NEW FORM OF KIDNAPPING
By Polly1
@Polly1 (12645)
United States
December 17, 2006 6:49pm CST
Please take a minute to read this. This is very scary and could
happen to any of us.. Seems like every nice thing people do for one
another can be perverted. A new twist on kidnapping from a very smart
survivor:
About a month ago there was a woman standing by the mall entrance
passing out flyers to all the women going in. The woman had written
the flyer herself to tell about an experience she had, so that she
might warn other women. The previous day, this woman had finished
shopping, went out to her car and discovered that she had a flat.
She got the jack out of the trunk and began to change the flat. A
nice man dressed in a business suit and carrying a briefcase walked
up to her and said, "I noticed you're changing a flat tire.
Would you like me to take care of it for you?" The woman was
Grateful for his offer and accepted his help.
They chatted amiably while the man changed the flat, and then put
the flat tire and the jack in the trunk, shut it and dusted his
hands off.
The woman thanked him profusely, and as she was about to get in
her car, the man told her that he left his car around on the other
side of the mall, and asked if she would mind giving him a lift
to his car.
She was a little surprised and she asked him why his car was on
other side.
He explained that he had seen an old friend in the mall that he
hadn't seen for some time and they had a bite to eat, visited
for a while, and he got turned around in the mall and left through the
wrong exit, and now he was running late. The woman hated to tell
him "no" because he had just rescued her from having to change her
flat tire all by herself, but she felt uneasy. (Trust that gut feeling!)
Then she remembered seeing the man put his briefcase in her trunk
before shutting it and before he asked her for a ride to his car.
She told him that she'd be happy to drive him around to his car,
But she just remembered one last thing she needed to buy.
(Smart woman!!)
She said she would only be a few minutes; he could sit down in
her car and wait for her; she would be as quick as she could be.
She hurried into the mall, and told a security guard what had
happened, the guard came out to her car with her, but the man had
left. They opened the trunk, took out his locked briefcase and
took it down to the police station.
The police opened it (ostensibly to look for ID so they could
return it to the man). What they found was rope, duct tape, and
knives. When the police checked her "flat" tire, there was nothing
wrong with it; the air had simply been let out. It was obvious
what the man's intention was, and obvious that he had carefully
thought it out in advance. The woman was blessed to have escaped
harm. (Amen?thank you, God!)
How much worse it would have been if she had children with her and
had them wait in the car while the man fixed the tire, or if she
had a baby strapped into a car seat? Or if she'd gone against her
judgment and given him a lift?
5 people like this
59 responses
@misskatonic (3723)
• United States
18 Dec 06
This isn't new at all. Serial rapists and murderers have been using this technique for decades. Ted Bundy used a few different variations of it himself. He'd hang around frat parties and sorority parties and offer rides to tipsy girls, since they shouldn't 'walk around like that after dark, since someone could take advantage of them'.
Long practicing serial criminals (organized criminals, anyway) always plan things out in advance and have various 'catches' they use. If a man drops his keys in a parking lot, don't pick them up. A lot of criminals will hit you over the head when you bend to get them. Don't offer to help a man who asks you to help him carry bags to his car - while you're burdened down with the bags you can't effectively fight back.
Serial criminals are extremely intelligent. Too many people consider them stupid, but they're very smart. And they know all sorts of ways to get a woman in a position to hurt her.
2 people like this
@rosey3223 (1566)
• United States
18 Dec 06
WOW!! The crap that people come up with!!! I hope that you don't mind, but I copied it and sent it to my mom because she lives so far away and I think that she does a lot of shopping by herself...so scary to think that could happen to her!!! Thank god I am always with my fiance!!!
1 person likes this
@rosey3223 (1566)
• United States
20 Dec 06
I think that everyone needs to pass this information along!! It is very disturbing, especially with the holidays here and with all of the last minute shopping by ones self.
@micheller (1365)
• United States
18 Dec 06
iv'e heard of this one before a long time ago. i don;t think it is a new way. i'm just glad that the women had enough sense to not trust him.
1 person likes this
@jackpot (138)
• India
18 Dec 06
We should all be a lil' careful, moreso when we have childern (or younger siblings) with us, and not fall for the people who look to lure with edibles or those who ask for a return favour, after doing us a favour.
And yes, always trust you gut instinct. Would do less harm even if it is wrong!!
And I request all to keep posting such incidents so that all people can be aware of the new tactics of such people!!
1 person likes this
@marciascott (25529)
• United States
18 Dec 06
That's a very good Idea what you said.
