ListNook

fullmoon63 Apr 19, 2026 +737

Real hero moment. Not everyone would catch that or act on it.

737

Specialist_Gap_3399 Apr 19, 2026 +2810

Hero clerk doing exactly what “see something, say something” is supposed to mean. Wild that a whispered “help” is all it took. Teach kids that any public place with cameras is a potential escape hatch.

2810

Numerous_Photograph9 Apr 19, 2026 +568

Yeah, my place of employment even has training on how to handle things if we feel a person is in trouble from someone else. Not typically direct intervention if the other person is there, but we collect info, inform management so they can get recordings and pictures, and calling police.

568

ZaMr0 Apr 19, 2026 +137

Granted not everyone is in a position to prevent the kidnapping when the person is right there, but I couldn't imagine letting them out of the building even if it puts myself in danger. I know corporate policy would definitely be against it but once they're gone that person might never be found again. Then again I don't live in the US so it's not likely they would have a gun so maybe that allows a bit more flexibility.

137

Numerous_Photograph9 Apr 19, 2026 +38

It's wise not to test the waters with an unknown. In this case, you know nothing of the kidnapper, the victim or the circumstances, if it's even a real kidnapping, or the situation as a whole. Police may have more information about abductions, and are trained to assess or approach the situation. Trying to stop a kidnapper may be just as dangerous for the victim as it is for the employee, which is why it's best to not try to be the hero in most cases. There are policies for things like missing children in a store that are different that fall under Amber alert type protocals, but they're more ubiquitous, and aren't targeting or accusing a specific individual and most people abandon attempts of abduction when faced with being stopped on exit.

38

ZaMr0 Apr 19, 2026 +58

The likelihood of me getting seriously injured is lower than the likelihood of that person never being found again if they leave the store. It's a calculated risk I'm willing to make. Missing child or missing adult makes no difference, neither deserve anything bad to happen to them. Sure there's also a small chance that the person saying help is making it up or has some ulterior motive, but in that instance the supposed 'kidnapper' should have no issue waiting for the police to explain everything. So by considering all the factors and risks, personally, I would always try to intervene. It's a privileged position and I wouldn't expect everyone to do the same.

58

MentalPatient Apr 19, 2026 +556

It's also interesting to read this.. "Some of the girl’s fellow students who had witnessed the abduction had managed to track the location of the victim’s cellphone" It seems they have learned to protect themselves in some ways, using apps. I wonder if they all know a hand signal? Hope so.

556

ConsiderateCommentor Apr 19, 2026 +429

Well, the girl was quick to mouth "help" so I don't think the hand signal would have saved that girl. So many people have no idea what that is. She was saved by a brave Yemeni immigrant who probably wouldn't have had the same reaction had she used a hand signal versus "help."

429

MentalPatient Apr 19, 2026 +30

True, at this point a hand signal isn't well enough known

30

howie47515 Apr 20, 2026 +5

wtf would a hand signal do

5

MeccIt Apr 19, 2026 +74

> It seems they have learned to protect themselves in some ways, using apps. It's not straightforward to track someone's phone, you need to set up permissions as a family or actively give permissions to the people to track. This (sadly) shows a lot of forethought by those girls.

74

Rasilbathburn Apr 19, 2026 +125

They probably just had their location sharing going on snapchat. My kid knows where all his friends are all the time from that. Which can kindof be a danger by itself if used for nefarious purposes, but was great in this situation.

125

oogabooga1967 Apr 19, 2026 +64

I teach high school and there are a lot of girls who have everyone in their friend group on Life360.

64

NonStopKnits Apr 19, 2026 +28

I've never used the tracking apps, but if I were a teenager or a really young adult I probably would have my close friends and myself in a group like that.

28

DaoFerret Apr 20, 2026 +2

A lot of the younger generations don’t always want their parents to be able to track their movements, but are fine with their peers or friends doing it. (Not a bad thing, just pointing it out)

2

TamagotchiMasterRace Apr 19, 2026 +18

Nah, my daughter, has like 40 friends on life 360, theyre always each other "girl, whatre you doing at the nugget, let me ride down there" or "i see youre at the maverik, bring me a soda" I refused forever to get it, i dont want to track my wife and she doesnt want to track me, but we had to once our daughter started leaving the house on her own, but i guess for the youngins being tracked is no big deal

18

MeccIt Apr 19, 2026 +5

Thanks, this sounds much less awful than snapchat

5

MagicPistol Apr 19, 2026 +8

All my friends with iPhones share their locations with each other and can look each other up at any time. I'm on Android and don't want anyone tracking me lol. I do have a spare iPhone at home that can see locations of my parents and a few close friends.

