Almost Kidnapped: Not Giving into Temptation Kept Me Safe

“Don’t take candy from strangers.” “Don’t accept rides from strange men.” “Company is not allowed in the house when your parents are not home.” These were some of the golden-rules-of-protection my parents taught me growing up in the 1970’s and 80’s in Cleveland Ohio. My parents tried to protect me from predators by teaching me these rules; however, predator methods of persuasion continue to evolve. Appealing to empathy, providing encouragement from a trusted source and access to easy rewards were the tactics used on me. Fortunately these attempts didn’t work, but not because I was aware of what was happening. We need more training to protect our most vulnerable citizens and immigrants. This is my story of an attempted kidnapping when I was 17 years old.

It was a midsummer day in 1981, I was living in a quaint Cleveland suburb, Maple Heights, population 29,000 in the 1980’s. I stopped for gas at a small station near the center of town on Lee Road nestled between Broadway and Libby Roads. I was getting gas for my “hooptie,” as my older sister would have called it. She was 17-years older, apparently “hooptie” was one of those hip words born in the 60’s. The first time I heard her refer to a car as a hooptie, “Your cousin got a hooptie,” I replied, “That’s nice, who makes that?” She laughed at my youthful ignorance and informed me, “A hooptie is another name for a raggedy car.” My hooptie was a 2-door bronze Chevy Monza that had seen better days. The blue passenger door revealed my dad’s quickie repair in an effort to keep our family’s second car on the road.

As I returned to my “hooptie” after paying inside the station, a middle-aged man approached me. He was dressed in a light brown suit and spoke with an African accent. He asked if I knew how to get to the African Consulate. My world at that time had not included much travel outside of Ohio, and Maple Heights was not a cosmopolitan city of diversity. Today, I’m aware there are many African countries and people who speak different languages and dialects, but at that moment I didn’t know the differences or recall if he mentioned a specific African consulate. I only noticed his dark skin, him “sounding African,” and he was lost. I told him I did not know where the Consulate was but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. He pleaded with me to help him get to the African Consulate; he seemed bewildered in a foreign country he didn’t understand. He kept wringing his hands and standing in front of me dumbfounded, wondering what to do. Tactic #1, Empathy (Help me please).

Next, a woman approached us, middle-aged and appeared to be African American. She had a kind but serious face as she inserted herself into our conversation. She listened to the lost man’s plea, “Can you take me to the Consulate?” She said to me, “I can go with you in your car.” I recalled seeing her get out of a parked car from the corner of my eye before she approached us. So I replied, “Why don’t you take him in your car?” Her comeback was quick, reassuring, “Oh that’s my boyfriend’s car, and he wouldn’t do it. Let’s take your car. I can go with you.” Tactic #2, Encouragement from a trusted source (I understand you. I’m just like you).

The man sensed my hesitation. He offered to pay us and removed a large roll of money from his pocket. He held the money in his hand, low and in front of us, the size of a softball. The woman became chummy, leaning closer to me and hinting “we could both get paid.” I saw his wad of money. I was aware of his naivete, how easily “we” could take advantage of him, take his money. Tactic #3, Easy rewards (You can easily increase your wealth).

But I didn’t want to take advantage of him. I wasn’t desperate for money. I did not know this woman who offered to accompany me in solidarity, in sisterhood, and I did not know where the African Consulate was. Therefore I said, “Maybe the police can help you find the Consulate. The Police Station is right over there.” I pointed behind them towards the Maple Heights Fire and Police Stations located across the side-street from the corner gas station. The man and woman looked in the direction I was pointing. They became silent. There was no quick comeback or convincing statements to change my mind. They looked at each other and then quietly walked away. I got in my car and drove home.

I didn’t really understand what was happening but something just didn’t feel right. My hooptie car wasn’t worth much. “What else did they want from me?” I thought. When I arrived home I told my parents what happened. The look on their faces told me the situation was serious. They called the police, and an officer came to our home and took my statement.

