There's a very thin line between staying safe and disappearing without a trace. A lot of people have come frighteningly close to never making it home and leaving their loved ones with unanswered questions about what happened to them.
Several netizens shared experiences like these in an AskReddit thread after someone asked what had happened to them that made them feel lucky they hadn't become unsolved mysteries. Their accounts are genuinely chilling, and some will have you wondering how you would have reacted in their shoes.
Settle in, Pandas, and scroll on to discover just how close these people came to becoming stories nobody could explain!
#1
When my son was four and playing in the front yard a man stopped his car and asked my son to help him find his lost dog. Before he could get in, our dog, an Australian shepherd, got in between them them, pushed my son out of the way, and began growling. The man was driving off as I got to the door. The bond between my son and that dog was incredible.
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5points
#2
I worked in land surveying a good part of my life and thought nothing about being way out in wooded areas by myself. I also spent a lot of time doing recreational things out in the woods. One morning I got up around 5am, grabbed my fishing stuff and drove to a wild life refuge on the shore of Charlotte Harbor here in SW FL. I parked and hiked about a half mile to the water and then started fishing my way along the shore. I came upon a tidal creek and decided to work my way up that. There is a type of fish here called a Snook, that is an excellent fighter and good to eat as well. They like to hang out up those tidal creeks.
I had waded several hundred feet up this creek in the mangroves when I walked into quicksand. I ended up sunk to my armpits in it. I had been in it before so I started working on getting myself out. Basically you lay your body down in it and wallow using your body for leverage and work your self out. It’s not like the old movies where you are going to disappear in it. The danger is, it was low tide and if the tide comes in and it’s over your head, you could drown.
It took a while, but I got out. I left one of my shoes in the stuff. I was covered in slime from the top of my head to me feet. Because it’s full of organic material, it smells pretty bad. I made my way back to my car and went home. When I walked in the house and my wife saw me and heard my story, my nice church going wife who never uses harsh language, called me “a moron”.
From the time I parked my car that morning to the time I came back, I had not seen another person. That tidal creek I got stuck in was several miles up the shore line and the mangroves it ran through were 8 to 10 feet high. If I had stayed stuck and drowned up in there, the chances of anyone ever finding me were slim to none. Always tell people where you are going when you go off in the wilderness!
I had waded several hundred feet up this creek in the mangroves when I walked into quicksand. I ended up sunk to my armpits in it. I had been in it before so I started working on getting myself out. Basically you lay your body down in it and wallow using your body for leverage and work your self out. It’s not like the old movies where you are going to disappear in it. The danger is, it was low tide and if the tide comes in and it’s over your head, you could drown.
It took a while, but I got out. I left one of my shoes in the stuff. I was covered in slime from the top of my head to me feet. Because it’s full of organic material, it smells pretty bad. I made my way back to my car and went home. When I walked in the house and my wife saw me and heard my story, my nice church going wife who never uses harsh language, called me “a moron”.
From the time I parked my car that morning to the time I came back, I had not seen another person. That tidal creek I got stuck in was several miles up the shore line and the mangroves it ran through were 8 to 10 feet high. If I had stayed stuck and drowned up in there, the chances of anyone ever finding me were slim to none. Always tell people where you are going when you go off in the wilderness!
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5points
#3
My family visited Salt Lake City, Utah in 2002. I don’t remember this-I was still pretty young-but my mom likes to talk about it. She and I were leaving a mall when a man came up and started talking to me. He had wild hair, a huge bushy beard, and crazy eyes. He was dressed in white flowing robes. She got creeped out when he kept trying to talk to me and got both of us out of there; we left SLC shortly after.
Elizabeth Smart was abducted a month or two later. I looked a lot like her, just with darker hair. My mom swears up and down that the man was Brian David Mitchell scoping out the mall for his prey.
Elizabeth Smart was abducted a month or two later. I looked a lot like her, just with darker hair. My mom swears up and down that the man was Brian David Mitchell scoping out the mall for his prey.
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4points
Missing-person reports are filed in staggering numbers every year. In the US alone, the FBI recorded nearly 500,000 missing-person entries in its database in 2025. That's a sobering figure, especially when you think about the families anxiously waiting to hear from someone they love.
