It's a bit sad really..
 

To put this in perspective, where I live there has been a bit of publicity lately about child abductions.

So I was driving home (a thunder storm had just passed through) and got stuck in traffic next to our local park. There was a child about three years old running along the footpath a good 200 yards away from the person I presumed to be their parent (who was really paying no attention to the kid). I was watching this kid because I was concerned it might run out onto the road.
While I was watching the child began to climb through a gap under the fence that separated the footpath from the open stormwater drain. Deadbeat dad was 200 yards away and absolutely clueless.
I freaked, pulled over and ran up to the kid. The kid saw me coming, got scared, exited the fence and ran back to the father. (Who was standing there looking like if he had one I.Q. point, it'd be lonely). I got back into my car and drove home.

When I told my wife she said "so the other drivers saw a 50 year old man get out of his car, approach a child on the street, then when the kid ran, get back into his car and drive away. Yeah, that looks legit"

Hadn't even occurred to me, all I was thinking was 3 year olds don't do well in storm water drains, but she had a point.

What are you going to do? Let the kid fall into the drain or get run over because you may look like a child abductor? What if you read the next day about the fatal accident and know that you could have avoided it? Questions to ponder with the wife ... Pay if forward. The fear being misunderstood or sued must be #1 excuse why people don't help others. Sure is convenient ...

I always step up in situations like this. Sometimes people look stranded and I stop to ask if they need help. Sometimes they are freaked out, but they can say "no" and I move on. If I catch only one person who does need help, it will be worth irritating the other 10 that didn't.

Cheers,

G

That's a risk I'd be willing to take any day of the week. You did the right thing.

He was probably mommy's boyfriend and wouldn't care if junior crawled into a storm drain and died. Happens all the time when the low-life boyfriend is assigned to look after some other guy's baby.

That IS kinda odd... here in El Lay children are not allowed to stray more than a few feet from their guardian.

{I will try not to get all nostalgic and regale you all with stories of my youth where we were allowed to run wild in the streets, at the beach, etc.}

However whenever I see an unattended child it sets off an alarm in my head and I start scanning the area for a responsible adult that is escorting the child.

That belongs in the "Above and Beyond" thread.

Yeah, I'm glad I ran to the kid, and would do so again in a heart beat......but it's sad that intervening adults seem to be regarded as suspicious as the default position.