Would you stop and help?

[Callaway]

I would have offered him a ride home.  One time I stopped and asked a woman if she needed help because I could tell by the way that she was walking that her feet hurt.  She asked me how to get to the bus stop.  I told her where it was and offered her a ride home instead and gave her a twenty mile ride to her apartment complex.  She absolutely insisted on paying me so I let her give me a quarter.

Another time I was on the way to the hospital for a medical test when I saw a small child way too close to the busy highway I was driving on.  I stopped my car and the little boy was too small to tell me anything so I picked him up and walked to the house he must have come from saying, "Let's go find your mother."  I found his father instead and told him that I had found his son on the edge of the highway.  He was very relieved that he wasn't hurt.

lol, is this the "advertise what a wonderful and much-needed person you are" thread?

This is the would you stop and help thread and since I would stop and help because I have already done so in similar situations in the past, I gave examples.  Those aren't the only times in my life that I have stopped and helped strangers but they are the most similar to the situation that Bodaccea described.

[Adam]

and an opportunity to go on about how you once gave a woman a twenty mile ride to her apartment complex instead of taking her to the bus stop?

 

[Icequeen]

Yep, I'd stop. I can't understand how someone couldn't.

[bucephalus]

surely had he stayed on the 11C a bit longer he'd a reached his destination.  I would have bought him a taxi if it was me, considering he was only three miles away

[Queen Victoria]

I would probably have walked by, then let my conscience catch up with me and see what I could do.

[Adam]

surely had he stayed on the 11C a bit longer he'd a reached his destination.  I would have bought him a taxi if it was me, considering he was only three miles away

No it would just have taken him back to wherever he got on it
He probably just got confused, got scare and panicked

[odeon]

Yes, I would have stopped and helped.

[Parts]

I am really surprised that all those adults ignored a crying lost child, especially in
 these days when we hear so much about abduction and abuse.  I would have helped. 

That could be precisely why people didn't help; who wants to be found with a missing and emotionally distraught 10 year old, miles from where he's supposed to be?  People might jump to unsavoury conclusions and be skeptical of your claims that you were just about to call the police.  Even the slightest hint of suspicion that a person might be involved in child abduction and paedophilia can seriously damage a person's social and professional standing, even if it all gets sorted out later.

That is the biggest problem right there in helping that being said I would help but that would be on my mind the entire time.  I have let lots of people use my phone and given rides to people in the past.

[bodie]

surely had he stayed on the 11C a bit longer he'd a reached his destination.  I would have bought him a taxi if it was me, considering he was only three miles away

I should explain,  the reason why i think the driver of the bus was a bit of a knob -  the kid asked if the bus was going back to Kings Heath and the driver said his shift was finished at Cotteridge and he was booting everyone off to go back to the depot.

Just to add that i do kind of understand about what Peter said.   I don't think i would have offered him a lift for that reason.  Not til i spoke to his mum anyway.  It shouldn't really have been a concern for the three shops and the McDonalds he went in - at the very least they could have phoned the police.  I do see how different it COULD look,  say if i was a lone male,   rather than someone like me, -  that is a woman out shopping probably with my own little one with  me,  pretty harmless but yeah it COULD look dodgy i guess if i was a bloke.  That is a shame.


@Callaway.  Yeah i have helped fellow females,  although they have been motorists.  A while ago there was a really nasty murder on one of our motorways - it was a lone female,  her name was Marie ? something..i can't recall last name but she had broken down and whoever stopped to help her killed her too.  It was quite shocking as she was pregnant, too.   So, i always stop if i see a woman on her own or with her kids and see if they are ok.  I did wait with someone once cus she said she was scared and it was dark.  It is interesting as i would be less inclined to stop for a man, as someone jumped my car once at traffic lights.  I been quite weary of male motorists since then.

Speaking to his mum would have to be my first priority because i know how worried she would be. 

[Adam]

I dont have a car so obviously couldn't give anyone a life regardless, but I wouldn't take a kid I didn't know into my car either. Safest option for everyone would be to call a reliable txai company, wait with them til it gets there and give them money to pay for it. Also maybe explain to the driver what's happened, if they're quite young. I dunno

[Adam]

Oh and yeah, let them call their mother on your phone first too. I don't have kids, but I can imagine how scared a parent would get if their d was missing and you had no way of contacting them

[renaeden]

I find it weird how people in the shops wouldn't do anything to help the boy? To just turn him away. I think he was pretty smart to do what he did to get home in the end.

If someone like that asked me for help I would try and help. Not sure how as I am pretty shit when there are unforseen circumstances and I don't think quickly then. Since I drive, I would most likely give him a lift home I think.