Paranoid idiot much?

Actually it is tough to make money if you own an ice cream store, especially if you live in a climate where it is cool/cold 6 months of the year. If you can find a way to get clients other then ice cream, you might be able to make it.

I once encountered a 6 year-old who was lying and weeping in a downtown gutter. At first, I thought it was a dirty, sick midget working some kind of midget scam, but it was actually a little kid. I asked the tiny, frail vagabond what had happened and, as I watched the pitiful tears running down her sad, dirty cheek, learned the story. Although her trembling lip and dehydrated state caused her to speak in a halting, breathless stutter, she was able to eventually convey that the poor, unfortunate child had somehow gotten lost and disoriented and was missing her mother and father terribly. It was heart-rending, so I did what any red-blooded American would do; I briefly considered the possible legal ramifications, told the youngster to buy a map, and got the hell out of there.

FAX

well, I'm not risking life as a sex offender and 10 years in prison for that. It would be child abduction and I would have no defense on the matter if I helped the kid. So, sorry but that's the way this world is today.

If combined with a brothel, I think it would produce a solid year-round revenue stream.

Uh...yes you would. In fact, a defense wouldn't have been necessary - there's no way you could've been charged with a crime. You ought to look up the elements of kidnapping and remember that the prosecution has to somehow prove them (and prosecutors aren't actually in the business of arresting as many people as possible). Think of how many child sex-offenders that are actually guilty go free for lack of evidence and you'll realize how absurd you sound right now.

Do you honestly think you'd get arrested if a kid climbed into your car and you drove towards the parents house? If you somehow managed to get pulled over during the 2 mile drive on the way there, you may have to explain it to the officer, but that's about it.

Do you think the parents are going to have you arrested when you get the kid out of your car in their driveway? Yeah, lots of child rapists drop the kids off at the front door.

At worst, it costs you a few hours if you had a truly nuts cop. No prosecutor in the world would ever charge you (on what evidence?).

He's right - you're being absolutely insanely paranoid. If this is the way you live your life, I'd suggest you simply not leave your house. Afterall, banter at work could be construed as harassment. Bumping someone in the aisle of a Safeway could be seen as sexual assault. You could slip on some ice and land in a vagina - who the hell knows? Afterall, it's a crazy world we live in.

The Golden Rule failed miserably here. Were it your child, you'd have been exceptionally greatful had someone given him a ride home and/or otherwise looked out for his well-being. Rather than extend that same courtesy, you concocted some strange sequence of events in your mind that somehow allowed you to shut the door on a wandering child without pain of guilt.

Neat trick, but I wouldn't go around telling that story looking for a pat on the back. It was a shitty response on your part.

Jesus ****. Talk about being overly paranoid.

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Then the child learns to trust any stranger which could come back to bite him someday. I'd call the police so they can find the parents. Even if he objected.

I'd have still called them just so he'd be safe.

it's funny what you mentioned here:

Afterall, banter at work could be construed as harassment. - seen it happen. Some friendly talk at work led to a sexual harassment by a girl who overheard the conversation, which was nothing about her. The poor guy got fired after many years of good work.

Bumping someone in the aisle of a Safeway could be seen as sexual assault.
-A girl indeed got bumbed into kind of, the guy walked behind her and kind of touched her back, not in any sexual way, just like "I'm coming right behind you" She made a huge stink about it and it took weeks for corporate to handle this and the guy got fired.

So, you don't have a very good grip on reality my friend. You're an idealist.

So like I said - you should probably avoid leaving the house. It's a scary world.

If he called the police, they'd then have to take him to Social Services to avoid a lawsuit on the off chance that the child accidentally gave them the wrong address or if the parents weren't home. And then once Social Services got involved, they'd have to remove him from the home because they couldn't risk a lawsuit by returning him since the parents had already let the kid get lost once. So they'd send him to a foster home, and for the next ten years or so he'd kick around the system while his parents were in court trying to regain guardianship of them, and eventually at 18 he'd get pushed out the door, penniless and alone, and would turn to a life of crime to support himself and to strike back at the society that ruined his life. And he'd drive around the neighborhood in his beat-up Chevy Impala, cigarette dangling from his lips, looking for the house that started it all so he can inflict upon them some measure of the pain he's been feeling. And then one day Chiefs Rool is out working in the yard when he sees a car drive slowly by, and they make eye contact...

Moral of the story is today's kids are soft if they need a ride home when it's only a few miles walk.

no, but you are probably right that I should have just called the police.