We hear on the news crazy things that happen in other locations, but we never truly think of it happening to us. We think we are immune from anything bad ever happening to us, but this is false. Last semester as I was walking the back way to my dorm, I noticed that there was a $100 bill on the street.
As many of us would, I crossed the street to take a closer look at the bill. Unsure what to do, I called my roommate. She wanted to look at it closer so I slowly brought the phone closer to the bill and we both immediately noticed how staged this whole situation looked. Immediately I walked away and called the police.
Forgetting about this incident, I went on with my life, going home for Christmas break and ultimately forgetting about the entire situation. This lasted about a month until I got back to school. I began to hear more and more stories of this exact set up happening to other people; those close to me, and I realized how these terrible incidents do really happen to people.
So far since I've been back at school, I've heard of over 7 stories of this and its linkage to sex trafficking.
In my mind, hearing other stories of this is completely disheartening. Just thinking about the idea that predators are walking around looking for easy targets to expose them to horrific situations who knows where. Hearing these stories, it emphasized the importance to me of being safe in and around campus.
It sounds redundant, but I truly didn't realize how crucial it was until hearing all of these incidents. I never find myself walking alone anymore and if it's necessary, I am always on the phone with someone.
In addition to this...if you see money on the ground, AVOID IT! Don't even slow down, just keep walking and call the police to prevent this from happening to the girl behind you. Be sure to be hyper-aware of your surroundings and be safe!
