Never Take Sweets from a Stranger (U.S. title: Never Take Candy from a Stranger) is a 1960 British thriller drama film directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Patrick Allen, Gwen Watford, Janina Faye and Felix Aylmer. The screenplay was by John Hunter based on the 1954 play The Pony Cart by …
Ah, the sweet taste of youthful spontaneity! Or should I say, the slightly bitter aftertaste of questionable decision-making? Let me take you back to the time when I was 19, studying abroad in Canada, and I made a choice that could have easily landed me in a true crime documentary. Spoiler alert: I survived, but boy, was it a close call.
Picture this: a cozy evening, I’m sitting outside a gas station/convenience store, feeling like a local Canadian (despite being a completely lost tourist). A man in his early 40s approaches me, looking like he could use a friend. He asks if I have a lighter. Now, I don’t smoke, but I figured I could spare a few moments to chat. After all, it’s good to make new friends, right?
So we started talking, and it turned out he was having an existential crisis. I mean, who hasn’t been there? He was new in town, feeling lonely, and honestly, he seemed genuinely sad. I felt a pang of sympathy and continued to chat with him. We ended up wandering to a nearby park where he pulled out some vodka and beers from his backpack. Now, I’m no stranger to social drinking, but on this occasion, I decided to politely decline. You know, just in case the universe was plotting against me and vodka was part of the plan.
As darkness fell, he transitioned the conversation to THC edibles. I had dabbled a bit in the past, so when he mentioned he had a bag of really good ones at his house, my 19-year-old brain did what any reasonable brain would do: it said, “Sure! Let’s go get some candy!” It’s like I was possessed by the spirit of reckless abandon, ignoring every single warning bell ringing in my head.
So there I was, following a stranger to his house at night for some candy. Because that’s a totally normal thing to do, right? I mean, who doesn’t want to risk life and limb for THC gummies?
When we arrived at his house, he told me to wait on the porch while he went inside to retrieve the goodies. This was the moment my brain finally kicked in and realized the gravity of the situation. I was standing there, heart racing, thinking, “Oh my God, I have literally followed a drunk stranger to his house because he promised me candy.”
At that point, I had two options: 1) Leave immediately and preserve my life, or 2) Stay and discover whether I was about to receive some perfectly innocent THC gummies or become the star of a new crime documentary. Naturally, my brilliant 19-year-old self chose option 2. Because why not?
And then, the door opened. My heart was practically trying to escape through my backside. I braced myself for the worst. But instead of a horror movie moment, he walked out holding… the candy. Just candy. No kidnapping, no murder, no plot twist. Just me standing on a stranger’s porch at night, realizing I had somehow survived my own terrible decision-making.
As I walked away, I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. Here I was, a young woman who had just followed a stranger home for candy, and somehow, I had come out unscathed. It was a reminder that while spontaneity can lead to some fun stories, it can also lead to some seriously questionable choices.
So, dear readers, if you ever find yourself in a situation that seems a little too good to be true—like following a random man home for candy—just remember my story. Sometimes, it’s better to stick to the safer options. Or at least bring a friend along for the ride. Because, let’s be real, life is way more fun when you can laugh about your questionable decisions later on!
Inspired by: “I literally followed a random man home for some candy” (r/GirlDinnerDiaries)