8

TomBong_Jovi Apr 19, 2026 +2

No you don't, just Snapchat

2

MeccIt Apr 19, 2026 +5

None of us use Snapchat because it's horrible otherwise

5

HolyLiaison Apr 19, 2026 +6

Tons of middle school to teens still use Snapchat. My niece has a group on Snapchat for everyone in their school. There's something like 500+ people in it. Not the entire school, but I'd say over 80% of them are in that group.

6

[deleted] Apr 19, 2026 +2

[deleted]

2

lordraiden007 Apr 19, 2026 -3

I doubt their forethought was specifically “let’s all share tracking info with each other so that if we’re kidnapped something can be done.” It was probably a case where their parents, either negligently or unknowingly, allowed their daughters to have control of the phone’s location services, and she did it with an app that her friend group uses so they can meet up easier and locate each other for, you know, the billion other things kids like doing together. It paid off, because her friends were able to use it, but I highly doubt they did it explicitly to “protect themselves”.

-3

rosatter Apr 20, 2026 +9

Tell me you're not a woman and don't know too many women that well because that's exactly the kind of shit we dlo

9

Duke_Dapper Apr 19, 2026 +8

There are lots of people who explicitly do it for situations like this. It may not be exactly "just in case I get kidnapped" but a general "If Im in a situation where I cant respond" like a car accident or in the hospital. I have an app like that.

8

Laringar Apr 19, 2026 +18

I feel like that's getting underemphasized by the story. The gas station attendant might not have had as much success protecting the victim if the cops hadn't shown up at the same time, which they only did because the other teens were already responding to the situation. The other kids deserve a lot more credit than they seem to be getting.

18

hextanerf Apr 19, 2026 +4

apple allows sharing location to your contacts. it's not an app. it's a built-in feature

4

Warcraft_Fan Apr 19, 2026 +40

ASL is not that hard to learn plus you might be able to interact with deaf person in distress. I picked up ASL because I put my high school in a very difficult position. High school graduation requirement was to learn second language and they did have many language classes including Spanish, French, Japanese, etc but I am deaf and their material were audio which wouldn't work with me. Upgrading everything plus hiring a foreign speech therapist would have set the school back hundred thousand dollars for just one student, ouch. ADA law was in effect and they feared if I was given exemption for graduation without learning second language, entitled families would try to abuse this. I said "What about ASL?" They paid for my trip to community college for ASL class and I ended up having a huge photo of myself and one other student in Ypsilanti newspaper, early 1991 IIRC

40

Buy-theticket Apr 19, 2026 +12

You're deaf but waited till 18 to learn sign language?

12

Warcraft_Fan Apr 19, 2026 +42

My family pushed me in oral program because I had a good chance of picking up verbal communication and I do have excellent lipreading ability.

42

bacchedchicpizza Apr 20, 2026 +2

I’m an 80s born millennial, but everyone I know born in the late 90s and younger have their friends locations shared on their phones. I don’t get it, but I guess in this case it potentially saved a life.

2

Malforus Apr 19, 2026 +123

Teach kids to use the hand signal too. But really the best answer is reward those who help more. Give them more incentive.

123

LKennedy45 Apr 19, 2026 +87

The hand signal?

87

Beefkins Apr 19, 2026 +62

Palm out, place the thumb against the palm, then cover the thumb with the fingers.

62

LKennedy45 Apr 19, 2026 +78

Huh. Never heard of that before. So like a fist? Just not one for punching?

78

DeathReaps Apr 19, 2026 +37

Never heard of it before but after doing it I think it implies the thumb has been "taken"

37

LKennedy45 Apr 19, 2026 +62

I have definitely never seen nor heard of that. Maybe it's a regional thing.

62

OhLookAChelsea Apr 19, 2026 +60

I’ve seen it around for a while but your comment intrigued me. The wiki page (Signal for Help) says it was created in 2020 by the Canadian Women’s Foundation and popularized through TikTok before being adopted by the international Women’s Funding Network.

