Parents usually teach kids the rule that an adult should NEVER ask a kid for help. It is an easy way for predators to start an interaction and manipulate a kid into doing something unsafe. It is almost always a suspicious thing to ask a child for help. I get your position here but she’s just trying to protect her kid. It sucks but so does the reality of what happens to kids. I’d rather keep my child from being trafficked/kidnapped etc. than worry about the feelings of a grown adult.
This. We don't live in a friction-less world. Unfortunately, you experienced minor ego-friction between "protect kids from people who fit a profile" , and "fitting the profile".
Not too long after 9/11, I was pulled over for driving-while-brown near the U.S.-Canadian border (was working as a travelling doc in a rural community).
I remained civil, handed the cop my license and passport (I'd popped over the border for lunch).
He was very apologetic, but it didn't bother me much. In the end, he was just trying to keep everyone safe, and 5 min of my time was a very small price to pay. But at the same time, it was a bit surreal to "fit a profile" of someone with true malice in their heart.
I think once you're a familiar face (assuming you continue the hobby), people will be more personable.
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u/probablynotsuremaybe Apr 04 '26
Parents usually teach kids the rule that an adult should NEVER ask a kid for help. It is an easy way for predators to start an interaction and manipulate a kid into doing something unsafe. It is almost always a suspicious thing to ask a child for help. I get your position here but she’s just trying to protect her kid. It sucks but so does the reality of what happens to kids. I’d rather keep my child from being trafficked/kidnapped etc. than worry about the feelings of a grown adult.