Kind strangers come to the rescue

To the editor:On a dark and stormy night I locked my keys in my car at Food Giant. For Cape Girardeau residents this may be no big deal. However, I live in Indiana, work in Southern Illinois and was in Cape for the better gasoline prices. Everything I needed was in my locked car. So here I was: nameless, homeless, penniless and panicked.

Food Giant clerks kindly called a locksmith. Mr. Dan of Dan's Key & Lock Shop promptly arrived to work in the pouring rain, but my car locked down completely with its security system. Mr. Dan was my angel of mercy. I was a total stranger, and he found me a motel room and paid for it out of his pocket. Let's face it, I was destitute. The plan was for him to get to my car dealer with my vehicle identification number to see if he could get a key. No luck. The dealer insisted I bring in my driver's license and proof of insurance. The dealer was not sympathetic to the revelation that all my identification was locked in the vehicle.

Luckily, Mr. Dan worked his magic on my car, and it opened. I was able to repay Mr. Dan for the motel and lock work. Thank you, Mr. Dan, Food Giant clerks, motel clerk and other kind strangers.

PAULA McKINNIS, Evansville, Ind.