I encountered a situation today that I keep replaying in my mind. I was at my OB's office for a regular annual visit. As I was checking out the nurse behind the counter was on the phone with L&D of our local hospital. I overheard her speak to someone about having someone go to the emergency room for an emergency viability ultrasound. A visibly pregnant woman came up to the counter and the nurse told her where to go. As I was pulling out of the parking lot I saw the woman on the side of the road, visibly upset and on her phone. I assume that she didn't have a way of getting to the hospital 
I had the strong urge to pull over and offer to drive her but I didn't (I was alone, I don't know about having a stranger in the car etc.). I don't know what I should have done but I hate that in this day and age we can't even feel like we can help someone in emotional need. What would you have done?
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I wouldn't have offered out of fear as well but j agree it is horrible. A few months ago I passed an elderly women walking down the street, visibly bleeding a lot from her nose/eyes. I stopped and offered her a ride which she took but both my parents and my husband freaked out.
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I'm the same way - I'd still be thinking about it
Last year I was behind a woman in the checkout line. She had a little girl with her and was buying diapers, wipes, etc. and a few toys (it was just before Christmas). She didn't have enough money and asked the cashier to take the toys out. I wanted to tell her I'd cover it for her, say Merry Christmas but, I didn't want to offend her. I still wish I just did it.
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Hard to say without actually being in the situation. I would like to say that I would give her a ride (I have done crazier things) considering MY ob's office and the hospital are barely a minute away from each other. But, you just never know these days, so I don't know if I would have give her a ride.
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Left her alone. I've been in a similar situation and it's awkward to be trying to compose yourself and figure out your next move while upset and crying where other people can notice. I wouldn't have wanted to worry about telling a stranger I'm ok while trying to concentrate on calling my spouse or looking up directions or whatever. Not that it wouldn't have been a nice thing for you to offer, but I personally wouldn't.
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I think if it had been at my doctors office which is in a pretty safe suburb i would have offered. If it would have been in my doctors other office in the city i probably wouldn't have. And if i had dd with me i wouldn't either way.
Hopefully her ride didn't take long and her scan went well
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Just curious why you assumed she didn't have a ride? I probably would have assumed she would have been waiting for someone. How would she have gotten to the OB office if she had no transportation?
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I would have left her alone. I think the last thing someone who is very upset and trying to compose themselves wants to do is interact with a stranger, no matter how kindhearted and genuine. And I agree with @hilsy85: - she got to the OB's office somehow so I wouldn't assume she didn't have transportation.
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Wow am really surprised by all the no's in this post. I would of stopped and seen if she was ok, at least, especially after what you overheard.
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@hilsy85: same. My first thought would have been she's ticked her pick up ride is making her wait.
I would not have offered her a ride or anyone else I just met at the doctor's office.
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I probably would have left her alone too. Not out of fear or anything, but I would assume she has transportation and she just couldn't hold it together any longer/broke down immediately when she got her husband on the phone because that's probably what would happen to me.
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Oh, that's sad. I wouldn't have done anything, just be sad for her.
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@AprilFool: +1, butninly if i was without my kids. if the kids are around, i wouldn't even notice.
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@rosegold: same here. If I was sans-kids, I would've asked if she needed help if she was crying, etc.
@autumn865: you said she looked "visibly upset"... was it more of a pissed off look, or crying?
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Probably exactly what you did. I wouldn't have stopped, but I would have worried about it/felt bad later. I just have too much anxiety to be able to make a spur of the minute decision to do something like that.
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From your post, it's not clear if she was standing on the side of the road or in her car. When I first read the post, it sounded like she was pulled over in her car and crying. I assumed that you thought she was trying to find someone to go with her to the hospital.
I'm not sure what I would have done. Maybe she was crying because being told to go to the ER was probably scary for her to hear and telling loved ones about it was making her more scared. One thing comes to mind, why didn't the OB office offer to call 911 if she had to go to the hospital like right now?
I feel bad for her but if it was a safe area, I would have stopped to at least ask her if she was ok. I think woman to woman, I would feel more open to reaching out to her and if needed driving her somewhere. Or even staying there until her help came. If it was a man, I would not. I am CPR certified so I am more willing to help people but since I'm pregnant, I would assess the situation and see if I felt comfortable. (I learned in years of CPR classes that people feel really embarrassed if they are having an heart attack and they tend to hide in the bathroom. So I was taught to ask questions when in doubt. In this situation, I don't think it would have hurt if she said she was fine and didn't need any help. I could at least say that I tried. )
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@autumn865: I have had a couple of similar experiences that kind of haunted me for a few days...It IS a shame you can't just help people and that's that, because you have to worry if you'll be chopped into bits and put down a garbage disposal or something.
One time an older lady in a really beat up car had pulled over into our neighborhood because her car was clearly overheating. I was leaving to bring my LO to the park and saw her. I stopped and checked on her, went back to my house and got her a jug of water to put in her car, and let her use my cell phone bc she didn't have one to call her kids to come and get her. I felt bad that I didn't feel comfortable putting her in my car and driving her somewhere, but I just couldn't with my LO in my car. It was too much of a risk
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If I were by myself I probably would have driven her, but just dropped her off. (Not stay through the whole ordeal).
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I interpret the situation as her being upset about the scan so I would have just given her space to have her phone convo.
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@AprilFool: @rosegold: I'm surprised by all the no's as well. I would have pulled over and at least inquired with her if she was okay and if there was anything I could help her with.
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@autumn865: I would have left her alone. I would assume she was talking to her SO to have them meet her there.
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I would have offered her a ride.
My OB's office gives people rides and so will an ambulance. At least she was on the phone, hopefully someone was coming to help.
I have actually been in situations where I needed a ride: I had to flag someone down once to get another person to the ER; I had to call an ambulance for DD once because our car just happened to be in the shop and my family was out of town; someone gave me cab money once during domestic violence; someone pulled over when my car was in the ditch- they pulled my car out, drove it to the nearest town and paid for a hotel. I have had countless hitchhiking rides when I lived in Hawaii. I have flagged people down to allow me to use their car to jump mine. I have given hitchhikers rides across California. I was flagged down once and gave a family a ride to a prison for visitation. I have had to rely on strangers and they have had to rely on me. Obviously I have turned people down though, if I sensed danger mainly. You and your family come first.
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@Alivoo01: I would have done the same.
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I would have stopped and asked if she was ok. Even if she didn't accept, at least the kind gesture was offered to her in a stressful time.
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I thought about this woman all night hoping she was ok! After the fact you always think of things you should have done like at least offered the ride knowing she would say no or called my OB office so a nurse or someone could maybe check on her.
@hilsy85: I did assume she didn't have a ride (simply because she was down by the street and not in the parking lot. But maybe I was wrong and she was waiting for someone. I hope so!@HabesBabe: she was crying This also makes me think of the bigger issue (and maybe it's just my area I live) that we just all feel so separate and disconnected from one another.
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