Although many cases are eventually resolved, the uncertainty can be incredibly distressing for those left wondering where their loved ones are and whether they'll ever see them again.
#4
YES
in the infancy of internet meet ups (think AOL, 1998/1999ish) my friend and I were 16. We met some guys on the internet and literally hopped into their cool Camaro and cruised around the city all night, while each of us was “spending the night” at the others house. They took us all kinds of places and turns out they were extremists. That didn’t creep too much into the conversation because we were super naive and aloof about it. Like we asked some stupid questions about what they were saying because in our sheltered lives, we truly didn’t know what the hell they were talking about. To my recollection., they did become somewhat irritated with us, but we both remember thinking of the night as fun and a good time. We got home and all was well. Until the next day when we excitedly analyzed what we had done with these guys who were older (20s) that we started to realize how stupid we were and my friend said “dude...they could have taken our lives and no one would have ever found us.”
She is still my best friend to this day and we talk about that all the time lol. Stupid us.
in the infancy of internet meet ups (think AOL, 1998/1999ish) my friend and I were 16. We met some guys on the internet and literally hopped into their cool Camaro and cruised around the city all night, while each of us was “spending the night” at the others house. They took us all kinds of places and turns out they were extremists. That didn’t creep too much into the conversation because we were super naive and aloof about it. Like we asked some stupid questions about what they were saying because in our sheltered lives, we truly didn’t know what the hell they were talking about. To my recollection., they did become somewhat irritated with us, but we both remember thinking of the night as fun and a good time. We got home and all was well. Until the next day when we excitedly analyzed what we had done with these guys who were older (20s) that we started to realize how stupid we were and my friend said “dude...they could have taken our lives and no one would have ever found us.”
She is still my best friend to this day and we talk about that all the time lol. Stupid us.
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4points
#5
During college, I worked in NYC, but lived in the boroughs. I had about an hour and a half commute and often finished late, because I worked at a bar. One day, I was just exhausted - I'd closed the night before, had an early class, then straight to work to close again. I fell asleep on my train home.
I was woken up several stops later ( thankfully still before my transfer!) by a plain-clothes cop. He flashed his badge, because I was obviously freaked out by this huge guy right up next to me, then told me why he'd woken me up. When he got on, he'd seen a group of guys eyeing me and starting to surround me. He pushed through them to sit next to me and they hopped off the car, then he woke me up. He stayed with me until my transfer, told me to be more careful by myself.
I never let myself fall asleep on the subway again - I'd stand, blast music, eat or drink - anything to keep myself awake and aware. I had my share of harassment as a regular rider, but this was the first and only time that I hadn't be aware and able to defend myself. I obviously don't know what would have happened - could have just been robbed (had my phone in my hand), or something worse. But it wouldn't have been easy to solve regardless. There were no cameras, only a few other people in the car with me - there would have been little to no evidence to follow if they'd grabbed me or attacked me. I will always be thankful that that cop got onto my train, in my car, and noticed the situation I was in.
I was woken up several stops later ( thankfully still before my transfer!) by a plain-clothes cop. He flashed his badge, because I was obviously freaked out by this huge guy right up next to me, then told me why he'd woken me up. When he got on, he'd seen a group of guys eyeing me and starting to surround me. He pushed through them to sit next to me and they hopped off the car, then he woke me up. He stayed with me until my transfer, told me to be more careful by myself.
I never let myself fall asleep on the subway again - I'd stand, blast music, eat or drink - anything to keep myself awake and aware. I had my share of harassment as a regular rider, but this was the first and only time that I hadn't be aware and able to defend myself. I obviously don't know what would have happened - could have just been robbed (had my phone in my hand), or something worse. But it wouldn't have been easy to solve regardless. There were no cameras, only a few other people in the car with me - there would have been little to no evidence to follow if they'd grabbed me or attacked me. I will always be thankful that that cop got onto my train, in my car, and noticed the situation I was in.
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4points
#6
I can think of two stories:
1. I was around 10 years old. I was waiting at the bus station for my bus after school. I was alone and a car stopped by with two people inside. A man came out and asked me of I could help him. He wanted me to take some flowers and go to a house nearby, ring the doorbell and give them to an old woman living there. For some reason, he couldn't do it himself and needed my help. Instinctively, I knew something was off. I was very uncomfortable and I said I couldn't because I was waiting for my bus, my parents were waiting, etc. I remember he insisted, saying to would only take 5 min, trying to make me feel guilty or something. I stood by my decision although I felt incredible insecure. The bus arrived and they drove away. I never said anything to my parents. At the time, I thought I had been rude for not helping someone because I was scared. Only years later, I realised with horror what these guys were trying to do.
