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A little over a year ago, people from my home town caused mass panic over a human trafficking scare which was anything but true. Naturally, I followed this story on and off for awhile until I put together this article. You may have read it before when it was a part of the weekly newsletter. Of course, I felt like the content was a bit too edgy for Google, so I decided to move it here. Enjoy! No Rest for the Werie Awhile back, I saw someone from back home share a Facebook status about potential human trafficking in Erie. Unfortunately, that post has since been removed (here's the transcript) but it wasn't the first of its kind. About a day earlier, another post started circulating around Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christiana.hoschar/posts/1602192779819184 We're talking about two posts that sparked so much fear in Erie that they literally went viral. Meanwhile, I find myself a bit skeptical of the two stories. While I don't doubt these stories could have happened, both of them contain a handful of red flags. The Skeptical Coder In terms of Christiana's story, I'm skeptical of the following: Almost no description of the suspectsThe cashier's blatant disregard for the author's safetyThe idea of being surrounded at a jewelry desk while people are completing a transactionNo call to the policeNo evidence - a picture would have been credible at this point In terms of Carly's story, I'm skeptical of the following: No call to the policeNo evidenceThe lack of a description of the suspects How is anyone supposed to protect themselves from these people if they don't know what to look out for? I find that a bit alarming. There were definitely a few more things that bothered me in the comments. For instance: Carly claimed she "didn’t really know what to tell [the cops]," so she never calledSeven minutes later Carly claimed that she "called the cops they kind of made it sound like a joke"Carly also claimed that her "brain keep seeing a Dodge caliber but [she] really can’t remember"Carly was rude and aggressive to anyone who questioned parts of the storyAfter being asked about security cameras, Carly claimed the cops "just seemed uninterested" Also, I found it a bit bizarre that Carly was trying to sell a few things on her profile (since removed, unfortunately). If you're in a situation which is so horrifying that you can't write a coherent story about it, you're probably not going to be selling baby clothes two hours later. Maybe that's just me. Additional Rumors The two statuses above were the only stories I officially saw. However, it wasn't long before the rumor mill got started. For instance, I heard a story where a "strange" woman walked up to kid, but the parent quickly put the kid into their cart. Then, I guess the woman looked back toward a man who nodded "no." Naturally, this story is completely different from the first two stories. Up until now, we've heard a story of a group of men surrounding a woman in the mall and another story of a woman who got parked into a spot by a group of men in a car. Now, we have a story of a man using a woman to snag children away from their parents. It seems each story is a bit more ridiculous than the last. Again, I'm not saying this couldn't happen, but I find it interesting that the trafficking effort seems to be off the charts now. In addition, I heard there was someone kidnapped from a McDonald's, but I haven't been able to confirm that story either. It seems social media is just going crazy with garbage lately. In fact, I even saw someone claim people were trying to spread awareness of the issue on the Bayfront in Erie. Here's about all I could find out about that: https://www.facebook.com/GoErie/posts/10155732072167367 After that, I saw a screenshot of a white car and a clear PA license plate. Apparently, the person driving that car tried to kidnap someone's niece. The car didn't match any description of any story I had read. I suppose there could be some major organized effort to kidnap kids in the Erie area, but we'll have to wait to see if any news comes out. I'm definitely skeptical. The Benefit of the Doubt With all the skepticism aside, I did find it cool that other people were questioning these stories. I think the fact that none of the stories mentioned police serves as a pretty big red flag. Even if the stories are true, I have a feeling the authors added embellishments to make them more attractive. In addition, I think it's pretty awesome how these stories have brought people together. I saw a few people running donation campaigns for organizations like Thorn, so that's at least one positive. I do think the fear mongering is a bit ridiculous. However, I'm hardly surprised; Erie is an echo chamber. That said, I won't judge. I have read the stories several times, and I've tried to put myself in each author's position. Personally, I don't think I would have done anything much different. After all, it's not like the authors knew the suspects were trying to kidnap them. These men could have been mercenaries for all we know, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. As a result, I'm going to wait for the police and FBI to investigate. Hopefully we get an official news story soon! A Question of Culture In the meantime, I'd like to address the potential issue of sensationalism: the use of exciting or shocking stories or language at the expense of accuracy, in order to provoke public interest or excitement. Just take a look at the comments to get an idea of why I'm a bit skeptical. Everyone seems to be pushing for gun rights as the only solution to the alleged incidents. Is that not the most uniquely American way to respond to a tragedy? I guess it's time to buy a gun. No use in addressing our cultural issues. With all that said, human trafficking is a real problem. However, the odds of a child actually being kidnapped are reported to be at least 1 in 300,000. To put that into perspective, the odds of being struck by lightning in a given year are about 1 in 700,000. Over a lifetime, the odds of being struck by lightning change to 1 in 3,000. Of course, I'm not here to debate statistics. After all, any amount of kidnapping is egregious. