Was I understandably cautious or just plain paranoid?

[Jenn! 918]

So I was on my way home from work this evening and I stopped at a convenience store to pick up a few things. A man approached me in the parking lot asking me for a jump. I said no problem, thinking that his was the car right next to mine. He tells me his car is "over there", so I started driving to follow him when I see that he is starting to walk down a fairly long driveway away from the convenience store parking lot. I told him that I didn't feel comfortable following him down the driveway, but he was welcome to use my cables if he could find someone else to give him the jump. He seemed very surprised and rather offended that I did not want to follow him down the driveway. But he managed to find someone else to give him the jump while I waited in the crowded parking lot for him to return my cables. I told him that I hope he didn't take it personally, but a woman needs to be cautious in this day and age.

I started wondering if I did the "normal" thing in this situation. Women, would you have thought twice about following this man to give him a jump? Men, would you be offended if a woman didn't feel comfortable doing so?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

If I were the man who needed help, I'd think you were weird and paranoid.

But as a man who had nothing to do with the situation, I feel you acted appropriately.

[vartan 0]

You did the right thing.. and no I wouldn't be offended if a woman said no .. I would actually not put them in the situation .. I wouldn't put anyone in the situation I would push the car myself to somewhere public.

To all women out there I hope that you will do the same as Jenn here.. you can never be sure.. any man in his right mind would not be offended.

[JenT 0]

I would NOT have followed if the area was not in public and in plain sight of others. You did the right thing to be suspicious. Just because this turned out to be benign, doesn't mean the next time won't be dangerous.

[Marc and Olga 0]

You did the right thing.. and no I wouldn't be offended if a woman said no .. I would actually not put them in the situation .. I wouldn't put anyone in the situation I would push the car myself to somewhere public.

To all women out there I hope that you will do the same as Jenn here.. you can never be sure.. any man in his right mind would not be offended.

[iceyspots 0]

He is a stranger... you dont know him or his intentions.. however he knows his... so that's why he may have been baffled.

[Karen_L 1]

You absolutely did the right thing! More people should be so conscious of their surroundings and the "shadiness" of certain situations and being asked to follow some strange man down a long driveway IS shady. Even if he thought you were a weirdo, it doesn't matter and really, if he thinks about it, I'm sure he can see why you'd change your mind and not go with him.

Brava!

[Alex+R 0]

Good choice Jenn. If I were in a similar situation I'd probably be afraid to look weird and end up dead. That took some balls--impressive.

[Kez/JWolf 6]

You did the right thing girl..... look out for your own safty first....

I would rather be safe and offend someone than take a risk and end up dead......

Kezzie

[hockeygal 0]

you did the right thing, and you were very polite and sincere about it.

[Tim and Bethanie 1]

Wise choice, and he will probably understand now after the fact why you made the choice you did. Surely he has a wife or daughter somewhere and we know for sure he has a mother he would want them to do the same.

[vartan 0]

If he felt offended AAA

[Jenn! 918]

Thanks everyone for validating my choice! I'm glad I didn't trust what was actually my first instinct, to not look like a weirdo.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

After watching Silence of the Lambs, even I'd be a bit weirded out if some stranger asked for help with his car and was conspicuously out of sight from passersby. I would have kicked him in the nuts and ran like hell...just in case.

[Jenn! 918]

After watching Silence of the Lambs, even I'd be a bit weirded out if some stranger asked for help with his car and was conspicuously out of sight from passersby. I would have kicked him in the nuts and ran like hell...just in case.