2. I was 21, travelling in Asia with my then boyfriend. We decided to go on a 5 days hike in the Himalayan region (the lower, more popular hiking area). I had already travelled a lot alone and I was definitely a responsible, young girl. But, we had no money for a guide, so we decided to go without and rely only on our maps. Everyone told us the trail was super clear and it was impossible to get lost. While this was true for most of the hike, we did end up losing the trail... I have no idea how it happened, we didn't do anything particular, suddenly we were just lost. We were a bit uncomfortable but mostly pretty chill, at first. We searched for almost 2 hoursfor our trail, we totally lost any sense of direction... until we finally found something that looked like our trail. Now, panic started to kick in as it was getting late, the sun was setting soon, and it started raining and lightening. So we started walking as fast as we could, we were almost running, towards what we hoped would be the next stop of our hike. We finally arrived at the next village, it was almost dark, and we were freezing and soaking wet. We ate and laughed about it and honestly, for years, I thought it was a cool story to tell. Now when I read about stories like the one of Kris & Lisanne in Panama, I realise all the mistakes we made, even though we were not reckless young people, and what a dangerous situation were in. In the end, we were very lucky.
1. I was around 10 years old. I was waiting at the bus station for my bus after school. I was alone and a car stopped by with two people inside. A man came out and asked me of I could help him. He wanted me to take some flowers and go to a house nearby, ring the doorbell and give them to an old woman living there. For some reason, he couldn't do it himself and needed my help. Instinctively, I knew something was off. I was very uncomfortable and I said I couldn't because I was waiting for my bus, my parents were waiting, etc. I remember he insisted, saying to would only take 5 min, trying to make me feel guilty or something. I stood by my decision although I felt incredible insecure. The bus arrived and they drove away. I never said anything to my parents. At the time, I thought I had been rude for not helping someone because I was scared. Only years later, I realised with horror what these guys were trying to do.
2. I was 21, travelling in Asia with my then boyfriend. We decided to go on a 5 days hike in the Himalayan region (the lower, more popular hiking area). I had already travelled a lot alone and I was definitely a responsible, young girl. But, we had no money for a guide, so we decided to go without and rely only on our maps. Everyone told us the trail was super clear and it was impossible to get lost. While this was true for most of the hike, we did end up losing the trail... I have no idea how it happened, we didn't do anything particular, suddenly we were just lost. We were a bit uncomfortable but mostly pretty chill, at first. We searched for almost 2 hoursfor our trail, we totally lost any sense of direction... until we finally found something that looked like our trail. Now, panic started to kick in as it was getting late, the sun was setting soon, and it started raining and lightening. So we started walking as fast as we could, we were almost running, towards what we hoped would be the next stop of our hike. We finally arrived at the next village, it was almost dark, and we were freezing and soaking wet. We ate and laughed about it and honestly, for years, I thought it was a cool story to tell. Now when I read about stories like the one of Kris & Lisanne in Panama, I realise all the mistakes we made, even though we were not reckless young people, and what a dangerous situation were in. In the end, we were very lucky.
4points
Being aware of what's happening around you can help you stay safe when you're out and about. It's easy to get distracted by your phone or become so absorbed in your music that you barely notice what's happening nearby.
Keep your headphones at a volume that allows you to hear what's going on, and avoid getting so caught up in your screen that you lose track of your surroundings.
#7
We were driving home from vacation when this HUGE black pickup came barreling up behind us on the interstate. Immediately I felt like something was wrong. That gut feeling of worms in my stomach.
I told my husband to get off at the next exit. The truck followed us but fortunately got stuck at a red light.
We pulled into a restaurant and parked. When we got inside I realized our car was visible from the road, so we went back out to move it behind the building. The whole time this feeling in my stomach is growing worse and worse.
We finally sat down to eat (as an aside, probably the grossest place I've ever eaten, both food and cleanliness), but I couldn't stop staring out the window.
