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by Excaliber
Fri Jul 16, 2010 8:40 am
Forum: Never Again!!
Topic: Will I stop for "Lady in distress" ??
Replies: 64
Views: 12121

Re: Will I stop for "Lady in distress" ??

mctowalot wrote:There's enough "legitimately in need of help people" on the side of the of the road to keep lots of tow trucks busy year round. They're not all serial killing damsels in distress/space crocodiles.

IANAL
True enough.

The challenge is to guess right about which is which - every time.
by Excaliber
Thu Jul 15, 2010 11:01 am
Forum: Never Again!!
Topic: Will I stop for "Lady in distress" ??
Replies: 64
Views: 12121

Re: Will I stop for "Lady in distress" ??

silverbear wrote:
Chuck K. wrote: Possibly the fact that many peoples unemployment check have reached the end of their extensions plays a role in this type of attack..
:headscratch
Despite what the so called news media would like to lead you to believe, in the real world financial difficulties don't turn most folks from law abiding citizens into armed bandits.

Think about it - if you lost your job and couldn't keep up with your bills, would you go out and rob someone?
by Excaliber
Wed Jul 14, 2010 4:09 pm
Forum: Never Again!!
Topic: Will I stop for "Lady in distress" ??
Replies: 64
Views: 12121

Re: Will I stop for "Lady in distress" ??

Hoi Polloi wrote:I was driving along the highway one night when the car just suddenly dropped 10 mph and right after that dropped another 10. I was at the exit and took it, coasting into the gas station at the bottom of it. I had NO idea what to do, no cell phone, nothing. A kind older man who looked a little hardened to the world offered to let me use his phone. I remain grateful to this day. After I returned it, he came over and suggested I pop the hood to let the heat escape and then opened it for me . He then went back to his car and hung around, but not in a creepy way, until my help arrived.

Another time, a man threw himself in front of my car in broad daylight then tried to get me to take him home since he was "hurt." I hadn't seen him until he was sprawled across the roadway, papers flying. My cell was at home, dead. Some teens had seen the whole thing, apparently called the police, hung around until after they arrived, then came and alerted the LEOs to an apparent weapon he had removed from a pocket and hidden in the grass once detained. That was the first I'd known of their presence. I never spoke with them directly.

Another time, my car window was bashed out onto me. I floored it and once safely away, I pulled up to a random house where a person was outside sweeping and I asked to use their phone. They escorted me into their house, tended my wounds, and called the police themselves and insisted I stay and drink some water until the police arrived.

If I thought harder, I could probably come up with another half-a-dozen situations in which someone else came to my rescue when things were rough. I agree that there are risks and that it is wise to assess and limit risks to oneself, especially when the situation is already violent in nature. I just want to give you hope that there are a lot of instances of good Samaritans out there who save the day, don't get hurt, and are remembered fondly for many years to come, too.

For all of you good Samaritans who've helped a lady in distress, thank you! :tiphat:
These were all good examples of well principled and even chivalrous behavior in spontaneous circumstances, but none of them involved circumstances where a potential ambush could have been set up and waiting for the Good Samaritan.

I wouldn't suggest that one should never help someone apparently in need, but I've done my share of it, and can tell you first hand that approaching a vehicle stopped along the highway in an apparent non emergency situation is a dicey proposition where the risks and benefits should be thought through carefully before one decides to act. What you find many times is very different than what you expected to find.
by Excaliber
Wed Jul 14, 2010 12:37 pm
Forum: Never Again!!
Topic: Will I stop for "Lady in distress" ??
Replies: 64
Views: 12121

Re: Will I stop for "Lady in distress" ??

Chuck K. wrote:Recently a friend’s son (~21yo) stopped in a parking lot to help a woman in distress. Details are still coming in but as far as I know at this point he stopped to help the women who’s car that had “broken” down shortly after exiting his car he was jumped by 2 men beaten almost to death and robbed. I believe there was even a baby’s car seat in the back seat to add to this preset ambush. He was beaten to the point he was unrecognizable to friends and family. I have tried to relay this story to friends and family, it’s sad our society has come to this point. Possibly the fact that many peoples unemployment check have reached the end of their extensions plays a role in this type of attack..

I hope this is the correct area to post this. I really don’t know how I would handle the same situation. Stay in the truck and offer to call the police for the women? Get out and carefully watch your surroundings? I realize a lot of other factors come into play, time of day/night, location etc… I hate to think the safest thing to do now days is simply drive by..

Thoughts comments?
I agree with Charles that an unarmed person who stops and attempts to take direct action under these circumstances is putting himself and the interests of his family at very high risk. Even an armed person is taking a significant risk of being placed in a situation where he may have to use deadly force because he walked toward potential trouble instead of away from it.

Keep in mind that this is the era of the cell phone, and just about EVERYONE has at least one. Someone who is legitimately stranded has any number of help options readily available to him or her with just a phone call.

I think the most reasonable and charitable thing, for someone who is not either prepared to deal with a possible ambush or doesn't want to assume the risks involved in such an event and the aftermath, is to note the location and report it and your observations to the police jurisdiction that covers that area. They'll dispatch either a police unit or a highway assist truck to assess and help as required.

Although I won't say stopping to help is never a good way to go, in a situation that appears to be less than immediately threatening to life or health (e.g., young mother with infant stranded in 100 degree plus temperatures 25 miles from the nearest town), I wouldn't recommend playing knight on the white horse. IMHO, the risks are out of proportion to the severity of the situation being mitigated.

The post that started this thread is an illustrative case in point.

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