Was I over-cautious?

[Gonzo]

Walking home last night along a sparsely populated part of the Harrow Road, I passed a bloke at a bus stop speaking into a mobile. He looked like a foreign visitor although without any baggage. He approached me and said "one second please?" holding out his mobile for me to take and listen to.
At this point I shook my head, quickened up my pace and made sure he wasn't following. My reasoning being this could have been a distraction mugging - while I grasped the mobile he'd have lunged for my wallet, or pulled a weapon..
Of course it could equally have been a tourist lost in London, trying to tell his friend on the mobile where he was situated. My judgement at the time was since he didn't have luggage, and the use of the expression "one second please", that the situation was too dodgy. Did I let down someone in need?

There are eight million people in London.

Some of them are murderers. Some of them are rapists. Some of them are thieves. Some of them are mad. Some of them are honest. Some of them are so much richer than you that the idea they might want anything of yours is laughable.

When you encounter anyone it is best to keep that in mind because you don't know which category they might fall into.

[NickFitz]

There are eight million people in London.

"There are eight million stories in The Naked City..."

He was probably OK, but if you're unsure it's better to be safe than sorry.

[SueEllen]

You just need to use your judgement in such situations. 90% of people who stop you in London just want to take money off you, by various imaginative means.

I always get a similar sense of surprise when tourists give me their camera so I can take a picture of them. "Are you mad? I could be anybody!" Maybe I just give off "crap thief" vibes.

Camera theft like that isn't high.

Camera theft of mugging/pick pocketing someone for their camera is higher.

You don't tend to steal from people who can identify you.

[MarillionFan]

I would have stopped. But then again I have an invincibility complex which makes me think I'll come out of every situation unscathed.

I've been chased with someone wielding a machete, held at gunpoint, been shot at and stabbed over my years. I'm now of the opinion I'm just stupid / lucky.

[RichardCranium]

I've been chased with someone wielding a machete, held at gunpoint, been shot at and stabbed over my years. I'm now of the opinion I'm just not getting the hint.

FTFY

[TimberWolf]

I would have stopped. But then again I have an invincibility complex which makes me think I'll come out of every situation unscathed.

I've been chased with someone wielding a machete, held at gunpoint, been shot at and stabbed over my years. I'm now of the opinion I'm just stupid / lucky.

divorsed

[Aman]

Three of the times I was mugged and the time I was abducted started off friendly enough.

[CheeseSlice]

He approached me and said "one second please?" holding out his mobile for me to take and listen to.

On the other end of the phone:

"Ello Dave?"



On a more serious note, I would have taken off too. Why would anyone just pass over a phone? Foreign or not, it makes no sense to me. If there was an emergency there would have been a more obvious effort to say "please, help", even if in foreign dialect. From the way the stranger was able to muster the words "one second please", he wouldn't have found it difficult to ask for help.

[TimberWolf]

In my experience all mobile phone users are nutters best avoided.

[norrahe]

WTAS (except MF's suggestion)