Good Samaritans offer help to trapped motorists

Dec 9 2010 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

AN EAST WHITBURN man has revealed how community spirit — and Facebook — helped coordinate a mission to bring supplies to dozens of stranded motorists on the M8 this week.

Willie Robertson trekked through deep snow across fields from his home in the town to lend a helping hand to a handful of cars left stuck on the motorway on Monday evening.

The response he received from grateful motorists led him to make a series of return trips over the next five-hours and also sparked a team effort amongst the local community which was all arranged via the social networking site.

Willie revealed: “I was in the house when I heard how bad things were on the M8 so I decided I was going to try and help out by bringing some supplies to the people who were stranded.

“So I cut down through the fields with my son Callum and his friend to the motorway but I didn’t know what kind of reaction I’d get when I got there.

I had water, tea and coffee, crisps and snacks and the whole lot was gone within a couple of minutes.

“While we were out my wife put what we were doing on Facebook which sparked a lot of interest.

“My pal Tony Morrison saw it and soon we had between 20 and 30 people all chipping in to help.

“The two of us were running between the motorway and the town to pick up supplies all the time.”

In addition to the hardy group who were making their way to the gridlocked M8 there were also a handful of people busy in their homes cooking up meals and snacks for the West Lothian wonders to bring solace to those facing a gruelling night in their cars.

He said: “A woman who owned a burger van was making piles of burgers and other foods.

“We were also invited into houses where people, we didn’t even know, were making meatballs and pasta in containers for us to take to people.

“We did try to contact the local takeaway shops to make a donation but they didn’t give us anything — I think they maybe didn’t believe what we were doing.

“It went from there and it was the back of midnight before we left having started at around 7pm.”

Temperatures on Monday night dropped to a teeth-chattering 14 degrees below freezing and with the motorway closed there was nowhere for motorists to go.

And Robertson admits some of the families and drivers he came across were struggling badly.

He continued: “It was hard but the reason we went back down for the second time after going out for the first time was the fact everyone was so desperate for help.

“There were young girls on their own who were petrified.

“But the worst thing I saw was an Irish family of four who had been stranded since 8am. They were trying to get to Stranraer but weren’t getting anywhere and were stuck at East Whitburn.

“I managed to give them three pasta dishes and a salad box as well as tea, crisps and water.

“And you would have thought you had given them a million pounds when you saw how grateful they all were.

“My son Callum and his pals went onto a double decker bus and when they went on they were given a round of applause.

“People were trying to give us money too but nobody took a penny.”

Robertson and his band of West Lothian wonders were heroes to those trapped between Blackburn and Harthill and he admits it was great to see the community united in their efforts.

He added: “It wasn’t just food and drink either and we helped push a lot of cars while another of the group, Gary Miller, brought jump leads up from his house to help a car which had broken down.

“It was great to see the community coming together and, hopefully, this encourages people to help one another over the winter.

“We are all pals and it all came together on Facebook — Operation Facebook.

“There were people from Whitburn and East Whitburn walking to offer help and it was the best thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

“Hopefully, people would do the same if I was stuck in the same situation.”