By my count, that black truck drove past the restaurant 7 times at a snail's pace. Then suddenly, that wormy feeling went away and I knew it was safe to leave.
Over the years, there's been plenty of times I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and lucked out with my life intact. But the intuition I felt around that black truck was by far the most afraid I've ever been.
I told my husband to get off at the next exit. The truck followed us but fortunately got stuck at a red light.
We pulled into a restaurant and parked. When we got inside I realized our car was visible from the road, so we went back out to move it behind the building. The whole time this feeling in my stomach is growing worse and worse.
We finally sat down to eat (as an aside, probably the grossest place I've ever eaten, both food and cleanliness), but I couldn't stop staring out the window.
By my count, that black truck drove past the restaurant 7 times at a snail's pace. Then suddenly, that wormy feeling went away and I knew it was safe to leave.
Over the years, there's been plenty of times I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and lucked out with my life intact. But the intuition I felt around that black truck was by far the most afraid I've ever been.
4points
#8
When I was little my sister and I were playing in the front yard of our house in a small safe hoity toity seaside town in the north east.
We were having fun playing when I noticed a cop in his patrol car parked on the other side of the road staring at us. At first I didn't think anything of it I mean what kid would?
All of the sudden he starts motioning my sister and I to the cop car I see him put his window all the way down. Something doesn't feel right and I tell my little sister to RUN but being the older nosey child I go over to the car.
He starts asking me directions to a local coffee shop. I knew something was off every cop in town knew how to get to this particular shop. My parents always went there and every time we would go I would see a cop.
I tried to give him directions to the shop anyway. That's when he asked me to go with him to find the shop in a really agressive tone I started backing away pretty quickly. I turned around to run and he was trying to get out of his car he started screaming things at me and kind of motioning his arms like he wanted to grab me. I couldn't even understand what he was screaming or saying at that point.
Once I got to my door he took off down the road. My sister and I told my mom what happened but she didn't believe us! In her mind stuff like this didn't happen there and a cop would never do anything bad.
My sister and I still talk about it sometimes. I did a lot of research in the area looking for leads on this but never found anything. I can't be the only girl he ever targeted.
I think I will always have a hard time with trusting cops and I even still have nightmares about it.
We were having fun playing when I noticed a cop in his patrol car parked on the other side of the road staring at us. At first I didn't think anything of it I mean what kid would?
All of the sudden he starts motioning my sister and I to the cop car I see him put his window all the way down. Something doesn't feel right and I tell my little sister to RUN but being the older nosey child I go over to the car.
He starts asking me directions to a local coffee shop. I knew something was off every cop in town knew how to get to this particular shop. My parents always went there and every time we would go I would see a cop.
I tried to give him directions to the shop anyway. That's when he asked me to go with him to find the shop in a really agressive tone I started backing away pretty quickly. I turned around to run and he was trying to get out of his car he started screaming things at me and kind of motioning his arms like he wanted to grab me. I couldn't even understand what he was screaming or saying at that point.
Once I got to my door he took off down the road. My sister and I told my mom what happened but she didn't believe us! In her mind stuff like this didn't happen there and a cop would never do anything bad.
My sister and I still talk about it sometimes. I did a lot of research in the area looking for leads on this but never found anything. I can't be the only girl he ever targeted.
I think I will always have a hard time with trusting cops and I even still have nightmares about it.
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4points
#9
A couple of years ago at age 29 I had two attempted kidnappings of me within a month of each other.
The first one I walked from my work to the convenience store on my break to get some snacks. I’m a very small female at 5’ and 100 pounds. That day I was wearing jean shorts and a t-shirt with my hair in a ponytail. I’m giving these details so when I say from behind I looked like maybe a 12 year old girl it makes since. Well I was coming back from the convenience store and this SUV pulled up onto the sidewalk trying to block me in. There were two guys in the SUV and the passenger got half way out of the car and straight out of one of those stranger danger videos goes hey can you help me look for (couldn’t hear.) I immediately screamed some cuss words and ran all the way back to my work. I honestly think the only reason they didn’t lunge and grab me and kidnap me when I started running was because they heard me and got a close enough look that they realized I wasn’t a child. I called the police when I got back into my work safely but I could tell they didn’t believe me.
