Thrifty Thursday: When It’s Better to Be Safe Than to Save
Have you ever met with a stranger to swap household items such as baby clothes? As much as it may be tempting to save some money by exchanging used items, the recent slaying of Heather Snively, a mom-to-be in Oregon, allegedly by a woman whom she reportedly met to exchange or purchase baby clothes, shows that meeting with any stranger alone, even for the purpose of something as benign as obtaining clothes for a baby, can have dangerous and even deadly consequences.
In the internet age, it can be all too easy for people to quickly bond over shared interests on websites and forums. And a mom-to-be meeting another mom to get some baby clothes? It’s a far cry from strangers meeting for illicit purposes such as selling drugs or sex. But as this story shows, one can never be too careful when meeting a stranger, even when you think you know that person through email exchanges.
Have you ever met with a stranger you met online? What are some other ways you’ve exchanged used baby and kid items?
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Comments
Umm…. This can go a bit too far. Of course it’s wise to use discretion and to be safe when meeting others through the internet. But come on, of COURSE we all meet “strangers” whom we’ve emailed on shared interests all the time. Whenever you have something to sell or buy, you take a chance by meeting a “stranger,” whenever you hire someone, you meet a “stranger.” Is it scarier now that the first step is done online versus through old-fashioned newspaper ads? If so, how? Safe tips include meeting in a public place, maybe talking on the phone first, and using discretion (trust your gut if you get the feeling something is off). We’re getting so scared, we’re starting to isolate ourselves more and more from the risk of “strangers”, and we’re losing trust in our own gut feelings.