The first car to come by slowed and stopped but when Mr Leckie approached the window the driver drove away. The same thing happened with the next four cars he flagged down.
Mr Leckie finally gave up and noticed a man sitting in a parked van. The tourist in the van gladly lent him his mobile phone.
I can understand that some motorists may have been alarmed by the sight of a man attempting to wave them down. We've all heard horror stories about car jackings and people falling victim to a crime after doing a good deed, and this perhaps was what instantly came to mind when the motorists spotted Mr Leckie desperately trying to wave someone down.
This summer there have been a number of attacks on police - one in Dargaville and another in Kawhia - where it was understandable for bystanders to fear for their own safety if they intervened.
However, no such circumstances were evident in Mount Maunganui that evening. This scene did not play out in an isolated area in the middle of the night. It happened in a busy residential area about 6pm.
The motorists may have also suffered from what psychologists call the "bystander effect" and thought that someone else would stop.
It is a sad indictment on where we are at as a society when people are too afraid to give another human being the benefit of the doubt. How can we encourage more people to intervene in such events?
We could start by at least giving others a chance to explain their situation.
Life might be more pleasant if we could once again give each other the benefit of the doubt and were more willing to lend a hand.