60

LKennedy45 Apr 19, 2026 +55

Hm, that must be why. I'm neither Canadian, nor a woman, nor on TikTok. I guess I need to expand my horizons. Thanks Chels.

55

SweeterThanYoohoo Apr 19, 2026 +44

Just become a woman or Canadian. tik tok isn't worth it and is bad for you

44

Michelanvalo Apr 19, 2026 +16

Definitely do not expand your horizons to tiktok

16

HammerIsMyName Apr 19, 2026 +6

I saw it in tv shows some years ago. Post 2020, but they've been real quick to adopt it then - maybe it was on The Rookie? They tend to throw in relevant topics very quickly, when they aren't doing dumb Dropout cameos.

6

WhiteRabbit86 Apr 19, 2026 +7

But now you have. That’s how these things get around.

7

lunalilah03 Apr 19, 2026 +18

Yeah but I think it’s more about the gesture from open to closed fist, rather than the actual closed fist. To signal help, do the motion from open to closed fist in the way the above commenter explained over and over :)

18

Lampmonster Apr 19, 2026 +10

Kinda, but if you make a fist like that and hit something you're gonna break your thumb.

10

tastydrink1 Apr 19, 2026 +12

I'd think they were trolling me I've never heard of that before

12

Djolumn Apr 19, 2026 +4

Just for clarity, hand held vertically, palm facing the person you're trying to communicate with.

4

markth_wi Apr 19, 2026 +12

[Here you go](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR_vtt3_uh83qyc9GoT2GJoCKj6NMtHMPFcJA&s)

12

fakeprewarbook Apr 19, 2026 +25

what’s the hand signal?

25

OhLookAChelsea Apr 19, 2026 +31

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_for_Help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_for_Help) Theres a video showing it if the text descriptions are hard to visualize.

31

fakeprewarbook Apr 19, 2026 +6

it’s a great idea! i never heard of it (sw usa) so i would not have known to help her. things like this should be taught more widely

6

TristheHolyBlade Apr 19, 2026 +28

Might need to teach the rest of the populace too, then. Cause I've never heard of that in 30 years on this earth.

28

fakeprewarbook Apr 19, 2026 +13

it sounds like it was invented in canada in 2020 - definitely hasn’t made it through my demographic yet

13

Ghede Apr 19, 2026 +3

When I was in school, they were very big on teaching us the sign language for "Choking" because if you are choking, you can't speak. Then a few years later, in the cafeteria, a chunk of hard taco shell got lodged in my throat, and the guy across from me clearly hadn't been paying attention in f****** class. Luckily, it didn't fully obstruct the airway, but I had to self-Heimlich over a trash can to get it out, because that dumbass just sat there going "you okay?" instead of getting help. Meanwhile my dumbass went for the trash can first instead of just trying to hack it up on the floor.

3

tokyogodfather2 Apr 20, 2026 +3

So happy to see this actually work, and that he was a Muslim American, from a country we technically are often fighting with in this stupid war. It reminds us that good people are good people, not matter nationality, creed , or location

3

ExpiredExasperation Apr 19, 2026 +1022

Wow, some f****** *registered sex offender* just strolled up on a teenager on her way to school and kidnapped her at gunpoint. Thank goodness that she was able to keep a level head, and amazing initiative from the other kids to track her phone. And, of course, kudos to the clerk for stepping in. It seems self-evident, but what a difference it made, just because everyone chose to act instead of hesitating and deciding it wasn't their business.

1022

EverythingComputer1 Apr 19, 2026 +266

Our lovely judge Krot (the one famous for screaming at an old person with cancer for having long grass) could only thank the police for some reason. The community really came together to help each other in this time, the cops did their jobs too, but the clerk and other kids deserve the most credit.

266

[deleted] Apr 19, 2026 +164

[deleted]

164

IMA_5-STAR_MAN Apr 19, 2026 +84

Any convicted felon committing another crime in possession of a gun should get life in prison.

84

jaymzx0 Apr 19, 2026 +35

It definitely carries a "firearm enhancement" for a lot of charges, as well as a "felon in possession" charge.

35

FillFrontFloor Apr 19, 2026 +6

How the hell he got a gun? How the hell do these people that intent on harming others always get a gun. 8 opened the news today and apparently we'd had 3 at least three shootings today.