Only about a month later I was at my boyfriends hockey game and decided it was a blow out so I’d take a walk around the park next door. While I was walking, there was an area where I walked around a turn at the park and no one was there but a guy in his car in the parking lot. The road for the parking lot goes right along the walking trail and he begins to pace me in his car. After the occurrence the month before I now carry a pocket knife with me and so I quickly brought it out in my hand that he couldn’t see. Luckily this older lady with a giant pit bull comes around the corner and see’s what is happening. She quickly comes up to me and loudly yells greetings pretending we were meeting each other so the guy would leave me alone. After he leaves she stays with me and walks me back to where the park opens back up to more people. I was so grateful for her rescue.
The first one I walked from my work to the convenience store on my break to get some snacks. I’m a very small female at 5’ and 100 pounds. That day I was wearing jean shorts and a t-shirt with my hair in a ponytail. I’m giving these details so when I say from behind I looked like maybe a 12 year old girl it makes since. Well I was coming back from the convenience store and this SUV pulled up onto the sidewalk trying to block me in. There were two guys in the SUV and the passenger got half way out of the car and straight out of one of those stranger danger videos goes hey can you help me look for (couldn’t hear.) I immediately screamed some cuss words and ran all the way back to my work. I honestly think the only reason they didn’t lunge and grab me and kidnap me when I started running was because they heard me and got a close enough look that they realized I wasn’t a child. I called the police when I got back into my work safely but I could tell they didn’t believe me.
Only about a month later I was at my boyfriends hockey game and decided it was a blow out so I’d take a walk around the park next door. While I was walking, there was an area where I walked around a turn at the park and no one was there but a guy in his car in the parking lot. The road for the parking lot goes right along the walking trail and he begins to pace me in his car. After the occurrence the month before I now carry a pocket knife with me and so I quickly brought it out in my hand that he couldn’t see. Luckily this older lady with a giant pit bull comes around the corner and see’s what is happening. She quickly comes up to me and loudly yells greetings pretending we were meeting each other so the guy would leave me alone. After he leaves she stays with me and walks me back to where the park opens back up to more people. I was so grateful for her rescue.
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4points
It's important to let someone you trust know where you're going, especially when meeting someone new or visiting an unfamiliar place.
Tell them who you're meeting and roughly when you expect to be back. You can even arrange to send them a quick message once you're home. That way, someone knows where you were supposed to be and when to expect you.
#10
Was looking for surfing spots with a friend - there is this cliff with rocks and an old handrail- I leaned on it and just broke - I almost felt to the cliff.
Nobody would know.
Nobody would know.
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4points
#11
I was in college and unknowingly got followed home. I got out of my car and the other car pulled into my driveway and parked. The guy got out and started trying to talk to me and asked if I could give him a ride to Walmart. Then he started getting closer and asking if any guys lived there. Luckily the guys above me heard and raced down the stairs and threw the door open. He ran and jumped in his car and tore off. The cop I talked to then told me it’s a good thing he didn’t get me because girls who go missing there usually ended up south of the river.
It terrified me and I’m so thankful the guys lived above me!
It terrified me and I’m so thankful the guys lived above me!
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4points
#12
Not me, but back in about 98. Open unregulated chat room days, I was about 14/15. My best friend met a lad who she thought was just a little older than us, 16. She talked to him for a really long time, they were practically bf and gf. Eventually he talked her into meeting him in a park in our nearest big city.
She was excited but also nervous. She had of course shared this info with all our friends. We decided as a group to all tag along too. We didn't think to go because of security, that thought never occurred to us. We just went to be nosey mostly. She said that he only wanted to meet her so we were allowed to come, but keep at a distance till she gave us the all clear.
I think you probably have guessed where this is headed. She was sitting alone on a bench while we were sat on the grass behind her, far enough away to be separated but we could still get a good look at this "boy". Well the "boy" never turned up. But this older man eventually approaches my friend. He starts asking her if her friend has due to meet her but was a no show. This was the weird thing that for me gives away the fact it was actually "him", why would just a random friendly person guess that. He also just looked really F creepy. I instinctively jumped up and as a whole group we ran over and were like "it's okay, we're here sorry the bus was late!" This guy looked livid, but also very quickly and nervously took off. An innocent good Samaritan wouldn't have taken off as quick.
