Would you stop for a stranger on the road?

[Lord Jade Cross]

So, heres a thought that I was reminded of while watching dash cam footage. Say you find someone on the road in a way that doesnt seem quite right. Do you stop and check or push the pedal and drive off? 

[TormentDubz]

Hightail it outta there

[MarRister]

24 minutes ago, Lord Jade Cross said:

Say you find someone on the road in a way that doesnt seem quite right.

I'm not totally sure what you mean by this. Like if they seemed in need of help or?

 

My decision to stop or not would likely be based in lots of different factors, like, is it safe to stop (in the sense of traffic)? Am I alone or do I have someone with me, and who is with me? Is there lots of people around or no? Does it look like a situation that would better be dealt with by a professional and therefore I should just call it in?

[Luftschlosseule]

Yeah same, am I alone? I'd rather call someone - but whom?
I live in a big city and had multiple occasions especially on public transport where there were people who quite obviously had a psychotic episode and I want to help so badly but I never know how to react. Whom to  call.

 

For context, I have socio phobia which is literally fear of humans. I have to do a bit of juggling in my mind to be able to ignore that I am human, that the people around me are human, but if you show erratic and unpredictable behaviour that breaks down. Shout at me and I cry, instant reaction I can do nothing about.

I am really a bad choice for dealing with unstable people because I would make the situation worse. Not on purpose, but the end result is about the same.

[Phalena]

It's illegal to drive by when someone needs help here. But then again, you don't know if it's a scam or worse. I think it's hard to decide at times. Especially since I'm usually alone. I may stop and open the window a bit to ask if the person in question needs to call for a tow truck or the police when they are obviously stranded and have put on their reflector vests. If it's obvious that CPR and stuff is needed, I'd probably jump out without much thinking. Not sure if I'd be level headed enough to secure the spot before attending to the people though.

To be honest, I simply hope that I will never get into a spicy situation... ...

[Lord Revan]

Just speed up, probably a scammer/other criminal.

[awadama]

If I was the one driving, I’d probably be in an intense despair so there’s more chance of them helping me tbh 😭

[Kimi_gata]

I’d want to help them, but also I’d be really paranoid. I’d probably spend too much time thinking about whether or not they’re genuine.

[Epitaph]

Out where I live not stopping for somebody on the road for around eight months of the year means you're possibly condemning them to death.

 

I earnestly tend to follow my gut on it. But I always check to see if they're okay, or if they're in a position that somebody else may stop or they're close to a settlement.

[Philip027]

I don't drive, but if I did, I'd be so terrified and hyperfocused that I probably wouldn't even notice such a person.  In all likelihood, they'd need to find someone else.

 

It already takes everything that I have just to not have a mental breakdown when driving; I don't need some stranger's help with that, even assuming they weren't some kind of hooligan.

[Sally]

If the stranger is another woman, especially a woman with a child, yes.   A man, no, because.  

[Lysandre, the Star-Crossed]

It depends on context and whether they look like I could take them on if it turned into a fight. I've heard too many stories of those things being ambushes that lead to carjackings or murders to want to help everyone, but if the person looks honest enough I'll call for help for them.

 

If there's another person with me I'd handle it by having them subtly cover me from the passenger seat while I go see what's up, or better yet park facing diagonal to send them while I stand behind the wheel abd engine block.

 

If I'm solo and it's clearly just one person I'd probably park diagonal facing from them to roll down the window and holler across the road "I can call a tow truck if you need it". I'm not stopping to help unless it's something like a single adult with small children, someone elderly, or an obviously pregnant woman. Even then I'm talking it over with them before I step away from my running vehicle or out from behind the engine block. 

 

[Lord Jade Cross]

On 9/2/2022 at 2:56 AM, Sally said:

If the stranger is another woman, especially a woman with a child, yes.   A man, no, because.  

Interesting that you mention this because, for a while here, at least until it died out as a hot topic, women were using kids to carjack people as most people wouldnt think twice about helping a kid they see alone on the road. Until they got out of the car and were surprised.

 

Similar to pan handlers who have one kid at hand, the sign on the other and a possibly third kid sitting at their feet saying theyre just trying to feed theor children. Two or three hours pass and they pick up and go elsewhere or call it a day. Some of them were busted by news reporters, though unfortunately the carjacking ones werent caught (at least to my knowledge) and news warned that seeing a kid on the road alone was to be met with hitting the gas and leaving them behind. And after personally witnessing carjacks, cant say I disagree with their statement

[Muffin123]

I assume you mean that they look unconscious. 

 

If I'm with someone else, maybe. 

 

If I'm alone, no. I prefer to call 911 from far away

[daveb]

I don't know. It's not something I've ever had to decide so far.

[bare_trees]

I really couldn't tell you until it happens. I'd definitely prefer to just call 911 and explain the situation and location.

 

Like @Lysandre, the Star-Crossedalluded to, this sort of thing is scary as hell: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/20/alabama-adam-simjee-talladega-national-forest-police

[Sally]

8 hours ago, Lord Jade Cross said:

Interesting that you mention this because, for a while here, at least until it died out as a hot topic, women were using kids to carjack people as most people wouldnt think twice about helping a kid they see alone on the road. Until they got out of the car and were surprised.

