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Good samaritan helping lost toddler gets punched by father, labeled predator online
- Thread starter AuthenticM
- Start date
Shotgun Kiss
Member
The guy should absolutely press charges, solely because the father didn't apologise even after being faced with the facts.
DrForester
Kills Photobucket
Hope he sues the attackers for every time they have. And especially the father for slander.
Zelenogorsk
Banned
This is why when I'm out and about I basically ignore everyone and everything.
Gotdatmoney
Member
Call the police if you are sure the child is lost. Otherwise move on. Bystander effect is because of shit like this.
Gravy Boat
Member
I think it's a US thing. Haven't seen much of it in the U.K./Ireland.
A bit? This guy could sue every single one of those people for all they've got and win. They literally forced him to move out of the town he lived it. They ruined his life and the life of his family for no reason. Dude tried to do the right thing and got his life destroyed.
Hate to say it, but I wouldn't have approached the kid. I would have found a woman nearby to approach the girl for exactly this reason. As I single guy I cannot be around children by myself without getting the look. It sucks he got punished for doing the right thing and its great he found the girl, but the reaction of the Father to this is not surprising at all. Just a sign of how screwed up society is right now.
That guy should absolutely press charges. He just had his life ruined for helping a lost child find her dipshit father.
Not only did you not read the OP, you couldn't even read the full thread title!
Not only did you not read the OP, you couldn't even read the full thread title!
The initial reaction isn't too surprising, but the slander and ruining of the guy's life even after the truth came out?
Y'know, for a nation that is obsessed with the Christian religion, America... does not do a very good job of putting that declared faith into practice.
yellowjacket25
Member
As a father of a 2 year old girl, it blows my mind that the father let his daughter wonder off for what seems like an extended period of time in a public place. If I am out in public with my daughter, unless she is strapped to a chair, I literally can't think of anything else other than where she is and what she is doing.
cpp_is_king
Member
I would probably ask a few nearby adults if they knew who the child was, that way there would be ample witnesses who were aware of my intent before approaching the child
Trojita
Rapid Response Threadmaker
https://patch.com/florida/lakeland/man-beaten-facebook-shamed-helping-lost-girl-cops
I'd urge the victim to press charges.
I'd urge the victim to press charges.
Bloodporne
Member
I've had a guy get in my face and try to start a fight over holding his son back from running after a soccer ball into a busy street, no exaggeration. Who the fuck am I to "grab" his son, he's not stupid enough to do that bla bla...the kid was maybe 4/5 years old and almost off the sidewalk and in between parked cars when I grabbed him already.
That being said, I'd do it again any time in a potential life/death scenario like this, but I'd completely understand very sadly enough if someone would prefer to do the minimum and walk away after in a not-as-dire situation seeing shit like this article. When you can't even cool your testosterone jets AFTER being proven wrong, it's a sad affair.
That being said, I'd do it again any time in a potential life/death scenario like this, but I'd completely understand very sadly enough if someone would prefer to do the minimum and walk away after in a not-as-dire situation seeing shit like this article. When you can't even cool your testosterone jets AFTER being proven wrong, it's a sad affair.
The dude did the wrong thing.. walking holding hands towards parking lot after failing to find the parents immediately is the wrong thing to do.
You have to stay in the area, you have to work with other people.
This guy wasn't normal. He doesn't deserve to have his life ruined for it, he didn't deserve to be beaten up.
But he was doing a really stupid thing thinking he should drive or walk anywhere (even a police station with her).
For the police you also stay in the area.
You have to stay in the area, you have to work with other people.
This guy wasn't normal. He doesn't deserve to have his life ruined for it, he didn't deserve to be beaten up.
But he was doing a really stupid thing thinking he should drive or walk anywhere (even a police station with her).
For the police you also stay in the area.
AtomskEater
Member
Get your friend to tell him to keep a better watch over his 2 year old if he's going to become an inconsolable asshole when strangers try to help his lost kid.
Zoe
Member
The only one saying he was going to the parking lot is the father.
Good point. Everything after the fact of the immediate day is ridiculous. Father needs to be sued for everything he is worth.
I'd bet even money that if you'd let that kid run past and get hit by a car, that same guy would have screaming in your face about not stopping him.
