The several times I've been in need, I open the hood and stand there with my jumper cables in my hand till someone offers assistance. Never had to wait long. Strangely its been pickup trucks who have offered assistance.
If you don't carry jumper cables.... well...IMHO its some of the cheapest insurance there is.
If I'm not late for something, I usually stop if I see someone who needs help.
Cops cant scratch their ass these days without getting sued. They're NOT stupid, they're just tired of gold-diggers/nuisance lawsuits.
If you want to see stupid, check out this product of inbreeding... misspells 'diesel' and 'mercedes'. Its so pathetic.
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/car/88704587.html