6

ProfessorStein Apr 20, 2026 +8

You can just go to a gun show and buy a gun with almost no paperwork and no background check. Like it is true that you cannot get one from a gun store. But it is the easiest thing in the world to go and pay a couple of hundred dollars to a guy who sells privately. Edit: actually this apparently changed in 2024, but he could have bought it before that and enforcement is apparently extremely low anyways

8

SaveLansingParks Apr 20, 2026 +1

What state and what gun show are you buying handguns illegally? I call bullshit. Private sellers for rifles is one thing, but it doesn't sound like you actually go to gun shows.

1

dogmotherhood Apr 19, 2026 +5

Some people are just simply incompatible with life in a civil society

5

doubletwist Apr 19, 2026 +79

Let's also be thankful that the kidnapper was such an absolute moron that he immediately took his victim into a convenience store rather than chucking her phone out of the car and completely disappearing.

79

[deleted] Apr 19, 2026 -3

[removed]

-3

[deleted] Apr 19, 2026 +1

[removed]

1

DaftPump Apr 19, 2026 +2

It takes a village. Your comment and this story is a perfect example of this.

2

ElegantDaemon Apr 19, 2026 +3

> Some of the girl's fellow students who had witnessed the abduction had managed to track the location of the victim's cellphone. Ummm... how??

3

ExpiredExasperation Apr 19, 2026 +18

Some people use "find my friend" type apps with each other. Or even Snapchat.

18

[deleted] Apr 19, 2026 +109

[deleted]

109

friendofelephants Apr 19, 2026 +117

And the guy who helped save her is an immigrant. Also interesting how her friends immediately tracked her cell phone to the gas station. I’m too old I guess bc I don’t think anyone could track my phone. I don’t have my location automatically turned on for anyone to track. I recall when I’ve had my phone stolen or lost, it was even such a pain logging into another device to track it.

117

fakeprewarbook Apr 19, 2026 +21

most kids have Share Location on with their friends and family

21

Actually_Im_a_Broom Apr 19, 2026 +20

They probably had a Life360 group set up or something similar so they could keep tabs on each other. Im almost positive the default setting for all phones is NOT to share your location randomly.

20

wolfgang784 Apr 19, 2026 +5

>Im almost positive the default setting for all phones is NOT to share your location randomly. The default setting during setup for both android and apple phones has had location services enabled for years and years. If you just breeze through phone setups and don't read and customize, location sharing is indeed set to on for you. Then if your logged into certain apps and also did not disable the default option for location services (ive yet to see an app with it off by default, its always on unless turned off), others may be able to track your location. If you ever use your phone as a gps, its gotta be turned on. Some games need it on. Several social media apps prefer it on for photo location tagging and will try to turn it on if its off. Weather app. Craigslist website. Insurance sites, ebay, legal rep sites, some government sites, and more. Lots of stuff will try to enable it all the time if you turn it off.

5

Khatib Apr 19, 2026 +6

> The default setting during setup for both android and apple phones has had location services enabled for years and years. That shares it with Apple or Google services, not other people. I'm a millennial, but my closest friend group all has our map locations shared with each other. Really helpful at larger events to track people down, and just genuinely a little interesting to open maps and say, oh, shit, Bill is across the country this week. And my wife and I use it all the time. Instead of having to call each other just to ask, should I start dinner, you glance at maps to see if the other has started their commute. Lots of my generations kids grew up having locations shared with their parents and also share them with their friends, like my friend group does.

6

MikeOKurias Apr 19, 2026 +2

>Then if your logged into certain apps [....] Several social media apps prefer it on for photo location tagging. For example: Instagram will share the location of your posts with your followers via Maps unless disabled.

2

Objective_Ranger1005 Apr 19, 2026 +10

Completely incorrect wtf. I'm from the local area and this is the actual article with the correct info not whatever this person is spewing. "Donald James Joseph Arthur Fields, 48" https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2026/04/18/how-classmates-tracked-hamtramck-student-abducted-from-bus-stop-at-gunpoint/

10

PawnstarExpert Apr 19, 2026 +6

Yeah.... Whoever deleted their comment was like "white male". Besides them saying they misspoke, they just deleted their comment.

