This reminds me of the time my husband and I were strolling along a busy street and saw a 5 or 6 year-old girl barreling down towards the intersection. We watched her for a few nervous seconds, getting closer and closer to the road and not slowing down. Finally, my husband’s reflexes kicked in and he lunged to grab the girl just as she reached the curb. We then saw her parents a few yards away with an extremely WTF look on their faces. Even after my husband smiled and gestured he just wanted to make sure the kid didn’t get clipped by a bus, they didn’t respond and kept looking at us like we were freaks.
I can see how some random stranger grabbing your kid is unnerving, but context and setting really matter: A little kid racing towards fast, heavy traffic is understandably alarming and onlookers have only a few seconds to make a decision.
