Frightening story all women should read!

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> About a month ago there was a woman standing by the mall entrance passing out flyers to all the women going in. The woman had written the flyer
herself to tell about an experience she had, so that she might warn other women.
The previous day, this woman had finished shopping, went out to her car and discovered that she had a flat. She got the jack out of the trunk and began to change the flat. A nice man dressed in business suit and carrying a briefcase walked up to her and said, "I noticed you changing a flat tire.
Would you like me to take care of it for you?" The woman was grateful for his offer and accepted his help. They chatted amiably while the man changed
the flat, and then put the flat tire and the jack in the trunk, shut it and dusted his hands off. The woman thanked him profusely, and as she was
about to get in her car, the man told her that he left his car around on the other side of the mall, and asked if she would mind giving him a lift to his car.
She was a little surprised and she asked him why his car was on other side.
He explained that he had seen an old friend in the mall that he hadn't seen for some time and they had a bite to eat and visited for a while. He got
turned around in the mall and left through the wrong exit, and now he was running late and his car was clear around on the other side of the mall.
The woman hated to tell him "no" because he had just rescued her from having to change her flat tire all by herself, but she felt uneasy. Then she
remembered seeing the man put his briefcase in her trunk before shutting it and before he asked her for a ride to his car. She told him that she'd be
happy to drive him around to his car, but she just remembered one last thing she needed to buy. She said she would only be a few minutes; he could sit
down in her car and wait for her; she would be as quick as she could be.
She hurried into the mall, and told a security guard what had happened; the guard came out to her car with her, but the man had left. They opened the trunk, took out his locked briefcase and took it down to the police station.
The police opened it (ostensibly to look for ID so they could return it to the man). What they found was rope, duct tape, and knives. When the police checked her "flat" tire, there was nothing wrong with it; the air had simply been let out. It was obvious what the man's intention was, and obvious that he had carefully thought it out in advance. The woman was blessed to have escaped harm. How much worse it would have been if she had children with her and had them wait in the car while the man fixed the tire, or if she had a baby strapped into a car seat. Or if she'd gone against her
judgment and given him a lift.

PLEASE BE SAFE AND NOT SORRY! JUST A WARNING TO ALWAYS BE ALERT AND USE YOUR HEAD!!!

Never let your guard down. SOMETIMES, THAT FEELING IN YOUR GUT IS THE VOICE OF GOD. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!!

OMG!! Ady thats terrible!! A good reminder though... thanks...

I've heard of that before, and other similar situations. For example: there is a man yelling how his baby needs help & he asks a woman if he can help her ..... It's a scheme to kidnap her and do god knows what else.

I think a lot of those stories are urban legends (what good would his "gear" do him in the trunk?)

BUT

The world is not in general a safe place and it's even less safe for people who aren't paying attention. Plus society still teaches women to please men, so it's hard for lots of women to risk being "not nice" and say no. Always listen to your gut! If it feels like something's not quite right, that's probably the case! This lady followed her intuition and walked away from a potentially harmful situation. And she could have turned down the offer for help, too, and got a guard or called a tow truck instead.

Still pretty scary stuff, though.

If I came out of the mall and my tire was flat, I'd go ask mall security for help. I don't trust anyone these days - you just never know. My husband laughs at me because I lock my car doors when I drive. But it's better to be safe than have something happen, especially when I have my children in the car.

The big mall here in Arlington has a lot of security. There are security guys driving around in cars and police on horseback riding around in the parking lot. I'm sure they're on the lookout for theft, but their presence is helpful for the scarier things.

My husband is in the security business and tells me all the time to keep my eyes opened. That's why I carry a cell phone at all times. When I to the mall, he goes with me. If I go out at night, I have one of the dogs with me (all of my dogs are big and very protective). If I have a problem with my car, I call my husband and in turn he calls the tow company. I do not wait near my car. I go into a store or mall or somewhere with people in it. I also don't travel alone to cat shows. I do wish I knew where this horrible incident took place.

Frannie

I really like those horse officers at Parks Mall. I don't go there any more tho'. I used to go when I was preggers, but I wouldn't go at night because it felt unsafe leaving, very gang-ish. Then I wouldn't go after school, and except for one trip at Christmas time, I haven't been there since coming back. I just don't feel safe, esp. with a small child in tow.

I've never felt unsafe at the Parks Mall, but that may be because I don't go after dark. During the day, it's just a hang out for stay at home moms. The kids love to go there, and it's a nice break for me.

I don't mind going to the malls -- I just keep a lookout when walking to the car. Now, at night, I don't go, just because it is kind of creepy walking alone in the dark at night. I remember when we saw The Cell (Jennifer Lopez movie), and I was scared to go to the mall .... well not scared, but you know?

I don't avoid malls in general, though I admit I prefer little local shops in downtown shopping strips, but there isn't a whole lot of that in Arlington, not like other places I've lived.