6

GulfLife Apr 19, 2026 +806

Two questions unanswered by the article: 1. When is this gas station clerks wedding? 2. Where are he and his lovely fiancée registered?

806

nevertoomanytacos Apr 19, 2026 +543

There is a [gofund me](https://share.google/VEtNyT8QhwkDrSQW6)

543

GulfLife Apr 19, 2026 +130

Appreciate the link, exactly what I was looking for. Just donated.

130

Charakada Apr 19, 2026 +12

Me too.

12

SometimeAround Apr 19, 2026 +48

Thank you for sharing! Just donated. Hope this guy & his fiancée gets to have a wonderful wedding.

48

ZordonFTW Apr 19, 2026 +21

Thank you for sharing. Thrilled to donate

21

CooperAXE Apr 19, 2026 +3

Thank you so much

3

myboogerstastespicy Apr 19, 2026 +5

Thank you! I hope he has an amazing wedding and life together.

5

obiwan770 Apr 19, 2026 +129

Facts. Let’s shower this hero with awesome things

129

Salty-Pack-4165 Apr 19, 2026 +104

Not all heroes wear capes. Some work at gas stations. Good man and hope that girl is OK.

104

manningthehelm Apr 19, 2026 +37

Abdulrahman Abohatem, you are the f****** man

37

Mobe-E-Duck Apr 19, 2026 +563

Save this article and post it as a comment on articles generalizing Muslims and immigrants as victimizing white girls. The hypocrites will never acknowledge the opposite events. EDIT: Thanks for the award, anonymous gifter. EDIT 2: Thank you all but save the awards, just do as I ask and save and share this content. The narratives of prejudice and discrimination need dispelling. People are same the world 'round, and that goes for zealots and warmongers of every color, creed, flag and gender. Kindness and cruelty are universal.

563

Pub1ius Apr 19, 2026 +57

Right? The "news" puts every crime involving an immigrant on 24/7 repeat for a week, but I bet this gets a 3 minute clip at most if they even mention it.

57

tooshpright Apr 19, 2026 +14

Great work. What a brave fellow.

14

hdk49 Apr 19, 2026 +13

I quickly read the story to the end fully expecting to read that ICE had detained the store clerk. Happy to report this was not the case.

13

StrawberryKiss2559 Apr 19, 2026 +28

It says the police showed up because her friends tracked her phone to that gas station. The clerk helped by separating the two and was kicking out the kidnapper.

28

ailish Apr 19, 2026 +23

https://archive.ph/0wdOu

23

jlc1953 Apr 19, 2026 +20

There are some worried about the numbers of apparent missing persons in Hawaii, suggesting that perhaps there is a working ring of abductors here on the island. I have no idea. Good to be vigilant though. Who is on the sex registry that lives in your neighborhood? Might be surprised.

20

FaerieQuene Apr 20, 2026 +2

I found out that a registered sex offender used to live in my house!

2

theruckman1970 Apr 19, 2026 +25

These are the awesome people being rounded up by ICE. Also sad that this story will come and go but if the worst would have happened the story would have had legs for a couple weeks atleast 🙄

25

show_mee Apr 19, 2026 +6

What a brave man to stand up and help that you girl, potentially saving her life!

6

TauCabalander Apr 20, 2026 +7

The hero is an immigrant from Yemen.

7

Educational_Work896 Apr 19, 2026 +6

Did you change the headline? She didn't "whisper".

6

Sorry-Ad8334 Apr 19, 2026 +21

Wish this dude had Venmo or something.

21

castafobe Apr 19, 2026 +50

There's a gofundme posted higher up in the comments.

50

FantasyBaseballChamp Apr 19, 2026 +10

Awesome! Totally awesome! Alright, Hamilton.

10

barak181 Apr 19, 2026 +8

Just throwing the reminder into this thread that most children are abducted and/or abused by someone the already know. Be vigilant and believe kids when they say their neighbor/uncle/pastor did something to them.

8

TulaSaysYAY Apr 19, 2026 +3

I grew up a few blocks from here. Wild.

3

theremotebiz Apr 20, 2026 +3

Honestly, given how little he knew at the time, it took serious guts to step up and confront the kidnapper like that. He absolutely deserves all the recognition for what he did.

3

SayNoToFirefighters Apr 19, 2026 +10

And crickets out of the WH about a immigrant story being a net positive for America.

