Unnerving incident on the way home last night...

[Bigum1969]

Bogus,

Here is your answer!

[/font][/color]

That is awesome that you followed up esrice! Good man

 

[JetGirl]

Huh...no tent, no camper, no sleeping bag, no gear...not even a bag of marshmallows...just "take me home without any of my junk", huh?
Weird.

 

[Bushido Devil Dog]

Exactly. Not to stereotype, but generally speaking, your average trailer park resident (I've known/been related to a few, and briefly was one ) tends to fall in an income bracket where decent camping equipment usually represents a notable investment of their income. Even working in the finance industry as I do, I would not so easily give up my camping gear if I had left it back in the woods somewhere (unless Bigfoot took a fancy to it, in which case I'd just write that off as a donation to protect wildlife.. ).
Something ain't right with her story, but whatever...

to the OP for trying to help while doing it in a financially sound* manner.


* The first rule of Finance/Investing is "Always cover your :moon:ets!"

 

[bogus]

She was walking with a quad cane. One of those aluminum canes that has the four feet on the end of it. She could move fairly quickly with it but with an significant limp. The lane she had come across the field on is a tractor lane between a bean field and a corn field. Not exactly smooth terrain. The river is about a quarter mile off the county road where she said she was camping. I can understand her not carrying gear. Especially if she was camping with others (who left her).

What I don't understand is why she would leave an area that is relatively safe and familiar to her to venture out into the darkness to seek help. We know from her story they had a car stuck back there. I would think if she were scared of the bumps in the dark, the car would be a secure place to wait things out until daylight.

On the other hand, the deputy reported her as stating she wanted to get home to sick parents. Maybe this was the ultimate driving factor in her venture out into the darkness alone. I guess she could have been so simply scared that she wasn't thinking clearly. Who knows....it could have been anything i guess.

 

[cosermann]

My wife told me that from now on she will never wonder why I have a weapon with me. She said from now on she will make sure I have a weapon with me/us at all times.

This might be a good teachable moment to delicately suggest that she also start carrying herself.

 

[medic67]

We have been finding more of these "camping parties" that are more party that camping lately.
Meth, alcohol and sex, when things don't go the way they are expected people do strange things. From just taking off to shooting at each other and everything else in between.
Of course from my perspective I am biased by what I see and hold suspicion with every contact I have.

You did great, you showed concern for a fellow human being, your spouse and yourself. Called for help, waited for it to arrive.

We get a lot of calls from passer-by's only to find out when we get there it is nothing.
There are a lot of strange people, doing strange things out there.
Caution first and foremost.

Good Job!

 

[finity]

We get a lot of calls from passer-by's only to find out when we get there it is nothing.

The same thing happened to my son a few weeks ago.

His car broke down on a road just outside of Fort Wayne. He called me & I went to see what was wrong.

While I was on the way he decided to take a nap or something & sat in the drivers seat with his head on the window opening.

I got there about 20 minutes later & after about 10 minutes we heard sirens & the police & fire dept pulled up behind us & said they had a report of someone passed out behind the wheel. Nobody even stopped to check on him.

It was 2 in the afternoon on a fairly well used road. Paranoia has definitely gotten the better of us.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Do you agree with our decision or would you have chosen to do otherwise?

I can't see a thing I'd advise different even while I'm sitting in the Monday Morning Quarterback's chair.

 

[Uralguy]

Statistically the other 8 cars were driven by unarmed sheeple, who knew she was armed with a 4 legged death walker. Alas out of their league they did the only thing they were able to do. Run Forest!

 

[ddenny5]

Believe it or not there are a few states that it is a crime to not help someone on the road especially if they are stranded.

 

[hotfarmboy1]

I'd say you did the right thing. I'm pretty sure I would of done the same thing almost exactly. Its good to hear though that it all turned out alright.

 

[Phil502]

Maybe she had a slight mental problem or she was a little drunk?
Good work helping her, it is always a little tougher call to make when you have your wife or kids with you.

 

[spartan933]

Freaky.

 

[greyhound47]

I think you did great. Good for you that you got help, you stayed, you provided assistance. Risk is everywhere. If I die protecting an innocent or stopping a harsher crime, then my life will be well lived.

 

[Look2thewest]

That is crazy. I was on my way home from college last weekend. Its a long drive from Evansville to south bend. And if i didnt have people in the car with my i wouldnt of believed it. But i was up in st joe county at the intersection of Oak and New rds at 1am sat morning and a old man with two crutches walked out of the woods on one side of the road across the road and down into the woods on the other. Freaked the **** out of me after a 6 hour car drive.

 

[Rey B]

Sounds like that Jerry Clower story about coon hunting with Uncle Versey in a wheel chair "Momma we done lost Poppa in the swamp! What are you talking about?Your Daddy came home an hour ago with the dogs!" The old guy was just coon hunting.

 

[Indy317]

...they had a report of someone passed out behind the wheel. Nobody even stopped to check on him.

Paranoia has definitely gotten the better of us.

I personally would not stop. I don't think paranoia has gotten the better of us. What I think has happened is that we now get instant news stories, for basically anywhere in the world, within seconds. As more and more people read about more and more about these roadside people either attacking them, or attacking cops that stop and help, it is no wonder folks don't stop.

Given the rise in the number of people who have cell phones with them (and the fact that even if you don't have a cell phone that is "on," any cell phone can dial 911 even if not on a service plan), there is no reason to stop in 99% of these cases. Just get a good description and call 911. If it is during the day and light outside, I could see stopping down the road a bit and keeping an eye on things, only to take action if one thinks death and/or serious injury is imminent (Old person who seems confused about ready to walk out in traffic, etc.). However, in total darkness, I would not stop. I would call 911 and report the issue. I may stop say a half mile down the road, and just tell 911 I will hold the line and give a statement if they want me to. The thing is, when I am off-duty, I am at a tactical disadvantage. Plus, I am almost always with my wife, so I don't want to put her in any harms way.

What is really sad about the OP story is that allegedly six or seven people drove by an never stopped. I don't blame them for not stopping, but it is pretty sad if these people didn't even call 911 to report a person who may be in need of assistance.

 

[Frankingun]

I think you did everything right. I'm just wondering why she wouldn't say the names of the family she was camping with. Seems fishy. Definitely, if you do go back, don't get out of the vehicle!

 

[bogus]

Thanks for all the comments. I feel pretty good about the way things transpired at this point. I have to laugh at myself every now and then being so spooked by a lady almost half my size. It was just completely out of the ordinary and surreal. I guess it was the thought of something about the unseen or unknown circumstance that rattled me and my wife the most. Simply flat-out spooky is the only way I can describe it.

Two positives came out of the incident. First, a lady that needed help got it. Regardless of her circumstance or reason. Second I learned a little about myself from it.

 

[Indy317]

I have to laugh at myself every now and then being so spooked by a lady almost half my size.

Why not be spooked? That lady half your size could have just as easily pulled out a gun 1/100 of her size and shot you with it. Never judge a book by its cover.