PSA, Gas Station Awareness

Several years ago, hot summer night, I was at a local gas station in Carson City, Nevada. I was in the middle of pumping fuel when a woman and her young, pre-teen-looking daughter pulled up in their convertible. The woman went into the convenience store to presumably pay for the gas while her daughter waited by the pump. A grungy, disheveled older man came over to the young girl and asked her to help him pump his gas. He had on thick, dirty white gloves (in the middle of the summer’s heat wave), and motioned down to the gloves on his hands as if they were the reason he was asking this girl to help him. I looked over to where he had parked – he was at the last pump, furthest away from the store. He had walked past at least four other vehicles and the people with them to get to this child. I went over to the guy and the young girl and told the man to ask someone else, this girl was not going to help him. He took off rather quickly, about the time the mom came out. I told her what had happened; her daughter confirmed it. She thanked me, they pumped their gas, and then took off. I called the Sheriff’s department to give them a heads’ up, but nothing ever came from my report. I think I’ve got a picture of the vehicle he was driving in my archives somewhere.

To this day I wonder if it was truly innocent, but even now, today, I know deep down in my heart that I prevented something nefarious happening to this child.

PSA – I cannot see any reason for a strange man to ask a child to help him with ANYTHING! Please be aware of your surroundings and the people around you and talk to your children too.