10

Big-Pickle5893 Apr 19, 2026 +6

Still an unexcused absence

6

DrewOH816 Apr 19, 2026 +37

Emergency hand signal for help? Tuck your thumb into your palm. Fold your four fingers down over your thumb, creating a closed fist. This gesture can be used in various situations, including video calls, public places, or even in person, to signal that someone needs help without alerting an abuser or putting themselves at further risk. There are videos on this as well.

37

OakLegs Apr 19, 2026 +311

How many people are going to recognize this though? I'm not exactly young and this is the first time I've ever heard this

311

BlackShadowX Apr 19, 2026 +59

Yeah I would just recognize it as a black panther / fight the power gesture. 10,000 fists in the air etc

59

PrescriptionDenim Apr 19, 2026 +22

I think that may be part of the person you responded to’s intent, that we need to raise awareness so more people recognize it.

22

purpleplatapi Apr 19, 2026 +24

..... Except then kidnappers will know about it. It's like "an angel shot" if everyone knows it exists, it doesn't actually solve the problem. Really, there aren't any scenarios where speaking in a code would be more effective than just asking for help. Like if he has a gun to you, shouting help me isn't going to be any safer than unclear hand signals that the kidnapper also knows. And if you're at a bar and the guy you're on a date with is being super weird and you're concerned for your safety, ordering an Angel shot is going to lead to the exact same chain of events that just, asking the bartender for help would.

24

digitaldeadstar Apr 19, 2026 +9

I don't think it's the most intuitive signal, but it's meant to be used where the kidnapper wouldn't see. For example, behind your back if he's walking you down a sidewalk. Or in another case where a girl in a car did it at a window and another driver recognized it and contacted police.

9

Organic-Affect4669 Apr 19, 2026 +10

It isn’t meant to be some big secret, of anything we need the most amount of people possible to know so that victims know to use it and people know to recognize it. It’s meant to be a subtle signal that hopefully can be given without the perpetrator realizing. I know not everyone knows about it, but I’ve seen a few PSA videos online, I don’t think they would put it in PSA if it was meant to be a secret, if anything it should become a universal signal like SOS or as close to one as possible. Edit because I re read your comment and realized I missed something: Yes having a silent signal is absolutely valuable in moments where a victim may only momentarily be in a public space before being imprisoned again, if there is an immediate fear of violence, and also being able to silently alert cops, let’s say during a wellness check or on the street, increases the chance of an arrest since it won’t alert the perpetrator to the cops being aware of a potential threat. It’s honestly just another tool in the belt and I don’t see an issue with that. Anyway, here’s a few examples of times it saved someone. In the [first video](https://youtu.be/UHkICJiJV9U?si=M64LoEOWjqnDC7Kc) a woman who was living with her abuser was saved when she gave the signal to a paramedic who was checking in. In the [second video](https://youtu.be/oU3jZT3b9Uc?si=U0_pQfPo4D9JHjAP) a teenage girl was saved who was in the passenger seat of her kidnappers car after giving the signal to another car. In the [third video](https://youtu.be/wk4aFmcrPUc?si=FcTnAH7HaFaLQpX2) a woman was saved who was in a gas station with her abuser. Notice that in all of these situations most likely the victims would not be able to get away from their abuser or kidnapper in order to safely vocalize that they needed help

10

purpleplatapi Apr 19, 2026 +10

No. I think it's terrible. If you need help, and you can't speak, mouth the words help me while looking scared. If you can speak, you need to scream. Anything else is just not going to be effective enough for a victim to reliably use it. I want to give people the best chance of escaping. A super secret code isn't helpful.

10

honor_and_turtles Apr 19, 2026 +3

I think they're looking at situations very rationally. Which is great in some instances, but in general, those few extra seconds of trying to decode a 'code' might be the difference between the clerk understanding the situation or just doubtful enough to ignore it. Whereas looking scared and mouthing help, or screaming or something of the sort, is the most sure fire way to at least get pas that initial hurdle.

3

Captain_Mazhar Apr 19, 2026 +2

A hand signal is concealable though, while a verbal request sometimes cannot be. You can hide a single hand behind the lid of a laptop while on a video call or put your body between a signal and an abuser while out and about.

