Guy pulls over, opens and closes car door in general vicinity of child. EVERYBODY PANIC

My-Work-Reddit · 2012-11-09T15:49:57+00:00

THIS is the reason why I cross to the other side of the street, mall, store, etc. whenever I approach a lone child. I am not taking any chances whatsoever.

jrik23 · 2012-11-09T20:51:48+00:00

I was at Publix with my 8 month old son weaving in and out of every aisle. About 3 aisle in I start to notice the same woman going in the opposite direction as me. I am carrying my son to keep him from crying while I pick up various items off the shelves. The woman was giving me the stink-eye each time i came across her. Then after about 3 more aisles with the same interaction we no longer cross paths. I was quite relieved that I didn't have to see her again. Nearing the end of the shopping trip, my arms started to get tried from carrying my son so I place him back in the cart seat and entertain him the best I can to give my arms a break and to keep him from annoying other customers. Not even a minute after I place him down a man in a Publix smock approaches me, "Sir, who's child is that." Without allowing me to answer he gets in between my son and I and says, "You are going to have to leave." I can't see my son at this point as he is completely in between my son and I. I can see the cheap rent-a-cops coming around the corner heading in my direction. I start to have a mini panic attack after reading all the stuff here on reddit. I push the man out of my way and grab my son. I tell him very loudly and in a booming voice to make sure that everyone in the vicinity can hear me, "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM MY SON!" The man in the publix smock and the security guards headed over can tell that I am ready to draw blood if they even think to take my son away from me.

I had never been so scared in my life. I have had a similar situation before in the same store but never an intervention from Publix management before. Thankfully my out-burst brought in a crowd of people wanting to see what was going on and if it wasn't for their outrage over the situation I don't know what would have happened.

The police and those in authority are completely willing to take it on one persons word. Immediately assuming the worst, presumed guilty with no evidence. One report from an elderly lady that a man is acting suspicious around a child and the police take drastic measures.

I can only imagine what would have happened if the man reported in this post had been found.

I see a dark future for men everywhere if it continues on this path. It is a sad day when a father is afraid to take their son to the park or shopping for fear of being branded a child molester.

Seand0r · 2012-11-09T16:40:54+00:00

You must be kidding me... This has to be an article from the Onion or something...

iongantas · 2012-11-09T17:50:35+00:00

Molehill -> Mountain

I love how news reports state things thus:

Everybody panic for doom is Nigh! said random joe schmoe.

oneiorosgrip · 2012-11-09T19:21:08+00:00

This is feminism's version of "If mom feels cold, you have to wear a sweater" taken to the Nth degree of stupidity, and then mixed with a huge serving of sexism. Since femi-mom thinks she has to view all men as potential predators and can't be near one without fearing a possible attempt at a rape, the child must wear that same mantle of maladjustment and live under the weight of that same irrational fear.

It is a horrible lesson to teach a child - and it has multiple very negative consequences for the kid in addition to the injustice that it is to the guy in the car.

This kind of overreaction makes the kids paranoid and takes the sense of normalcy out of everyday life. A kid in a peaceful community can be smart about protecting himself from potential predators without feeling like he's in a war zone where every man he sees is on the other side. Raising him with that paranoia will inflict an unhealthy level of stress on the kid. If it's a big enough factor in his life that he freaks out over someone opening a car door, it's big enough to have a negative impact on his overall confidence.

Further, such extreme responses to ordinary circumstances normalizes the drama experience. Praise a child may receive for overreacting teaches not safety, but drama seeking, by incentivizing unwarranted alarm.

Then, as the child ages, if he figures out that he was subjected to an unnecessary level of caution, as he lets go of his overcautious outlook, he may develop a mistrust for legitimate childhood lessons. As with kids brought up in households of moral extremism who rebel when they leave home (preacher's daughter syndrome,) kids brought up in households of victim-paranoia extremism may relax way too much when they leave home, opening them to scams for which others wouldn't fall.

