How do people this dumb survive!?!?!?!

[Harborwolf]

I caught the tail end of this story on the Today show this morning, so forgive me if I’m light on specifics. With regards to a woman that had been kidnapped, they were discussing using a grocery store security camera. Apparently the kidnappee went into the grocery store and told the clerk that she had been kidnapped and to please call the police after she (kidnappee) left. The clerk “got distracted and didn’t call until a week later.”:smack:

That is a quote from the clerk. WTF!!! She couldn’t have made a note to herself? Was there something shiny on the floor and she couldn’t decide if it was a quarter or a bottle cap!!! Even if you think it’s a joke wouldn’t you feel better off calling 911 just to be sure? It’s people like her that give slack jawed yokels a bad name.

[Waverly]

I heard the same thing on MSNBC last night. My BS detector is telling me that 1) the clerk is not being forthcoming, and 2) the media hasn’t gotten the full story yet and is running with a fairly sensational soundbite.

[FairyChatMom]

Here’s more on this story. One wonders if it really happened or if she’s looking for attention. We shall see, I suppose.

[Harborwolf]

That’s even worse! Who looks for attention by trying to sound like the biggest itdiot on the planet?

At least the security cam should show whether she was in the store or not.

[belladonna]

I like how she couldn’t call the cops because there wasn’t a phone book within immediate reach.
Can any functioning adult in this country truly be ignorant of 9-1-1?

My money’s on her being an attention-seeking nut of some sort.

[betenoir]

She couldn’t bother to tell the cops, but SHE TOLD THE KIDNAPPER WHAT THE WOMAN SAID!?!?!?

So he, I don’t know, beats the crap out of her for it, or maybe decides to kill her to be on the safe side, or at the very least makes sure she doesn’t get the chance to get help from an intelligent person.
I can only hope she’s lying.

[Monty]

Anyone believe the clerk?

If you answer “yes,” then be so kind as to consider yourself as the subject of this thread’s title question.

[BoBettie]

No way- this has “15 minutes of fame” written all over it.

[Glory]

This is the best part!

After they left, the clerk unsuccessfully tried to find a phone book to call police

Um, 911?

[SC_Wolf]

In defense of the idiot, the clerk may not have considered the situation to be an emergency. 911 is not intended to be used for non-emergency situations.

[Sejal_Traurig]

A kidnapping is an emergency in anyone’s book… 9-1-1 applies… I’m voting for the “15 minutes” theory personally… I HOPE the “15 minutes” theory is right… It would be a shame for this one person to singlehandledly disprove Darwin’s theories…

[FairyChatMom]

Something else about this bugs me - the alleged kidnap victim was left alone at the checkout while the kidnapper went to get something. Why would she stay there? Why wouldn’t she take off immediately? I’d be out the door so fast, you’d wonder if I’d really been there in the first place.

[Batsinma_Belfry]

“The woman told the clerk she didn’t have time to take a coat because she was kidnapped.”

She didn’t mention being kidnapped until the clerk commented on her lack of a coat?!?!

[SC_Wolf]

*Originally posted by Sejal_Traurig *
A kidnapping is an emergency in anyone’s book.

Even an idiot’s book?

[Leifsmama]

*Originally posted by SC_Wolf *
**In defense of the idiot, the clerk may not have considered the situation to be an emergency. 911 is not intended to be used for non-emergency situations. **

I’ve called the non-emergency number for the police to report my bicycle having been stolen and was told to call 911 because they couldn’t dispatch an officer from the number I called.

[ceyjen]

Originally posted by Waverly
My BS detector is telling me that 1) the clerk is not being forthcoming, and 2) the media hasn’t gotten the full story yet and is running with a fairly sensational soundbite.

I’d have to say #2 is the most probable explanation.

[auntie_em]

I agree with FairyChatMom and Hillbillyqueen; I thought the same damn thing about both of those issues. And then there’s the whole thing about how she tried to give the clerk a check:

The woman then quickly put some candy on the counter, signed her name to a check and gave it to the cashier, telling her to fill out the rest for the price of the candy.

The cashier told her she wasn’t allowed to do that . . . <snip>

The woman hurriedly completed the check, but the cashier had no time to ring up the purchase because the man returned. He took the check and insisted upon paying cash for the candy along with the rest of the groceries.

:dubious:

Now, granted, I’m of the mind that if somebody tries to gank you in public, you should scream as loud as you can before they take you home and lock you in their special soundproof dungeon where nobody can hear your ass.

Sure, they might kill you for screaming, but at least there’d be witnesses. So, Honey, if my kidnapper takes me into the grocery store, I’m hollerin’ my ass off as soon as we walk into the joint, or at the very least I’m shoving blank checks down as many waistbands as I can manage!

[grayhairedmomma]

Sure, they might kill you for screaming, but at least there’d be witnesses.

What if instead of threatening to kill you he threatened to kill the person you told or some other innocent person?

[auntie_em]

*Originally posted by mornea *
**What if instead of threatening to kill you he threatened to kill the person you told or some other innocent person? **

Well, then I might think twice, but I couldn’t go down without a fight, so I’d at least have to take one good go at the motherfucker’s balls.

[Harborwolf]

I’d really like to believe that this is some story made up by an attention seeking imbecile, but find it frightening that a person would choose this path to their 15 minutes. Anybody else find that idea even more scary than this being the truth?