 

Similar to pan handlers who have one kid at hand, the sign on the other and a possibly third kid sitting at their feet saying theyre just trying to feed theor children. Two or three hours pass and they pick up and go elsewhere or call it a day. Some of them were busted by news reporters, though unfortunately the carjacking ones werent caught (at least to my knowledge) and news warned that seeing a kid on the road alone was to be met with hitting the gas and leaving them behind. And after personally witnessing carjacks, cant say I disagree with their statement

I had not heard that there were situations where women would take a child out to a road (a road not near residential or business areas, just a lonely road) and attempt to get a ride for criminal purposes.  It's difficult for me to imagine that a lone woman would somehow have herself driven out to a lonely road with a child (her child, someone else's child?), and take the chance that they wouldn't end up standing on that road for hours or more than a day.  That's the situation I responded to.  

[Lysandre, the Star-Crossed]

43 minutes ago, bare_trees said:

I really couldn't tell you until it happens. I'd definitely prefer to just call 911 and explain the situation and location.

 

Like @Lysandre, the Star-Crossedalluded to, this sort of thing is scary as hell: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/20/alabama-adam-simjee-talladega-national-forest-police

Exactly. It mostly happens to law enforcement, but at times it happens to well-meaning good Samaritans as well. 

[Autumn ace]

I would probably go with my gut. If I saw someone who was obviously in peril who needed help immediately, I would probably pull over if I didn’t get the feeling that it would put me in danger. But I think in general, I’d rather help them in a way that doesn’t put myself in danger. 
I think I would call 911 in any circumstance though. 

[Nick2]

In today's world...NEVER !!!

[Cakes]

It really depends on the situation, I'd stay in my car, get closer whilst still in the car and see if I can flag down some help and help the person out as a team rather than just me on my own. Too many scams going on, sad world now. 

 

If I could visibly see that their life is in danger then I'd run to them and help.

 

If I were there with my kids in the car with me, I'd definitely call 911 straight away as no matter how much I'd love to help out, I'm not going to risk my kids safety. I'd also keep my foot on the gas in case it's a trap. 

[Sarah-Sylvia]

Sure I'll stop if they need help. Unless they're sketchy as fuck or something

[Lysandre, the Star-Crossed]

On 9/4/2022 at 2:28 PM, Autumn ace said:

I think I would call 911 in any circumstance though. 

I'd call somebody no matter what, maybe just a tow truck though depending on circumstance. Whether this person wishes me ill or not I want them out of the area, for my own benefit as well as potential benefit for them. It doesn't matter if it's a stranded car with a flat tire, a roadside ambush, a person who is lost, a medical emergency, or whatever else...the simple fact remains that getting this person what they need to move or getting them removed is a good thing.

[coolshades]

It's sad that in today's day and age we even have to ask ourselves if we'd be willing to stop.  There are so many jerks who have scammed or hurt people under the guise of being in need that now when people really ARE in need, they have a hard time getting help.  It's the same with people who are knocking on doors.  If someone is frantically knocking on your door, you don't know whether to open it or not.  And in the meantime, a person who truly needs help may end up dead because you didn't let them in.

 

I watched a short film once about a girl who needed help on the side of the road at night, and these young guys came and offered to give her a ride.  Of course, the whole film uses music and lighting and stuff to make you assume that they are going to hurt her.  But in the end, they turned out to just be nice people who did indeed help her out.  It made you think about not only the assumptions we make about people who are asking for help, but also the ones we make about the people doing the helping.

[Guest]

Nope hitchhiking is illegal here and after the Ivan Milatt case I would never stop for anyone if they looked like they were in medical danger I would call emergency services and report it to them. Plus as a general rule I am very paranoid so would likely be thinking the worst. 

[Slajmy]

Only happened to me once. A car in front of me flipped off the highway. I stopped. Call blue light personnel. The man and his child were OK but shocked and bloody. Ambulance picked them up. But as previously written - it depends entirely on the context if I stop or whiz by.

[RoseGoesToYale]

As a single woman who's generally too small to be of much help to anyone (and certainly small enough to be shark bait), I wouldn't stop, but If I could I'd call 911 to tell them where the person is. There have been people who faked injury in order to gain people's trust and then abducted them or worse. And thing is, you can't tell a criminal by the way they look. There are good looking, nicely dressed crooks out there.

[notactuallymerida]

At night? I’d probably slow down and take a closer look, but then drive off and call my country’s equivalent of 999.

Not night or on a busy road where you couldn’t just kidnap a person?  I’d stop to help. 

[Dreamfyre]

*lives in a place with a pretty high crime rate*

 

No. I ain't stopping for nobody.

[AspieAlly613]

2 hours ago, Dreamfyre said:

*lives in a place with a pretty high crime rate*

 

No. I ain't stopping for nobody.

Exactly the same here.  (Central Hartford). It would be different if it looked like xe had just been the victim of a crime or was otherwise injured/incapacitated and no one else could help.