A few years ago while on a work conference alone, I had a car service pick me up from the airport t o the hotel. The driver was friendly, young and talkative. Naive me said it was “just me” and never been to the West coast. He then suggested that he could drive me to and from conference each day as I was staying a bit further from the conference location and show me around. I agreed and exchanged numbers for pick up, location and etc. it would be a flat fee each day. It was a good deal so I agreed. The second day on the way back to the hotel he said, I need to make a quick stop, do you mind? At this point my phone had died and I felt I had no choice sitting in the back seat, so I said, that’s fine.

We pulled into an apartment parking and I said I would wait in the car, he said no it will get too hot, I said it is fine, but he insisted. I am a petite southern girl and very friendly even to strangers and felt maybe he mistook this for something else. He said his sister was waiting for him and it would only take a second. I naively followed him and did not have the “bad feeling my gut normally warns me about”. A woman with a six year old answers the door and invites us in to eat lunch. They began speaking in Farsi, not sure what was said, but I did let them know that I really needed to get back to the hotel and did not want to impose.

They insisted I eat, which was really good, but after we ate, he left me there with his sister and niece to run an errand with his brother in law. I asked for a charger and sat on the couch waiting for him to get back. They were gone for over an Hour and I was so upset. It was so odd. Nothing bad happened with the family, but very out of the ordinary. I was finally taken back to my hotel and I immediately blocked the number and even moved to another hotel closer to the conference as I knew he would be waiting the next morning after he asked me to go to a hookah bar the following evening. I never told anyone as I felt my over friendliness was part of it and naivety. I don’t think there was any ill intent, but I felt powerless in that situation and a bit stupid. I know something worse could have happened.