My friend was understandably upset and shaken. The "boy" never turned up and this creepy old guy does. It was too much of a coincidence, we were convinced that it had been him all along. My friend clearly had a close call, she knows how to handle herself but if we had not been there to bail her out I shudder to think what might have happened. The "boy" also totally ghosted my friend afterwards.
We never told this story to any adults, we were afraid we'd be in trouble. In hindsight we should have gone straight to the police and they probably could have caught him. This was in very the early days of the internet and we had no idea what a potentially dangerous person that guy was. We also had no concept that people on the internet could be "Catfish" it wasn't even a term that existed then.
She was excited but also nervous. She had of course shared this info with all our friends. We decided as a group to all tag along too. We didn't think to go because of security, that thought never occurred to us. We just went to be nosey mostly. She said that he only wanted to meet her so we were allowed to come, but keep at a distance till she gave us the all clear.
I think you probably have guessed where this is headed. She was sitting alone on a bench while we were sat on the grass behind her, far enough away to be separated but we could still get a good look at this "boy". Well the "boy" never turned up. But this older man eventually approaches my friend. He starts asking her if her friend has due to meet her but was a no show. This was the weird thing that for me gives away the fact it was actually "him", why would just a random friendly person guess that. He also just looked really F creepy. I instinctively jumped up and as a whole group we ran over and were like "it's okay, we're here sorry the bus was late!" This guy looked livid, but also very quickly and nervously took off. An innocent good Samaritan wouldn't have taken off as quick.
My friend was understandably upset and shaken. The "boy" never turned up and this creepy old guy does. It was too much of a coincidence, we were convinced that it had been him all along. My friend clearly had a close call, she knows how to handle herself but if we had not been there to bail her out I shudder to think what might have happened. The "boy" also totally ghosted my friend afterwards.
We never told this story to any adults, we were afraid we'd be in trouble. In hindsight we should have gone straight to the police and they probably could have caught him. This was in very the early days of the internet and we had no idea what a potentially dangerous person that guy was. We also had no concept that people on the internet could be "Catfish" it wasn't even a term that existed then.
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3points
Your phone can be an important safety tool, as long as you don't let its battery run flat when you need it most. Consider sharing your live location with a trusted friend or family member when traveling alone.
It's also helpful to let someone know which taxi or ride you're taking, including the vehicle details, so they have something to refer to if you don't arrive when expected.
#13
When I was around 10/11, I was walking with my friend along a footpath alongside a fairly busy road. This man pulls up in a car, asks us where a popular grocery store is. We tell him it’s the other side of town but there’s literally it’s equivalent/ competitor just within pointing distant. He said he can’t go there because he needs to buy something they don’t have but didn’t specify what. My friend and I although pretty young must have known this was dodgy af but we were too young to be able to give directions to where the other store was. He then said well, get in and you can point the way. We said no, we can’t and this is where he got really insistent. He said if “you get in I’ll buy you both a can of coke and some chocolate”, he was honestly close to begging us it gave me goosebumps. “If you don’t want coke, what else would you like? What do you like?” We just kept saying no and starting to walk away in the other direction. He sat watching until we got to a footpath that was like a trail that took us to the store. Then we jogged into the store.
Looking back it’s so weird to think about. Middle of the day, lots of traffic (but no other pedestrians) and this guy really, really wanted us in his car. He was jittery and really laid on the “please” “please, I need your help”. Now that I’m a grown adult I can’t imagine ever doing that to a couple of kids even before google maps. And I can’t imagine his intentions were innocent either.
Looking back it’s so weird to think about. Middle of the day, lots of traffic (but no other pedestrians) and this guy really, really wanted us in his car. He was jittery and really laid on the “please” “please, I need your help”. Now that I’m a grown adult I can’t imagine ever doing that to a couple of kids even before google maps. And I can’t imagine his intentions were innocent either.
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3points
#14
I had just gotten done with work on Black Friday a few years ago, and I was walking to the bus. It was well into the early morning hours, and I was at the point of collapse from how tired I was.
Only one other person was behind me. I figured it was another employee at the mall I worked at, and thought nothing of it.
As I continued to approach the bus, the man behind me said, “Don’t get any closer to that bus.” His voice sounded chilling.
By this point, I was maybe 100 feet from the bus. The man who had been following me was roughly 15-20 feet behind me. I sprinted to the bus, and asked the driver to close the door. He knew I wasn’t joking.
