This morning, soon after the New Years countdown, I saw a woman in her 20s crying while walking down the side of the road, in the cold, with at least another mile to the nearest residential area. Trying to pick up some good karma, I drove well ahead of her, parked against the curb, pulled out my ID and leaned against my car a long, safe distance from her and waited.
I shouted a little, to make up for the distance, asking her if she wanted a ride to where she was going. She wiped her tears and said “No”, and explained it was because I am a stranger. This is what I had expected. I nodded and wished her well, and got back in my car. I probably could have done or said more, but I was still satisfied that I had tried.
I wondered if I was in any other city besides LA, if my kindness would have been accepted, and I could have done something nice for someone on New Years. The fact that I’m a stranger is exactly why I should offer a ride. This idea that strangers are dangerous is more dangerous than strangers, in my opinion.
Happy New Years, crying 20s girl with the yellow mesh Packers jersey and silly New Years hat. Hope you got where you are going. I wonder what you were crying about.
There’s some emotional damage that led up to her walking along the road like that. It’s not all too surprising that her reaction was to balk at your offer. Probably doesn’t help being a male, because that also could have factored in her decision.
I get the feeling that the male population in this country is looked at as expected to do nothing without a beguiling motive. It’s awful.