Stranger in the woods

[f4t9r]

sounds right to me !!

 

[ilikepancakes]

OK, just going to point this out: If you're going to pat him down or be an inch from the trigger the whole time you're driving, don't pick him up in the first place. My personal belief is you should treat all situations as if you aren't carrying. Don't bait trouble.

Anyway, to the OP, you did what you did and it worked out fine and I'm sure the guy really appreciates the smokes and the ride. One time my bike ran dry in the rain and someone stopped to give me a ride into town (I didn't even ask for it) and it made my day a whole lot better than it would've been!

Since you said you didn't feel in danger I don't see any problem with it even if the guy's story does sound off.

 

[offthepaper]

If the guy was so weird that you called the police, then you should not have given him a ride.

Well, you asked for an critique of your actions.
I think this sums it up better than anything else.

 

[Almond27]

I always want to pick up hitchhikers and help them but I've decided until I'm 21 and able to carry a handgun legally I will wait. I just don't feel safe with just a fixed blade knife shoved down beside my seat belt latch. People ask why would you want to pick up hitchhikers and help them? well W.W.J.D.(what would Jesus Do?)

 

[Warhawk83]

You did the right thing, it seems that you assessed the situation effectively and made the right choice.

I wouldn't have called the fuzz on him, but I suppose he may have been wanted. They may have helped him further...

 

[Gouranga]

I think you did right. Probably better than me. I think calling the police is a good thing. Just from the perspective that he may have been a good guy down on his luck and in trouble. The cops have the connections and contacts to get him help. I know my home town (all 3 sq. miles of it), the cops would have helped the guy out. IF he was wanted he would be wanted no more, if he was destitute they would plug him into the proper agencies, if he was mentally ill or off, they would drop him off at a facility that could assist him.

Calling the police on someone is not always a bad thing. A good chunk of the officers I knew growing up did take the "serve" part of the old "to serve and protect" seriously and were more than just crime fighters. In a lot of cases they are the front men to bringing in secondary services to assist someone like this guy if they can.

 

[HunterBear71]

There was very minimal risk that the stranger would have been unable to find his way out of the woods. Probably a higher risk that the stranger would try to harm the op or run some kind of scam. A good brisk walk isn't going to kill anyone. I prefer not to accept rides from people even when I am the one in a jamb. My luck i'll get picked up by the guy from Hostel.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

I appreciate everyone's feedback and comments. Under the circumstances I did the best I could. I knew the guy didn't belong in the woods. I didn't have to pat him down as I could clearly see by the clothes he was wearing that he had no weapons other than his body (he could have had a knife). I never turned my back on him and I had my hand on my pistol a lot of the time which was in my pocket. I would have felt a lot better had he been a hunter. I later surmised that due to his close proximenty to the interstate that he was hiding from the police or someone else. That was one of the reasons I called 911.

 

[Myles]

You were kind to offer the ride, but your instincts were ringing alarm bells to you. Stick with your gut.

Once, on the way home from work, in rural Florida, I was gassing up the Jeep, about halfway home on a 45 minute commute. There was a pretty lady wearing a nice floral print dress, sitting on the curb outside the convenience store. She seemed oddly out of place. After paying for the gas, she stood up and followed me to my vehicle, and asked for a ride to the east. I said that I was going north, then west. "Oh, that's where I need to go! I'll do anything for your help," she said with a smile. My alarms were jangling and buzzing. "No. Sorry," I said and left immediately.

I told my wife about the odd incident, and we both kind of shook our heads. It was less than a week later, while watching television, I jumped up and was pointing at the screen. "That's her!" It was a news story about the arrest of Aileen Wuornos.

Talk about a cold chill down my spine.

Trust your gut.

 

[Yarddog]

Sounds like you hunt Nassau Co. near I-95 Just a guess ; )
Y/D

 

[Gary Brintzenhofe]

You know how many people live in the woods in Fl.? There are thousands this time of year. They are from all over the U S.

 

[LEVRLOVR]

Sounds like a typical hi-way hobo type to me, or maybe it was Howard Hughes.

 

[duns]

I would have done exactly what you did. I too drive a pickup truck so I would be able to do what you did and only let him travel in the back (not in the cab). Even if room in the cab, I would politely explain that I couldn't allow a stranger to ride in the cab because of my guns. If I only had a car, I'm not sure what I would have done -- I would have hated to leave him stranded but it would have seemed a big risk to give him a ride.

As far as calling LE, Loyalist Dave in #7 sums it up perfectly IMO.

 

[kailash]

Maybe he served as "bait"

 

[Hangingrock]

Every situation is different. We’re not that far from a recreation trail system so it’s not all that uncommon to have people come out of the woods. Appearances are deceptive when evaluating potential threat or what you perceive to be one.

One of my uncles during “The Great Depression” lived with his wife in a tent out in the woods for a period of time. He was a proud man and wouldn’t take an offering hand.

Some people are down on their luck. We’ve handed out blankets to the homeless during the winter in Winston-Salem. You want to see some rough people and some real characters. I guess they try to maintain some semblance of dignity from their perspective.

There is not one answer. We’re all responsible for our own safety. I won’t fault others but in instances I won’t do what others have done.

 

[murdoc rose]

nothing wrong with letting him hitch a ride in the back of the truck


added nothing really adds up but you did handle it well, no telling what really was going on but you actions where sound.

