Canberrans are tough enough to shrug off a magpie swooping.
Not so the good folks of Tuncurry.
A 10 year old girl was riding her bike and being swooped by a magpie. A passing good samaritan offered to drive her home, but she refused and he drove off.
By the time the story was reported by the ABC, the headline had become “Stranger warning after girl approached by man in van.”
The whole “look for a mummy with kids” thing really irks me. I have given my child permission to go the next person nearest to her if she feels threatened by someone. I don’t care if it’s a man, a woman or a hermaphrodite. It is a sobering fact that statistically she is way safer out on the street by herself than in her school, her sports club or even her own family.
So making sure your child can recognise the type of situations in which the unlikely could happen is plenty of protection against evil strangers. We occasionally role-play abduction attempts at home. Not in a creepy way, in a matter of fact: if A happens then do B way. I might add the swooping magpie scenario to our scenes list.
J
Jivrashia said :
You truly are an uneducated imbecile… i feel sorry for anyone who has anything to do with you
What well meaning adult would offer a child they didn’t know a ride under any circumstance? Call their parents, stay with them to make sure they are ok, get some assistance sure. This person was either up to something or extremely naive.
As for teaching kids to be suspicious, how about teaching them to be aware instead? There is a difference.
Jivrashia said :
I’m sorry but that sounds hysterical. To say that you would look for a female adult to assist a girl or boy in danger, and to say that if you couldn’t find one they are beyond help is beyond pathetic.
If I see a kid in trouble I’ll go and check on them, and stay with them to make sure they are safe. Doesn’t mean you have to take them anywhere. I couldn’t give a damn about how many evil eyes I got or if I’m going to get the third degree from a police officer. Even more so if the evil eyes belong to useless muppets who don’t want to assist.
Jivrashia said :
It is a sad indictment on society, but unfortunately all too true. Many women automatically think that any male that alks to or offers to assist their child in any way is a pederast.
Some time ago, I was happily wandering through the Belconnen Westfield when a small child tore past me, tripped, made a hefty face plant on the tiles and burst into tears. I stopped and asked if he was ok. As he tried to sob an answer, a woman (of the mumble pants & muffin top wearing variety) pushed me out of the way, picked up the child and gave me an evil stare that seemed to say: how dare you speak to my child, you evil man, before berating the child for running off. I went on my way determined to totally ignore any future child related carnage that goes on in my general vicinity.
make that “assistance”
gooterz said :
And you got that information from?
I think this is a non-story. Kid gets swooped, someone stops to offer assistant, kid says no thanks. The end.
Really sucky times- truly good male Samaritans would be best to keep to themselves or find the closest female who is willing to assist, but even then, why would they too believe the stories of an unknown male? Many years ago I worked in a youth refuge and in 12 months met three sex offenders, 17, 15 and 13 years of age. As their proven offenses were done prior to 18 years of age, once they became adults, they were released back into society. They’re all roaming the streets today, AFAIK.
It’s a scary world out there.
Jivrashia said :
so you’re admitting you’re in denial about female pedophiles.
The mistake that many man haters make is ignoring female perps. Almost as common as males and grossly under reported
Jivrashia said :
So due to the abominable actions of a minority,those of us who are virtuous run the risk of being maligned even though one may have charitable intentions in coming to someone’s aid.
Once again it is the actions of a few that ruin it for the majority.
Jivrashia said :
I was going to make some inane comment about Catholic MILFs only putting out to procreate but decided not to…
bundah said :
Okay… and my argument would be that I’m being selfish, by being scared of performing a character assassination on myself when trying to help a child is somehow perceived as inappropriate by the general public.
Frankly, if a adult male was helping a child I’d be suspicious of the bloke’s motive. And I blame all the convicted pedophiles in this world for giving me and everyone else that perception.
poetix said :
I think I can answer that.
I think someone is stalking you. Can I offer you the safety of a ride in my red hatchback to your home?
Apparently he did that for a Dutch tourist in similar circumstance. Luckily she got away, but unfortunately for Jill…
These low-lifes are smearing mud on genuine Good Samaritans with such lies. In which case the society has to warn each other that people offering help, no matter how genuine, cannot be trusted.
bundah said :
The issue of trusting men, and other people, whether one is a child, a woman, or a man is inherent in the story, I think. The issue is in the air at the moment. More than magpies!
Jivrashia said :
That should have read children.
Jivrashia said :
That is truly sad, but I think you have to educate children that they must be suspicious, which means a regrettable loss of inncocence. But nobody should get into such a van if the only threat is a magpie, whoever is driving it.
I wonder if we’ll find out what that hideous individual said to Jill Meagher that evening to make her not immediately run away from him, or shout for help? These things create such a climate of fear and distrust. The weekend after Ms Meaher was killed, I had four people tell me I shouldn’t ride my bike home from the pub ‘in case’. Not in case I fell off my bike (a very strong gin driven possibility) but in case someone was lurking on the bike paths. Of course I ignored them, but you can’t just laugh off their concern as paranoia, even if such attacks are quite rare.
More so with children. Simple rules are more understandable, and the consequences of a child getting it wrong are just unbearable to contemplate. So our society becomes ever less trusting.
The other day an old and quite immobile lady asked me to get money out for her at the ATM. I made her enter the PIN which she had written down on a piece of paper. And wanted to give to me. Of course, most people wouldn’t steal from her, but it only takes one person. I tried to say this to her, but her English was too limited for her to understand. I pray that she only finds kind people at ATMs.
Sorry, I’m raving now! But my emphasis has to be on my child’s well-being, even if it means teaching her to assess people negatively, unlike that old lady. I found her trusting me very touching. I wish I could tell my daughter to trust people, as that lady did, but you just can’t.
bundah said :
Where did that come from??
Why talk about women as victims in a thread about pedophiles (aka men, predominantly)?
troll-sniffer said :
Errr… Yeah, whatever rocks yer boat.
It’s the pedophiles who train the magpies to swoop in the first place.
Jivrashia said :
We have the absolute lowly evolved cnuts to thank for the atrocities committed against women for your attitude.
Jivrashia said :
+1 With the proviso that the female adult has children in tow, looks like a good Catholic with coiffured hair and sporting an enormous wedding ring, and is willing to produce identification papers to establish bona-fides. Of course by then the 10yo will have safely made it home past the magpie, but I will have another MILF on my list.
Read my lips/text: ALL MEN ARE PEDOPHILES.
If I saw a young girl or boy in distress or danger I will look for a female adult to assist them.
If I can’t find one then they are beyond help.
Sorry, but I’m only doing the best with the options that this modern world is giving me.