I like Hulen which is only about 15 minutes from me, and the new Willow Bend and the Galleria, though they are too far to go for just an hour and a little pricey. I used to like Collin Creek Mall when I lived w/ my family in Richardson. It's just Parks that gives me the creeps, go figure. Maybe when they finish the new addition it'll be different.

Usually if I need a break I go to McD's. Nice indoor playland, other kids, no strangers and no way for her to escape. I do paperwork or read or something. Usually only buy food for her and a drink for me. We'd end up having a snack of some kind no matter where we went, so it works out. (Or BK or Chik-fil-A) We go to the park if the weather is temperate, not too hot or cold and no bugs. I knit while I watch her then.

Bookstores are another fave for us. She can play in the kids' section and I get to peek at books without pictures while sipping a mocha. Sometimes I almost feel like a grown-up.

But that's what I miss about a downtown area. I could be in Boston at midnight or even later and I didn't feel unsafe because there were so many other people around and lots of open stores etc. to duck into if you had to. I once visited a friend in NYC. We walked to a midnight movie and home afterward with a stop for a coffee, and it was so crowded and well-lit that it was nothing. I hate walking those big empty mall parking lots after dark with a child in one hand and a purse in the other. I feel like I'm just asking to be mugged!

God, stories like this make me so mad! This kind of stuff just makes everything harder for us nice people. It makes it so no one wants to help others or get help from others. Why can't all people just be nice??

Sunlion, I used to live in Dallas! Many previously safe areas have gotten not to be! My grandma lives off Coit and it used to be so safe and now there are gangs. I liked West-something? mall when it was first built, but now it isn't safe at night at all. It's so frustrating. I'm lucky to live in a very safe area, but I still don't like walking even a short distance alone at night. The thing is, daytime can be scary too. Argh.

I think you just have to be aware no matter where you go. I try not to go out at night, especially to a place like the mall. Also, I keep my house locked up like Fort Knox, alarm system in tow! Can never be too safe! And I am lucky, I live less than 2 minutes from the PD!! They can be here in 15 sec flat if I call, which makes me feel very much at ease.

My husband and I lived in Dallas for a year before we had kids. We lived off of Coit and 635. It was pretty nice, but a rental house so you know how that goes. We lived in Las Colinas after that, and boy was that nice. But way to pricey. I like where we are now, I feel safe, and everything is nearby.

Sunlion - The kids and I go to McDonalds and Burger King alot to play. We also like Chick-Fil-A. When it's nice outside, we go to the one on Cooper, but when it's cold or rainy or hot, we go to the one in Mansfield since their play area is inside. There's a great new McDonalds (opened on Tuesday) at the intersection of Sublett and Matlock. It'll be one of our favorites. It's just that all these places are hard with the diet. I love the food!

This is just so scary...I am terrified of something like this happening!

Dawn,

I remember another McD's on Sublett, maybe at the intersection near 287? But it had an outdoor playland. I'll have to check out the new one next week or so. We often go to the BK at 20 and Little Road, the one that's like 3 stories high across from the Albertson's. There's a new Chick-fil-A at Collins and 30, across from, is it Lincoln Square? That shopping plaza with Birraporetti's and the Container Store and Pier One and Friday's? Kind of near Hooter's and Barnes & Noble . . . We used to live near the one on Carrier and 20, by the Target and the new Kohl's, but we don't get down that way much any more.

I'm amazed at how careful we have to be just to go the mall or fast food restaurant. The simple things, helping someone with a flat, carrying someone's groceries aren't safe anymore.

My younger sister was parked outside a very affluent mall in the northern Chicago suburbs. She was approached by a man and a woman, both dressed very nicely and they simply asked her for directions. She told them what they wanted to know and the woman extended her hand to thank my sister, and then the man did the same. My sister shook his hand and he twisted her around and choked her asking her for her keys. The couple dragged her back to her car and eventually got in and drove away. My sister was badly bruised on her neck and blood vessels popped in her face. She called on her cell right away and they were caught within minutes. She drove a purple car-not smart on the offenders part!

She didn't do anything wrong, you know? How rude is it to say, no, I'm not going to tell you how to get where you need to go? The things that are so natural to us, the civil and kind things, aren't hardly options anymore.

Sunlion - The kids and I go to the BK on Little a lot! We also go to that McDonalds there at 20 also. It's just so convenient. I don't go to many places with outside play areas. It's just too cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Except Chickfila, we go there when it's nice out. We'll often drive to Mansfield just to go to someplace different. Today we drove to the BK off Great Southwest Parkway and 20 in Grand Prarie. The play area there is different, so the kids love it.

I can't believe how cautious we have to be now when we're just out doing normal everyday things. Its sad that people take advantage of women with the normal things (directions or offering their assistance). I won't accept help from anyone...I'm too scared that something is going to happen to me.

That's an urban legend that's been around for years.

I'm not sure which you're referring to, but I can gaurantee that the bruises and swelling on my sister's neck were not an urban legend.