If you need to ask a stranger for help, how do you choose which one to ask?

1. The one closest to me and 2. that looks most receptive.

Someone who doesn’t look to busy or scary

Someone who looks nonthreatening, someone who appears to know where he or she is and is going, someone who maybe looks around and seems aware of me and makes eye contact.

I am frequently asked for things, directions, help, handouts. I think this may be because I am aware of people around me and often notice someone who looks like they need help. Sometimes I offer. I am a middle-aged woman who does not look at all like a mugger or rapist or street thug. I guess I appear safe (and I am safe, and I do help in whatever way I can, although I usually do not give money to outright panhandlers).

When my friend and I were at Pearl Harbor, we wanted someone to take a picture of us. I know this sounds terrible, but its true.. We stood there for a few minutes as all of these Japanese tourists passed by, and I told her we’d ask the first people who looked like they spoke English. Eventually, a family walked past, we asked them, and they obliged, then we took their picture for them. The funny part was that they were from Chicago, too. We made new friends that day.

Edit: People always seem to stop me and ask me for directions or help, no matter where I am. I think it may be because I always try to look like I know where I am and where I am going, even if I am a visitor in a city.

It depends on what I need.

Honestly.. I look for cute women. And I ask for directions all the time.

I look for someone near my age. Someone respectable, looking, yes.

And I get asked questions from people quite a lot, too. The capper was an incident a few months ago in Wal-Mart. A young guy came up to me & asked me to help him pick out some sanitary pads for his wife. He was very sweet. I commended him on doing that for her, as I know many men won’t. We met later in the store & shared sly grins. It was cute.

I ask the first person who doesn’t act like they can see straight through me.

And here I though men didn’t ask for directions . . . my faith has been restored! Although maybe it is the “driving my care” vs “I am walking” distinction that allows for the ability to ask for directions. Hmmmm, I may have a GQ in there someplace . . .

@johnpowell I do that, except I look for attractive men to ask.

@chyna You’re my kind of woman.

@johnpowell You’re my kind of man.

LOLLLLLLL

“Someone who looks nonthreatening, someone who appears to know where he or she is and is going, someone who maybe looks around and seems aware of me and makes eye contact.”

@Jeruba took the words right out of my mouth, well, my keyboard.

I often get asked to help in stores because I am female but I do not carry a purse. Hence people assume I work there.

The one who doesn’t smell like pot, or beer.

Depends on what I need-if I need jumper cables, I’m going to ask a guy. If I need directions, I’m probably going to ask an older person.

@knitfroggy—Interestingly enough, both times I found myself in need of jumper cables (before I got my own damn set so all I needed was someone with a car) it was a woman who came to my rescue.

I always have jumper cables!

Someone who looks friendly, and not like a sociopath. ~

I’m a girl and I always have jumper cables. Also a tool box with actual tools in it in the truck where it can be useful.

@MacBean @darwin @augustlan

I have jumper cables, cervical collars, life jackets, and an excellent sense of direction. Go GirlPower! And I am able to hide my sociopathic tendencies most of the time

@Kayak8 Cervical collars? That’s scary.

What good Scouts we are. “Be prepared” indeed!

I guess I would look for a guy with jumper cables because I’d honestly have no idea how to use them properly. I’m kind of ashamed to admit this

@knitfroggy: Get a friend or family member to show you. It’s so easy, and definitely worth knowing!

@knitfroggy Me, too. My husband never wanted me to know, LOL. He said with my luck, I’d hook them up backwards & blow the damn battery up! :-(

People ask me for directions fairly often. Of course, I have no idea how often other people get asked for directions, so I can’t compare. I’d like to think I look knowledgeable and trustworthy. As it happens, I am.