Do you give lifts to strangers?

I would sooner err on the side of caution too ronaldinu, especially if I had my wife or kids in the car with me. If I was on my own in a situation like you have described though then I may consider it. I have given lifts to people before but only when I am alone or with friends, only during daylight hours and never with any of my family in the car!

When I read your post, I thought straight away that with children in the back of the car, I would stop - especially if my husband were with me. However, it is true that it is a sad fact of life, that people can't be trusted. It might be a trick and they might intend to do you harm or steal your car. I think if that had happened to me, I would turn to my husband and ask if we should stop, I'm sure he would say that we shouldn't. I think I would phone the police and ask them to help instead. I try and help everyone I meet who needs or asks for help. Even as I write this, I just feel totally powerless. You can't help true people in need just in case they might be one of the few who try and do you harm. Ok, I'm depressed now, so I'm gonna go and make myself a cuppa.

Since I'm am in my 60's I wouldn't feel like it was a very good idea. But there are a couple of situations that I would give a person a lift. If I came across an elderly person walking along the side of the road and I know they were walking from a broken down car yes I would give that person a ride. If I also saw a car broken down and there was a woman with small children then this is also a situation that I would give them a ride. There has been a couple of situations where I did this. I'm sure that God was looking after me at the time. 'Be kinder than necessary; for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle

No, I wouldn't even stop for somebody I knew. I would look the other way and pretend I didn't see them. It is much too dangerous now to be giving lifts to people. Apart from the fact that you are putting your life at risk (as happened to a friend of mine - she was raped and murdered), if you had an accident, they could sue you. It is much too risky to be stopping your car to give assistance to other people.

I have never been the type to stop for a stranger because I worry that they will try to hurt me or my fiance,but there was one time I was riding with my brother near where he lives,and we saw a guy walking up the side of the road,since there was two of us we stopped,and he said his car had run out of gas,and he was trying to get to a gas station,so we told him to get in the back of the truck and we took him to the gas station,where he bought a gas can and got gas,and then we took him back to his car,he tried to pay my friend but he refused to take the money,the guy told my friend to at least take the gas can,just incase the something like that ever happened to us.

i don't stop my car to give a lift to persons that i do not know because today is very dangerous

In this day and age where we live in a very precarious world I would never think twice about picking up strangers or hitchhikers, have you ever seen the film The Hitchhiker? You don't know what they are going to do, pull out a knife, what are their intentions? Even the most honest looking can be hiding their true intentions! Never put yourself at risk, it's just not worth it! Absolutely NOT, never would I stop for anyone. You did the best thing play it safe, what if they had turned nasty it doesn't bear thinking about!

I would not have stopped, however, since you noticed he had two small children with him, I would have notified the police of a stranded motorist and let them handle it. I have never, nor will I ever pick up a stranger on the side of the road, not in these days and times we live in. It is way too risky to pick up a stranger, not knowing if they might be armed, have intentions of car-jacking you, etc. I think you made the right decision.

I would have probably stopped the car if I was alone. It really would have all depended on whether or not that person looked capable of keeping composure (i.e. not to creepy) in the car. I would have probably kept driving if there were kids in the car though.

To be honest nowadays I would of driven on as you never know what could happen...maybe if it was a woman though and she flagged me down I would think differently as long as she was on her own...littleowl

Sadly I wouldnt have stopped either,these days it just not wise to stop for anyone,I know you could argue that he had children with him,but thats no deterrent nowadays,you hear of so many weird and wonderful things happening that I would be scared to offer a lift to anyone.My imagination may run riot here,but the kids could be used as a ploy,who knows?and there is no one that could be sure that once in the car he wouldnt sytart demanding something from you,kids there or no kids there,so I would steer clear at all times,maybe you could have let the police know about it,given that he had the kids with him,he could well have genuinely been in trouble,and they would have gone along and sorted him out with some form of help.

I would have called the police. I always say that if your gut tells you something is not right, to follow your instincts. You were right to follow that feeling but calling for help would have been good. What if the person were using the children as a ruse? You don't know.

No I don't do this and won't becasue it could be someone dangerous and I don't know if I can trust them. I would give them enough money to get a cab but not take them in my own car cause you never know if you can turst them or not or if they are going to hurt you.

Not all the time. If i think that he or she is in really trouble than i do it.

I have to be bit hard now , yes even if i was in your position i would have not given a lift because im a female if i had to be alone then sure NO but if my whole family is coming with me and if the person and the children were then surely i think my family would atleast helped him out .I heard many lift theft stories, murder stories so i cant go and get myself trapped in such situations since you and your wife were alone i think you people have done what you felt good but then when your in a crowd then you can help people around..

I would have in the area where I live if the person had two children only because we don't have the crime rate you hear about in other areas and there has never been a case where someone was hurt because they helped out a stranger in our area since I was born here . But if this were some place else I probably would have been like you and would not have stopped either because I would be worried about the safety of my own children who I would be sure to have with me as there is always one of the children with me when I go some place .

I would most definetly stop. Especially since there were little kids in the car. I would have stopped and rolled down my window only enough to ask him if he needed help. I have a cell phone so I would offer to call for a tow truck or whatever he wanted. I would never just drive by and not ask. I would feel too guilty for not helping the kids in the car. If it was just a man without kids then maybe I wouldn't stop but with kids there I would definetly stop. But you are right too, as in better to be safe than to take chances but in this case, I would have stopped. Alrighty then, talk to you later my friend, Have a good mylotting day, Chris

Never! As you said better safe than sorry. The children might just be cover up for something you will never know.

Hello Oh my word ! I would of been scared too and not of helped , or given a lift or money( well maybe money ) but with kids you can never play it way too safe and even with yourself . Always good to play it safe , but in Nyc I have helped the homeless , or when i see someone in need . just scary with a car and kids.

definitely i would have stopped and helped them if they were really in need of some help.we can decide whether to help them or not after seeing them.if we find that they are playing somethiong then we can refuse and walk away but without stopping and having a look of their situation its not fair to walk away...