#HelpingHand: You’re strolling down the street when you spot someone sobbing on a park bench. Would you stop and offer comfort like I did or keep walking? Or maybe you’re the one in tears – do you want strangers to approach you or leave you alone to cry it out?
Let me tell you a little story first. I was walking back home from a date today and stumbled upon a woman in distress. Long story short, I ended up listening to her heartbreaking story and offering a helping hand. But it got me thinking – what would you do in this situation?
Would you reach out to someone in need like me, or prefer to stay out of it? Or if you were the one feeling low, would you want a stranger’s support or some alone time?
Let’s start a conversation and share our thoughts. Your response could make all the difference to someone in need. Share in the comments below! #RandomActsOfKindness #CompassionWins #SpreadLove 💙🌟
I think she was pretty happy with what you did. Especially if you would’ve respected if she had asked you to leave her alone. It’s all up to the individual person and their consent in the situation.
I think you did everything right. We actually had a similar situation not too long ago. A woman was crying loudly in a parking lot and she had a bloody cut on her arm. We stopped and asked her if she was OK. She said she was but didn’t get into any details. We offered her a ride (which she declined) and gave her a smoke. That was it. It felt weird leaving her in distress like that but she didn’t want any help. I hope she’s OK
I would suggest some safety precautions for the pair of you: tell her to message a friend with some of your info, take a photo of you, and you could do the same. If you’re in a car, she could take a photo of your number plate. Someone with ill intent wouldn’t suggest that.
You did everything right, like spot on perfection of a good samaritan. Assessed the situation “are you okay”, offered to get her resources “need me to call someone” and then offered to support her emotionally “do you wanna talk about it”, and then did when she affirmed it. You went above and beyond when you offered her a place to crash, and you might’ve just made a life-long friend. Above all else, you kept your own safety in mind and didn’t cross any of your own personal boundaries just because it got awkward (offering money). Honestly this post is a play by play guide for anybody who wants to help another.
Thank you for being a good person to a person in need, and for keeping yourself safe and secure so you can continue to be a great human being. You rock OP.
Id want to be left alone.
Walk on by. Issac Hayes
“HI. Do you need specific, actionable assistance from me?”
This hasn’t happened to me that often but when it has I usually stop and ask “is there something I can do for you?”
I have been and would be mortified when a stranger walked up to me while im crying and started engaging with me. Now I have two problems 😂
that was nice, but i would ignore them because i’m autistic and have meltdowns in public where i can’t stop crying even though i’m not in physical pain or even any serious distress. sometimes it’s just beyond my control, like how you shiver in a cold environment. i cry in a loud one.
i always want to hide until it stops because i’m terrified someone is gonna come up to me and start asking questions
Seems like she appreciated having someone to listen, and you did the right thing.
You invited her to your place, did she take you up on it?
To be 100% honest with you, I know your intentions were good, but DO NOT INVITE STRANGERS INTO YOUR HOME!
I think you did great. I’ve stopped to check on people before like that. The worst thing that can happen is they say they don’t want your help or get annoyed that you asked. I’d rather someone be annoyed at me than walk by and not check in. It does change the equation that I’m a woman though.
I did like the comment about offering to show her your ID, take a pic of your license plate, etc. I think the only thing I can think of that hasn’t been mentioned would be to ask if she feels safe going back to the boyfriends house. If not I’d try harder to help her find a place to stay. If she couldn’t go back there you might see if a female friend of yours would be willing to have her but that truly would be above and beyond.
Truth I see someone crying I’m going to keep walking and not stop
I was once sobbing in a hospital parking lot because a close relative was in dire condition after an accident. I was in a large city several states away from my home. I didn’t really want anyone to do or say anything. I guess I just needed to have a meltdown away from the rest of my family so as not to upset them.
Not sure what I would do but if I am sobbing outside, I want to be left alone. This has happened to me even recently (got a call about death in the middle of my walk) and I was praying noone would say anything).
Well, sadly, I live in Portland, Oregon so I see people, crying and peeing and in distress whenever I leave my house.
Ignore me
This is a little aside, but why do people offer their bed and say they’ll sleep on the couch? Why not offer the couch? That’s a weirdly intimate thing to offer someone your bed, not to mention more unsanitary for everyone involved. I’d be fine letting someone in need crash at my place, but I’d never give up my bed for it; they could take the couch or recliner or my inflatable mattress.
Another aside, why are husbands always kicked out of the bed and have to sleep on the couch? Ain’t no way I’d let my wife kick me out of the bed I bought in the house I bought; if she was that mad at me, she can sleep on the freaking couch. Of course that’s never happened, since we communicate very well and never go to bed angry, but still a weird thing you always hear about guys getting kicked to the couch, and I know I’d never tolerate it.
As to the original question, I wouldn’t go to a person crying in public if I didn’t know them because I doubt I’d know the right thing to say, and I’d be too worried about it being a scam or trap anyways.
If I’d be the one sobbing, I’d want to be left alone but I’m autistic
Keep walking.
Why put a friend who is a guy in a hotel but a woman you just met in your house? That’s not safe for her.
I wouldn’t do shit, and if I were crying in public I’d want to be left alone.