Stranger in the woods

[351 WINCHESTER]

I had a strange encounter in the woods today. I went hunting in my usual place. I was riding around just looking for hog sign. Down the road I saw what looked like a person. As I got closer I could tell it was a person. At first I thought it was another hunter, but once I got closer I saw he didn't have a long gun, only a stick for walking. He looked pretty rough and he asked me for a ride. I asked for his i.d. and he had a commercial drivers license, lived in s. fl. I asked him what he was doing in the woods and he told me he was hunting with his buddy and his buddy left him there. I asked what kind of vehicle his buddy was driving and his buddy's name. He gave me his buddy's name and color and make of his truck.

The whole thing was really weird. I gave him something to drink and a pack of smokes and matches. He had to ride in the back of my truck as the front was full of guns and clothes (thank God). I took him to the hard road and asked him where he was going and pointed him in the right direction.

Then I called the sheriff's office and told them the story and they said they would send a deputy to check him out. I asked the dispatcher to have the deputy call me, but he/she never did.

Nothing in his story made sence. It was a chilly day and he only had 2 t shirts on, no socks and tennis shoes. He had credit cards and other stuff in his wallet, but I saw no money. His picture on his dl's looked like him. He even showed me a picture of his little girl.

Like I said this was very strange. I had 2 pistols on me and he didn't have any weapons that I could see. I never felt in danger although I could have been. He seemed kinda desperate. Another strange thing was where I picked him up was less than a hundred yards from the interstate??? He had probably been hitching a ride or maybe his car broke down, who knows. Up the interstate about a mile or so is a weigh station. I'm guessing he might have hitched a ride with a trucker and for whatever reason the driver made him get out.

Maybe he's just a good guy that's down on his luck, but for someone traveling he sure was traveling light. I would have expected him to have a bag of personal belongings at the minimum.

Did I do the right thing by giving him a ride to the hard road and then calling the sheriff?

 

[figment]

Don't know if I would have given him an interrogation such as yours, or a ride. But calling the law was righteous in your case.

 

[RoostRider]

Giving him a ride to the road.... no matter what others say, I think it was right.... (you did it pretty safely)

Calling the sheriff? I don't think I would have done that... but unless he is wanted, I doubt it will ruin his day...

Why did you call the law on him? Did he do something you haven't mentioned? If I thought for a second he had done something worth calling the law on him for, I DEFINITELY wouldn't have given him a ride....

 

[wrs840]

There was a time I looked like that guy, and most who did could be given the benefit of the doubt, but that was a quarter century ago. These days, those deserving of trust have fallen into the minority, especially if their "looks" give you pause. It's sad, but a sign of the times. I probably would have done exactly what you did, and then rightly questioned myself that maybe I took a chance I shouldn't have. Calling the Sheriff's dept was the right thing to do. They should have called you back, though. In my case, they would have... 'course these days, I know "who" to call...

Les

 

[GojuBrian]

That is a strange situation, but I think you handled it well. You seem to have a balance of personal protection and responsibility/duty to man.

 

[mcdonl]

Just as long as you didnt shake his hand.

I would have done what you did. You a kind man too, giving him smokes. I assume he asked for a cig, and you gave him a pack.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Why is calling the police a bad thing? IF he's wanted, he should be picked up, and if he's down on his luck, maybe he needed help accessing government services for such folks (I don't know how much you folks offer for that down there in FL.) I know there are lots of folks on this forum that automatically think calling LE to look into a person who is "out of place" for the situation (chilly but no coat + "hunting" but no gun) is some sort of Libertarian Sin, but if I responded to such a call, and the guy just needed a bit of help, I'd give it. Even from a purely self centered LE viewpoint..., it's no paperwork to give the guy a lift to a place where he can get a free meal and maybe be out of the weather..., it's lots more work for the call for the hypothermia victim dead on the side of the road. If he's just a bit eccentric and out for a really long walk, talking to the guy is also part of the LE job; as a LE officer I work for all the residents, even the eccentric ones..., and you never know when the local eccentric will turn out to be your best resource for information when something bad happens..., he would probably notice more out-of-place stuff than 100 of the average folks out there.

You did very well (imho)

LD

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I see a disconnect between the aspects of giving comfort to, and giving a ride to the guy, and then calling the police on him.

So you called the police on the guy because he was weird? You saw him do nothing wrong. He wasn't peeping in windows, wasn't bloody, etc., but you called the police on him anyway? If the guy was so weird that you called the police, then you should not have given him a ride.

 

[X-Rap]

This may be a phenomenon that will be on the increase in the rural parts that we previously didn't have to deal with. As the economy further sinks we might well see some moving from the crowded cities to the friendlier rural setting.
Most of these folks are just down on their luck but mixed among them will be a fair share of sociopaths with criminal intent. Just something to keep an eye on and don't let yourself be surprised when you find yourself in the OP's position.

 

[devildog32713]

I honestly would have patted him down, just to make sure he wasn't there to hurt/rob you, even theifs sometimes have Driver's license's. But otherwise, well handled.

 

[mcdonl]

Nevermind

 

[Joe Demko]

The guy was hinky. Putting LE onto him was not wrong.

 

[blkbrd666]

I would say you did good to help the guy out. Also good calling LE to help him out further...gives them something to do other that running a radar gun in their spare time.

 

[shockwave]

I honestly would have patted him down

So the consensus is that it's not OK to shake hands with strangers, but it's OK to pat 'em down for weapons? Anyway, calling the Sheriff on somebody's a pretty heavy move, but you also have to trust your instincts. That's part of situational awareness. As noted, this fellow was doing nothing wrong and just wanted a lift back to the road. But the OP is starting to hear alarm bells ringing because something is odd here, the details aren't adding up.