2

purpleplatapi Apr 19, 2026 +6

You can also mouth the words help me. That would be way more effective. Plus, if you're on a video call how would the person you're calling know where you are anyway? You'd need to scream call 911 to this address. Or if you're at home and they already know your address, just mouth help me.

6

zax9 Apr 19, 2026 +3

You're applying some really black-and-white reasoning here. How many kidnappings would need to be prevented or thwarted in order for this hand signal to be considered a "solution" for you? It sounds like you're saying that the solution as it exists is worthless because it isn't 100% effective. Me, personally, I'll take a solution that reduces kidnappings by even 1%.

3

purpleplatapi Apr 19, 2026 +5

I actually think it's actively dangerous to potential kidnap victims. We should teach people to make a scene, not quietly do hand signals. Yell for help. Ask for help. Scream this man is kidnapping me. Tell the bartender, this man is a creep and I want you to wait with me for a taxi. Don't go to a second location, even if he has a gun. And always scream at the top of your lungs. If you're doing hand signals it's too late. You're wasting time.

5

feed_me_haribo Apr 19, 2026 +2

My step dad signed I love you to me but I thought he was just saying rock on

2

OakLegs Apr 19, 2026 +2

And I thought it was horns up

2

ConsiderateCommentor Apr 19, 2026 +54

I think mouthing the word "help" was effective enough as the victim was saved. The clerk, a Yemeni immigrant, is a hero!!!

54

RandallOfLegend Apr 19, 2026 +15

40 year old dude here. Never heard of this. Makes sense, but I have a feeling this isn't well known enough.

15

BoozeIsTherapyRight Apr 19, 2026 +14

This is hardly a universal sign. I just asked around and not one single person had heard of this. "Help" means something. A fist with a thumb on the inside is meaningless and incredibly easy to miss.

14

UncleBoopBetty Apr 19, 2026 +1

It’s relatively new but it is a thing. Never hurts to spread the word and try to make it truly universal.

1

cranberryjuiceicepop Apr 19, 2026 +8

I think the girl did just fine with saying ‘help’

8

Local_Idiot_123 Apr 19, 2026 +5

Idk I just do this hand gesture sometimes and this is the first I’m hearing of it meaning something. I can guarantee I never whisper help to people unless I really need it though.

5

Heil_S8N Apr 19, 2026 +7

the more you popularize this, the more abusers will hear of it, which makes it obsolete. you think that people who build an entire career around this don't research these signs?

7

Consistent_Kale_3625 Apr 19, 2026 +1

F****** arthritis. Hope I’m never kidnapped.

1

ArbitraryMeritocracy Apr 19, 2026 +1

> Emergency hand signal for help? > > Tuck your thumb into your palm. Fold your four fingers down over your thumb, creating a closed fist. This gesture can be used in various situations, including video calls, public places, or even in person, to signal that someone needs help without alerting an abuser or putting themselves at further risk. > > There are videos on this as well. With your arm bent and knuckles facing upward?

1

[deleted] Apr 19, 2026 +24

[removed]

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[deleted] Apr 19, 2026 +13

[removed]

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SlimyPurpleMeteor Apr 20, 2026 +2

Seriously, with such little context at the time, that is next-level ballsiness to just up and confront the kidnapper. Dude deserves all the public recognition for his actions.

2

MaximumConcept25 Apr 19, 2026 +2

Was there an amber alert for her? Seems like that wasn’t in the article. Does Michigan have an amber alert?

2

lb802015 Apr 19, 2026 +7

Alerts are a national thing so Michigan does have them. It doesn't specify in the article but I would guess that they did not issue one because it seems like this happened too quickly for them to go through the process for that. If her friends saw it happen and immediately called the police, were immediately able to track her phone, and then were immediately able to tell the police where she was when they arrived, that would be a faster process than doing an Amber Alert.

7

jigokubi Apr 20, 2026 +1

>The man, who had evidently targeted the girl at random, eventually brought her to a Sunoco gasoline station in nearby Detroit where Abohatem was working as a clerk. Abohatem later told WXYZ that he became suspicious of the situation when the man asked the girl to pay for cigarettes. Seriously? He sent a 16-year-old to pay for cigarettes? He went out of his way to let his victim interact with other people? I realize if you're kidnapping people, you're probably not too bright, but damn.

1

Michigan gas station clerk saves teen from alleged kidnapper after she whispers ‘help’

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