# Some things just ain't right **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 18, 2016, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-things-just-aint-right/763185 "2016-08-18T16:34:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-things-just-aint-right/763185/1 "2016-08-18T16:34:31Z")
I read a story in today’s yahoo news. It was about a NC couple in a 2016 truck. They were stuck. And asked for help. A good samaritan offered to help for $20. After the unsticking, the good samaritan asked for the $20. And the couple killed him. They were caught. I did a search “good samaritan killed”. I wanted a link to share this story with you folks. Apparently this is not unusual, as I got a bunch of “hits” of similar events. People kill good samaritans. What does this say about American society? If it needs fixing, how do we do it? Doesn’t seem that the death penalty is a good deterrent. Does it make you want to be a good Samaritan? These type of events just blow my mind. I guess that I prefer to believe that we are in the best of all possible worlds. Then I read these events, and I just wanna cry. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-things-just-aint-right/763185/2 "2016-08-18T16:38:30Z")
When I help out a stranger, I always assume they are going to kill me. Then, when they don’t, I’m pleasantly surprised. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-things-just-aint-right/763185/3 "2016-08-18T16:42:57Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > A good samaritan offered to help for $20. I’m not certain that demanding money to help fits my definition of a Good Samaritan. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-things-just-aint-right/763185/4 "2016-08-18T16:43:25Z")
**kayaker** , how is a stranger going to make _you_ drink enough beers to kill you? That’s a friend’s job. 😃 BTW: Good Samaritans don’t charge–they do accept gratuities, however. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-things-just-aint-right/763185/5 "2016-08-18T16:46:11Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > People kill good samaritans. > > What does this say about American society? Does it happen in other societies? If so, it says nothing about “American society” other than we’re made up of humans. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-things-just-aint-right/763185/6 "2016-08-18T23:53:23Z")
I’d venture to guess that it means that crazy people are more likely to be in need of help. And/or that the million times a good samaritan wasn’t killed, it wasn’t newsworthy. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2016, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-things-just-aint-right/763185/7 "2016-08-18T23:55:39Z")
Of the most common suicide methods, being helpful to strangers is known to among be the least reliable. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-things-just-aint-right/763185/8 "2016-08-19T00:03:37Z")
Practically all of the “good samaritan killed” hits I got on a quick search were idiots pulling out guns “to help” instead of calling the cops like normal people. I’ve only refused one request for help in my entire life because I really didn’t like the vibes the guy was giving off. Yet despite my helpful nature I’m still alive. Or I was last time I checked. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-things-just-aint-right/763185/9 "2016-08-19T00:04:00Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > I read a story in today’s yahoo news. It was about a NC couple in a 2016 truck. They were stuck. And asked for help. A good samaritan offered to help for $20. After the unsticking, the good samaritan asked for the $20. And the couple killed him. They were caught. > > I did a search “good samaritan killed”. I wanted a link to share this story with you folks. Apparently this is not unusual, as I got a bunch of “hits” of similar events. People kill good samaritans. > > What does this say about American society? > > If it needs fixing, how do we do it? > > Doesn’t seem that the death penalty is a good deterrent. > > Does it make you want to be a good Samaritan? > > These type of events just blow my mind. I guess that I prefer to believe that we are in the best of all possible worlds. Then I read these events, and I just wanna cry. Try to keep in mind the thousands of times, people do not kill good Samaritans, but thank them, have their own faith in humanity renewed by the good Samaritans’ acts, and go on to become good Samaritans to others. This is a big country with hundreds of millions of people. There are always some bad people. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-things-just-aint-right/763185/10 "2016-08-19T06:47:30Z")
> [@ZPG\_Zealot](#): > > Try to keep in mind the thousands of times, people do not kill good Samaritans, but thank them, have their own faith in humanity renewed by the good Samaritans’ acts, and go on to become good Samaritans to others. This is a big country with hundreds of millions of people. There are always some bad people. Exactly. Thank you. I am feeling better. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-things-just-aint-right/763185/11 "2016-08-19T08:27:21Z")
I think this is the event you’re referring to: > **[New details released after man killed while helping teens get SUV out of ditch](https://www.wyff4.com/article/new-details-released-after-man-killed-while-helping-teens-get-suv-out-of-ditch/7023876)** > > New information has been released about the man police say was shot and killed after helping two teens pull their SUV out of a ditch in North Charleston. It happened in North Charleston, SC. A man offered to help two teens, 17 and 19, pull their SUV out of a ditch for $20. When he asked for the $20, the 17 year old shot him. Both teens confessed after waiving their Miranda rights. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2016, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/some-things-just-aint-right/763185/12 "2016-08-19T20:23:19Z")
> [@spamforbrains](#): > > Practically all of the “good samaritan killed” hits I got on a quick search were idiots pulling out guns “to help” instead of calling the cops like normal people. Hmm, I went 5 pages deep in a Google search of “good Samaritan killed” and saw exactly 2 instances of the good Samaritan being armed. Most, in fact, were killed by another automobile while helping some one on the road. YMMV.