Your vehicle's path is blocked by stranger. What would you do?

[Logistar]

You are driving your vehicle and come to a stop. There is no one around. Out of nowhere a man jumps in front of the vehicle waving his arms trying to "flag you down". You see no weapons and he makes no menacing gestures at the moment. What would you do?

 

[Steve Smith]

I voted "Run him down!" but only because I'm a "Wild and Crazy Guy." I'd probably push him out of my way with the car...really fast. Sorry, did I say that? I meant to say I'd help him across the street...with my bumper. Dang! I did it again!

 

[tag]

Back up and go around him, if possible. Call the police and alert them to the situation. If the man needs help, the police are better suited to handle it than I am. My first concern is for my safety and the safety of my loved ones.

 

[Brian48]

I'd gently push him out of the way if I couldn't go around him. Then again, my idea of "gentle" might be very different than other folks

 

[jimsbowies]

circumnavigate?

A simple 180 degree turn should solve that......despite the visceral urge to either run him down or just shoot his stupid ass., I'm kinda-sorta guessing that'd get me in trouble....

 

[Mike Irwin]

This actually happened to me once, years ago, in Pennsylvania.

Ugly night, cold, sleety on and off.

Guy's car broke down (I had passed it about a mile previous).

Gave him a ride into town.

I can't remember whether I was armed or not. I probably was.

 

[gwalchmai]

I guess it's the "out of nowhere" language that makes this difficult. I've stopped to help people on the street before, but in this day and age I would consider his appearance and I'd definitely have my weapon where I could access it if needed.

 

[longeyes]

the Age of the Good Samaritan - over?

There's something sad about this poll. When it comes to this...

Not that we shouldn't be on the alert.

 

[eviltravis]

Around here there are a lot of people driving old cars that break down. There are also subzero temperatures in the winter. Often the plows don't get the roads right away, so people go off the road. I always stop to help. Most people in Montana have the, "It might be me next time mentallity." I carry my gun, and I am mindfull of danger, but I always stop to help. I haven't had to run down, or shoot anyone yet. Law enforcement are few and far between here. If we waited for them to solve all of our problems, it would simply never get done. I carrry a tow chain, tools jumper cables, blanket, etc... in my truck. I can't count how many times I've pulled someone out of the ditch. Self defence is great and all, but I don't use it as an excuse to not help people. Sometime I might need a ride to town when it's 40 below zero, and I hope I won't get shot for it.

 

[DLL]

Depends on where I was and what he looked like. I guess I would follow my instinct.

 

[Brian Busch]

No harm in rolling down the window and asking what's up. After all, your in a 3000lb hunk of mobile steel, he's just a guy in the street. Whats he gonna do?

Whats up with you folks???

 

[Quartus]

Guess it depends on where you live. Here in Utah, or in Montana with eviltravis, you try to help.

Bad parts of most of our large cities? Hmmmm.


Don't go there in the first place!

 

[Steve Smith]

Longeyes, I think that most TFLers know that I'm a real easy going person, and that I see humor where others do not. If you can't take a little "Run him down!" humor, that's ok.

I've done more hitching than most TFLers will do in a lifetime. Sorry I have such a dark sense of humor.

 

[Erik]

Given the circumstances described, I'd investigate wihtout touching my weapon. If a threat arises, it can come out PDQ as necessary.

 

[Mike in VA]

I see what's up with window only part way down. I've never really had a bad experience, and have have a couple of situation where I had to help. I guess I'm into benefit of the doubt, assuming all other things being equal. I've also seen a few situations where I didn't even slow down, it were pretty obvious. Go with your gut.

 

[longeyes]

Steve Smith

You misread me. It wasn't personal my comment and it wasn't aimed at anything in particular or, in fact, at you. It's just that on the one hand I believe we want a helpful, pull-together community and on the other to be safe. You make your judgements based on the context. I'd decide what I'd do by where I was. The truth is that it's just situations like these that are going to be the most challenging from a CCW point of view because a lot of encounters are not going to present themselves as immediately threatening. The BG may be waiting to get you off-guard. I'd be open to being a good neighbor but would also be "at the ready."

I still think it's sad that we're finding ourselves having to think about this kind of stuff at all.

 

[Eric Larsen]

Interesting poll..... Depends on who I have with me? Alone or with family? Is the stranger a male or female? I would probably check it out but have my gun gripped if it "felt wrong"..if you know what I mean. Shoot well

 

[youngun]

shoe on the other foot

I once had to approach an older gentleman for help jumping my car. I'm not the handsomest, and I guess he was trying to be "tactical," but how bizzarre that he rolled down his rear driver-side window to talk to me!
He was trying to get me at an angle, I guess, so he wouldn't have to confront me directly, but I ended up in his blind spot, with him craning back to see part of me in his periphery!

He was in no mood to help, and I found it elsewhere, but boy was that weird!

So, I can say, I definitely wouldn't do that!

 

[C.R.Sam]

High alert without brandishing weapon. Watch mirrors for another one. Find out what is the problem.

I have helped and I have been helped.

Use brain, your best weapon.

Sam

 

[fix]

In my hometown...

Look in rearview mirror for others. Roll down window and say, "How ya doin' buddy?".

Small town life is nice.