Comments on: Stranger Danger

By: whatever

whatever — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:51:15 +0000

Go ahead and be annoyed if you want, but your tune would sure be different if it had been YOUR 8 year old daughter involved in this incident. I am so happy we have the internet to spread warnings like this. Yes, this one turned out to be a false alarm, but if it had been real the internet would be one more tool to use in getting the word out quickly.

I agree that many parents in Steiner feel they live in a ‘bubble’ and don’t keep close tabs on their children. It is especially important to have this type of reminder during the out of school months when children are playing outdoors.

I also think its ridiculous to say this was a neighborhood wide embarrassment. The families have NOTHING to be embarrassed about, nor does the email author. I happen to know that the girl’s family asked that the message get out there to inform people of the potential danger. I don’t see anything wrong with that!!

We can thank God that it was a false alarm, but it was by no means a mistake. One of the many perks of living here in Steiner Ranch is our close-knit community feeling. We all watch out for each other, and this was just another form of that.

By: Mildly Annoyed

Mildly Annoyed — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 05:51:06 +0000

One other important lesson from this incident (and I know my comment will annoy some people, but I think it’s a rampant problem in general) is that we need to be a little cautious about sending out mass emails before all of the facts have been established. It’s so easy with email, blogs, etc. for misinformation to spread with lightning speed. I’m not saying the girl or her family were wrong here, or that the gentleman in question didn’t use the best judgement, just that this was an innocent misunderstanding that didn’t need to turn into a neighborhood-wide embarrassment. Just my 2 cents worth!

By: CMS

CMS — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:24:02 +0000

I don’t think the family over-reacted AT ALL in calling the police and notifying their neighbors. Watching your security camera video and seeing a man walking around your home (your private property) just after your young child gets home and then that same man approaching your other child (a little girl) from his car is something of a great concern! Thank God nothing happened to these children. And if this man did make an “innocent” mistake, I do hope that he has learned some common sense from this experience. He should know the address of the home his child is visiting. He should not walk around private property. He should NOT approach young children and ask them questions. We teach our kids to avoid these stranger situations. Nothing is more important than keeping our children safe!!

By: Austin Weddings

Austin Weddings — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:52:05 +0000

I’m so glad I read the comments before I freaked out about the story! Still, it’s truly a great reminder to speak to our kids about the dangers of strangers. Love the blog. Lots of great info!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:40:44 +0000

Thank you for the story and the follow-up. It’s good to be cautious, but panic helps no one.

By: Rob Mack

Rob Mack — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:52:34 +0000

According to a post to our neighborhood mailing list, this wasn’t an abduction attempt, but just a misunderstanding. It’s a good reminder to talk to your kids about strangers though.

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Excerpted from an email to our neighborhood newsgroup, names removed:

FYI. The original abduction story that was being sent out via e-mail was incorrect. Please pass this on. The little girl who reported this incident should still be commended for reporting this, but it turned out to be an innocent mistake. Think about if this had been your husband trying to pick up one of your kids from a party.

Here is the story: My neighbor two houses up on the right from me was having a end of year class party for his son (Ryan, who is Ethan’s age) right after school on Friday. So, my other neighbor’s daughter on the left of me comes home walking from school and sees a man get out of his truck and go and look in her back yard. On his way back he sees the girl and asks her “Do you know Ryan”? Watching him go look in her back yard must of scared her and she thought he said “Do you want a ride”. She told her parents and called the police. The guy had the wrong house and was looking in the back to see if there was a party going on there (they were having a pool party). My neighbor with the girl has video cameras outside their house and had a picture of the guy and his truck (but not the license plate) so later that day they asked all the nearby neighbors to come watch the video to see if they recognized this “abductor”! My neighbor who was having a party recognized the guy and said that was one of his son’s friends dad! So now this poor guy has to be all embarrassed I am sure as well as the girl!