Whether the guy who had been following me had been joking or not, I was just relieved I had gotten away from him.
Only one other person was behind me. I figured it was another employee at the mall I worked at, and thought nothing of it.
As I continued to approach the bus, the man behind me said, “Don’t get any closer to that bus.” His voice sounded chilling.
By this point, I was maybe 100 feet from the bus. The man who had been following me was roughly 15-20 feet behind me. I sprinted to the bus, and asked the driver to close the door. He knew I wasn’t joking.
Whether the guy who had been following me had been joking or not, I was just relieved I had gotten away from him.
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3points
#15
Late 90s I was a solo traveller around south east Asia. I took an overnight train, and then an 8 hour boat ride to an island, I was exhausted. I was carrying my big heavy pack, hadn’t really slept in a couple of days and just wanted to find a place to sleep and chill for a few days. When the boat landed at the harbour, there was a clamour of taxis and backpackers heading off. I was a tiny, skinny single female, so let everyone off the boat first. I watched as everyone’s taxis headed off in the direction of the main town. A sweet looking local kid about my age asked if I needed a taxi, I nodded and he lifted my large backpack off my shoulder and threw it into the back of a pick up as he gestured me inside. I hadn’t even noticed the older guy at the wheel… before I knew what was happening, I was in the middle of older guy at the wheel, and sweet looking local, and we were heading off on a small road in the opposite direction of everyone else and the main town, even though that was where I had told them I wanted to be. Adrenaline kicked in then and as we past dense thickets turning into jungle, I realised I hadn’t told anyone where I was (this was back when email was in its infancy and contacting parents was by phone) as I had just arrived at the station and picked my direction and ended up at ‘beautiful island’.
As it happens, older guy at the wheel and sweet looking local guy were lovely. They got me where I wanted to go, helped me sort cheaper accommodation and were generally awesome people, but I will never ever forget that sharp knot of fear in my stomach when I realised that had they wanted to, I’d have probably ended up as an unresolved mystery.
As it happens, older guy at the wheel and sweet looking local guy were lovely. They got me where I wanted to go, helped me sort cheaper accommodation and were generally awesome people, but I will never ever forget that sharp knot of fear in my stomach when I realised that had they wanted to, I’d have probably ended up as an unresolved mystery.
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3points
When meeting someone for the first time, choose a public place where other people are around and make sure you have a way to get home independently. It's best to stick to the original plan rather than agreeing to move somewhere private or unfamiliar at the last minute.
Keep your drink in sight, and don't hesitate to leave if the person ignores your boundaries or makes you uncomfortable.
#16
Yeah, had a guy in a car follow me when I was about eight years old, speeding up and slowing down, calling to me, trying to talk to me, until I ran up to a totally random house, knocked on the door, and said (probably with huge wide eyes), "Hi, is Becky home? I wanted to know if she could play!" The woman at the house looked at me, looked at the car driving away, and ushered me inside and just let me stay there to calm down for an hour before I thought it was safe to run back home.
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3points
#17
My close friend and neighbor in middle school was walking with her sister home from our school in broad daylight. Literally down the street from her house a guy pulls up from behind them and gives the “have you seen my dog? No? Well can you get in and help me look for him?” My friend was and always has been incredibly gullible so she starts to get into this guy’s car. Her sister literally has to scream at her to get out because they didn’t know the guy at all. They run home and when my mom and I got word I wasn’t allowed to play outside alone for a good year. I haven’t heard anything since (this was in the early 00’s in suburban Colorado) or other cases but I just think about if he ended up getting some other poor kid at any given point after.
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#18
Two of my older sisters and I (we were the younger three ) had to wear matching clothes for years. I thought it was normal and part of life when I made a joke about it a few years back. Turns out, I'm the reason we all matched. When I was two, our parents took us to a local carnival. Mom took all of the older kids to rides and games while Dad manned the stroller. The thing about my dad was he is a TALKER. He could talk to anyone about anything and everything. He was the stereotypical small-town small talk champion. So of course he's chatting away with someone local about whatnot. Being two, I had no interest in anything other than apparently leaving. I got out of the stroller and left. I didn't even get very far when someone picked me up, just around a corner. It took Dad a worrying amount of time to realize I was gone. He, the local guy, and a few others nearby started looking EVERYWHERE. Dad couldn't say what I looked like or was wearing.This was in the late 80s so missing kids and panic was prevalent. When Mom came back she went into Mom mode, contacted authorities. It was a harrowing few hours from what I was told. No one could find me.
