There is a reason our instincts take over when it comes to our safety, it keeps us out of trouble and harms way. However, when it comes to strangers, it is not always that easy to figure out the right move. Most of the time, we are afraid of jumping to conclusions about people or making a mistake and then being on the receiving end of the consequences. But in this specific case, on taxi driver trusted his gut and became a true hero as a result. All it took was a few hours and this man went from ordinary to real-life hero.
This man did not wake up that day thinking he would save someones life. Continue reading to find out how this man listened to his instincts and came to the rescue of a teenage girl who was about to walk into the hands of a predator. Maybe we all learn something from this experience, perhaps one day we too will recognize this situation and come to the rescue of someone who did not even know they needed it. The world is full of people and situations such as this, and while it is saddening, there is always something that can be done - just look at this incredible taxi driver.
A Regular Day
Satbir Arora, a taxi driver, started his day just like any other - driving around town looking for patrons who needed a ride. It was a normal Tuesday afternoon, and her was roaming around Oxfordshire, looking to see if he could spot his next client. He had no idea that one unexpected traveler was going to walk into his taxi and change his life, or that he would end up changing hers as well.
When Arora saw the young teen hailing him from the sidewalk, he pulled to the side to let her in. He had no idea of the dangerous situation he was about to walk into.
Odd Behavior
Initially, Arora did not see anything off about this young woman. He noticed that she did not look over the age of 13 and was dressed in her school uniform. Arora took kids to and from their school all the time if they were late or sick. However, when she got into the taxi she asked him to take her to the Gloucestershire station.
Arora was taken aback by her request and when he looked closer at the girl, she looked concerned. He did not know what was happening but he did not feel like everything was right. What should Arora say to the girl?
A Bad Feeling
Gloucestershire station was over an hour drive from where he picked up the girl. Seeing how young his rider was and how far she was asking to go, he felt very uneasy. Arora could not explain why he felt the way he did, the girl did not give him much cause for concern other than a far destination.
Normally, he would never ask questions and would keep to himself, but he felt like this girl was not in a safe situation. The very fact that she was asking to go to a train station over one hour away gave him cause for concern.
Speaking
Arora had a feeling that this girl's parents had no idea where she was going. If the parents knew where she was going then she would have been more open about the fact that they knew where she was. He thought that the girl lied to her parents about the reason to go to the station, or that they did not know to begin with.
Arora's mind started to race, theories running through his mind. It was then that he noticed the girl's concerned look. To break the ice, Arora tried to speak with the girl. He asked her why she was going such a long way. Was she going to tell him the truth?
Her Answer
Arora speaks to his passengers all the time. But this time, with this girl, he did not know what to expect from her. She did not seem willing to divulge any information. At first, the girl did not answer, she stayed quiet in the back seat.
However, Arora kept asking her questions about her trip, trying to get to the bottom of her reason to go there. He asked the girl where she planned on going once she arrived at the Gloucestershire station.
Wavering Answer
Eventually, the girl decided to answer Arora as he seemed nice enough. However, her answer only made Arora more suspicious and concerned for the situation the girl was in. Despite the fact that she replied to Arora, she did not give away much information.
The girl's response was that she was on her way to see a friend. She did not give away any names. Her short answer made the driver ask even more of them. He asked her, "do your parents know about this?"
Getting to the Truth
As soon as he asked her that question, she got defensive. Her reply was that she was going to see a friend and that was that. Arora nodded his head but knew that there was no way that this girl was telling the truth. Arora could tell by her face and body language that she was hiding something.
The more questions he asked, the more defensive she got. Does that mean he should stop asking? What did he need to hear to calm his worries? Why was he so adamant about knowing where she was going?
Strange Happenings
Arora was sure something bad was happening. Normally, this would make the passenger very uncomfortable and unsafe, but Arora felt like that was not the case for the little girl. His gut instinct told him that something was seriously wrong. He had to find out why this girl was going to the train station in the middle of the day. He felt like she was in danger, even though she might not even realize it yet.
