NRMA patrolman Barry Bennett’s face will be familiar to many Sutherland Shire motorists, as will a distinctive sticker on his van.
Mr Bennett has chalked up 40 years service with the motoring organisation, and for all but the first year he has been based in the shire.
During that time, he has attended 103,000 jobs, got 92,700 motorists moving again, found more than 9300 battery solutions and rescued about 370 babies from locked cars.
A talking point with many of the motorists is the South Sydney Rabbitohs sticker on the back of his van.
Mr Bennett said it could be a great ice breaker in stressful breakdown situations.
“I’ve had 30 minute conversations about football, nothing to do with the car,” he said.
Mr Bennett has been following the “Bunnies” since he was a boy, and his father played reserve grade for the club.
The shire has been his patch for four decades because it is also his home. He lived at Jannali and Engadine before building a new home at Woronora Heights in 1991.
Mr Bennett said he loved helping people, and rescuing children from locked cars was one of the most satisfying jobs.
“Lockouts today are much harder than those of yesteryear,” he said.
“The late model cars deadlock themselves and are a real bugger to get into, but where there’s a will there’s a way.”
The NRMA said Mr Bennett had been instrumental in technological advancements in the organisation, including the trial of new state-of-the-art tablets in patrol vehicles.
Mr Bennett said he and his family were grateful to the community.
“I’d like to thank them for paying my wage for the last 40 years, giving me some fun times and interesting conversations,” he said.
“It’s been a real pleasure, and I love being of service,”
The grandfather of five is 68 this year and is eyeing retirement.
“If I had my time over, I’d do it all again,” he said.