 

[FuzzyBunny]

Most times your right when you trust your "gut" or that tiny voice in the back of your head.

I think it was your mental calculator telling you things did not add up!
I have lived many years and can tell you to trust your gut most always and you will not go wrong. That voice in your head knows more than you do! From your telling from your perspective I think you did well as far as your alive to tell the story. Thats what its all about.

Everytime I get a strange "feeling" about someone I stay on guard and remember how "normal" Ted Bundy looked! In fact looks better than many regular guys I have known since childhood and I know they are good people.



Ted Bundy pic

 

[Birdmang]

You did a good job helping someone out, I would hate to be in that situation and have judgement passed over me and left without a ride.

If you put him in the back of the truck what is he going to do, especially when you are armed.

Helping someone out is definitely character of someone taking the high road.

Rough economic times do not create more sociopaths, that is jut crazy paranoia. Be grateful thoughts like this didn't hinder you from making a good decision.

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

when you described that guy i got chills. i have a younger brother who is a bit schizo. hes harmless to anyone else but seems a bit "off" sometimes. he coulda matched your description. hes fine so longs as meds are in balance. meds being off doesn't always mean he stopped taking em. there are a lot of physical things that can affect the meds. i'm the kinda guy who would help a guy like that too and i tend to regard calling the law as looking out for his welfare. then again i don't walk around afraid of the cops. i've had cops help keep my lil bro safe more than once and i am eternally grateful. i think many folk don't realize how often cops deal with folks with a variety of mental illness issues.

 

[wishin]

I like the way you handled things from A to Z.

 

[Claude Clay]

all well and good--but calling the police about a man on foot:

remember what happened with Rambo

 

[kingpin008]

I honestly would have patted him down

Under what authority?

I dunno about you, but if some random person I come across in the woods tries to pat me down without showing police credentials, they'll be shown in short order why that's not going to happen.

Regarding the OP's actions - I think that you did the best you could under the circumstances, but I would have done the following differently:

- Not have asked for his ID. First of all, you've got no right to see his ID, and secondly, it proves nothing. Fake ID's are a dime a dozen, especially to someone who has a vested interest in hiding who they are. You could have been looking at a fake and never known it.

- Given him a ride, but let him ride in the cab. To me, an unknown person is worth keeping an eye on. God knows what they've got hidden on their person, and I'm not going to let them sit behind me and have a perfect shot at me with a gun or knife while my back is essentially turned. At least in the cab, I have a shot at seeing an attack coming and controlling their hands/fighting back.

- Called the cops. This one is sorta tricky. If the guy struck me as hinky, I might call the po-po. However, I would have done it right then and there, rather than after I gave him smokes and a lift to the road. It doesn't make sense to call afterwards, you know?

 

[X-Rap]

Rough economic times do not create more sociopaths, that is jut crazy paranoia. Be grateful thoughts like this didn't hinder you from making a good decision.

No it doesn't, it only puts them out where they have to interact with people. The point in my post was to try to point out a potential for some of us who live a little off the beaten path to maybe expect to see more of the types you see and hear about in the cities simply because they will be tapping out the resources. Simply put, in the future the man you see along the wooded path may not be your neighbor so think ahead lest you be caught off guard.

 

[SSN Vet]

As some one who still picks up hitch hikers myself I think you did the right thing.

I used to hitch a lot when I was a teenager... and there were times I really NEEDED the ride. Once I was 20 miles from home at 1 a.m. and I got sick on liquer and tossed my tacos in a "friends" car, only to be thrown out on the side of the road in a really bad part of town. Some middle age man picked me up (smelling gross I'm sure) and went out of his way to drive me home. Let's just say I have a karma debt.

I think you were..

Right to stop,
right to be suspicious,
right to ask questions,
right to help,
right to put him in the back of the truck and,,,
right to call the cops (if he's done nothing wrong, he's got nothing to hide or fear)

All the armchair quarterbacks on the internet will second guess you... but YOU knew what was normal and what was not in the hunting grounds you frequent.

Having grown up in a prison town, my first thoughts were "escaped convict". Reading in the news the next day that the guy you just gave a ride to committed violent felonies would not make a person with any sense of right and wrong feel good about themselves.

 

[okespe04]

Yeah you did fine, also his story may have been true. People have falling outs sometimes. Out in the woods hunting using your buddies gear, maybe drinking, got into a fight, had a falling out, got left in the woods.

Could have happened.

 

[JColdIron]

Given him a ride, but let him ride in the cab. To me, an unknown person is worth keeping an eye on. God knows what they've got hidden on their person, and I'm not going to let them sit behind me and have a perfect shot at me with a gun or knife while my back is essentially turned. At least in the cab, I have a shot at seeing an attack coming and controlling their hands/fighting back.

I'm torn by this. In the cab he can pull a gun or knife and do what he can within arms reach. Unless I have my pistol in my left (weak) hand I cannot bring it to bear without a potential wrestling match. My hands would already be full of steering wheel and gear shift. I do not see any advantage for the driver unless you do not let him wear the seatbelt. Then you can at least crash or slam him into the dash/airbag with your brakes.

In the bed he has to use a distance weapon like a pistol and I can launch him with a brake check if I had to. Tell him to sit on the passenger side where you can keep an eye on him in the rear view. My truck is a quad cab with no sliding rear window so he would not have the reach to attack me with a knife.

 

[X-Rap]

Giving rides when alone or with your kids is taking to big of risk especially in the cab. If alone and in daylight I really have no problem with letting somebody ride in the back. There is always the liability question, if you have a real profesional grifter you might end up with somebody falling out of the truck.