John had two choices: sit in the car and freeze, or go find help. In the distance he saw a small light glowing at a farmhouse perched on a hill. Without a coat and only sneakers on his feet, he trudged through the snow. No one answered when he knocked. But the door wasn’t locked. In a split-second decision, he let himself in — figuring trespassing was better than freezing to death.
He phoned a tow service on the landline (they were swamped) and settled in to wait. To avoid looking like a burglar, he did something unexpected: he noticed a pile of dirty dishes and started washing them. Then he left some money on the table as repayment for “using” the house.