A man who offered to give a 14-year-old girl a ride home when he saw her walking alone late at night has been accused of being “creepy” by his wife – but not everyone agrees.
The 34-year-old was driving home from work when he saw the young woman walking alone in a “not particularly safe area” so he kindly offered to give her a ride instead.
“It would have taken her a while to walk. She was at a party and her vehicle left without her… but no one she knew was sober enough to drive,” he said online.
The man finally arrived home after dropping off the girl, only to find that his wife was waiting for him… and she was not happy with what he had done.
“My wife asked me what took me so long and I explained everything to her and she said it was wrong and creepy to offer a girl her age a ride and that I shouldn’t have done it,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s wrong… I think it’s better that she had a safe way home instead of potentially getting hurt or picked up by someone with bad intentions.”
The man said the girl’s safety was more important than his reputation, and thousands of people on Reddit agreed with him.
“What’s wrong with your wife?” one asked.
A man who offered to give a 14-year-old girl a ride home when he saw her walking alone late at night has been accused of being “creepy” by his wife – but not everyone agrees.
“Optics is all that matters to the court of public opinion,” added another.
“How can it be ‘creepy’ to help someone else get home safely?” chimed in a third.
Many argued that doing the right thing when there was a risk of getting into trouble made you a good person.
“I don’t want to live in a world where you’re considered an idiot for this. I 100% understand that accusations can be thrown around so I wouldn’t dare help, but (like you) I’d rather know they’re safe,” said one.
“Thank you for being brave enough to help someone in need. We need more people like you,” added another.
Many parents said that while the idea of an older man carrying their child was “uncomfortable,” they preferred it to them walking alone in a dangerous area at night.
“I wouldn’t be happy with my son being in this situation that could have been really dangerous, but I would be very grateful to the original author,” one said.
Some suggested the man should have recorded the trip as a precaution or asked the boy to call his parents to “establish a line of trust.”
Others said the situation showed why it is important for children to be able to contact their parents to rescue them from a dilemma, without getting into trouble.
“I’d like to think my kids would call me to pick them up rather than risk walking or riding with a stranger. If they don’t feel like they can call us, it’s probably our fault,” one parent said.
Some people asked why the wife didn’t trust her husband in the first place.
“I’d be more concerned about the state of your relationship. Why would your wife assume YOU would be creepy, you know?” one said.
“Next time, call him an Uber or call your wife. This could have gone down the drain really fast,” said another.