Now is a good time to re-inforce "Stranger Danger" w/ your little ones. At age 6 I was nearly kidnapped ( pizzagate )

submitted by John_The_Watchman

It was a warm summer day in my rural childhood town of a few thousand people. I was out in the yard playing with the hose, being thoroughly entertained by creating little lakes in our front yard while my father was in the backyard cleaning the pool. We lived on a corner in a fairly nice area - Nothing interesting ever happened around here... very little traffic and even the sound of a police siren was a noticeable occurrence. As I was splashing around, doing what boys do best, a light brown car pulled up and parked on the road in front of my house, speckled with a few copper colored rust spots, right near where I playing. I could see there was a middle aged man and women inside. Soon after they stopped, I heard the popping of the passenger door and saw it swing gently open. A woman leaned out slightly from the car, placing one foot on the pavement and beamed an inviting smile in my direction. Our eyes met. "Hey little boy...", she gestured, "Would you like some candy?". I immediately dropped the hose and ran faster than I ever had before to the backyard to find my father. When I found him, I saw that the rusty car had turned the corner and followed me along our property towards the back. As they drove by, the woman gave a thousand-yard menacing stare of disgust at us both - then flipped us off out of her open window and sped off in a flash, screeching the pavement. The next day we got a German Shepherd.

Now more than ever is a great time to remind your children about "Stranger Danger". If my parents hadn't taught me about that early on, who knows where I would be today, or what would have happened to me... I thank my parents for that to this very day.

hedy

Good idea to share stories (they are relevant) - I have a hunch there are quite a few.

I was 5-6 and was walking with my best friend down an alley that connected our houses about 6 blocks apart. This was back when kids were free to roam the neighborhoods where front doors were left unlocked. We were right alongside her back yard when a brown car pulled up to us. The driver, a 20-something guy, scraggly, dirty opened the door and the passenger, also scruffy and dirty got out and came to where we were standing on the driver's side of the car. They gestured toward the back where there were candybars and dollar bills placewd on the back seat. "Hey - you want some candy or money?" they said - trying different phrases to coax us - promises of puppies or kittens and more candy. And the one guy started walking towards us to grab us. It all happened so fast. And we immediately ran off toward her backyard gate and got away.

Had either of us been alone somewhere else further from our house, we would not have been able to get away. The other thing that saved me was instinct - the guys looked scary and I didn't like what was going on.This was before "stranger danger" was a thing and before anyone talked to kids about dangerous situations like that. The other weird thing is - I never told anyone about it until months later. At the time, I really had no idea how big a deal it was. Thank my lucky stars. And thankfully, kids are more educated about this these days.

Julian55

Guy tried to take me when I was a senior in high school. I fought back. He got me 3 times with a 7 inch blade, came 1 inch from my heart. Somehow I still walk the earth. That was 21 years ago.

Audalia

Glad you didn't get kidnapped!

Audalia

Omg that must be traumatizing. Glad you knew better

Thrulkggls

Similar experience at 6; a man in a van tried to lure me and a friend into his van with candy as we were walking home from school past a mall parking lot. Teach your children! Stranger danger! This was a super safe neighborhood in a town known to be "kid-safe" ...

Audalia

I used to walk home alone when I was younger because I lived on the same block as my elementary school. Now, I understand why parents almost never leave their kids alone and always pick them up.

waxdino

I think A LOT of people have similar stories. Here's mine:
I was about 7. A kid that I'd guess was 10-11 came up to me. I knew all the kids in the neighborhood, he wasn't familiar. He was dressed weird, in a white jumpsuit with studs- think Elvis. And a bowl haircut. He gestured at me to come to him. I shook my head no. He gestured again, never said anything, but tried to convince me to follow him. As I refused, he nervously looked off behind a building, like he was being prompted. I took off running.
I always thought that was weird, and as I got older and learned more, I really think it was an attempt to recruit me using a kid already trapped in it... the way he looked was so odd.
My SO has a stoy, too. Was walking with a friend and a guy pulled up and offered them a ride and a free bike. After they refused and he drove off, a cop pulled up a few minutes later, asking if a guy had offered them a ride. He'd been cruising all day.

Audalia

Glad they didn't get you.

justiceforever

Crazy story. Glad you're okay! Maybe get this to r/parenting if you're on reddit? (Although they're kinda anti-strangerdanger there).

think_whatif

Your sentiment is admirable and understandable.

However, it's probably not appropriate to pizzagate.

Also, while "stranger danger" is an important lesson to teach the little ones, it should go hand-in-hand with family safety code words:

http://www.revvedupkids.org/safety-code-words/

Audalia

A man knocked on my apartment door when I was younger. I didn't know any better and opened it. Luckily my parents were right behind him. Don't keep your kids alone unsupervised! That's how Madeline McCann disappeared.

thicktail1730947

This is gossipy nothing diluting the focus of the forum.

heygeorge

Wrong sub for this post. Consider deleting and posting somewhere else if you'd like to get your message out.

cosmicmind

As a kid a middle-aged couple drove by and tried to get me in the car too. I think if it were today they'd have more drugging, chloroform methods, but they still have to get a person close enough to chloroform them.
I've heard the same thing applies to women abductors who ask for directions or assistance, and then their helpers show up.

Audalia

Yup, always be aware. I see the people on their phones walking on the streets and they are so aloof! If you walk with purpose and quickly, you will be less of a target. Predators don't like prey that bite back.

redditsuckz

Now is a good time to tell your little ones to stay away from anyone in the government or those in "elite" circles.

rutkdn

Especially if you live in Virginia.

dogeminho

I was with my friend once and a man with a boat came up, he kept on trying to convinced us to take a ride in his boat. He followed us with the car and his wife was just laughing.

Audalia

Fucking disturbing

dogeminho

It really was. We were scared for the rest of the day. I wanted to run but I didn't want to give them any satisfaction.

There also used to be a convicted pedophile who walked outside our house and just stood, watching it with his dog. He was always there when we came back from school, casually walking his dog. My parents called the cops on him so he eventually left us alone.

2impendingdoom

that is a chilling story.