As soon as she replied that her parents did know where she was, he knew she was lying. Eventually she stopped answering altogether and he felt like he may have pushed too hard.
Waiting For A "Friend"
As soon as they got to the train srtation, Arora knew he was running out of time. He did not feel comfortable letting this little girl out of his taxi. When they arrived at the station, the girl seemed to look for someone.
Arora asked her, "who are you waiting for?," to which she quickly replied, "my friend." She grabbed her bag and got out of the taxi. She told Arora that her friend would be there shortly and would pay for the ride to the station.
Anxious Demeanor
Arora was not about to leave this girl alone at the train station and decided to stay. The longer he did the more upset the girl seemed to get, making him even more concerned for her.
As he was waiting with the girl, he called his wife since he was not sure what to do. He told her what was happening so that she may give him some advice about how to handle the situation.
Growing Concern
Arora and his wife own their taxi together, so he felt it was only right to call her and see what she would do in this situation. He wanted her advice about what his gut was telling him...
As he was talking to his wife, he made sure to keep the girl within his line of vision. Arora's wife was just as worried as he was, they were both very concerned for the girl. What was it about this situation that didn't sit well with them?
A Mother's Intuition
Arora's wife grew concerned for the girl too. Seeing as she is a woman, she thought that perhaps the girl would feel more comfortable speaking to her rather than a guy. Her mother's intuition kicked into overdrive and thought it would be smart for her to speak with the girl.
Arora rolled down his taxi window and yelled for the girl to take his phone, where his wife was on the other end of the line waiting to speak with her. Was this going to be enough to keep the girl safe?
Woman to Woman
At first, the girl did not want to speak with the woman. However, more time went by where she was standing at the station by herself and so she was eventually convinced to speak with her.
The girl took the phone and put it to her ear. Was Arora's wife going to be enough to get the girl to talk about who she is going to meet up with so far from home? Will Arora and his wife be able to save her from a potential harmful situation?
Questioning Her
The girl answered the phone and listened to what Arora's wife had to say. Arora was looking at the girl as his wife was speaking to her, trying to figure out if she was getting through.
Arora's wife asked the same questions he did - "do your parents really know where you're going?" the girl took her time in answering, all the while allowing doubt to come into the air. Was she in trouble? Could Arora and his wife help her?
Help
Arora's wife was worried but didn't let the girl feel her concern. She asked her more questions in a delicate way so as not to scare her. However, when Arora's questioning got more motherly and direct, the girl finally opened up.
The girl admitted that her parents didn't know about this outing. Arora's wife was very worried as this little girl was under age and she told her that she was scared about the situation she was in. Arora and his wife got the police involved immediately.
Pen Pal
Arora called the police as soon as he hung up with his wife. As they waited for them to arrive, he tried speaking with the girl again. This time, she felt more comfortable speaking with him.
She said she was meeting a friend she was conversing with online. That very answer made Arora feel very worried and knew that his gut instinct was right... she was in more trouble than she knew.
Looking For Her
Arora was on a mission to protect this girl. As the girl was sitting in his taxi, this online friend of hers was about to make his appearance...
Sam Hewings was 24 years old when he walked into the Gloucestershire trains station looking for the girl. He was looking for the girl through the crowd, as his backpack was tightly held in one of Sam's arms.
The Call
As Sam was looking for the girl, he noticed two police cars at the station. The moment he saw the authorities, he started acting nervous. In that moment he started walking away from the station, which was a very suspicious thing to do.
Why did he feel the need to run? Did he come there looking to do something that would not be considered legal or acceptable?
Moment of Truth
Arora wasn't done yet. He asked the little girl if he could use her phone to call her online friend. She didn't want to do it at first but then allowed Arora to use her phone.
Arora dialed the number as the girl looked at him with terrified eyes. Was Arora's plan to catch the internet friend going to work?