Taken for a ride

Trying to help out a stranger

I consider myself a pretty decent guy. I don’t generally do things that are overtly bad. But I also don’t go out of my way to help people I don’t know.

I would like to be the kind of person that pulls over to give a random stranger walking in the rain a ride or that sees a homeless person and buys them some food. I just have never been that person. For as long as I can remember I have always been mistrustful of strangers. I don’t know why. I don’t recall ever being wronged by a stranger that would really lead me to feel this way. However, I would like not to have this attitude and one way to change it is to interact with more strangers.

Today I was presented with an opportunity.

I left for my hour long commute to work as usual at 6:00 am. I needed to get gas in my way. I stopped at the local gas station I regularly use. It was raining. As I filled my tank a woman walked up out of the rain and asked if I could give her a ride home. I almost reflexively said no. Then I thought maybe I could. I asked where she lived and she said she lived a couple blocks away in what happened to be the same direction I needed to go on my way to work. So I decided sure I suppose I could give her a lift. It seemed like the right thing to do. I told her I could give her a ride and she told me the street she lived on. It was basically right on my way.

When my tank was full I told her I was ready to go. She put out her cigarette and came over to my car. I tossed my bag from the passenger seat to the back seat. She asked me how far away I worked and I told her. She got in and we drive towards her house. As we were stopped at a traffic light she asks me if I have a few extra minutes. I thought she was being polite and asking if I would be late giving her a ride. So said “nah but I’ll be ok.” And she said “Oh. I was hoping to make some money.” I was just a little shocked and just sitting there. She said “So you don’t do that?” I just sat there very still and I said “no.” She said “I was just hoping to make $20 so I could get something when I woke up.” Then she asked if I had any cash which I said no even though I later realized I did.

So needless to say after that the car ride became a little bit awkward. She had me drop her off at a corner which was not the corner of the street she said she lived on. However, I was not about to question her.

I wonder if she really needed a ride or if she was just straight up looking to “make some money”.

So that is officially the first time I’ve ever been solicited for sex.

I can’t help but feel bad for someone in that situation in life. I wish I could help in some way. In retrospect I wish I had at least asked what it was she needed the money for and offered to buy it for her if I could. But, I was just in too much shock being in that situation for the first time ever.

I have been pretty fortunate in my life. I have never been wanting for any necessities of life. I am thankful for everything that I’ve been blessed with.

Unfortunately this incident does not help in disproving my general attitude of mistrust of strangers.

I don’t know anything about this woman I met today but I pray that she finds a way out of the situation she is in that leads her to get in a car with a strange man hoping to make money.