 

[Guns and more]

If the guy was so weird that you called the police, then you should not have given him a ride.

We pay the police to check out things like this. It's their job. Calling the police doesn't mean they arrested him.

Here's my take. The guy was hitchhiking on the interstate. He had to go........you know.
So he went in your woods. You found him on the way out and he didn't want to say, "Man, I had to ..............so bad" so he made up the hunting story.

 

[ForumSurfer]

It's weird that I see so many people here saying that he shouldn't have called LE over a suspicious person. It's not like you're ratting the guy out. It's not like cops are bad. Maybe this guy needs help? Maybe he's lost, off his meds and there's some loved one looking for him?

The subject says the he is hunting, yet he has no gun, hunting gear or clothes most of would normally wear on such a trip. He isn't doing what he says he's doing, plain and simple. If he needs help, maybe he'll get it. If he spouts off more lies and continues on his way, well so be it. Maybe he's wanted, maybe he's done nothing wrong. The police check these things out, that's part of what they do.
No big deal, no harm, no foul.

I think the OP made some good judgment calls.

 

[Black Toe Knives]

I was Gun hunting Deer with my dad and uncle back in the 90's. I had got back to the truck early I was watching them come back to truck. They stopped dead in their tracks and signaled me over to them. As I walked over to them I seen a gentleman lying on the ground. I reached down to check to see if he was alive. He was and at that time he woke up. Then he got up and brushed himself off. He told us it was a shame that man can't get any sleep. Then walked off into the woods. We were told by that locals is was local gentleman, that was mentally ill.

 

[Hunt480]

Sounds like you done alright, your still here...I would have been more suspicious than you. He was not a hunter and he was not down on his luck. This guy was seems a little desparate to me.This guy seems like the type that would take advantage of a situation if he met a weeker person and you did'nt fit the bill.These types are very good at gaining your trust or to see if they can over power you.I think the smart move was letting him ride in the back of the truck for sure. Anyway you can tell I don't trust nobody, to many opportunist out there. Especially those that come creepin out the woods on you ,and hiding on WMA's and parks. You just never kwow...Been just a few years since that serial killer was caught hiding in the North Ga. woods on Blood MT walking trail.. He was a bad one that really needed a bullet. He killed a young girl walking her dog on the trail,He gained her trust in that same kind of way. I'm sure the first thing he noticed is she didn't have a gun or no means of self defense,anyway its a tragic story and the SOB needs a bullet.

Point is you don't know who you had that encounter with? sorry about the rant...

 

[bkjeffrey]

You did the same thing I would have done. I would not have asked for ID though. As stated it proves nothing to you.

As far as calling the police, they're motto is:

"To protect and serve"

They could offer protection and provide needed services to a wayward straggler.

Just because you call the police on someone doesnt mean that your trying to put them in the clink.

 

[navyretired 1]

You did good and here's why;
Too many people nowdays don't want to get envolved
most would evaluate weird as they went by at 50MPH the guy could have been it medical crisis as was mentioned before.
giving him a ride and comfort of cigs was human
calling LEO was the safe thing to do and you also had info to give them as you had not gone by at 50MPH like most
If we reported strange behavor and actions as we should maybe the 911 skyjackers wouldn't have made it. as it was only one was caught by a border guard who thought the guy was acting strange. One of the flight training facilities had an employee report the middle east students who were strange and FBI home office ignored, employee got chewed by boss for making call. AS long as they paid he didn't care if they only want to know how to take-off, didn't care about landing (can anyone hear the alarm bells)
Good job shipmate.

 

[toivo]

You did right, the guy fit the schizo off his meds profile.

That's just what I was thinking. I had a friend (now deceased) who was one of the nicest people you ever met when he was on his meds. When he was off them, all bets were... off. He would take wild road trips, sometimes hundreds of miles, and end up in all kinds of situations where he just did not belong. He was never physically violent, but unfortunately that's not true of everybody with his condition. You never know.

Anyway, I think the OP split the difference: did his Good Samaritan thing and at the same time hedged his bet by informing LE. Bottom line is that nobody really knows what was up with this guy, including the OP. Nothing wrong with taking the middle path.

 

[rm23]

If you felt the need to call the cops on him, you should've just shot him and saved the police the trouble.



/sarcasm off

I don't see what the problem is at all. You have things to do; you don't have time to help him out all day. It was an uncomfortable situation and you did more right than I think most would do. I don't know why people immediately think the police are going to practically ruin the guys life because you think he might need some help.

 

[rm23]

You were kind to offer the ride, but your instincts were ringing alarm bells to you. Stick with your gut.

Once, on the way home from work, in rural Florida, I was gassing up the Jeep, about halfway home on a 45 minute commute. There was a pretty lady wearing a nice floral print dress, sitting on the curb outside the convenience store. She seemed oddly out of place. After paying for the gas, she stood up and followed me to my vehicle, and asked for a ride to the east. I said that I was going north, then west. "Oh, that's where I need to go! I'll do anything for your help," she said with a smile. My alarms were jangling and buzzing. "No. Sorry," I said and left immediately.

I told my wife about the odd incident, and we both kind of shook our heads. It was less than a week later, while watching television, I jumped up and was pointing at the screen. "That's her!" It was a news story about the arrest of Aileen Wuornos.

Talk about a cold chill down my spine.

Trust your gut.

Haha, you're a lucky man. If more peoples' brains were are smart as your gut, the world would be a much better place.