A few months into my time here, a friend and I were leaving our apartment block one night when we saw a woman being dragged into a van by two men. She was kicking and screaming “wo bu yao, wo bu yao”. Other people were walking straight past, pretending not to notice.
I spoke almost no Chinese at the time, and had to get my poor girlfriend to ask them what the hell they were doing. She turned back to us and said “Oh, never mind, it’s family business”.
We went and got our security guard, and he talked to the guys for a moment and came back and said “Oh, never mind, it’s family business”. Then left again.
The woman was still struggling and screaming through all this. My friend and I didn’t know what the hell to do. Back home, we wouldn’t have hesitated to step in. In a foreign country, surrounded by people who didn’t seem to think any response was needed, it didn’t feel so clear-cut. And then the van, the men, and the screaming woman were gone.
Now that I’ve figured out that the only underlying things going on are cowardice and callousness on the part of those around you, I’ve promised myself not to let anything like that pass again.
But in general, if you get in trouble in this country, even in a crowded area, you are all alone.[/quote]
i doubt that was a kidnapping attempt.