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. However, that doesn't mean we need to live in fear of leaving our houses. It seems every day there's some new story that casts darkness over the American people. Here's just a few of the latest: Nuclear WarMass ShootingsHealthcareHuman TraffickingTerrorismSuicideObesityEducationSexual AssaultMass Incarceration And many more, of course. I can't tell if the media is promoting sensationalism or if American culture is really going to shit. At this point in my life, I think I'd rather just move for the sake of avoiding them both. I'd prefer not to live in a place where fear is the catalyst for regressive change. Nothing But a Hoax I have some great news! As it turns out, the story of human trafficking in Erie appears to be a hoax. But, I still want to talk about it. No Evidence Found Apparently, GoErie finally followed up on the issue with the following post: https://www.facebook.com/GoErie/posts/10155738052602367 Of course, in case this post is taken down, here's the article. Basically, the cops investigated the three reports and determined that each story was nothing more than harassment. They couldn't find anything on the security tapes that followed the claims. In other words, the stories are likely bullshit. However, the reports could be true to some extent. I don't doubt that these women were harassed. The problem arises when people start reporting harassment as something much worse, human trafficking in this case. The entire city of Erie basically shut down because someone was being paranoid. Maybe we should take a mental health census in the area. The other part that kills me is the reaction of most people who fell for it: "Y'ALL BETTER GET A GUN." Due to these dishonest stories, we now have an overwhelming number of idiots trying to get their concealed carry permits. America has some serious cultural issues. Fire up the Conspiracies As soon as I went to bask in the glory of being correct, I got hit in the face by the regressive left's antics. In other words, I was called out for being a bigot because I was apparently belittling these girls who were harassed. I guess pointing out sensationalism gets you in trouble with social justice warriors, and I even consider myself left-leaning. The regressive left is killing the progressive movement. Just take a look: All that said, I don't condone harassment. However, I also don't condone "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." It's ridiculous that I'm getting my words turned on me as if I was the one doing the harassment. In fact, someone called me out simply because I don't live in Erie anymore. How is that relevant? Do I not have family and friends who were likely affected by the bullshit spread on social media? Grow up. Regardless, I do find it interesting how quickly people swore off actual cops to side with three random girls on Facebook. There were conspiracy nuts everywhere acting like there was a good chance trafficking could still be happening despite the complete lack of evidence. We live in 2017. It's quite a bit harder to get away with these types of crimes nowadays. Just think about how many selfies you're probably caught in a day. You can't get away with anything in a crowded place. So I have to ask, how much money do you think local businesses lost due to mass hysteria? It reminds me of the clown panic of 2016. Meanwhile, how many tax dollars do you think the police wasted on the investigation? How many people do you think went out to get their concealed carry permits? Just curious. A New Wave of Bullshit With the three reports amounting to nothing more than harassment, I had hoped the train of bullshit would have left the station. Unfortunately, that's just not what happened. Now, we have a crew of people trying to grasp at straws for evidence of trafficking still in the area. The latest trend now points toward a set of signs around town that basically just read: HOLIDAY HELP $17.25 base appt. Text for Info 555-555-5555 Apparently, because there's no name, we're supposed to assume this is human trafficking. Personally, I'd tend to believe these were made by some dolt just looking for some extra help. I wouldn't immediately jump to the conclusion that these signs were crafted by some trafficking ring, but who am I to judge? That's why I immediately tried to find absolutely any shred of evidence that these signs could be a front for trafficking. So, I started by following the link referenced by many as undeniable proof that these signs lead to human trafficking. Do yourself a favor and read that article. It's hilarious. After a brief read, I started by trying to verify the facts listed in the video. For instance, the article claims the NHTC ranks these types of signs as high risk. The beauty of this claim is that I couldn't even find an agency called the NHTC. It flat out doesn't exist. The NHTH exists, so I went under the assumption that it was just a typo. However, I still couldn't verify the claims. I could go on, but I'm calling this bullshit for now. It seems to be another form of sensationalism that adults who are out of touch with reality spread like wildfire. I imagine someone is making good money on ad revenue. Snopes seems to think so. Transcripts As a part of this series, I wanted to share the actual stories, so you can judge for yourselves. Much like broken links, posts can be removed, so I wanted to make sure the actual stories stay somewhat immortalized. You can look back at some of my comments in the