter climbed out the other side. I ran to the car, and began a struggle with the man thinking that my daughter was still inside. He engaged the car and accelerated forward with me hanging on only to smash into another vehicle that had stopped to help. Then he put it in reverse and accelerated backwards toward his parked truck. I was still grasping his jacket when he slammed me into the truck. He then drove off and continued his rampage hitting more cars and attempting more robberies until finally the police apprehended him.
Someone called 911 and while I was waiting many people stopped to help. A woman looked after my daughter, a policeman spoke to me, other citizens pulled over and asked if they could provide assistance. More policemen came to the hospital and thanked me for what I had done. I suffered some broken bones but my daughter was safe, I was relatively okay and the police caught the bad guy.
My point in writing this story is to let the readers of this story know how proud I am to be living in a city like Edmonton where people care enough to stop to help a person in trouble. It’s not every city where something like this would happen. The crime, yes, Edmonton has criminals but we also have people who stop their cars when people need assistance. We have a very competent police force. My son happens to be a policeman who cares deeply about the City and the safety of its citizens.
I’ve lived my entire life in Edmonton, I’ve been employed by the City of Edmonton for most of my adult career, and my parents and grandparents lived and worked here before me. They were not flashy, just ordinary citizens, but they were part of building a city that has honour and integrity, simple values and particular pride in what makes the city what it is. They worked hard for not much money, raised their families, attended our schools and universities, watched our Eskimos, traveled to the nearby lakes and parks. They were the foundation and the backbone of this great city. They passed that responsibility onto me, and they are testimony and the reason, I believe, that all of us Edmontonians stopped that day to help out.
