Have you ever found yourself in a dangerous situation?
Chances are at some point in your life, you found yourself in a situation that required quick thinking. Sometimes the danger is a natural disaster like an earthquake, other times it’s something caused by a person threatening you. Although it can be difficult to think clearly in times of distress, sometimes we come up with an ingenious way out of the situation.
That’s what happened to one woman who was being robbed on the BART in San Francisco.
The situation began as a normal day for 32-year-old Julie Dragland.
She was taking the BART train by herself when a woman seated behind her passed forward a handwritten note. What was written on the note was enough to chill anyone to the bone:
“There are 2 guns pointed at you now. If you want to live hand back your wallet + phone NOW + do not turn around and be discrete. Do not turn around until after you have left Civic Center + you will live.”
Although Dragland was terrified, she knew she had to do something to get out of the situation.
Before she knew what she was doing, her mind flashed back to an episode of Law & Order that she had seen. A similar situation has happened and the person in danger had come up with a clever way to cause a distraction.
Before she had a chance to second guess herself, Dragland fell to the ground and started shaking.
Needless to say, the scene Dragland was making caused a scene—and bystanders took notice.
Dragland later explained that her plan had been to fall on the ground and pretend to have a seizure. All the attention scared the strange woman away and protected Dragland from any potential harm. Still, as it turns out, there were no men with guns and the situation was a bluff—a fact that was all caught on camera by BART security tapes.
Regardless, Dragland’s quick thinking attracted the attention of those around her and helped her keep the phone and wallet!
Although the tactic may not work for everyone, this story is a great example of quick thinking.
Police are now looking for the woman who handed Dragland the note and say that she may be facing potential felony charges if caught. Overall, this story makes us think how we would react in an emergency like this one. Would you comply with the orders and hope not to get hurt? Or would you try something unorthodox like Dragland did? Let us know in the comments below.
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