last article. Christiana's Tale of Human Trafficking Do NOT go to Millcreek mall by yourself! There is something going on there and it’s not safe. I was there tonight with 2 friends. I went to Victoria’s secrets and my friends went to another store. I had a sense of uneasiness as I was in the store as if I was being watched. I texted my friends to meet me immediately because my gut was telling me something was off. I made my purchase and proceeded to walk into American eagle where a man approached me. He was just watching me at first but then proceeded to approach and speak. (I’m always aware of my surroundings) He said hello and asked me what my name was, I felt very uncomfortable and didn’t like the vibe he was giving off. So I said “oh hi, have a good night”. This same man was in Victoria’s secrets. He was dressed in dark clothing and was heavy set. I immediately started waking out of the store and calling my friend. As I exited the store another man joined him also dressed in very dark clothing and had a hat on. They started screaming at me, “Yo miss, hey you, stop ignoring me” I made a bee line to boscovs where my friends were running to meet me. As I entered the store I seen my friend and dragged her behind a tall clothes rack and ducked down. I explained what was happening and that those men were strangers I do not know and people don’t just follow you screaming at you for a name and a phone number. I had a feeling something more cynical was happening and i told her we need to get out of here now. My friend said omg they’re in here and they proceeded to follow us. I ran straight to the nearest cashier and pleaded for her help to call security. She took it as a joke and told me to go to the courtesy desk. At this point there was a group of men now following us. I ran to the jewelry desk because we were practically surrounded. And I interrupted a transaction. I was completely terrified at this point and I can easily defend myself in almost any situation. But this was different. The lady called security immediately. Once the men realized that she was on the phone with security they walked slowly out of boscovs staring at us. They proceeded to stand outside the entrance for awhile until security came. We were safely escorted to the car. The point is that I shop by myself a lot. A lot of my friends do too and those men were not interested in my name nor my phone number or trying to make a play because no older group of men are going to follow you to multiple stores not making any purchases and after they’ve been ignored.... Human trafficking is HUGE in Erie. Always be aware of your surroundings. I was being watched and was approached when I was alone and there would’ve been no way for me to defend myself against a group of them. Also, when someone comes up to you in a frantic panic believe them because tonight could’ve turned out very differently. Carly's Tale of Parking Horror ***CLARIFICATION THIS WAS AT BABIES R US AND TARGET PARKING LOT NOT THE MILLCREEK MALL!!! This is upper peach st Erie pa.***** UPDATED STATE POLICE WERE CALLED & THEY STATED THEY HAD ANOTHER CALL ABOUT THIS AND THEY ARE SEARCHING FOR THEM! IF YOU COME ACROSS A BLACK CAR TRYING TO PICK YOU UP OR CAT CALL YOU CALL THE POLICE***Yo that girl who posted that on Facebook about them dudes following her in Victoria’s Secret in the mall, that was not a joke!!! I just walked out to babies R us with all three of my kids and these older dudes in a black car we’re trying to get my attention and would not leave me alone when I was ignoring them so I finally turned around and said yeah and they asked me if I had a man to take care of my kids. I said yeah I got a whole man and he said come here and I got in MY car. They sat behind my car trying to make it so I couldn’t pull back but the car in front of me left so I drove away. I’m dead serious everyone don’t be going out shopping alone especially with your kid these people out here are nuts. Alyssa's Tale of Kidnapping Everyone PLEASE be careful on peach street in Erie. There was an attempted kidnapping at McDonald’s on peach street. It is believed to be by those same people all over the news. Please always be aware of your surroundings and keep your kids close!Edit* Since everyone seems to be thinking that I would just make this up, I am not sure why this hasn’t been on anything, but I know authorities are searching for these men that re scaring us all. This is such a scary thing to be happening in our small town and I would never make anything up for the fun of it, especially about such a serious topic! Stay safe and keep your loved ones close! The Police Report Courtesy of GoErie State and Millcreek Township police said they have failed to find any evidence to support rumors flying around social media about possible abductions and human trafficking along the Peach Street shopping district.“There were no attempted abductions and we are not aware of any human trafficking that is going on,” Mook said. “What I can tell you is the FBI occasionally does investigations into human trafficking and we are not aware of any open investigations at the Millcreek Mall.”