I also wonder what mothers think teaching their boys that all men are potential predators will do to their self-image as they become men. To spend one's life being told that what one will grow up to be is a monster could lead down either of two mentally unhealthy paths; he could decide that's what he is, and hate himself for it, or he could decide the belief is a lie, and resent women for it. There are other possible responses, but raising your kid to be that afraid of all men does have the potential for those two.

It's one thing to teach your kids to be wary of being directly and needlessly approached by random strangers, mistreated by people they know, or lied to & cheated. It's another entirely to socially cripple your kid, rendering him paranoid of an entire gender. That's bad parenting.

Whisper · 2012-11-09T19:43:56+00:00

The next day...

"Suspicious man questioned by police, claims seat belt was caught in door. "

penguin_sweater · 2012-11-09T18:26:10+00:00

A driver in a gray car who pulled over to a bus stop and opened his car door this morning is no cause for panic

I thought this was the Onion for a moment.

goat_I_am · 2012-11-09T18:19:15+00:00

Sometimes when I read these articles I swear they come from the Onion. Because people can't actually be this crazy. Really a guy opened the door thats it he didn't tell the kid he had candy. Sorry a hand opened a door the kid didn't see a guy.

workerdaemon · 2012-11-10T00:15:49+00:00

Reminds me of the time when I was walking as a child, and this man was slowly driving down the street. He would go aways, stop, lean out of the car, smile at me, then slowly drive forward and repeat. He did it at least four times. I freaked and ran home.

Turns out it was just some dude dropping off flyers in mailboxes. D'oh.

TheCommonManMedia · 2012-11-09T21:43:14+00:00

Thank you for this. This is going in my files for a future video.

johnetec · 2012-11-09T22:32:36+00:00

Arrest that man for DWP - Driving With Penis

pasway55 · 2012-11-10T00:37:39+00:00

How does he know if hes a man simply by looking at his hand?

JudgeWhoAllowsStuff · 2012-11-09T15:45:50+00:00

Double post. Missed it by a few hours.

DubYaTF88 · 2012-11-09T18:32:05+00:00

what. the. fuck.

2012-11-09T20:54:59+00:00

Did the part of the article where someone was told to panic get cut off?

man_and_machine · 2012-11-10T00:33:13+00:00

hey guys: you might be pissed about the standard displayed here, but nothing wrong really happened. if anything, the only person worried about the situation was the kid, who knew the smart thing to do in a potentially threatening situation. his mom wasn't there, what she knew is only what he told her, so she may have perfect reason to panic, or have every reason to be reasonable about it - which she was. so I don't see the point here at all.

AsteroidShark · 2012-11-10T00:35:21+00:00

I don't expect anyone to change their normal, harmless behavior for me or my child. I don't expect them to tip-toe around their usual behavior for fear that I'm thinking "something could be up". Still, I watch everyone around my child like a hawk. I try not to make it obvious, as I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable. But the worst scenarios run through my head at times, but I don't specifically target men with these thoughts. And I sure as fuck don't report it to the police or local news when someone opens up a fucking car door near my kid.

I think people should respect my right to be horribly paranoid that something's going to happen to my kid (sorry, it's just my nature) but in return I promise to respect those around me by not making them all feel like potential child-stealers/molesters.

Strychnine357 · 2012-11-10T01:02:29+00:00

Holy shit. This is where I lived up until 3 months ago too. The majority of east Fishkill residents are wealthy upper class white people with nothing better to do then cause problems and old, retired IBM'ers so it doesn't surprise me. Really weird to see my home town on here. Brown road too? Haha. I've spent so many weekend walking to my friends house there and smoking pot. Fucking ridiculous.

Ma99ie · 2012-11-10T01:15:05+00:00

You sure gotsta hand it to the feministas...their propaganda campaign villifying men is working...in spades.