Which it turns out was one of the best times I ever had since a police officer had seen a child wandering alone at a carnival so I was hanging out at the police station and was delighted. Eventually everything turned out alright since it was an officer who got me instead of a dangerous person. Since then my mom has dressed the three youngest the same so there would be an easy reference to what one of us looked like if it happened again. I wasn't allowed to be alone with Dad again unless I was buckled into the stroller from then on.
Which it turns out was one of the best times I ever had since a police officer had seen a child wandering alone at a carnival so I was hanging out at the police station and was delighted. Eventually everything turned out alright since it was an officer who got me instead of a dangerous person. Since then my mom has dressed the three youngest the same so there would be an easy reference to what one of us looked like if it happened again. I wasn't allowed to be alone with Dad again unless I was buckled into the stroller from then on.
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Remember: you don't have to be polite at the expense of your safety. You can walk away from an uncomfortable conversation, refuse to get into someone's car, or leave a place where you no longer feel secure.You don't owe anyone an explanation for putting your well-being first.
#19
When I was pretty young, maybe 4 or 5, I lived about two blocks away from my elementary school. Normally, my brother and I walked to and from school with a group of other kids, but this day, my brother was staying home for a doctor's appointment. I didn't know that-- I was just jealous he got to stay home. So during one of my classes, I asked to go to the bathroom and just... left. Went out one of the basement doors, walked across the parking lot and started my way home like I always did. At the end of my street, my house was in view, this pickup pulled up next to me. There was a man driving, and a woman in the passenger seat. They were fairly young, if my memory is accurate, I'd guess they were in their 20's. And the girl asked me what I was doing, where I was going, was I alone. They kept offering to give me a ride if I just hopped into the bed of the truck, even though I kept saying I lived just down the road. I kept walking, and they followed slowly. When I got to my apartment, I slowed down, and the truck slowed down. The girl opened her door at the same time my neighbor came outside and asked me when I had gotten home. The girl swore and shut the door, and they sped off and that was it. However, when my mom finally got home, several hours later, she asked how and when I got home. When I told her I left, she went and checked the answering machine for a message from the school. Nothing. Nothing on her pager. She waited until school was dismissed, never heard from them. Finally she drove me back to school, and as soon as the principal saw me and my mom in the office, they all started blustering about how they had been JUST about to call her, they were so worried, whatever could have happened and was I okay? My mom tore into them, and it was later regarded as one of those stories she liked to tell when my boyfriends to showcase that I had always been a problem. But if those two were creeps, it's kind of terrifying to think no one would have known I was even gone for hours. And like, I'm sure we all know the statistics on child abductions when you don't immediately get eyes looking for the kiddo. Sometimes, even if you do, it happens quick.
3points
#20
One day I was outside my house waiting for the bus and a car parked in front of me, it was a couple with a baby in the back.
They made a sign to me and thinking they were asking for directions I got a little closer. They asked me where I was going and told me that they could give me a ride, that I should get on because the bus was going to take a long time because many people were waiting for it, that I should not be suspicious because they had their baby, that they only wanted to help me.
They told me all this in the space of a few seconds while I was thinking if I should run, I wanted to get into my house but was worried about turning around to open the door and they would take me to the car, in the end I decided to say no and started to walk or run away, at that moment a neighbor came out and I saw how the car drove away, ahead there were other people but I did not see them stop to do "the favor" of giving them a ride.
They made a sign to me and thinking they were asking for directions I got a little closer. They asked me where I was going and told me that they could give me a ride, that I should get on because the bus was going to take a long time because many people were waiting for it, that I should not be suspicious because they had their baby, that they only wanted to help me.
They told me all this in the space of a few seconds while I was thinking if I should run, I wanted to get into my house but was worried about turning around to open the door and they would take me to the car, in the end I decided to say no and started to walk or run away, at that moment a neighbor came out and I saw how the car drove away, ahead there were other people but I did not see them stop to do "the favor" of giving them a ride.
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3points