Pancho Pistolas's Journal: Dark Dilemma...

You're walking home late one night when you see/hear someone in the distance, calling for help. This person has been really hurt. As you approach, however, you realize the cries are not just for help, but also "get me out of here" and other signs, suggesting the danger may not have passed and may well be returning to finish the job. There's no one else around-- that you can see.

What would you do, when even trying to get more information or acting might put you in peril? How would you handle the situation, when you know a mistake or mistep either way could result in tragic consequences of one kind or another?

Assess the situation

[arb]

Years ago I did some basic first aid training (which I really should do again) and one of the first rules is to assess the situation and not to put yourself in danger. So in this instance I would carefully take in the surroundings to see if there are any visible signs of danger. Then I would call out to the person to ask them to describe their situation and find out if they can see any signs of danger. Then if it appears to be safe to approach them, I would do so carefully and offer what assistance I could.

whip it out

[nizo]

My cell phone that is, and call 911. If my kids were with me, their safety would come first, but if I was alone, I would investigate as carefully as possible (whooohooo a use for my ninja skills). Assuming I was not killed right away because of my poor sneaking skills, I would have to decide on the next course of action, depending on what I discovered and if the police were actually on their way or not. I would help as much as possible, but if I was, say, outnumbered I would gather as much information as po