“Our officers looked into surveillance footage at the mall and were unable to gather any further evidence relating to the claims by the citizens, so the cases have not been able to proceed forward with any sort of charges. But all three involved summary harassment at the worst. There was, again, no attempted abduction and no human trafficking,” he said. Backing Away from Social Media All the panic and mass hysteria occurring in Erie reminded me of my social media cleanse a few weeks back. I was growing irritated with the way people think (or rather don't think) back home, so I decided to start trashing friends. By the time I was done, I think I dropped about 500 or so friends. Now, I'm tempted to just quit Facebook altogether. Listening to people have outrageous arguments with no basis in fact starts to wear down on you. It's worse when it's people you know since you figure they ought to know better. Obviously, I've been interested in minimalism for awhile, but I'm thinking this is going to extend to social media. I can't stand the way tools like Facebook tend to build up echo chambers of ignorance. It's like the townies you grew up with who never left a 20 mile radius, but now they have internet. So, you get to see their racist rants and angry politics on loop every day. When I started writing this article, I stumbled upon a couple Reddit threads that basically sum up my feelings for my hometown: what do you hate most about your hometown and what's the worst thing about small towns. I love the place, but the people need to get out of there. I'm not even trying to speak from a place of privilege or entitlement. It's like a giant bubble of insane views just circulating and festering. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you probably never left your small town. That, or you've just never grown up in one. Weird stuff happens in small towns. I'll give you a couple examples. Choose Your Weapon When I was in high school, I knew this kid who broke the news to his parents that he was going to lose his virginity to the girl he was dating. In addition to giving him some sex education, the parents ended up taking him to the store to get condoms. Once they got to the condom section, the father said "choose your weapon." Funny or not, that's quite the creepy comment to be hearing from your dad. I think most protective parents would scold their child in this scenario. Personally, I don't think that's the right move, but it just seems slightly more acceptable than the way these parents handled it. The loss of virginity is not some sort of incestuous bond between father and son. Make sure the kid understands the risks and get on with your day. To some, this story probably doesn't seem that weird, but it always sort of bothered me. Families in small towns seem to be able to act in any way they want without any sort of repercussions. Forms of abuse seem tolerated in small towns because everyone is a little kooky. Never Grow Up There's a family in town that owns a small business. At some point in their history, some horrific event happened to them. It may be related to a shooting that happened at a local middle school dance. I don't actually remember. Regardless, whatever happened caused the parents to become extremely protective. In fact, they have a daughter who is well into her thirties, but she's still under tight control of her parents. For example, I don't even think she's ever had a partner. Instead, she's sort of been stuck in my hometown living a closeted life. I find this story to be another great example of the freedom that families have in small towns. In no way would this be acceptable behavior in a larger city, but in a small town it's totally ignored. Thirteenth Grade I was unfortunate enough to live in a small town that also had a college. Most people might find this great as a nearby college allows kids to save money by living with their families. However, that's precisely the problem. Almost everyone I went to high school with went to this college, and a good portion of them stayed home. As a result, you end up with a large group of people who carry along their same prejudices and value systems all the way through college. Why not? It's an echo chamber. As you can imagine, I have a strong disdain for most of the people who stuck around. The people I do like stuck around mostly out of necessity. That said, I do feel pretty bad for them. The rest of them are idiots. I don't really have to give any examples of their ignorance. I think I shared plenty on my social media cleanse article as well as above. Overbearing Parents Another thing that I find to be a small town only type of problem is overbearing parents. I have plenty examples of this, but I think the most horrendous was one of the soccer moms. As a brief aside, I'll just say that I used to play soccer quite a bit. I didn't take it as seriously in high school, but I did play my senior year. Anyways, one of the moms was absolutely ridiculous. She used to show up to our practices and meetings to give each of us a shakedown. In other words, she would basically interrogate us about every little thing. Did you eat breakfast/lunch/dinner? Did you make it to church? Etc. I found this really bizarre. Maybe it's because my parents forced me to be independent, but it really rubbed me the wrong way. It was almost like she thought that she was the best parent in town, and each question was just a way for her to judge our parents. Needless to say, I didn't care for that woman, but everyone else seemed to be okay with her objections. Abuse, Neglect, and Control Along a similar thread as the rest of my complaints, small towns seem to breed weird family behavior. I can't really go into too much more detail, but I will say that I know people who left who are still affected by their crazy families. The brainwashing is so strong in small towns that it can be hard to find an ally with an outsiders perspective. I think that's why most of my friends are from college and work. I just couldn't shake some of these people of their indoctrination. So, you probably get the idea by now. I think I need to step back from social media a bit. These townies are killing my vibe. The Takeaway As with many articles I've recycled as premium content, I don't necessarily stand by the content anymore. However, I do think there are valuable lessons in this content. For example, I still think social media is bad, and I have since deleted my Facebook account. I also don't exactly love my home town, so some of that is still true. At any rate, feel free to complain about whatever you read here. You'll do it anyways!