1 person likes this
@nhtpscd (1416)
• Australia
18 Dec 06
Yep it is people just like that that make alot of people distrust everyone that they do not know. A similar tale happened down the road an elderly lady got a flat tyre and a man in his late 20's stopped to help her. It was the front passenger side. When he helped her pack everything up he took her purse off the front seat. Cunning woman though she wrote down the rego no as he approached and called the police who were only 1 block away. When they pulled him over found he had other purses in his possession. It seems he made a living from helping ladies in distress.
1 person likes this
@lovelylizzie (327)
• United States
18 Dec 06
eh.. that's scary. but maybe a myth? there's a website that tells you what's a myth and what's not. although, there's so many crazies out there..you never know what could happen.
I hate being so paranoid of people.
1 person likes this
@disvachic (10117)
• United States
20 Dec 06
yes that is very scary im glad the woman began to think fast and panic. she was very aware and thats the way you have to be thease days because people are some twisted mind people in da world like that man
1 person likes this
@Khangura (924)
• Canada
18 Dec 06
the technique is smart but not new..This technique works nicely but the thing is wat if she gave him a lift to his car? he would have to knock her out somehow but then why didnt he just do it right there when shes standing in front of him.. theres no difference because he can put her inside the car right after.. all u have to do is wait til she opens the car door then say excuse me or some %#@& and come closer.. knock HER out by punching her in the head or something and i dunno the car door is open.. put her inbackseat, take the keys, drive away.. Im just wondering why that wouldnt work becuz im sure it would.. He would have to do the exact same thign inside the car anyway.. if no1s around then just knock her out eZ.. Of course again im just guessing im not a professional kidnapper or anything haha i think that should work though..
1 person likes this
@jeffaim (215)
• United States
18 Dec 06
No offense, but this sounds like a slight twist on an urban legend that I heard while growing up (my mother told it as something that happened in our downtown, yet when I went to college I found out that others from all over the U.S. had heard the same thing had happened in their town:
A woman is at the grocery store and while leaving is approached by an old woman with a walker who asks for a ride to her car because the handicapped spaces were taken when she went into the store. The woman has an uneasy feeling, goes back into the store having "forgotten" something, and calls the police, who find that the "old woman" is actually a man in disguise, who has a butcher knife, etc hidden in his "old lady" clothes.
These stories do provide us all with a valuable reminder to be cautious, even when people offer to help you.
1 person likes this
@19781508 (125)
• Philippines
18 Dec 06
a scary story but still an informative one. thanks for sharing it with us, at least we got some ideas now on whta to do if ever the same situation will happen. lets all be careful in our daily routines and just keep praying for our safety in and out of our home.
@artygirl2006 (641)
•
18 Dec 06
thats scary. its good that you are telling people.
1 person likes this
@lalav1 (1052)
• United States
18 Dec 06
I think this is a great article and a reminder to all of us how much we need to be aware of these types of things and also to make sure our children know as well. After reading the other comments, even though this article was a hoax, it doesn't take away from the point of the article for me. We tend to feel we can somewhat trust someone who offers to help us out. When we get a wierd feeling, (our intuition), we really need to listen to it. The article gives good ideas on how to get out of a dangerous sitution if we get the chance. I say bravo, for posting this. Thanks so much, we all need to be reminded of this type of danger.
@Polly1 (12645)
• United States
18 Dec 06
I totally agree with you, I didn't know it was a hoax email till later, but I am very glad I posted it. It serves as a warning to all of us. These things like this do go on everyday. Most of the victims are killed, they can't tell us what happened to them, this just might be a way of getting ahold of some innocent people.
@bonnitabelle (143)
• Canada
18 Dec 06
Thank you for posting this story. I am always a little leary out shopping without my better half (he thinks I'm nuts), but in today's world, there are so many strange people out there. I am always warning my children about being leary of strangers. I am going to have my mother read this story. She wouldn't know how to change a flat tire herself and would trust any clean shaven man who came to her aid. I know that sounds bad, but it's true. I live over an hour from her and as an only child, I would like to be able to prevent this time of situation from occuring to her.
1 person likes this
@imadriscoll (2228)
• United States
18 Dec 06
Sometimes when I get emails about this kind of stuff I wonder if it's true or not. I mean anyone could make this stuff up and start forwarding to everyone in their mailbox.
Though even if it is made up I think that there is a good message about being safe and no matter what anyone does for you, if they're a stranger, you shouldn't allow them in your car. If you deny them a ride the very worse that can happen is the man has to walk around to the other side of the mall and he might be a little ticked off because he changed your tire for you. But if he's as nice as he seems he'll understand your need to protect yourself.
@nycknhead79 (103)
• United States
18 Dec 06
that is so scarey.i dont know what i would of done in that situation but she was obviously a very smart women
1 person likes this
