What do you do? Stop, or give chase?

N

nbk2000

New member
You're driving along a two lane highway in the proverbial middle of nowhere (you haven't seen another car in hours) when a POS car ahead of you slows down a bit, passenger door opens, and a baby seat with the BABY in it is kicked out onto the side of the road!

:eek:

What do you do?

Stop to see if the baby survived?

OR

Do you assume that the baby is dead, so you give chase on the vehicle till you're able to either stop it or get police attention?

Since you're in the middle of nowhere, there's no cellphone service for MILES, and the POS doesn't have a license plate, so it's either check on the baby and possible never find the responsible person...or give chase and the baby dies because you didn't get it to a hospital instead.

What do you do?
 
I don't think that there is a hard choice here. Making sure that the baby gets to safety and medical attention is the priority. Babies in car seats have survived terrible crashes, so assuming death would be a bad assumption. If you gave chase and found out later that the baby bled to death or died after being hit by another car it would be hard to live with.
 
First thing, Stop and rescue the child. Then call 911 ASAP and request medical help.Do not chase other car,but report license number and discription to Police/Sheriff ASAP.By the way, my cell phone and I am sure many other peoples cell phones will work just about anywhere in the U.S.
 
Since you're in the middle of nowhere, there's no cellphone service for MILES, and the POS doesn't have a license plate, so it's either check on the baby and possible never find the responsible person...or give chase and the baby dies because you didn't get it to a hospital instead.
Click to expand...
Original stipulations...NO plate. NO celphone.

Sam
 
Nkb2000- I think you need to examine why you have such a need to be the vigilante. This should not be a question unless you care more about shooting people or "making the collar" than actually helping your fellow man.
70-101- Even though they tell you that in the commercials, it aint true. here in VT and other rural areas I've been to, cell phones are very unreliable. Relying on a cell phone is unwise.
 
I applaud everyones humanity in choosing to rescue the kid, over chasing down the driver. That's the choice I'd make too.

We'd also have just been robbed of our cars.

Believe it or not, not all criminals ("Goblins" in TFL parlance) are stupid. They even had (probably still have) forums of their own where they exchanged information and techniques.

This is one of those techniques.

Because they know that any normal (non-psychopathic) human being would stop to check on the baby. And where the "baby" got kicked out would be a nice place out of range of cellular, visually isolated, and remote.

You'll have stopped to check on the baby, only to find yourself turning around to the sound of your cardoor slamming shut and the sight of your taillights receding in the distance.

And don't give me any of the OODA loop and condition orange tactical crap because you know full damn well you're not going to stop your car, survey your surroundings, then turn off the vehicle, roll up the windows, and lock the doors.

No.

You'd do what any normal person would do:

Stomp on the brakes, throw open the door, and run into the bushes to find the kid. Car running, keys in the ignition, door wide open.

The "goblins" know this and are going to use the highly emotional reaction of seeing a "baby" thrown to its death to completely override any thought you may have of being "tactical" and send you into primal mode.

And while you're stomping around for junior, an accomplice comes out from the other side and hops into the running vehicle and splits with it, leaving you in the MON.

Wouldn't you feel foolish standing there with a baby doll in your hands in the darkness, with no idea of when the next car will be coming along? I sure would. :o
 
I'm glad you brought up this potential criminal tactic, but are you sure it isn't urban/rural myth? (i.e. any cases of this actually happening that can be verified?). Seems to take a lot of planning and coordination at high risk of being caught and not getting the car. In any case it's a good hypo.

I don't think leaving the car running is what any normal person would do.

Let's start with the assumption that you're not negligent and take a second to take your keys out-
(1) They're going to have every cop in the county bearing down on them if you had and used a cell phone, which they won't know (2) if you don't stop at exactly the right point you may hear / see them hoofing it to your car (3) what if you have guns and multiple people are in your car and not all get out (4) what if you don't go very far from your car to look and are armed or make it back to the car (5) what if several more cars come along (6) what if their woman kills them for taking her car seat. It seems like a lot of ways to get caught to me.

But I guess it makes sense to expect ambush or trouble if you just saw a baby being thrown out of a car.
 
We had something like that happen 'bout 2 years ago when tha road-rage guy threw the dog out into traffic.

Everyone stopped to assist the dog & the hysterical owner.

Nobody tried to follow the BG. Just got description of man & car.
 
Simple enough to test out.

Just buy a used carseat at the thrift store and stick a baby doll in it (the kind that move).

Place by side of road (not a busy one that might cause a wreck) with "baby" facing the road. Chain it down so no one steals it. :) Oh, and a note on it saying something like "Thank you for your participation in the (Some college) psychologly research project".

Record number of people who drive by versus those who stop to check "the baby". I'll bet at least 90% will slow to a crawl to at least look, and at least half stop to get out and look.

You're telling me that you just see a baby get kicked out of a car on the freeway and you're going to stop, turn off the car, and take the keys with you?! You'd be a lot cooler than I'd be in that situation.

(1) No cell service area, remember? It's not that hard to find them, just drive around with your cellphone turned on and watch the signal strength meter.

(2) Terrain can dictate where you'll stop. And that's where they'd be waiting.

(3) Any crim smart enough to use a decoy and work as a team is going to choose suitably solitary prey.

(4) Possible, but what if "baby" is in the bushes...at night? And where's your flashlight when you need it most? You're in the bushes trying to find the kid, how quickly can you run back through the bushes to the car before someone can get a running vehicle into drive and split?

(5) He could buy her a new one with what he'll make selling your car. ;)

Peter Gun, you've obviously never read any of my previous topics, eh? Please do so before calling me a gun slinging vigilante.
 
But how long into your experiment before you find yourself explaining it to the Sheriff's Deprtment, who aren't amused?
Perhaps they assume that you're a bad guy trying the trick yourself. Or maybe someone does skid to a stop, wrecking, and sues you. I won't bore you with causes of action. :o)

I've been taking the keys with me after I stopped for years, it's habit now. I would definitely take the keys, especially after reading this thread.

They pull up beside 3 or 4 different cars, straining to look in through the darkness and factory tinted windows at 60 mph, aborting each time and turning around to wait for a car with one passenger. Sounds like they might get reported and stopped before they ever get "baby" out the window.

He might buy her a new one, but these things have sentimental value to a woman.

Oh, btw, my (black & hard to notice at night) very territorial and utterly stubborn Shar Pei goes almost everywhere with me, except work. I really hope that this would be one of those times. That would be pricelss to get on film. :P Thanks, this thread helped me reinforce to my wife why we should take Rover (not his real name) with us all the time.
 
Ever consider this possibility?

You stop to check baby. Baby turns out to be a 20-inch midget. Midget pulls a .457 Wildey Magnum on you and says: "Hah! What a sap! I can't believe you fell for it! Now gimme your money and your keys, or I'll blow your #$@&% teeth out the back of your head!"
 
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