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[Gotdatmoney]

Had a few nasty exchanges with a parent when something like this happens. I remember once I was in a bookstore and I was standing there reading the jacket of one of them when I feel my pant leg being tugged on. I look down and there's this tiny little girl standing there looking up at me and holding on to my pant leg. I looked down the aisles and didn't see anybody, then started speaking really loudly just in case: "Hi! Where's your mommy and daddy?" while holding the book the entire time and never even crouching over. I couldn't even really move because I probably would've made her fall while she was holding on to my jeans, and then I'd be alone in an aisle with a crying little girl.

5 minutes later a mom comes from around the corner and doesn't even walk up, she stands at the end of the aisle and tells her kid to "come here NOW" while giving me a death stare. Not a sorry, not a thank you, nothing. Just venom.

Some kids literally don't know any better. I was in a convience store by my place while I was in school and a little kid, probably like 3 straight up comes up to me and asks me to open a bag of cherry blasters for her. Like lololol. I did cause why not. Her mom shows up and just laughs and is like "what do you say?". Kid is like "Thank you".

Extremely random but funny situation. Kids honestly don't know any better sometimes. That's why when parents freak the fuck out that they are talking to you I always kind of wonder if they like grasp not everyone is trying to talk to your kid or even the one engaging in the first place.

 

[ShaggsMagoo]

Some kids literally don't know any better. I was in a convience store by my place while I was in school and a little kid, probably like 3 straight up comes up to me and asks me to open a bag of cherry blasters for her. Like lololol. I did cause why not. Her mom shows up and just laughs and is like "what do you say?". Kid is like "Thank you".

Extremely random but funny situation. Kids honestly don't know any better sometimes. That's why when parents freak the fuck out that they are talking to you I always kind of wonder if they like grasp not everyone is trying to talk to your kid or even the one engaging in the first place.

I was once in a game/book/movie store and sneezed. I heard a little girl from the next isle over say "Bless you." I'm not religous or anything, but I'm also not a

Spoiler

huge

asshole, so I responded with a simple, "Thank you." I then heard the girl say "You're welcome," followed by an adult woman with a really firm and terse voice saying, "Do not talk to strangers, please."

A few seconds later I saw them walking by the isle I'm in and the woman gave me a really mean look. Like WTF lady?

 

[Gotdatmoney]

I was once in a game/book/movie store and sneezed. I heard a little girl from the next isle over say "Bless you." I'm not religous or anything, but I'm also not a

Spoiler

huge

asshole, so I responded with a simple, "Thank you." I then heard the girl say "You're welcome," followed by an adult woman with a really firm and terse voice saying, "Do not talk to strangers, please."

A few seconds later I saw them walking by the isle I'm in and the woman gave me a really mean look. Like WTF lady?

Lol exactly this. Just a totally harmless interaction and people are all in their crazy. Just gotta ignore the stupid I suppose. That point where you wonder if any interaction is too much interaction.

 

[AlimNassor]

Happened once at my work. Male employee helped a lost child. Dad came by and assaulted him. Beat him till he bled. Claimed the guy was trying to abduct her. Cops came and he was taken with the Police. They found him innocent but, still fired him and banned the Employee from ever coming into the store again.

 

[SaviourMK2]

I like how the irresponsible father and friends who let the child out of his sight is not punished at all in all this.

 

[DontBeThatGuy]

Bill Burr

Relevant.

 

[ginger ninja]

where's that bill burr clip when you need it ? JFC

 

[Ozigizo]

For people wondering why he left, they doxxed him on Facebook. Father is still talking shit, and that group is still trying to smear the samaritan.

 

[shintoki]

Always leave the kid if you're a dude. Call the police or notify someone nearby.

Fact.

Call the police and let them get arrested for neglect.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Hmm I think you guys worry too much. Maybe just give off a creepy vibe. I have no problem talking to and helping random kids.

You wanna fight me you better knock me out with the first blow lol.

Shit I was at six flags today and some random kid grabbed my hand, I finally looked down and was like eh? Who are you, are you ok? Mom was right behind me and apologizing. Had a good laugh and everything is ok.

 

[TAJ]

I'd never try to help a lost kid, not because I'm worried about getting attacked but because of the whole potentially being labeled a sicko thing.
This guy had to leave town? Fuuuuuuuuuck.

I saw a 2yo girl wandering around Hollywood yesterday and I was like nope.

 

[Dereck]

The fact that you now have to be afraid to help a lost child is sad.

 

[Mammoth Jones]

Happened once at my work. Male employee helped a lost child. Dad came by and assaulted him. Beat him till he bled. Claimed the guy was trying to abduct her. Cops came and he was taken with the Police. They found him innocent but, still fired him and banned the Employee from ever coming into the store again.

Yeah. Sorry I'm not risking this. Got too much to lose.

Hmm I think you guys worry too much. Maybe just give off a creepy vibe. I have no problem talking to and helping random kids.