2012-11-10T01:58:21+00:00

Gotta love paranoia. Theres nothing there that states he did anything or even called out to a child. Its only because its a man that this person got a "report".

Kids these days are way too over protected.

CNITB4 · 2012-11-10T04:38:40+00:00

So I guess if I have to spit, when I stop at a corner, I shouldn't open the door until I first check to see if kids are around? Holy crap. I just spit out the window into the street like a slob.

CisPride · 2012-11-10T05:21:38+00:00

I understand people wanting to be safe as opposed to sorry, but if the guy didn't even look at the damn kid, why in the world would people assume he was a child predator? The fact that they even issue an alert for this type of stuff is very disheartening.

ElvisPrime · 2012-11-10T15:56:40+00:00

My own story example of a child abduction overreaction:

I take the bus to work. I live in a strange area that has a self contained community nearby. It's a large suburban neighborhood surrounded by trees, with only one entry/exit. There is only one possible way for me to go, to get to my bus stop, and it takes me past this entry/exit. Unfortunately, they have no school in there, and have to follow the same path to get to their school. Our paths converge every day, and every day i get dirty looks. I mind my own business, and listen to my iPod while i head to my destination. One day, 1 parent and a herd of children (6-9 i think) converged in front of me on the only side of the road with a sidewalk. She notices me, and is clearly panicked by me, when she looks back and sees me. Admittedly, i looked very annoyed because kids walk damn slow, and now I'm forced to walk very slowly behind them. Another herd comes in behind me too, so I'm trapped. Now, I'm keeping a good distance, as not to panic anyone by getting too close, but walking very slowly behind a group of children looks suspicious, so i fuss with my iPod as an excuse. As a result, I'm not looking ahead of me very much, and just keeping slow pace. Turns out, a kid from the herd had a ball or something, and dropped it, so he ran back to get it, at just the point i was about to walk past it. Next thing i know, the Lady leading the herd Screams and i look up, not knowing whats going on, but seeing her staring at my horrified. I saw the kid near me, and still had my iPod in my hands, so I put up both hands (like a stick up), and have a "Whoa" face, but say nothing. She SCREAMS again. Next thing I know, I'm being thrown into the trees, into this natural ditch which is filled with mulch and rain water. Looks like a Father from the tailing herd, charged me, and knocked me into the forest.
The conversation after that was heated. I told this Father that i was on my way to work, and i had no idea why that "F****** B****" was screaming. I had to prove I was going to work (I showed him bus pass and my work key card), then he gave me a "I didn't catch you THIS time" look, and walked away with his herd, leaving me in my mulch, to try and find my iPod.

TLDR: I was thrown into a mulch pile in a forest, for the crime of walking down a street where kids were.

rekloki · 2012-11-09T22:35:18+00:00

I make it a habit not to walk between a child and their parent, and I expect other people to respect that boundary with my child (with the obvious exception of said child playing on a playground, or otherwise far enough away, that going around is not really an option.)

I am protective of my daughter, and keeping a good eye, teaching boundaries and proper definitions of strangers, and teaching children to act properly, in any situation, goes much further than an "everyone is evil" mentality.

ehhehhehhh · 2012-11-13T20:36:12+00:00

I think this has more to do with a culture of fear, rather than misandry. Our tendency to assume the worst in our fellow human can be damaging to all involved.

agentx216 · 2012-11-09T19:44:03+00:00

Way to steal the headline from Fark

http://www.fark.com/comments/7425127/Guy-pulls-over-opens-closes-car-door-in-general-vicinity-of-child-EVERYBODY-PANIC

Title	Guy pulls over, opens and closes car door in general vicinity of child. EVERYBODY PANIC
Author	duglock
Upvotes	276
Comments	81
Date	November 9, 2012 2:15 PM UTC (13 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/12wvu8/guy_pulls_over_opens_and_closes_car_door_in/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/guy-pulls-over-opens-and-closes-car-door-in.1009618 https://theredarchive.com/post/1009618

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