Hey again. I'm going to post this on Rich Dimitri's site too.
Please read and give me some honest opinions.. I'll give it to you as it happened, and what was going through my head.
Tonight I was working with a guy I know with some film-work, etc.
I had some college work to do, and after we took back the lights and equipment we drove home. He was in the driver's seat, and I was in the passenger's seat.
We got back to his place, and I had parked my car close by. It was dark, and around 8 pm. Well as I thanked him I suddenly saw a man running towards our car. I noticed him, but returned to talking with my "friend".
(If this had turned out to be a bad situation, this might have proven to be my mistake. I should have been a bit more aware..)
Suddenly there was a knock on my side of the car window. The man who had been running towards us was knocking and looking into our car. The guy I was with turned the car back on (we were parked) and rolled down the window.
The man outside was out of breath, very nervous, and smelled of alcohol. My hair stood on end a bit, and I positioned myself in a position where it would be easier to strike (though if he pulled a gun and I struck him .....)
Anyway the guy was frantic and said.
"Hey, can you guys do me a favor?? I wrecked my car over there, and I need you guys to drive me to my apartment to get some more money...they're gonna tow it, and no one else will help. I can't call the cops, I've been drinking..."
Well before I could say anything, my "friend" said
"uh...o.. Okay."
The man goes around back to get in the back seat. (Now I'm thinking that if this is a carjacking in disguise and he gets into the back seat with both of US in the front....we're screwed. I'm screwed because there's really no way to do anything if he's behind you like that.)
So before he can move, I use the excuse of my studies to leave the car....
I get out and look at him, and he looks at me, and I say
"I'm sorry, I've got a lot of tests tomorrow."
My friend nodded and said "Yeah he's got a lot of studying to do."
The man says "Okay, that's all right..."
Well I'm safely out, and the man gets in my seat. The passenger's seat in front. (But my hair is still standing up a bit because of his nervous nature, the smell of alcohol on him, etc.)
They start the car.
I go to my parked car, and get in. I turn on the engine. They drive past me, and I let them get a little ahead of me..... then I start to follow them.
I know I'm not a cop, and I have a dangerous habit of getting too close to these kinds of situations, but I did so anyway. I didn't want to just go home.
So I followed their car for about 10-15 minutes through the city. I stayed back a bit, but always kept them in sight, and finally I passed them to see what was going on inside.
The man was almost asleep in the front seat.. and my friend seemed to be fine... (he didn't see me.)
I finally decided that things looked okay, and they were in a well lit and busy part of town........ so I went home.
I called him when I got back, and it turns out the guy was probably a drug addict.... not sure if he even wrecked his car or not.... my friend said he probably wanted more money in his house to buy from his dealer.
Well everything was fine, and nothing bad happened....... but it left me with a question......
Should I have done what I did? Should I have stayed in the car with my "friend"?? If so..... what can someone possibly do in that situation if it turns into a real carjacking? A robbery? (It's just as easy for drug addicts to rob people for money instead of getting their own....)
I left because I thought I'd have a better chance of doing something if I wasn't in that bad position. Following them might have been dangerous too if it had turned out to be a criminal situation.....
Another question is..... what if you pass someone by who DOES need your help because you are cautious of their true motives?
The lines become so blurred sometimes.
Please give me some honest opinions here. I know I usually answer these myself anyway, but I'd like your input too.
(If the situation did turn bad, and I realized it as I followed them, I could use a cell phone to call the cops, go to the nearest police station with their liscence plate number, etc.......
though knowing me...... I hope I wouldn't try anything stupid.)
Ryu
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