You wanna fight me you better knock me out with the first blow lol.

Shit I was at six flags today and some random kid grabbed my hand, I finally looked down and was like eh? Who are you, are you ok? Mom was right behind me and apologizing. Had a good laugh and everything is ok.

I mean go tell the guy who got beat up and had to flee town he gave off a creepy vibe?

 

[keuja]

I hope the Samaritan sues this guy's ass.

 

[jrush64]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daJZU5plRhs

This is that scene from Black-ish

 

[Man-is-Obsolete]

Woof. First thing I thought of was that Blackish episode. If you have genuine concern I would at least alert security or staff or police of the situation.

 

[milkham]

A small child once literally fell on my feet in a park and I had a moment of hesitation over helping him up. Feels bad.

 

[Zoe]

Happened once at my work. Male employee helped a lost child. Dad came by and assaulted him. Beat him till he bled. Claimed the guy was trying to abduct her. Cops came and he was taken with the Police. They found him innocent but, still fired him and banned the Employee from ever coming into the store again.

So much for getting an employee to deal with it instead of yourself.

 

[SchrodingerC]

Florida needs to be annihilated. Disgusting people.

Yes, because every single person in Florida is a horrible person. Don't be judgmental you ass.

 

[99Luffy]

Always leave the kid if you're a dude. Call the police or notify someone nearby.

I agree..

But there was a case awhile ago where a guy did that exactly. Said he didnt wanna help the child himself for stated reasons. By the time the cops came the toddler had drowned in a lake.

 

[MatrixMan.EXE]

The samaritan was brown? It all makes sense now.

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

What the hell, this is why people default to the bystander effect.

 

[Syriel]

And yet no one is blaming the parents for apparently losing their child in the first place

Father honestly seemed to be projecting his own failures

I wonder if the Father is being a dick after the misunderstanding to try and justify the fact that he battered an innocent dude.

This.

The Father is a douche for letting his child wander unsupervised AND for assaulting someone who tried to help.

He's damn lucky that the victim isn't pressing charges.

 

[Omega Kirby]

Username: I Stalk Alone

Busted

 

[TAJ]

This thread reminded me that I've had two different dog owners yell at me for checking their wandering dogs' tags.
Never again. You're on your own, puppers.

 

[norm9]

I'm in a field where it's a majority women. It's all bad as an adult male talking to little kids and having the moms (mostly, surprisingly never the dads) keep an eye on him/her (me) while I interact with their precious.

 

[Wood Man]

I lost my daughter for a few minutes in a busy park once. I thought she was playing with her friends in this little hut. I went to go check on her and she wasn't there. It was the longest 5 minutes of my life. She ran off on her own and was playing behind some rock wall so we couldn't see her. It's the worst feeling in the world and I felt like shit for losing sight of her.

I get where the father is coming from where your brain automatically goes to worst case scenario. But own up to your mistake. The samaritan sounds like a guy who would totally forgive him anyways.

 

[quesalupa]

This is why I always walk away when I see a kid wander near me.

 

[wandering]

The samaritan's name is Utpal Patel, so a pretty good chance that he's brown. Can't help but think that factored into it...

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

I had a very similar experience just a few weeks ago.

My family and I were in the city (ArtVo in docklands, Melbourne) and later at a mini carnival with my kids on dodge em cars. I see a young girl, maybe 2-2.5 years old wandering and crying uncontrollably. I kept an eye out for her for about 1 minute, nothing, no parents, no siblings and she starts wandering further away from the carnival down a corner/side road. She paused, looked around, cried and started wandering way away from the crowded areas all alone. Alarms are ringing in my head at this point.

I had to react, so I ran and brought her back to the dodge em cars area while kneeling down to talk with her about her parents and just calm her before searching or finding a event staff member to help. Within about another minute her dad and mum stormed up grabbed her and wandered off with their group of families. Not a damned word of thanks, or even a pause about who I was, just a wrenching of the girls hand and off they went embarrassed or angry, I couldn't tell. If it hadn't of been a group of families collecting her and just a "guy" I wouldn't have let her be taken that way.

But hey at least I didn't get punched in the face or labelled on social media like the OP story. My wife continues to tell me I put myself in bad positions just trying to be helpful. Forget that this girl would have been out on the roads on her own and that family group/dad wouldn't have seen her if I hadn't kept her from running off all alone. I hate to think what else could happen.

I'm amazed at the size of the crowd and nobody notices this sort of shit happening or worse they don't care.

 

[Two Words]

"They won't notice that I left my 2 year old daughter abandoned if I keep falsely accusing this guy as a child predator!"

 

[Nirolak]

Since the cops officially said the guy was a Good Samaritan he can sue every one of them online for libel.

He's not white and he lives in Florida. He could have 3000 witnesses and multiple videos of the full event and would still lose.

 

[Zee-Row]

So yeah , I just found out that someone i know is friends with the piece of shit father on facebook. I told him that his friend was a piece of shit and he told me that i don't know what really happened since I wasn't there and he did what any father would do.