I never heard any news from the police and my parents and I never discussed it again until last week, over 30-years later. I heard a news report about denying funding for transit worker training on how to recognize human traffickers and their victims. The news triggered my memories and caused me to face head-on what could have happened to me that midsummer day in 1981. I called my mother, now 94- years young. I was surprised how quickly she remembered the incident when I mentioned it over the phone. “Yes, I remember that. That was a scary time.” I thought she forgot. Yet, over the years my mother has been my caution barometer.

Whenever I told my mother about my plans she always responded with caution and protective suggestions. Like the time I was living in Rochester, NY and trying to start a computer repair/optimization business while pregnant with my third child. I made several telephone cold calls to businesses offering my services. A man agreed to meet with me; he suggested meeting at Burger King. When I shared the “good news” with my mother she warned me not to go, to not put myself at risk. Reluctantly, I didn’t go. The warnings she gave me to not stop at ATM’s during my late night drives home from classes, and her encouragement to invite a girlfriend to a party instead of going alone were my mother’s attempts to protect me from harm. Perhaps Mom never forgot that fateful day, the day I was almost kidnapped. The evil stranger was not a man in a car offering me a ride or a stranger dangling candy in front of me, it was a lost foreigner and a woman who looked like me, playing on my sympathies and testing my teenage vulnerabilities.

Kidnapping and human trafficking are an epidemic, with over 5,000 cases reported in the U.S. in 2018 according to the April 2019 Fortune article, “Human Trafficking is an Epidemic in the U.S. It’s Also Big Business.” Predators continue to lure victims using empathy, encouragement from fake sources, and easy rewards. Today’s temptations may come through a Facebook friend request, a social media follower or a caller from a number that resembles your phone number. And predators still hang around bus stations, homeless shelters, schools and gas stations to prey upon unsuspecting victims. I’m very thankful I didn’t succumb to temptation, that my mother was vigilant about my safety, and I was delivered from Evil (Matthew 6:13).

Let’s do all we can to protect our most vulnerable citizens and immigrants. Let’s train young people to be aware of the tactics. Train transit workers how to recognize and respond to human trafficking and kidnapping attempts. Train police officers how to spot suspicious vehicles carrying young people no matter the driver. Train grocery store clerks, banks, and all places where predators must shop or bring their victims. Let’s bring our children home and provide more support for vulnerable adults.

Tina Chapman DaCosta is a scriptwriter, filmmaker and Director of Diversity Theater at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) where she teaches filmmaking and theatre. She is a past professor in the networking and security degree programs at RIT and a former IBM Engineer. Tina lives in Rochester, NY. She can be reached at tinachapmandacost@gmail.com @chapmandacosta

    

Bibliography

Chapman DaCosta, Tina, “Deliver Us From Temptation,” Journal: December 17, 2019.

Gallucci, Jaclyn, “Human Trafficking is an Epidemic in the U.S. It’s Also Big Business,” Fortune, April 14,

2019, https://fortune.com/2019/04/14/human-sex-trafficking-us-slavery/ Accessed 27 Dec. 2019

Sullivan, Bob (2002) “Huge Identity Theft Ring Busted,” Tech and Gadgets on NBC News.com

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3078518/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/t/huge-identity- theft-ring-busted/#.XgZRKC3Myu4 Accessed 27 Dec. 2019

“Maple Heights, Ohio,” Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_Heights,_Ohio (12/27/19)

Wolak, Janis; Evans, Lindsey; Nguyen, Stephanie; and Hines, Denise A. (2013) "Online Predators: Myth versus Reality," New England Journal of Public Policy: Vol. 25: Iss. 1, Article 6.

Available at: h p://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol25/iss1/6, https://scholarworks.umb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1646&context=nejpp Accessed 27 Dec. 2019

The Bible, King James Version, Matthew 6.