So one person gets beat up for doing the right thing and now countless people in this thread won't help a lost child if they see one. For fucks sake people. I have helped lost children find their parents a number of times, and have never been beat up. If you need advice, try not to wander off with the child. Stand with them until the parent finds you. If they don't find you, call the police. But don't leave them alone to fend for themselves. Jesus.
I've gleaned from the responses to the LakelandPD Facebook post that the good Samaritan was an Indian guy. I'm sad to say but the fact it was a brown man helping probably made the situation even worse. The father just sounds like a typical backwoods Florida asshole in every regard (I say this as a dude from Florida).
Sadly, I just assumed the person trying to help wasn't white. It makes the explosive reaction that much more understandable.
Wow... A 5 year old can still get caught in the moment and run in the street after his ball. It has nothing to do with stupidity. If we must label someone stupid in this story it's the father!
Mammoth Jones
Member
more that if you are a male, do not help children. ever.
like that one clip from Black-ish
Yep, it's just an American thing.
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/pa...s/news-story/96f86745202e32acc4122898d36d6889
"MORE than two thirds of Australian men admit they would be at least somewhat reluctant to help a lost child for fear they would be viewed as a pervert. "
oh hey
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/pa...s/news-story/96f86745202e32acc4122898d36d6889
"MORE than two thirds of Australian men admit they would be at least somewhat reluctant to help a lost child for fear they would be viewed as a pervert. "
oh hey
Bloodporne
Member
As a matter of fact, the father was such a fucking twat, he smacked his son over the head in response to the whole thing prior to flipping out on me. Frankly, I did consider beating his ass just for that, but I gladly came to my senses a split second later and just walked away while he was still ranting.
And yes, of course, imagine if the poor child had been run over by a car with me shrugging on the sidewalk...I mean come on.
So one person gets beat up for doing the right thing and now countless people in this thread won't help a lost child if they see one. For fucks sake people. I have helped lost children find their parents a number of times, and have never been beat up. If you need advice, try not to wander off with the child. Stand with them until the parent finds you. If they don't find you, call the police. But don't leave them alone to fend for themselves. Jesus.
Trojita
Rapid Response Threadmaker
Yeah, I was about to mention that he was of Indian descent.
the part of the thread where I leave cause we're now in a race to prove #NotJustAmerica hates other people's kids.
USA! USA! USA! like how fragile is your identity that you're about to find every study from every country that supports their men being afraid to help children
TheStruggler
Report me for trolling ND/TLoU2 threads
its weird how finding a woman is the answer, just because she is a woman means she is not a predator?
Skellig Gra
Member
Statistically speaking, yes. Plus the scores of deadbeat dads puts a heavy burden on women being the responsible adult in any child care situation.
Marty Chinn
Member
I find your stance baffling given how you just got taken advantage of for being nice to strangers. I would think you'd be more understanding.
AtomskEater
Member
???
Seems somewhat relevant since a few posters were saying men being afraid to help children must just be a 'merican thing. What's wrong with pointing that out as inaccurate?
Since women are considered the default child carers by society most people feel more at ease with that, even if the woman doesn't know the kid. I can also think of more news stories where men were outed as pedophiles or child abuses (which would increase the public's perception that man + child can be suspicious), but women certainly can and do abuse children.
I think people are underestimating the fear that parents (and especially new parents) have. It's not limited to men. I read a mommy forum and, in the year I've been reading it, there have been multiple posts from moms, concerned about creepy women following them in Baby's R' Us or at the park. With women, the concern is that they're trying to snatch your baby to raise as their own.
I think the fear is really targeted towards any adult, that doesn't also have a child with them. And I think maybe men suffer more from this specific bias, because we're less likely to assume that men have children with them or are the ones caring for a child.
Not even from the States, kiddo. I have no American identity. I did a quick search for the stats on men ignoring lost children - because I knew I've seen it before - and the first one I saw was from Australian. Now you have people claiming it's an American phenomenon.
I think stranger danger is a huge part of it, but sexism is another part. Women are viewed as mother figures by default. Men aren't viewed as father figures in the same way. I don't think that sexism is exclusive to America.