 

[Deleted member 325805]

Shit I'd be worried to even smile back at a little girl that smiles at me these days, you never know if their parents are paranoid crazies who will ruin your life which is easier than ever these days with social media.

 

[Jotaka]

The samaritan's name is Utpal Patel, so a pretty good chance that he's brown. Can't help but think that factored into it...

Patel, an Indian surname... he is probable brown. #MAGA

 

[AtomskEater]

Hmm I think you guys worry too much. Maybe just give off a creepy vibe. I have no problem talking to and helping random kids.

You wanna fight me you better knock me out with the first blow lol.

Shit I was at six flags today and some random kid grabbed my hand, I finally looked down and was like eh? Who are you, are you ok? Mom was right behind me and apologizing. Had a good laugh and everything is ok.

Maybe consider that if the mother hadn't had her kid in eyesight (to see that the kid initiated contact and not you), that interaction might have gone a lot differently? While I hope men will continue to assist lost children, I can understand people fearing getting tangled up in one of the rare wild cases where they end of getting assaulted or having someone try to slander or arrest them.

 

[Dali]

This immediately came to mind:

https://youtu.be/daJZU5plRhs

Edit: lol beaten

 

[Topper]

Messed up story, dad seems like a dick. Some scary responses in here though, people flat out saying they will not help a lost kid.

 

[Maximo]

Hmm I think you guys worry too much. Maybe just give off a creepy vibe. I have no problem talking to and helping random kids.

You wanna fight me you better knock me out with the first blow lol.

Shit I was at six flags today and some random kid grabbed my hand, I finally looked down and was like eh? Who are you, are you ok? Mom was right behind me and apologizing. Had a good laugh and everything is ok.

I wouldn't blame anyone of a minority background refusing to help out a lost kid in America, seen videos of African Americans being shot for less...

 

[Shoeless]

I have zero issues with helping a child in need in my own country of Canada, and have done so.

I'd be a lot more reluctant to do it in some parts of the US, though. I'm a visible minority, so... yeah...

 

[Imperfected]

So, if I walk up and punch him in the face because he's a jackass and it looks like he beats his kid, I'm cool to just keep blaming him for it and call him a child abuser on the internet, right? I mean, I'm just doing it to protect his daughter.

 

[Verelios]

Shit I'd be worried to even smile back at a little girl that smiles at me these days, you never know if their parents are paranoid crazies who will ruin your life which is easier than ever these days with social media.

No smiles, no eye contact, no contact whatsoever. World is scary enough without this shit bringing you down.

 

[Shaanyboi]

I have zero issues with helping a child in need in my own country of Canada, and have done so.

I'd be a lot more reluctant to do it in some parts of the US, though. I'm a visible minority, so... yeah...

Do you think as a visible minority in Canada, you're not going to get treated with the same kind of suspicion? That shit doesn't just stop at the border.

 

[Monocle]

That father needs to go to fucking prison and charged with a felony. I'm sorry but someone needs to learn a lesson. He should be charged with assault and child endangerment.

Yeah, he's a dangerous idiot and a huge asshole.

 

[Galactic Barret]

First thing would have done was assault the guy as well. When it comes to my children, there is no hesitation.

However, after hearing how he tried to help me and my family, I would offer him a beer and some aspirin. Too many people out there are afraid of being wrong, to the point where they don't even pretend to show guilt or remorse for their incorrectness. He went too far when he decided to defame him on social media.

This is the true effects of a "Trickle down" society; even when you're wrong, if you're angry enough and ruin the opposition's credibility, some people will believe you are right.

 

[L Thammy]

So, if I walk up and punch him in the face because he's a jackass and it looks like he beats his kid, I'm cool to just keep blaming him for it and call him a child abuser on the internet, right? I mean, I'm just doing it to protect his daughter.

I'm not entirely sure I understand what this post is going for.

 

[Shoeless]

Do you think as a visible minority in Canada, you're not going to get treated with the same kind of suspicion? That shit doesn't just stop at the border.

True, it doesn't stop, but it seems to lose a whole lot of momentum and energy by the time it gets all the way up here.

 

[Bladenic]

Happened once at my work. Male employee helped a lost child. Dad came by and assaulted him. Beat him till he bled. Claimed the guy was trying to abduct her. Cops came and he was taken with the Police. They found him innocent but, still fired him and banned the Employee from ever coming into the store again.

WHAT IN THE WIDE WORLD OF FUCK

He should've fucking sued too. Like, sued the guy, the police, the fucking workplace, even the damn child.

 

[malfcn]

The good Samaritan should have let someone else kidnap the child?

I've been in a similar situation seeing a lost child. What do I do? Help them find the family or risk getting beat down? Luckily each time a "where are your parents" was in ear shot.

 

[Gartooth]

Stories like this are why I will never look out to help lost children personally. The most I would do is ask an employee or woman to help them.