A woman’s Twitter recollection of how she saved two teenage girls from a potential predator on a train left netizens singing her praise. She finished her account with a useful reminder to everyone.
Marilia Savvides, a Twitter user from London caused a stir online after sharing the story of how she stepped in for two teenagers while traveling on a train from Cambridge in 2018.
According to the Londoner, she noticed two young girls seated in the mostly-empty carriage, away from the other commuters. Minutes later, a suspicious-looking man walked into the carriage and moved directly towards the girls, taking a seat beside them.
Sensing The Red Flags
Watching the man ignore the numerous empty seats around just to sit next to the girls further piqued her curiosity. Hence, Savvides acted on the “red flag” signals her brain emitted at that point and moved closer to the trio.
She positioned herself on an empty single-seat, within hearing distance from them. Sure enough, the stranger proceeded to initiate a conversation with the girls, leaving them visibly uncomfortable.
From his looks, Savvides concluded he would be in his fifties. She knew the girls stayed calm listening to his weird stories just because they were trying to be polite out of sheer fear.
Eavesdropping on their conversation further revealed the sad truth that the man actually followed the girls from another carriage. Sensing their fears, the woman became livid.
The Manipulative Technique
At some point, the man asked the young girls more personal questions like where they schooled. When they kept replying “London,” he laughed it off, adding that it was fine if they chose not to tell him.
While that might have seemed like the ideal gentleman move, Savvides quickly realized the manipulative hint in his tone. She knew at once he was trying to guilt-trip the kids into sharing those personal details with him. That proved to be the last straw for the London woman.
Stepping In to Save The Day
The Twitter user joined in on the conversation at that point, politely asking the man if it was time for him to move on and let the girls just hang out on their own. The question seemed to offset the stranger, who turned on her abruptly. She recalled:
“He ranted at me for a few minutes, got really aggressive, and then eventually left, all the while whining like I’d ruined his [expletive] day because “he’s not done anything wrong and “none of my business.”
Savvides pointed out an interesting observation she made during the altercation. She noted that all the time the “predator” spent ranting, no one else on the train spoke up, even after the man threatened to call the police. The situation admittedly threw her off.
Speaking Up Pays
Thankfully, savvides’ efforts didn’t go to waste. The woman revealed that the two girls turned to her as soon as the man left, offering their heartfelt gratitude.
They admitted to feeling creeped out and figuring out a way to run just before she came to the rescue. While she was glad to have been in a position to help, the experience taught Savvides an important lesson that she hoped to share with the world. She noted:
“Predators are master manipulators and prey on young women who are afraid of seeming rude and setting creepy men off. If you see something, SAY something.”
Her advice was well received by netizens, who utilized the comment section to share their similar encounters with predators. Many thanked the woman for standing up to the creepy stranger on the girls’ behalf. One noted:
“You were uneasy at your appeasement tactic but that was exactly what was necessary to ensure the safety of you and the girls. The whole thing is disgusting, but you were brilliant.”
Another Close Call
A similar incident went viral in March 2021. A Tiktok user @pikanab shared a video detailing how she rescued a girl from a creepy stranger dressed in an all-black ensemble with a black facemask.
According to the Tiktoker, she was about to drive off in her car when she noticed the girl looking distressed. Seeing it was late at night, she decided to intervene, capturing the entire incident on camera.
She pretended to be a friend of the distressed woman who grew impatient waiting for her in the car. Upon asking the man what he wanted, he gave a lame response, which further spiked her suspicions.
She quickly chipped in “we gotta go,” before running off with the other girl towards her vehicle and driving off.
The video went viral in no time, earning @pikanab praise from Tiktokers. Many threw in accounts of their experiences with creepy strangers as well, admitting how distressing it felt.
Others supported the story of the heroic escapade with useful tips to help people spot potential predators and how-to handle such situations.
Some effective ways of escaping a creepy stranger without setting them off include faking a phone call, pretending not to understand the language, avoiding isolated spaces, and running away.
The easiest way to spot one in the first place? Listen to your gut and take some tidbits out of Savvides’ advice to step in and speak up.