There are a variety of ordeals many of us will have a chance to experience, and in the best circumstances that can be a good thing. Case in point: the harrowing experiences the following people went through to survive being kidnapped.
Reddit user, u/DirrtCobain, wanted to hear about:
[Serious] Redditors who've escaped an attempted kidnapping, what happened?
Ahh, Nothing Like The American Justice System
I was held hostage by an escaped prisoner once. After 7 or 8 hours I rushed him and got shot in the forearm. The guy freaked out and started crying and I talked him into surrendering himself. When we went into the police station I was charged with 'harbouring an escaped convict'- no idea why. It was eventually thrown out of court.
Always Run And Get An Adult, If Applicable
When I was nine I was in the front yard of our house by my self. A lady in a white minivan pulled up and asked if I had seen a small white dog. I said no. Then she asked if I wanted to help her find her dog and said I could sit in the front seat. I said I would ask my mom and ran inside. When me and my mom came back outside she was gone. My mom was really happy that I came to ask her first and I got a milkshake.
What's The Point Of Escaping?
When I was three my stay at home mother bailed with some guy and left brother at a neighbors. My dad got home from work and found a note that she left explaining everything. A few months later she returned and wanted to see my brother and I. Dad wouldn't let her. Eventually he relented and agreed to let her take us to the part. She kidnapped us and went into hiding for six months. My dad finally found us. After a year of custody hearings they awarded her custody, f-ck me.
Trust Your Gut
I was at my Nana's playing on a swing in a tree when the neighbors son poked his head out and started talking to me. I was 6 so didn't think anything of it. Then he tells me he has a late birthday present for me in the house. I being the curious 6 year old went with him.
His hand was on my shoulder leading me in. I was one step inside when my gut started screaming at me. I didn't know what it was at the time but it was so strong it was like a voice in my ear yelling "DANGER RUN DANGER"
I tried to leave but his hand was still on my shoulder he tightened his grip and so I did the thing that I remembered made my dad stop play fighting with me. I raised my arm and jerked it back as hard as I could. I hit him in the junk. He dropped and I bolted to my Nana's house and told them what happened.
THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE ME (my mom did later she wasn't there at that time) told me "oh he wouldn't do that" or "You misunderstood the situation"
Good Advice For How To Handle This Situation
In 2008 I was 15(F) walking home with a 14yr old female friend. In a "rich" town. I moved a lot and mostly lived in bad areas except my 8th grade year, in this town, so I was always aware of my surroundings. I noticed a rusted red truck that I'd seen a while ago. I kept an eye on it and told my friend we should make turns that didn't make sense, like going in a circle.
After walking a few more blocks it was behind us again so I knew [were] being followed. We had to go down an ally off the main road to get home. The two Hispanic men,30-40s said "hey" and we took off running behind a nearby house. Hoping they'd think it was our home and leave.
After a minute we didn't hear the truck running, so we sprinted towards my house. They must've parked near by bc they were chasing us, we were so close to my apartment complex they couldn't catch up so we got inside, locked the doors, called the cops and my mom. We were holding kitchen knives till my mom got home (cops didn't take it serious enough to rush over) they didn't file a report and thought we were "imagining it" my mom was furious.
I'll never forget years later after another moved, I was a jr in HS and saw pictures of theirs faces and the description of the red truck on the news one night, wanted for kidnapping, never heard of an arrest though. Wish the officers took down my report that day.
That Seems Like A Reasonable Response
I accepted a ride outside of a bar around two AM. I may have been heavily under the influence. When I realized that he was going in the wrong direction, I pointed it out. He said that it was an accident. I told him to take the next right. He took a left and stopped responding to me. So I did what I thought was a reasonable response.
I pulled a knife on him and told him to pull over. I got out and walked home where I joked about it with my roommates.
Once I sobered up the next day i realized how many points in that night could have ended terribly for me.
I also should have noticed it was a windowless van before I jumped in. How I survived my twenties is a mystery.
Thank God For Steve's Friends
I can't say for certain this was an attempted kidnapping but it freaked the f*ck outta me as a child. I was visiting the West Edmonton Mall with my parents and God-parents and their older son Steve. This was the mid-eighties and I was 10.
The adults left me with Steve (he was about 15 or 16) and went off to do their own thing for the day. Steve was stuck chaperoning me through the mall. He met up with 3 of his buddies. I remember one of the whispering about ditching me so they could smoke and chase girls. Steve wouldn't let them, his parents would have killed him. So they were stuck with me and I was bored as hell they dragged me through all the teen 'cool' shops. I was basically trailing after them. They didn't want to be seen with this little kid and didn't really want much to do with me.
In one store I started feeling like I was being watched. I turned around and this middle aged dude was staring at me with this creepy smile. We went to a few more stores. He kept following me. I was starting to get scared but I didn't want to say anything to Steve and his buddies cause I thought they'd make fun of me. I told the guys I needed to use the washroom. I figured the creepy guy would get bored and leave me alone.
I was wrong. He followed me into the bathroom and stood outside the stall staring through the crack! I was freaking out. Fortunately one of Steve's friends came into the washroom. I don't know if he noticed something was weird when the guy followed me into the bathroom or if there was another reason he came in. But thank god he did. There was a hushed confrontation outside the stall and the creep left. After that the guys literally circled up around me and we spent the rest of the day with me in the middle and all of them with their heads on a swivel.
