Driving into Rye this week, my mission was to take a photograph for an article I had written for Rye News. Having parked on Tower Street and walking up Hilders Cliff, I noticed an elderly lady sat on the bench next to Knoops who was in obvious distress.
On offering to help her, she told me that she and her husband had come to Rye earlier in the day for an appointment and had parked their car but had become disorientated and couldn’t remember where they had parked it. It was by now late in the afternoon and they had obviously been walking around looking for it but were both tired, very concerned and highly stressed. Shops were closing, people were going home and time was moving on.
She was sat on the bench to rest whilst her husband was walking round trying to recognise where their car was parked but all they could remember was that it was on the end of a row with white markings on the road. They asked about going to the police station but, as it wasn’t open, we suggested they sat tight whilst we collected our car then take them on a tour of the town to see if we could find it.
They were getting increasingly anxious and concerned as we toured every possible parking area and car park all over town. They asked: “What if had been stolen, who would they contact if it had and, how would they get home?” They had no mobile phone with them but told us their son lived a few villages away and if they could call him he would come and collect them. We reassured them that we would try everywhere to find their car and if that proved unsuccessful, we would call their son using our phone and stay with them until he could get there. With no public call boxes available anymore it made us realise how much we now depend on our mobile phones.
Panic was by now setting in and phoning their son seemed the only option but there was only one road left which we hadn’t tried, Then in a moment of shared relief, there it was, on Military Road, safe and sound, parked at the end of a row of cars with white lines on the road, just how her husband had described. They were both so relieved and so appreciative that the search was over and they could finally make their way home after such a stressful experience.
Thankfully this tale had a positive outcome and despite having had a very stressful and anxious afternoon in Rye, the elderly couple were reunited with their vehicle and all was well.
Driving home that afternoon it brought it home to us how vulnerable people can become, especially as we all grow older. Forgetting where we park our cars is not uncommon, especially if in a multi-storey car park, airport car park or foreign country but our mobile phones are often our saviour in these situations.
Technology is so very advanced now that a lot of information which we want or need can be found instantly, it seems nothing is too difficult to search for and find, as long as you have a charged up mobile phone, access to Google and a half decent internet signal. But, if you are of the generation who are not always in tune with technology and not reliant on the internet to rule their lives but sometimes need help and advice from humans, if it’s not always available, everyday life can be so very different.
Image Credits: Caroline Everett .
What a sad story. It’s not just the elderly who might forget where they parked their car, I’ve known it happen to much younger people. Rye is a small town but packed with cars so it must have been a real nightmare.
This does show, however, that having no police presence or public phone in Rye is a real problem. Mobile phones are not infallible and yet we rely on them more and more without a back-up plan. Fortunately most people in our area are kind and will help but Rye needs some sort of free accessible emergency phone to help tourists and others in trouble.
A brilliant article Nick highlighting that not everything should be focused on technology – there needs to be a balance! And thank goodness a ‘knight in shining armour’ had come to their rescue!
Firstly, hiw kind you were to go above and beyond to help the elderly couple. Secondly, yes, it does highlight how it is easy to get isolated and also dependant on others if you cannot keep up with technology. As you said, no easy access to public phones or a Police Station when trouble arises. Even paying for parking in an increasingly cashless society gets difficult for people who do not have mobile phones or online banking etc. A sad state of affairs for many so families must try and help elderly relatives to try and keep up to date if possible. Easy to say, of course….