An ounce of prevention...

[Brambor]

I don't usually advocate gun carry but in this case:

If I was living with such fears I would most certainly carry a firearm with me when going alone to places that attract trouble.

Yes police can use excessive force. Yes police make mistakes. But if I am fearful in a situation and I am afraid of bring attacked, raped, murdered I am going to call the police. Period. I am not going to give the person invoking these instincts the benefit of doubt. At the risk of sounding sexist, I don't think men really understand the fear women have of getting raped.

 

[Barkingcat]

That sounds like a variation of "Nothing to Hide, Nothing to Fear" type of thinking that has been chipping away at our civil liberties and privacy since 9-11, or perhaps the Red Scare. I don't subscribe to that kind of Orwellian thinking.

I concur.

I've been questioned by police while parked at Appalachia (no other cars in the lot, either), pre-dawn, gearing up for a hike.

Friendly, spur-of-the-moment chat about "what are you doing here at this time of morning"? Perhaps, but who can say it wasn't precipitated by someone reporting me?

 

[jfb]

I might try that sometime. You never know who might show up.

 

[JacobH]

I agree with you that Maddy did the right thing, and this is not directed at you sardog. But I question the whole "as long as you have a dog, you're probably safe" view. Here's why - while walking my dog one day, I had a guy pull up in a white pickup truck, get out, leave his driver door open and his truck running while approaching me and my dog with his hand out holding dog biscuits. He didn't ask if it was ok to give her a treat; he was fast approaching fully intending to give it to her. I felt uneasy and backed up all the while saying, "no thank you" repeatedly. When I began saying it louder, he stopped, returned to his truck and drove off. Now, his actions could have been very innocent, and perhaps he was just clueless as to what his actions looked like from my perspective, or he could carry dog biscuits with him in the event he spots someone alone but she has a dog. Trust me, my lab would have easily given me up for the biscuits! I have no illusion about that. I understand why runners and cyclists might carry dog biscuits to distract an angry dog, but why would somebody stop driving, leave their vehicle running and the door open, to give a dog biscuits without saying anything to the owner first? Innocent idiot? Maybe. Potential assailant? Possibly. Do I want to risk taking the time to find out? Nope. Do I trust my dog with the bottomless pit for a stomach and the "I'll-do-anything-for-a-biscuit" attitude to protect me? Not on your life!

The fact is a lot of violent acts are committed against women by men. Lots of children are also hurt by pedophiles who are primarily men. Women and children statistically have lots of reasons not to trust men. It's unfortunate that the minority of bad men make us cautious about most men, but had Maddy not done what she did, and gotten hurt, I have no doubt there are those on here that would have crucified her for not calling the police. Before criticizing Maddy for "overreacting," ask yourself what you would have advised your daughter to do, or any woman that you love.

As a father of 3 daughters, I would have suggested they get in their car and leave. My wife agrees 100%.

To be honest, this thread is pretty scary on a lot of levels and I'll leave it at that.

 

[Roxi]

As a father of 3 daughters, I would have suggested they get in their car and leave. My wife agrees 100%.

To be honest, this thread is pretty scary on a lot of levels and I'll leave it at that.

I think it's easier to think of what you should have said or done when you're not in the moment, or when it wasn't happening to you.

 

[Maddy]

7-11-09

What I'm saying here is your ounce of caution could easily turn into several tons of pain for a perfectly innocent person. Something to think about before phoning in the cavalry.
.

I am so sorry that my "ounce of caution" could have so easily caused this poor fella tons of pain


Tell me...how would you suggest I handle the situation so I could spare the poor man's feelings.
-Just suck it in and keep right on walking hoping for a great outcome? Keep in mind this was a deserted area some distance from the main road.
-It was going to be very dark out in approx 30" max. Would it be better to wait and make a decision when it was pitch black out?
-Do you recommend I throw caution to the wind so as not to hurt the poor fella's feelings?
-Should I have sat in the dark, and just waited to see if the "perfectly innocent person" would leave eventually?
-I suspect he had to know I was there. He should have been able to see me out his rear view mirror. What if he got tired of sitting, and the poor guy wanted to stretch his legs and started walking toward me?
-Should I turn my headlamp on to help him find his way?
-What would you have me do if I now realize that he is packing a weapon?
-And how about the little smile as I walked past at the start of my hike? Should I assume that this is most certainly a declaration that he has no ill intentions?
The "smile" just didn't do it for me. Ted Bundy and more recently Gary Hilton gave their victims nice big smiles.
-And last but not least, how do I determine that this person is perfectly innocent???

I really want advice as to how I should handle this if... God forbid... the situation ever arises again.
I honestly do NOT want to cause anyone a ton of pain and hurt their feelings. Should this be my first priority vs personal safety when making my decision?
Short of walking right into what I believe to be a potentially dangerous situation, I would love the hear your very specific recommendations for dealing with a problem of this dimension.

It's one think to make a blanket statement saying that my "ounce of prevention" might result in "tons of pain" for an innocent man, but I really need a more detailed plan of action that will insure my safety and spare the poor man so much pain!

GO FOR IT!!!

 

[Peakbagr]

Thread being closed at the request of the O.P.

Alan