do you think I probably abetted a drug deal?

[Syrinx]

I stopped at the truckstop this afternoon to fill up on newly cheap gasoline. A skinny gentleman in his mid-fifties approached me and explained that his automobile was not currently in working order, and that he desperately needed a ride to his "pastor's house, a couple of miles up the road." And, indeed, he was carrying a bible. He seemed friendly, and harmless enough. So, I agreed to give him a lift.

He talked a mile a minute, as he gave me directions to his intended destination. His "couple of miles" turned into at least ten. And we ended up in one of the more dangerous sections of town. When we arrived, he asked me to wait in the car, and said he would be right back. (I thought I was supposed to drop him off.) So I left the car running. As he entered the house, he closed the door behind him. It had been open as it is unusually warm today and tonight, for this time of year.

Then he had me take him home, which was another four or five miles out of my way. He was totally friendly, though. And he offered to buy me some gas, but since I had just filled up, I declined.

It completely seems like I took a stranger to buy a rock. But he was carrying around a bible!

Do you think I abetted a crime Friday afternoon?

[DarkTirade]

1. Maybe it was one of those prison bibles that's been hollowed out to hide stuff.

Maybe he was actually a secret agent, and he was selling an important bit of industrial or government data.

Ooh, ooh, maybe he was an alien! Reporting back to his home base!

... that's all I got. :P

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. You gave a ride to a stranger?

and then waited for him because he asked?


No words here.
Am just astonished!

Am glad you made it through all that safely! :hug:

[Chan790]

3. Sale rather than a purchase.

the bible makes a great carrying-case, everybody respects the presence of one and people rarely ever open one that is lying around. People often buy hollowed-out ones to use as a safe.

It's effective...not unlike my alkie friend in college who used to bring beer to class in an apple juice bottle. It looks upright so people don't question it. More so, if you had gotten pulled over and the cop checked the Bible, he'd have said it was your Bible, he was just a hitch hiker you picked up at the truck stop.

[Iggo]

4. Look, he was carrying a bible!

Everything must have been on the up-and-up.

Let your conscience be clear.

Praise baby jesus.

[MrScorpio]

5. No one holding a Bible has ever done anything wrong

Why do you hate America?

[tom_paine]

8. Good, one Scorpio! ROFL. Why is it when I think of your monniker, I always think of

You a Spider-Man Fan? I loved him when I was a kid, as so many did. Scorpion was one of my faves, too.

================================================================================

And I hate America because I am a Godless Commie who nightly ritually burns copies of the Delaration of Indepencence while laughing maniacally and selling heroin to nuns and preschoolers.

:sarcasm: (for the humor-impaired, not you Scorp, though sometimes I am sadly among the humor-imapired, too)

Somewhere, you KNOW this is a statistical certainty near abouts, a Savage Weiner or Hannidiot is blogging TOM_PAINE DUMMI ADMITS HE IS GUDLESS DRUGE DEELER. SOMON PHINE THE FBI!!!

:rofl:

[mitchum]

6. You should change your name to "Mark"

you were conned

[datasuspect]

7. and if he got caught,

they probably would have taken you in too.

[tom_paine]

9. This would have been a place to balance your Liberal Idealism with some Street-Smarts and Pragmatism

I mean, really, I hate to discourage people from Random Acts of Kindness (and that is certainly NOT my overall message here), but there are sometimes places and times where it is wiser to restrain one's "inner samaritan".

Not always, certainly. Not even close to that. But sometimes. Use your street-smarts to read each situation and try to determine in advance when those situations are. Sadly, in this life, cynicism will help protect you.

Think about it this way: Let's say this possible crackhead (although crackheads usually don't live into their fifties, now that I think about it) who seemed nice enough otherwise, was actually a deranged serial killer. You are now dead - GAME OVER.

God Forbid, but these are the things you need to at least think about, IMHO, before you enter into helping a random someone like that. It probably won't be, but one day, picking up these signals BEFORE it's too late might be the difference between life and death for you...literally.

Sorry to be so melodramatic. Crimes like that are like lightning, it seems: very rare considering the total population and often seemingly a random mischance mostly involving bad timing and bad luck. However, to carry the metaphor further, friend Syrinx, you don't want to walk around with metal galoshes and a lightning-rod hat in a thunderstorm, either.

Just something to consider. And I grew up in a high-crime big city, so I know of which I speak. Probably nothing like that will ever touch your life, but if the lightning strikes, God Forbid, you need to politely "dodge it".

Sorry, I have to be somewhere. Can't do it. Gotta go. If I had the time...

Just something to consider next time BEFORE you get involved.

[Syrinx]

16. that's definitely something to think about tom!

Thanks for the advice. It's appreciated.

[Lucian]

10. I wouldn't have given a stranger a ride to begin with.

But then to drive out of the way and wait for him? Wow.

[rcrush]

11. You are still alive?

I'm surprised this guy didnt cut you up into little pieces and eat you.

[Ikonoklast]

12. If this was for real, count your blessings nothing bad happened to you.

Rule #1 of being approached by strangers in truckstops:

Trust No One. Ever.

Rule #2 of being approached by strangers in truckstops:

Refer Back To Rule #1. Implement.


My all-purpose answer to anyone that approaches me in a truckstop, that isn't a trucker:

"Get the fuck away from me. Now."

[Syrinx]

17. I should probably be more careful...

But I wouldn't want to go through life greeting every stranger I meet with curses, either.

[madeline_con]

13. What datasuspect said, the old ho trick...

dump the product, and claim you're just hitching a ride. The patsy (that's you) takes the fall.

Another popular tactic is to borrow an innocent's car, while they go to work or wherever, for a few bucks or some gas.

Carrying a bilbe adds authenticity to one's guise of trustworthiness. ;)

[Kali]

14. Sounds like it but don't freak out.

Even amoung scuzzy druggies, most aren't serial killers or even armed robbers. geez.

And personally, I'd rather give a druggy a ride than a bible toter.:rofl:

[rcrush]

15. If some stranger approaches me from out of nowhere asking for a ride

I get the fuck out. Its only happened twice and it was in the middle of the night. I pull into a gas station and someone starts waving at me trying to get me to let them into my car so I speed up and get the hell away. It may be rude but at least I'm alive.

[Mojambo]

18. I've never heard of someone just abetting a crime. Did you also aid?

As long as you didn't aid AND abet I think you're in the clear.

[MilesColtrane]

19. You're lucky he's not gnawing on your skull right about now.