Stranger Danger?

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And you base this on what?

 

Personal opinion and observation. (Which can pretty much be said about most of the things I and everyone else say.) There are three things that I listed, and all are pretty self-evident in my opinion. (I'm actually rather surprised I'm being asked to defend this statement.)

I think the chances of either event taking place are small because while you do hear about things like this happening, you do not hear about them happening often enough for me to categorize it as a commonplace event.

I think both have similiar chances of happening, because I categorize them both as unlikely events. I haven't done a statistical study on it, and I wasn't trying to form any empirical conclusions from hard numbers. I just think they are both rare events. Whether rare means 1 in 1000 or 1 in 10000 (or if one of the events 1 in 1000 and the other is 1 in 10000) is not really the point of the statement.

I view them as both very real because you do, in fact, see things like this happening. It's not every day, but it happens. Rare is not the same thing as never.

 

When I was in my early teen I heard a rumour about a friend of the family and that he had tried to force himself on a girl he was giving a ride. It was just a rumour, do not know if there was ever a police case but I am fairly sure that he never got convicted of anything (which would be extremely hard in many cases) but after that rumour started circulating I didnt see him with my dad or stepmom when they trained their dogs which they used to do together. Just the hint of something like this is enough to destroy a persons social life and worklife and just as all dark big men aren't robbers or murderers all young girls would not make up something like that but they do exist. Young boys and men act out often in violent fashion to get attention, young girls have other ways.

I would really like to say I would act like you who say you would give both of them lifts cause I would like to think the best of my fellow man but that is not something I would like to risk. Oh and I would never expect some stranger to give me a lift, what kind of loser would even ask it?

 

I'm a teacher. I've seen reputations ruined by false accusations. No court on earth can restore a reputation once its been destroyed. I categorically refuse to take any chance that could render me unable to pursue my career of choice and provide for my family. I understand that the odds are slim, but they are existant and not as rare as some seem to believe.

I would help in other ways -- if my wife or a friend were with me, I'd be more likely to help someone as I'd have a reliable witness. I'd be willing to call a cab or send a cop to escort the young woman home. But IMHO some risks are too drastic to take and I just wouldn't do it.